Deputy MDAR Commissioner Visits Pittsfield Farmers Market
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Representatives from the state Department of Agricultural Resources made a stop at the Pittsfield Farmers Market as part of Massachusetts Farmers Market Week, recognizing the role agriculture plays in community building and expanding food access.
"Today is actually the last day of National Farmers Market Week and tomorrow starts another farmer's market week in Massachusetts because every week is farmer's market week in Massachusetts. We have over 260 farmer's markets during the growing season and about 50 in the winter even so it's never a bad time to find local produce anywhere in Massachusetts," MDAR Deputy Commissioner Winton Pitcoff said.
"We are a national leader in that regard. Other states look to us because we lead the country in direct-to-consumer sales and what that means is that every dollar you're spending here today with farmers is going right back into that farm and that means that everything you spend is an investment in Massachusetts because those farmers go back and create jobs, they are buying local goods and services, and contributing significantly to the local economy."
He pointed out that farmers are also a big contributor to the state's fight against climate change, as they steward the land, take care of natural resources and take care of natural resources.
Roots Rising's teen-led market was founded over 10 years ago. Recently, the organization received a $20,000 Safer Communities Grant allocation for its youth crews to help empower youth through meaningful, paid work.
"Our mission is to empower youth and build community through food and farming and the Pittsfield farmer's market is one of our core programs. This is our 11th season. We are a year-round market. We are the first teen-run market in the region. We are very proud of our market and we are delighted to have you all here," Executive Director Jessica Vecchia said.
"Our market was founded with a belief that everyone has the right to fresh healthy food and we strive to make the market accessible and inclusive for all, from our earliest decision to locate the market here in downtown Pittsfield to our most recent initiative, our BIPOC Vendor Fund, our market is rooted in social justice."
Since its inception, the market has facilitated more than a half-million dollars in fresh food put on the table for those in need. This is done through several food justice programs including the Market Match that doubles Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the special supplemental nutrition program for Women Infants & Children (WIC), and senior benefits.
"While the food might be subsidized for our shoppers, our farmers receive 100 percent of those sales," Vecchia explained. "In this way, our market helps build a just and thriving community."
Pitcoff said that the food system only works when this kind of food is accessible to everybody.
Mass Farmers Markets Executive Director Edith Murnane said it was a lovely market. The nonprofit organization is in the midst of celebrating its 45th anniversary.
"At the heart of the work that Mass Farmers Markets does is really about supporting the market managers. It's about supporting the organizations that build these environments," she said.
She thanked Roots Rising for all of the hard work that goes into creating the market, seconding Vecchia's statement that these events "don't just happen."
"They require an enormous amount of work before the season starts, after the season closes, during the season," Murnane added. "And it's work that often no one sees and no one recognizes."
Berkshire Grown Executive Director Margaret Moulton said the Pittsfield Farmers Market holds a special place in her heart. The organization runs a winter farmers' market in Great Barrington and North Adams.
"I love watching the teens at this market through Roots Rising get trained and grow into many jobs," she said.
She explained that the ripple effect of farmer's markets goes beyond the day of the market.
"It goes to you connecting with your farmers and getting to know the people who grow your food. It goes to supporting them, buying food from them, and then being able to hire people from Roots Rising and the community," Moulton said.
"Farmers markets are a central place and it's really great that they had as many as we do."
It was announced that Berkshire Grown will be leasing Roots Rising's electric and solar-powered, refrigerated van for a pilot mobile market. This will be revealed next month.
The initiative is being piloted in collaboration with Berkshire Bounty and will travel to places where there are no food pantries or farmer's markets once a week.
Ciana Barnaba, community relations and resource development manager of Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, manages the market match program.
"The Market Match Fund is Berkshire County's first consistent and centralized funds that support SNAP matching programs at farmers' markets like the Pittsfield market and this program enables our county's markets to double SNAP up to $30, giving low-income shoppers $60 to spend on any SNAP eligible foods," she explained.
"It has been a pleasure partnering with the Pittsfield Farmers Market since the very beginning of this program and this year alone, the Pittsfield Farmers Market has distributed over $17,000 in SNAP matches, which is over $3,000 more than last year."
Since the market match was formally launched in 2022 BAV has distributed more than $250,000 across 11 county markets, generating more than $200,000 and counting in sales for farmers and serving thousands of residents.
"The ultimate goals of this program are threefold: to support consistent local food access and affordability, boost farmers' sales, and streamline the SNAP matching process for farmers market managers," Barnaba explained.
"And in just two years of the program, we've accomplished exactly that."
She added that what they have learned from the Pittsfield market as a hit market is that the match fund complements the Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Program very well.
"Farmers markets are a place of community and connection and are truly like no other spaces," she said.
Tags: agriculture, farmers market, state officials,
