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Date: 10/13/2021
HADLEY – The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and Kestrel Land Trust introduced a new partnership Oct. 6 in a private event at The Food Bank’s newest farm located on 32 Shattuck Rd. in North Hadley. Both parties describe the deal as an innovative partnership of farmland conservation that will strengthen food security for all and the local food economy.
“Partnering with Kestrel Land Trust to purchase the farm and protect it in perpetuity as well as with these two local farmers enables The Food Bank to provide a sustainable solution to food insecurity,” Executive Director of The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Andrew Morehouse said in a press release of the announcement. “We’re grateful for the tremendous support that we received from the Kestrel Land Trust, commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Town of Hadley, private foundations, and the community.”
Kestrel Land Trust has worked with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in finding the necessary land for a new farm for the food bank to better serve food security in the region. When grocery store shelves were often empty early on during the pandemic, it was a red flag to how our foundations in food security may not be as strong as once imagined. Even after certain changes forced from the pandemic end, food security and having fresh foods is vital for any community.
On the Kestrel Land Trust website they write, “Food insecurity is a real challenge around the world, and even here in the valley over 100,000 local residents do not have adequate access to food. This is a sobering reminder how essential farms are to keep us healthy and well-fed – not just during the pandemic crisis, but every day of every year.”
“The theme for today is partnership, because that’s the only way something like this can happen,” said John Lebeaux, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. “We like to get wins, but we always like to get win-wins, or win-win-wins, and that’s what we have today.”
This new announcement also comes with permanent protection of the land from development and support private farmland conservation.
Executive Director of the Kestrel Land Trust Kristin DeBoer was in attendance and spoke to the crowd of town reps, farmers, and all those involved in making this project come to fruition.
“This project not only was the culmination of our partnership to think about how land can be more relevant to more people and how can land help solve communities’ problems, and in this case, hunger is the most urgent problems that our community faces,” DeBoer said.
Based on data compiled by the The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, an average of 19,735 people is served monthly in Hampshire County alone through the food bank. Food is donated from 52 different local farms across the western part of the state to provide food in need to areas with food insecurity.
These fact lead to the partnership of the two groups. The new 142-acre Food Bank farm will contract with local farmers who will grow organic vegetables for households at risk of hunger and to sell to schools in high-poverty school districts.
“It represents a big departure from the usual food bank model of relying exclusively on donated food from food retailers and commodities from state and federal governments. Instead, its an investment in local farmland for organic farmers to strengthen our local food economy while also providing a reliable source of healthy organic food to those who need it most – especially during these difficult times,” Morehouse said in a statement on the Kestrel Land Trust site.
This will be the second farm actively owned and farmed through The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. They became the first food bank in the country to own their own farm back in 1992 when they became owners of the farm on Bay Road in Hadley. While serving the community in several ways, the new farm will work directly with Springfield Public Schools – and eventually more – in delivering fresh fruits and vegetables to the public schools. This project was started by the Western Mass. Food Bank directly and the schools.
Town representatives from both Amherst and Hadley were in attendance and expressed their excitement in the two towns being able to help bring such a major source of healthy sustainable food to the area.
“It is just exciting to sit and stand here, mud and all,” said Amherst Town Council President Lynn Griesemer. “As we have faced the pandemic this has been incredibly important because we have so many people in Western Mass. and all over our country be challenged by the lack of food for their families and for themselves.”
“I am so glad to be here today to be a part of this celebration,” Hadley Town Manager Carolyn Brennan said. “It is clear that Hadley residents strongly supported this collaboration. It’s been evident in their action to vote to use CPA [Community Preservation] funds to help the trust fund purchase the farm. What is so important is in addition to protecting agricultural land it will directly impact the health and well being of so many individuals and families.”
Three acres of the 143-acre farm will be preserved as a model “no-till” farm maintained by volunteers and local students once COVID-19 safety measures are changed. No-till farming is an agricultural technique for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage, decreasing the amount of soil erosion tillage causes in certain soils. This part of the land will hopefully serve an educational purpose for volunteers and students who in the future will be providing care for the no-till area.
Joe Czajkowski of Lakeside Organic of Hadley will oversee farm operations at the new location. A lifelong farmer, Czajkowski specializes in organic and conventional fruit and vegetables servicing schools, universities, farms and grocers.