CISA's mid-August 2024 enews

Peek behind the scenes at two upcoming farm tours!

Rooted Flowers Farm Tour

Saturday, September 7th, 10am – 2pm

Rooted Flowers, 501 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam

Join CISA at beautiful Rooted Flowers to explore the art and science behind growing a diverse range of flower varieties from seed to harvest, with owner Becky Sadlowski sharing her journey of building a successful flower farm business. Enjoy free face painting for kids, create your own flower bouquet at the bouquet bar, and be guided through the flower gardens in full bloom. Tours begin at 11 am and noon. $10 for kids, $25 for adults, $60 for a family of four. Kids 3 and under are free.

Purchase your tickets here!

Diemand Farm Tour

Thursday, September 12th, 3-5pm

126 Mormon Hollow Road, Wendell

Visit Diemand Farm and discover all this beloved family farm has to offer! From their delicious small-batch meals made with farm-raised meat and local ingredients to their on-site care and processing of chickens and birds, this guided farm tour promises a memorable experience. Sample their popular homemade products and meet a variety of animals, including chickens, turkeys, beef cattle, miniature donkeys, sheep, and goats! Sliding scale from $10-$25.

Climate Change and Farming Week: September 15-22

CISA’s third annual Climate Change and Farming week is coming up!

Climate Change and Farming week is an opportunity for farmers, peer organizations, and engaged or curious folks to connect, learn, and seek solutions for our local food system as we face a hotter, wetter New England.

Throughout the week of September 15th through the 22nd, CISA and partners are hosting ten events: farm tours, film screenings, special meals, and more! Some are more geared towards farmers, and others are open to the public.

See all the events here >

Making Food Fun at Apex Orchards

CISA is heading to the beautiful Shelburne hills to join in Gathered Farms at Apex Orchards on Sunday, September 29th from 10am-noon for a morning of fun activities for families!

This edition of Making Food Fun will focus on apples of all varieties, colors, and flavors. CISA will offer an apple taste test featuring Apex Orchards apples, samples of apple cider, and cider donuts. Best of all, we’re giving away 100 pick-your-own bags to the first 100 kids to visit our booth! These special, child-sized bags are for this Making Food Fun event at Apex Orchards only. Stop by to see us, sample some delicious food, and get the kids ready to pick some apples.

The Gathered Farms harvest event goes from 10am-3pm, where local farms and artisans come together to celebrate the fall season. Friends from Our Family Farms and Davenport Maple Farm will be on hand sell their amazing local dairy and local maple products.

Admission to Making Food Fun and Gathered Farms is free. We hope to see you there!

Details here >

Want to stay in the loop about future editions of Making Food Fun, including a special Halloween event? Sign up for our Making Food Fun email newsletter for updates, kid-friendly recipes, and more! Click here and scroll to the email newsletter sign-up.

Thank you, Phil

Today, we bid a bittersweet farewell to CISA’s longtime Executive Director, Phil Korman.

Phil's tenure has carried us through too many challenges and WAY too many moments of celebration to name.

But, if you're up for a trip down memory lane, here are a few: Phil led CISA through the economic downturn of 2008; through welcoming over 1,500 delighted people to the first Northampton Winter Fare farmers' market in 2010; through Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and the subsequent development of CISA’s Emergency Farm Fund; through supporting the Healthy Incentives Program from pilot project in 2012 to established state program in 2017 and beyond; through COVID-19 and supply chain issues and inflation; through last year’s frosts and flooding and the truly amazing community, organizational, and state response that followed; and through more than doubling CISA's Senior FarmShare program so we're now providing farm shares to over 800 low-income seniors.

Through it all, Phil’s leadership has allowed us to think expansively about the future, to plan for and work towards a local food system that is resilient, diverse, and just, and to respond effectively in times of crisis. That’s a lot to hold for 16 years, and we’re so grateful for Phil’s leadership, dedication, deep care, and humor. Thank you, Phil.

If you’d like to sign Phil's virtual card, read Phil’s reflections on what has changed for local farmers over 16 years, hear a special episode of the Fabulous 413 focused on Phil’s tenure, donate in his honor, or find the job listing for CISA’s next Executive Director, you can do it all here.