Massachusetts Food System Collaborative

Our policy director, Rebecca Miller, was featured on the public news service today in an interview about impact that the cut to the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) will have on farmers and families in Massachusetts. https://lnkd.in/ezgTpsr7 #HIPworks #localfood

100+ members of the Campaign for Healthy Incentive Program Funding rallied today at the State House in support of an additional $10 million in FY2025 to stop the at least 50% cut to monthly HIP benefits that will be implemented on December 1, 2024. Thank you to all the advocates, farmers, HIP shoppers, legislators, and legislative staff for making today's rally and legislative visits a huge success.

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"The problem, however, is that people count on this money and farmers grow crops anticipating the business...Grocery prices have risen in recent years. A program that helps families buy healthy food while boosting local agriculture is one worth supporting — with consistent and predictable funding."?Thank you to the Editorial Team at The Boston Globe?for supporting the full funding of the Healthy Incentives Program! https://lnkd.in/ea_w4JMx

Thank you to marty's local for sponsoring the 2024 Massachusetts Food System Forum; Marty's Local is working to build our regional food system by linking Massachusetts and New England farmers and producers to local institutions. Your sponsorship helps the Collaborative to provide scholarships for our upcoming forum. Thank you for your generous sponsorship. Don't have your tickets yet? Purchase them here- https://lnkd.in/eJpgnczK #localfood #Massachusettsgrown #foodsystem

Call to action: Stop the Healthy Incentives Program cut! These images from Small Farm in Stow show the dramatic difference between the current $40 benefit families have (on the left), versus the?$20 benefit (on the right) they will have in December if the cut goes into effect. Call Governor Healey and legislative leadership to ask them to dedicate an additional $10 million to HIP today!?

An additional $10 million is needed for the rest of the fiscal year 2025 to preserve the Healthy Incentive Program (HIP) benefits at the current funding levels. HIP has been growing and benefits not only families afford fresh, Massachusetts-grown produce, but also Massachusetts farmers. #HIPworks #localfood #Massachusettsfarmers https://lnkd.in/eq-GCtE5

Congratulations to the grant recipients of the FSIG program. According to the MDAR website, the FSIG Program "seeks to ensure that farmers, commercial fishermen, and other local food producers are better engaged with a strong, resilient food system to help mitigate food supply and distribution disruptions, as well as to ensure that individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth have equitable access to food, with a focus on food that is produced locally." FSIG is one of the many programs that the Collaborative advocates for that is working to make the food system more equitable.

Thank you to the Island Foundation's generous funding, the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative will be able to continue to support collective action towards an equitable, sustainable, resilient, and connected local food system in Massachusetts. We hope to continue working to connect with the fishing community in Massachusetts. Thank you Island Foundation for your continued support.

The reduction to $20 per month for all families using HIP benefits, regardless of their household size, "...will hurt a lot of folks across the state," Rebecca Miller, the Collaborative's policy director states. She continues, the impact of this cut will have a "'ripple effect' across the agricultural industry because customers, farmers, farm stores and other businesses will all be affected." The Collaborative estimates that the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) needs $25 million to operate year-round in Massachusetts. DTA was appropriated $15 for HIP in the final FY25 budget; the Collaborative continues to advocate to the Administration and Legislators to close the $10M gap in the Massachusetts state budget. https://lnkd.in/e5k93Qdu