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Joint committee hears support for broad Farm Bill to shore up farmland, markets and workforce
Summary
Sponsors and farm groups told the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries that H112/S55 would strengthen Massachusetts agriculture through procurement, farmland preservation, workforce training, agritourism and grants to modernize infrastructure, and they urged a favorable report.
Lawmakers heard broad support for H112/S55, an omnibus “Farm Bill” that would create multiple programs to boost farm viability, preserve farmland and expand markets. Testimony from farm organizations, buy‑local groups and food‑access nonprofits emphasized the bill’s range of provisions: improved state procurement of Massachusetts‑grown food, preservation tools for at‑risk farmland, a Next Generation Farmers Fund, and codified food‑security infrastructure grants.
“Local agriculture plays a key role in the Commonwealth’s food system and economy,” said Margaret Moulton, executive director of Berkshire Grown. She and other witnesses urged the committee to adopt language that helps farms sell into state food assistance and institutional markets and to protect farmland from development through expanded APR options. Karen Schwalbe of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau said the bill’s agritourism, education and workforce sections would provide important revenue and training for small farms.
Advocates also asked the committee to make the Food Security Infrastructure Grant program durable and more flexible, including allowing used equipment purchases in some circumstances. “The Food Security Infrastructure Grant provides funding for equipment essential to the longevity and growth of farm businesses,” said Honeybee Puder of CMAP, who described scenarios where tractors, cold storage or processing equipment made a difference for farm viability.
The bill would also direct MDAR and partner agencies to maximize local purchases through state food assistance programs, an item backed by food bank representatives who said that existing MEFAP spending already benefits Massachusetts producers. No committee vote was taken during the hearing; sponsors and witnesses requested further work and a favorable report so provisions could be folded into the legislative process.
