MFM NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Help us petition the state senate to pass amendments to bolster food infrastructure in MA
We’ve included a pre-written letter to send your Senator at the bottom of this page with a link to locate your representative.
Friends,
This week our State House Senators will be discussing how to spend roughly $3.6 Billion in Federal ARPA [American Recovery Plan Act] funds.
Massachusetts has been at the forefront of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). The WIC program launched here in 1986 and the Senior program was piloted here in the 1990s
Mass Farmers Markets, and markets in general, need you to call your State House Senator and ask them to sign on as co-sponsors, or otherwise vote to support, the following amendments:
Amendment #19
Submitted by Senators Mike Barrett and Becca Rausch
TOTAL ASK: $150,000:
• $100,000 to be spent over 2 years to develop, pilot and model a STATEWIDE Veterans Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• $50,000 over 2 years to research the link between farm and food production viability and farmers markets.
After 20 years of war in the Middle East, our veterans, those who are living just above the poverty line, need the support of such a program. $50,000 over 2 years to research the link between farm and food production viability and farmers markets. We know that Farmers Markets are an integral component of our local food system. To date, we have no real numbers that express the impact farmers markets have on our local food economy. Without those numbers it is difficult to have the important conversations with Non-Government Organizations (NGO) funders and government officials. Last year, when $54M was earmarked for food security infrastructure grants, across the state roughly $2,000 made its way to farmers markets. After a year of being designated "essential" that should never have happened. It will continue to happen if we cannot illustrate how important Farmers Markets are to our local farm and food economy.
Amendment #603
Submitted by Senator Eric Lesser
TOTAL ASK: $75,000
Strengthen and revitalize the Farmers Market at Forest Park in Springfield, MA; the primary site for FMNP redemption
After 24 years in existence, The Farmers Market at Forest Park in Springfield, is under new management. As market managers, we know how difficult it is to get to sustainability.
When Jodi-Lyn Manning took over the management of the Farmers Market at Forest Park in April (2021), it had been in decline for years. The Board of Directors had dwindled to an active few, vendor and consumer engagement was on the decline AND yet, it was the primary site for Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) redemption.
Jodi needs your support to help revitalize this important community resource.
Please reach out to your State Senator and ask that they either sign-on as a co-sponsor or show their support by voting in support of this amendment.
Thank you,
Edith Murnane,
Executive Director
Sample letter to send your representative:
Dear Senator [insert last name];
Tomorrow, you will be a part of a large conversation around how we recover and revitalize our communities after the COVID-19 pandemic. I [your name] am asking you to support local farms, local food, and our local food system by either signing on as a co-sponsor or voting in favor of Amendment #19 and Amendment #603 that are part of Senate Bill 2564.
Food access, food security, and revitalizing and strengthening our local food system should be an important component in how we think about spending Federal ARPA [American Recovery Plan Act] funds.
After 20 years of war in the Middle East, our veterans, those who are living just above the poverty line, need the support of a statewide nutritional program that would put healthy food on the tables of our heroes who need it the most. Your support for Amendment #19 means food stability and security for more families across this great commonwealth.
After earmarking $54M for food security infrastructure in 2020, approximately only $2,000 of those funds went to farmers markets. History has shown that farmers markets are integral to sustaining and growing local economies and serving the communities they exist in. With an agricultural industry that employs 25,920 people across the state, supporting these amendments means further economic strength. By voting for Amendment 603 you are helping revitalize a much needed market in a city historically underserved. In the past the Forest Park Farmers Market in Springfield was the primary site for FMNP (Farmers Market Nutrition Program) redemption and in these uncertain times, strengthening food access needs to be a priority.
While it is difficult to point to the economical impact for the FMNP, it has been estimated that every dollar spent on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits generates $1.67 in economic activity [according to calculations by Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics]. Supporting the access points for the redemption of these nutritional aid program benefits is a homerun for the vitality of families across MA and the farmers who make these markets possible.
Please consider signing on as a co-sponsor or vote in support.
[Sign your name and provide your address indicating that you are a constituent.]