Enroll: Specialty Producers

Restricted to businesses that use 50 percent or more locally grown ingredients/materials in their value-added products.

Enroll in the Local Hero Program for 2025 Here!

Local Hero membership benefits

All members benefit from CISA’s aggressive advertising and marketing campaign and promotion of our trademarked slogan Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown^® and Local Hero logo.

CISA is again offering a sliding scale payment structure for membership fees in 2025 in a continued effort to make access to Local Hero membership more equitable. We invite you to determine the amount you are able to pay without compromising your operation.

The baseline cost for a Local Hero membership is $150. This cost covers staff time to maintain the Online Guide, execute marketing opportunities, “Buy Local” consumer advertising, the cost of the Local Hero POP starter kit, one-on-one CISA staff assistance, and overhead costs. If this amount presents a hardship, or if you can may more, please pay any amount along the sliding scale.

Not Sure What to Pay?

$40 covers the cost of the POP starter kit.

$75 covers the staff time to maintain the online guide and to execute marketing opportunities as well as the cost of the Local Hero starter kit.

Those who are able to pay $151 or more help subsidize the cost of those who are unable to afford the baseline price. If you are able to pay more it’s greatly appreciated by CISA and your fellow farmers.

Step 1: Determine your tier eligibility

Tier 1 – business eligibility:

Join as a business member if at least 25% of your entire product line consists of products containing 50% or more locally grown ingredients or materials. Business members may use the Local Hero logo in general marketing for their business as a whole, in addition to using the logo on any products that meet the 50% criteria.

CISA will measure your 50% or more locally grown ingredients/materials in your value-added products using one of the following:

50% of the ingredients volume come from local farms
50% of the weight of your ingredients come from local farms
or 50% of the value of your ingredients come from local farms

Tier 2 – product-only eligibility:

Join as a product-only member if you have individual products that contain 50% or more locally grown ingredients or materials, and these products make up less than 25% of your product line. Product-only members may use the Local Hero logo on any products that meet the 50% criteria. They may not use the logo in general marketing for their business as a whole.

Step 2: Select your membership level

Local Hero (Baseline $150) benefits include:

Permission to use the Local Hero logo
Listing in the searchable Online Guide
Starter kit of Local Hero price cards and stickers
A Local Hero sign for new members
Access to additional low-cost Local Hero materials (see more information here)
Priority access to CISA marketing expertise and business assistance
Priority access to funding to work with outside consultants and marketing professionals
Members-only networking events
Monthly members-only e-newsletters
Discounts on newspaper and radio advertising, Pioneer Valley Local First membership, and graphic design. See more information here.
Eligibility to serve on CISA’s board and committees

Super Hero ($250+) benefits include:

All the benefits of Local Hero membership, PLUS:

Additional free Local Hero stickers and price cards; up to 100 rolls of stickers and 1,500 price cards
50% off client facility fee at Western MA Food Processing Center (a $600 savings). See more information here.

Want to save $15 when renewing your membership? Complete our 2024 Year-end Survey!

*Complete our survey here!
CISA strives to improve the programs and support we provide to you and we value your feedback. Please take the time to complete our year-end survey to receive a $15 discount that can be used immediately toward your 2025 enrollment fee.

Multiple listings or memberships

If you have more than one farm stand you can get them listed. Please refer to the sliding scale to determine the cost you will pay per listing. If you own one or more eligible non-farm businesses, or if you want your farm listed in multiple sections of the online guide, you may be eligible for additional savings per Local Hero membership. For any questions contact Jen Smith at 413-665-7100 x22.