Press Room

An Act fostering agricultural resilience in Massachusetts (the FARM Bill) would support farmers by codifying state agricultural investment programs, improving the resilience of the state’s food supply chain, removing barriers to supplemental income on farms, and helping families and children access healthy, local produce. The FARM Bill also looks to the future by mapping agricultural lands, encouraging the creation of urban agricultural sites, and preparing to train the farmers of tomorrow.

The details of the legislation are below.

Fosters Farm Tourism. Supports the agritourism sector, a rapidly expanding source of revenue to local farms, by clarifying that local zoning or by-laws cannot prohibit agritourism on land used primarily for commercial agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture, viniculture, or similar fields. Creates a statutory definition for agritourism. Two out of every three Massachusetts farmers operate at a loss on their crops and rely on other sources of revenue—such as agritourism—to stay in business, according to the recently-released special legislative commission report. Agritourism includes the offering of recreational, educational, or entertainment experiences to the public. The report highlighted challenges in the growth of agritourism ventures, including current “restrictive town-specific regulations and zoning on agritourism activities,” and recommended a legislative solution.

Helps Farmers and Fishermen Make Capital Improvements. Supports farmers, fishermen, and other food producers by permanently codifying the Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) Program to aid equipment and infrastructure purchases for their operations. FSIG has funded more than 800 projects and invested $127 million in the local food system since 2020, according to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR).

Creates Flexibility for Cranberry Bog Permits. Allows cranberry growers to transfer Water Management Act permits to other registered permit-holders, easing the transition when they retire bogs or seek to transfer their operation.

Solidifies Fruit and Vegetable Incentives for Families. Supports nutritious meals for people in need by permanently codifying the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which provides matching reimbursements when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients purchase fruits and vegetables from local farms.

Blends Healthy Local Foods into Student Meals. Ensures nutritious and enjoyable meals for students, grows children’s awareness of healthy eating, and boosts the local agricultural sector by permanently codifying the Farm to School program. Through grants, the program connects Massachusetts farms with food service personnel at primary schools, secondary schools, and licensed childcare programs.

Creates a Statewide Map of Agricultural Land. Calls for the creation of a publicly searchable map and database that catalogs all the agricultural and horticultural land in Massachusetts. The registry, to be created by MDAR in consultation with the Department of Revenue (DOR), will help strategic efforts to preserve farmland in the Commonwealth.

Boosts Oversight of the Agricultural Extension. Adds to the oversight of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Extension, the state’s educational outreach unit for commercial agriculture and horticulture. New board members would be representatives from the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, an urban farming organization, and a member of a ‘buy local’ organization, along with two members from organizations that support historically marginalized or new-entry farmers and food producers. Adds the Senate and House chairs of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries to the oversight board as non-voting members.

Tracks the Use of Local Produce. Requires an annual report on the distribution of local Massachusetts produce through food banks, universal school meals, Meals on Wheels, and other food assistance programs.

Studies Farmland Preservation Effectiveness. Focuses the triennial review of the state’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) program to consider the program’s effectiveness at preserving agricultural lands related to specific factors, such as crop type, soil health, biodiversity, access to markets, the owner’s health or retirement plans, and development pressures.

Prioritizes Local Food Production in Emergencies. Aims to avoid disruptions to the food supply chain in Massachusetts by calling on MEMA to develop a mitigation plan that supports agriculture, seafood, and food processing as part of emergency planning efforts.

Focuses on Renewable Energy Options. Requires agricultural and energy agencies to periodically review legal or regulatory restrictions on the amount of renewable energy that can be generated on farmland to ensure farmers have the opportunity to generate clean energy while also preserving and maintaining working farmland.

Plants a Framework for Farmer Training. Establishes a Next Generation Farmers Fund to boost training for first-time farmers through grants to public higher education institutions, vocational technical schools, and community groups. Allows funds to be transferred to the new fund from the existing Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund.

Eyes Future Agricultural Sites. Establishes the Vacant Lots to Urban Agriculture program to encourage the transformation of abandoned, empty, and foreclosed properties into urban farms and community gardens. The Department of Agricultural Resources would administer the program, subject to appropriation.