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Massachusetts
Policy Update |
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A report finalized by the New England Governors’ Blue Ribbon Commission on Land Conservation offers recommendations to keep the region’s farmland in farming. Recommendations include a New England Farm and Food Security Initiative to identify and address barriers and opportunities to increase production and consumption of New England-grown farm and food products, and protect the region’s agricultural lands. Commission members briefed the New England governors on the recommendations, and we will be working with the Commission and the six state Departments of Agriculture to move these valuable recommendations forward.
AFT continues to work with a group of food, farm and conservation stakeholders to create a Massachusetts Food Policy Council [PDF] . State Representatives Steve Kulik and Linda Forry have introduced a bill (House #4255) to establish a statewide food policy council. This council would be charged to create a comprehensive food policy for the Commonwealth that enhances the economic viability of Massachusetts agriculture; promotes food security and the long-term sustainability of the Commonwealth’s food supply; expands production and consumption of fresh, healthy, safe and locally-produced foods; and improves the nutritional health of the Commonwealth’s citizens.
Thirty-six conservation groups, farm organizations, local governments and others across the Northeast have joined together requesting that Congress and the Obama administration take quick action to address the crisis facing dairy farmers. Dairy farmers in the Northeast and around the country are facing severe and prolonged low milk prices—prices that are well below the farmers’ costs of production. This sustained price slump has caused the loss of some dairy farms already and threatens the future of thousands more in the Northeast.
State Representative Peter Koutoujian introduced a bill aimed at increasing the purchase of locally grown foods by schools and colleges. If passed, H. 2107 will add state colleges to the list of state agencies that shall purchase Massachusetts grown agricultural products unless the price of the goods exceeds, by more than 10%, the price of products from out of state. The bill also addresses the purchases of all procurement officers: currently they can purchase locally grown products valued less than $25,000 without seeking outside bids; the proposed legislation changes the limit to $50,000. The bill is in the Joint Committee on Public Health and expected to be reported out soon.
Capping a year of significant legislative gains for agriculture and land protection, the Massachusetts Legislature and Governor Deval Patrick joined together in the waning days of the 2008 legislative session to enact legislation creating a state conservation tax credit [PDF] . The measure goes into effect in 2011 and provides a state income tax credit to taxpayers who donate land or a conservation easement to the state or a nonprofit conservation organization. The credit is valued at 50 percent of the appraised value of the land, limited to $50,000 per gift, and can be carried forward for 10 consecutive years. At American Farmland Trust’s urging, the measure also creates a study commission to develop recommendations regarding whether to make the credit transferable.
FederAl Farm Policy and The Farm bill
What’s in the farm bill and why is it important?
Find out what’s next for the farm bill and how we can make sure the legislation's promises are turned into programs on the ground.
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Massachusetts Policy Update Archive
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Bill to Increase Locally Grown Foods in Schools and Colleges