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Date: 7/25/2023
EASTHAMPTON — On July 20, Gov. Maura Healey joined local and state officials to announce the United Way of Central Massachusetts’ new Massachusetts Farm Resiliency fund to help support farms and farmers in the wake of devastating flooding earlier this month.
Representatives from around Western Massachusetts were in attendance at Mountain View Farm including Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe, Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, Easthampton City Council President Homar Gomez, state Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield), state Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), state Rep. Natalie Blais (D-Deerfield) and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan. Also in attendance were representatives for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Cambridge) and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Malden).
Healey explained that the flooding was just an example of the way serious weather events can affect Massachusetts residents.
“We’ve had severe weather, it’s not surprising given what we’ve seen across the country and across the world when it comes to climate. With these serious weather events and ever-changing weather events come with consequences,” she said. “Most unfortunately those consequences were felt in very real ways over the last 11 days by folks in Western Massachusetts and Central Massachusetts. The flooding resulted in tremendous devastation to farms, the crops, personnel, employees, payroll, infrastructure.”
Healey added that the timing for the floods hurt farmers especially.
“Coming at a time on the cusp of harvest for many, it really wipes out the ability to have a second season and it really presents real questions about what’s gonna happen, even next year given potential impacts on fields,” she said.
Healey said that she and her administration have been meeting with farmers since the floods.
“We want to find a way to come together to provide direct aid to our farmers, we’ve got to take care of those who take care of so many and we have to recognize there are implications for our farmers that are big time that we are going to work to resolve and also for our food banks, food pantries and the important food security infrastructure that exists across the state,” she said.
While the funding would help farmers now, Healey said the goal is to use the fund to help future generations of farmers.
“We recognize that this is a now, but to the farmers I want you to know we’re in it for the long haul, so this is more than about just relief, which we are going to pursue — state, local, federal — but it’s about recovery, it’s about resilience, it’s about sustainability,” Healey said. “We have many generations represented in our farming community and we want to make sure the next generation is able to continue on in something that has been such an important fabric in who we are as a community and who we are as a state.”
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said farmers’ wellbeing was important to the state.
“When they are doing well, we are doing well. When our farmers are hurting and challenged, we are hurting and challenged,” she said.
Driscoll added the option to donate can bring the whole state together to support farmers.
“This is an opportunity for us to all come together, but this also is about what you can do, those who may not live in Western Mass. or Central Mass., ways that you can donate to this fund to help the things that we all rely on,” she said.
United Way CEO Tim Garvin said the fund was a way to come together to help farmers.
“This is everybody coming together saying we want to offer help and we want to offer hope, we want to make this as simple as possible, and we are going to work on that. We are going to create a regional, advisory committee so we can help this region. What we want to have happen is we want everybody to say, ‘I can do something,’ because what’s happened to our farmers affects all of us,” he said.
He explained that as a result of the flooding 75 farms, 2,000 acres of land and $15 million in damages was incurred.
“That affects every single one of us. So, what can we do? Support this fund. Say yes and then broadcast it to your entire network,” he said.
Ashley Randle, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources said the fund was a way to provide hope to the farmers affected.
“It has been incredibly heartbreaking to meet with all the farmers and see the impacts, but today is about hope and moving forward, and I think there is a lot of hope and good things to come from this,” she said.
So far, Healey explained that private philanthropists had committed $100,000 to the fund and the Attorney General’s Office would also be contributing. She added that her administration was also pursuing additional state and federal funding to help farmers.
“We are here today in Easthampton; we are here in Western Massachusetts. This has had a disproportionate, adverse impact on farmers in Western Massachusetts and central Massachusetts. This is an issue that all 351 cities and towns own,” she said.
Healey explained that the funds will be distributed as grants and not as loans.
She implored people to donate.
“Please go to this fund, easy way, push of a button to contribute. These farmers need the money now we cannot wait for federal funding, which we will pursue,” Healey said. “We will pursue state funding, but right now everybody in Massachusetts has a chance to step up to be part of a team and support men and women who have for generations have been working hard to deliver to families across the state.”
Donations to the Massachusetts Farm Resiliency Fund can be made at: https://unitedwaycm.org/farmfund/.