Written by Christine Berlingeri
On Friday, November 21, 2025, the annual MA Food System Forum convened at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, bringing together farmers, community-food organizers, policy advocates, educators, and state agencies, all committed to strengthening Massachusetts’s food system. Representing Eastie Farm, two Climate Corps members and Eastie Farm’s Food Program Manager attended this gathering of local food-system advocates, policymakers, educators, and community organizations.
About the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative
The Massachusetts Food System Collaborative (MFSC) is a statewide coalition working to build an equitable, sustainable, and resilient local food system where everyone has access to healthy food, farmland, good jobs, and a voice in food-policy decisions. MFSC focuses on addressing long-standing inequities and strengthening connections between communities, producers, and the systems that support them. Through coalition-building, advocacy, and public education, MFSC influences state policy, regulations, and investments, supporting local food-system innovators and securing significant funding for community initiatives.
Key Sessions & Insights
- SNAP Policy Changes and Advocacy Tools: Led by Pat Baker, Senior Policy Analyst at Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI), this session covered updates to SNAP under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and federal adjustments, and outlined how local partners can advocate to protect households relying on these benefits.
- Barns to Bodegas: Highlighted the critical role of independent food retailers in community food security, showing how small grocers fill access gaps and contribute to long-term systems change.
- HIP Messaging and Increasing Utilization: Focused on improving Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) accessibility and outreach to SNAP recipients, particularly at farmers’ markets.
- From Competition to Collaboration: YMCA of Greater Boston presented the Greater Boston Collaborative Food Access Hub, demonstrating that shared infrastructure and pooled resources create stronger, more sustainable emergency food networks than competitive models.
- State Food Literacy Education: Educators shared the MA Fresh/Corp Grant Program’s success, engaging over 112,000 students in food-system learning, building school gardens, and expanding teacher professional development, aligning closely with Eastie Farm’s mission of community-based food and climate education.
- Fostering Agricultural Resilience in Massachusetts, a legislative panel on supporting farmers in the 21st century: State Senator Jo Comerford and State Rep. Natalie Blais presented on their “Farm Omnibus Bill”, of which Eastie Farm testified in support on September 16 in front of the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee.
Moving Forward: Strengthening Our Local Food System
Attending the Forum reinforced how interconnected every part of a healthy food system is, from policy and land access to retail, emergency food distribution, education, and community organizing. The event emphasized the importance of advocacy around SNAP and HIP, the role of local retailers and food hubs, and long-term investments in farmland protection and equitable land access. It also highlighted the value of youth food-system education and collaborative approaches, showing that shared resources and collective action can achieve far more than isolated efforts. This experience at the MA Food System Forum gave us information, tools, and connections that we will use to help build a stronger, more connected local food system supporting equitable access, resilient land stewardship, and community education.
