Welcome to CISA’s Climate Change & Farming Bulletin!

By Stephen Taranto, Climate Program Coordinator

What, more email? Another blog? Wait! This blog is a specially-curated collection of practical technical service information that features events, news, opportunities, and research for western Massachusetts farms and farmers. We plan to pack each quarterly blog with what you–the farmer–needs to know about climate change in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties. Together, we can learn and share about climate and farming in our community. 

As the climate crisis intensifies, CISA stands beside  farmers who are adapting all parts of their businesses, from production to post-harvest processing and distribution in response. This bulletin is one way for CISA to help farmers face the unique challenges a warming planet brings to our local food system.

The Climate Change & Farming Bulletin will feature a monthly blog, written by guest farmers, CISA staff and other members of the food system resilience community. We’ll also include details on upcoming events, case studies of adaptation practices in action, relevant new research, and information on sources of funding for adaptation on farms and in other links of the food supply chain. We want to help you grow high quality food using best practices that are not only adapted to the changing climate of today but the uncertain climate of tomorrow.

CISA is here and ready to help you adapt to the changes. Whether you need help writing a grant or finding a consultant, mentor or other source of guidance to help you with your projects, you can count on us for support. If we can’t provide you with what you need, we’ll do everything we can to point you in the right direction. 

This month’s bulletin features the launch of CISA’s year-round Emergency Farm Fund, making small, interest-free loans available to farms experiencing financial and equipment losses due to extreme weather; information and events on this year’s Climate & Farming Week, September 19-23; links to on-line adaptation resources and several grants and even a quick poll at the end. We hope you will have a look and find something useful. 

Suggestions and contributions are welcome, please email them to our Climate Program Coordinator, Stephen Taranto, at stephen@buylocalfood.org. And remember, we are in this together and CISA is here to help you and your farm business thrive.