Massachusetts Senate To Take Up FARM Bill
March 23, 2026(BOSTON—3/23/2026) The Senate Committee on Ways and Means voted today to advance legislation to support Massachusetts farmers by fostering the growing agritourism sector, making agricultural investment programs permanent, and tracking the preservation and use of local farmland.
The full Senate plans to consider the legislation—S.3029, An Act fostering agricultural resilience in Massachusetts, or the FARM Bill—at a formal session on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
The bill would remove zoning barriers that could stand in the way of farmers operating agritourism ventures on their property, picking up a key recommendation from a recently released special legislative commission report. The commission found that agritourism—recreational, educational, or entertainment experiences offered in connection with a farm operation—is crucial to helping farmers raise revenue and remain profitable.
The legislation would make permanent the Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) Program, which distributes millions of dollars per year to help farmers and fishermen access new equipment and infrastructure upgrades. It would also create a statewide map of all agricultural lands in Massachusetts, study and enhance the effectiveness of a farmland preservation program, and track the use of local produce through food banks, universal school meals, and assistance programs.
At a time when the federal government has created uncertainty around programs for people with limited financial resources, the bill puts crucial nutrition assistance programs into state law for the first time. It would codify the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which encourages people receiving food assistance to prioritize fruits and vegetables from Massachusetts farms, and the Farm to School program, which aims to introduce healthy, locally grown produce into children’s school meals.
The bill reported today by the Committee on Ways and Means is a redraft of legislation advanced on a 5-0 vote by the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries on December 2, 2025. The joint committee solicited public input on the underlying bill, originally filed by Senator Joanne M. Comerford (D-Northampton), at a hearing on September 16, 2025.
All committee votes are publicly posted on the Legislature’s website. Details of legislation up for consideration by the Senate are included in fact sheets available in the Senate press room.
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