We are thrilled to be celebrating 10 years of Local Farmer Awards for infrastructure improvements on farms in Western Massachusetts. THE HAROLD GRINSPOON CHARITABLE FOUNDATION in partnership with BIG Y, the MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE, and our generous sponsors Ann & Steve Davis, Charles & Elizabeth D'Amour, Audrey & Chick Taylor, Barbara Deslauriers, PEOPLESBANK, ANDREWS, DENUCCI GROUP AT MERRILL LYNCH, EASTERN STATES EXPOSITION, FARM CREDIT EAST, HP HOOD LLC, BAYSTATE HEALTH, COUNTRY BANK, 3 COUNTY FAIR, FRANKLIN FIRST FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, and BANKESB recently distributed $231,000 in grants to farmers.
A FARMER APPRECIATION EVENT is held yearly for all applicants and awardees to honor and recognize our farmers and promote the importance of local farming.
Examples of How Local Farmer Awards Have Been Used
Harvest Farm (Whately, MA) used funds for a greenhouse reconstruction project. David Wojciechowski says
“The Local Farmer Awards are extremely important to small businesses that might not be in a position to expand without the help of these awards. They enable growth throughout the Valley.”
Bardwell Farm (Hatfield, MA) used funds to purchase an eight-foot Unverferth Perfect II field cultivator. Harrison Bardwell says
“We now do not need to reply on others to borrow equipment to get fields prepped. We are happy to have a quality tool on the farm to make the field operation of our farm run smoother!”
Award Recipients
The team of funders has now given 572 awards and invested over $1.28 Million in local farms. We all continue to be thankful and appreciative that these farmers bring fresh food to our tables, care for the land they farm, and desire to continue to improve their farms.
Interested in where they work? Find links to maps of the Local Farmer Award Recipients in the right side of this page.