PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 12, 2006
Contact: Mark Lattanzi, CISA, 413-665-7100

State funding allocated to help local farmers
CISA to expand Local Hero program into Hampden County

(S. Deerfield, MA) Finding and buying locally grown food will get easier for Baystate residents and visitors next year, as four ‘buy local’ farm groups across the state have received $200,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to promote local farmers in their communities. The funding will support the work of:

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), serving Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and western Worcester Counties;
Berkshire Grown, serving Berkshire County;
Essex Buy Local, serving Essex County; and
Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP), serving Bristol and Plymouth Counties, Cape Cod, and the Islands.

The funding was gained with the assistance of Massachusetts legislators who increased the MDAR budget to create the program. Locally, South Deerfield-based Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) has received $50,000 to be used to fund its ‘Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown™’ program.

“This was the first time all of the 'buy local' groups in the state have worked together on something like this," says Annie Cheatham, Executive Director of CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture) in South Deerfield. "Our organizations cover much of the state, so we worked with many legislators. We are thrilled that our collaboration succeeded in creating a $200,000 pool of funding to help buy local activities across the state."

“Agriculture is a significant industry in western Massachusetts, employing many residents and keeping our working landscape alive,” says Representative Stephen Kulik, a principal supporter of the legislation that got the four buy local groups the funding. “CISA has done a tremendous job of ensuring agriculture’s survival by helping residents find and buy local farm products.”

Other area legislators who sponsored an amendment to the state budget to create the funding were: Representatives Peter Kocot of Northampton, John Scibak of South Hadley, Dan Guyer of Dalton, Chris Donelan of Orange, and Christopher Speranzo of Pittsfield. Senators Stephen Brewer of Barre, Michael Knapik of Chicopee, Brian Lees of Springfield, and Stan Rosenberg from Amherst also worked in the Senate to secure passage of the bill.

CISA will use the funding to work more closely with Hampden County farmers and grocery retailers. CISA’s goal is to increase sales of locally grown food in Hampden County in 2007.

CISA is a community organization comprised of farmers, consumers and professionals working together to sustain agriculture and the unique rural character of our communities. CISA is the creator of the ‘Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown™’ public awareness campaign to promote the purchase of local agricultural products. Learn more about CISA at www.buylocalfood.com or call 413-665-7100.

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