Mass. agriculture commission adopts final report, votes to publish in fall

Representative Kate Hogan, chair of the Special Commission on Agriculture in the 21st Century, and co-chair Senator Jo Comerford presided over a roll-call vote that unanimously adopted the commission’s final report and set a timeline to publish a finalized version this fall.

Why it matters: The report compiles findings and recommendations aimed at sustaining Massachusetts agriculture across farmland access, workforce development, climate resilience and other topics. Commissioners said the document will inform legislation already filed and guide state agency outreach.

The commission held nine public hearings, including an in-person hearing and field visit at UMass Amherst, and organized three subject-matter drafting groups that produced the recommendations in the report, Hogan said. “We will now proceed with a roll call vote to adopt the final report of the 20 first century agriculture commission,” Senator Jo Comerford said before the vote.

Several members praised the commission’s work and asked staff to make non-substantive “perfecting edits” before…