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Date: 6/21/2023
WARE — The town of Ware was awarded $11,970 by the Healey-Driscoll administration to support the Quaboag Valley Food Policy Council, a new effort to address food insecurity.
The award is part of a larger initiative from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, which has dispensed $250,000 in grants across 17 communities under the Local Food Policy Council Program.
The grants are targeted at accelerating the formation of food policy councils and expanding their capacities and opportunities to bolster local food systems.
“Massachusetts’ local food policy councils and food working groups are vital to the fabric of our food system and help connect communities to healthy, nutritious foods,” said Rebecca Tepper, Energy and Environmental Affairs secretary. “We are happy to recognize and invest in this important work.”
The town of Ware will lead the newly formed QVFPC. The grant will fund the hiring of a coordinator and subcontractor to organize strategic planning sessions and goal-setting meetings, laying the foundation for increased community engagement and long-term food sustainability in the region.
“This is the first initiative to bring these diverse groups together, including underserved and underrepresented individuals in western and central Massachusetts,” a statement noted.
In April, Caitlin Geaghan, QVFPC’s coordinator, detailed the organization’s purpose and objectives. She focused on food policy and the implications for Quaboag Valley and improved food access.
The council seeks to connect residents, farmers, community organizations, food distributors, and local businesses to combat food insecurity in the Quaboag Valley, emphasizing engaging underserved and underrepresented individuals.
QVFPC will focus on immediate solutions and targeting the region’s root causes of food insecurity.
According to the 2022 Baystate Wing Community Health Needs Assessment, approximately 9% of adults and 13% of children in the community are food insecure. The assessment also revealed that one in four residents has concerns about securing food for their households.
Limited access to full-service grocery stores in the region only exacerbates the problem. In Geaghan’s April presentation, she stated that food policy represented government actions, including legislative and regulatory responses.
“These policy decisions occur at all levels of government, from international trade agreements that determine the price of food imports and exports to local school district wellness policies that establish the types of foods that can be sold at bake sales,” Geaghan emphasized.
Geaghan stressed that food policy decisions happen at all levels of government and directly impact food security. She emphasized the need for upstream approaches to prevent problems and examine social factors contributing to health outcomes rather than downstream reactions.
Through strategic planning and collaboration, the QVFPC seeks to establish long-term solutions for food access in the region, contributing to a more equitable food system across the commonwealth.
“We greatly appreciate this appropriation from our partners in the state Legislature to provide these grants to our Massachusetts local food policy councils and food working groups,” said MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle.
Adding, “Projects and initiatives funded through this program will develop and continue work to impact the long-term viability and sustainability of our local food system in Massachusetts.”