Policy and Advocacy Newsletter
Welcome to the NOFA/Mass newsletter series
Each week we publish original articles on the topics we care about most.
Read about the latest policy issues affecting Massachusetts farmers and consumers in our “Policy and Advocacy” newsletter, get insider farming and gardening tips from expert growers in our “Be a Better Grower” newsletter, learn to do it yourself, from food preservation to building fences, in our “Practical Self-Sufficiency” newsletter and see how our community is working to improve the food system in our “Food Justice” newsletter.
MA Legislative Recap
Christy Bassett2022-09-09T15:19:02-04:00September 9th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Policy, Policy & Advocacy, September 2022|
MA Legislative Recap: Progress toward Ecological Integrity and Justice By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director The 2021-22 Massachusetts formal legislative session ended over the summer. While many of our priority policies will need to [...]
2022 Formal Session Ends
Christy Bassett2022-08-04T13:23:57-04:00August 4th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: August 2022, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
August 2022 Policy Update By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director Formal session ends, hope remains for “non-controversial” priority bills As we head to Summer Conference, we’re still waiting for the proverbial dust to settle [...]
3 weeks left to prioritize living landscapes and food justice: Call your Legislators!
Christy Bassett2022-07-07T13:55:10-04:00July 7th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: July 2022, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director Watch a personal video message from Policy Director Marty Dagoberto regarding this month's policy newsletter article. Dear NOFA/Mass friends, It’s been quite a summer/year/decade so [...]
Promoting Racial Equity in Agriculture Through Policy
Christy Bassett2022-06-01T18:27:02-04:00June 1st, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: June 2022, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
By Nichole Catsos From the land theft and genocide of Indigenous peoples, through the enslavement of Black people, to the current labor exploitation of migrant workers in the United States, our food system has [...]
Earth Day Reflection, Call to Action
Christy Bassett2022-05-05T13:49:09-04:00May 5th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: May 2022, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
May 2022 Policy & Advocacy update By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director *Before you read our feature article below, “Earth Day Reflections, Call to Action,” here are a few brief updates Time to start [...]
February Policy Newsletter – Priority bills advance, Healthy Soils as Infrastructure, and more
Marty Dagoberto2022-05-02T15:41:00-04:00February 9th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: February 2022, Policy & Advocacy|
By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director In this month’s NOFA/Mass Policy Newsletter… NOFA/Mass Priority Bills Advance from Committee! Several pieces of NOFA/Mass priority legislation were advanced in the Massachusetts Legislature ahead of the February [...]
Budget Season! Help Shape the Future of our Food System
Christy Bassett2022-04-13T15:28:32-04:00April 6th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2022, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
Briefing for food system advocates on April 11, 2022 The state legislature has been focused on the state’s operating budget (FY23) and the House Ways and Means Committee is expected to release its version [...]
Will our Commonwealth support protections against Chemical Trespass?
Marty Dagoberto2022-03-10T13:46:54-05:00March 10th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: March 2022, Policy & Advocacy|
By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director Last month, we reported with excitement and gratitude that the state’s legislative committee on the Environment and Agriculture approved several pesticide reform measures. We’d like to focus this [...]
The Farmer’s Voice in the Climate Crisis
Christy Bassett2022-01-05T16:49:40-05:00January 5th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Climate, Farming, January 2022, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
How Climate Challenges Expose the Need for Regenerative Agricultural Practices By Kathleen Ernsting, Farmer and NOFA/Mass Journalism Intern It goes without saying that agriculture in the Northeast is being affected by climate change, and Massachusetts [...]
Victory for Pollinators! Retail stores to stop selling neonic pesticides in Massachusetts
Marty Dagoberto2021-12-16T13:17:38-05:00March 2nd, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: March 2021, Policy, Policy & Advocacy, Pollinators|
By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director On March 1st 2021 the Mass. Pesticide Board Subcommittee passed a motion to protect pollinators by restricting the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonics”). The new regulations, which go [...]
Be Heard on Pesticides Reform
Christy Bassett2021-12-16T12:33:12-05:00June 2nd, 2021|Categories: Mass Pollinators, Newsletters|Tags: December 2021, June 2021, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
PUBLIC HEARING ON PESTICIDES ANNOUNCED! December 14, 2021 at 1PM - ONLINE The State legislature is considering several bills which would move our Commonwealth away from reliance on toxic biocides (life-killing chemicals) and toward [...]
Statewide outpouring of support to save Herter Community Garden
Marty Dagoberto2021-11-12T15:31:57-05:00November 3rd, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: November 2021, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
A banner on the fence surrounding the garden, lush vegetation overflowing. (Photo by Marty Dagoberto, Oct. 21, 2021) By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director On October 18th we received a dire call [...]
Advocacy Opportunities for October
Christy Bassett2021-10-06T11:41:19-04:00October 6th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: October 2021, Policy & Advocacy|
By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director Pesticides Hearing expected for Early October (?) We are still waiting for a date for the big public hearing on numerous pesticide related bills being considered by the state [...]
New funding for Healthy Soils and Glyphosate Study; Bayer to end consumer sales
Marty Dagoberto2021-09-06T13:09:58-04:00August 5th, 2021|Categories: Mass Pollinators, Newsletters|Tags: August 2021, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
This is a good news bulletin! The FY22 state budget approved by the Massachusetts legislature on July 8, 2021 included two amendments we had been advocating for: funding for the Mass. Healthy Soils Program [...]
The Massachusetts Pollinator Network Takes Flight
Christy Bassett2021-07-01T08:31:46-04:00July 1st, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: July 2021, Policy, Policy & Advocacy, Pollinators|
By Rosemary Malfi, Massachusetts Pollinator Network Coordinator After many months of preparation, fundraising, and community building, NOFA/Mass has officially launched the Massachusetts Pollinator Network (MAPN) as part of our Policy Department. MAPN is a statewide initiative to connect and support the growing number of [...]
Call legislators to cosponsor NOFA/Mass priorities
Marty Dagoberto2021-06-07T12:18:38-04:00April 7th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2021, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director Now is the time: we need all NOFA/Mass members and supporters to contact their state legislators to ask them to cosponsor our legislative priorities for the 2021-22 legislative [...]
New Bill to Address Eagle Poisoning… (Keep) Calling Legislators
Marty Dagoberto2021-06-07T12:15:32-04:00May 4th, 2021|Categories: Action Alert, Newsletters|Tags: May 2021, Policy, Policy & Advocacy|
By Marty Dagoberto, NOFA/Mass Policy Director Our April Policy Newsletter is still in effect - please keep calling for legislators to ask them to cosponsor our priority bills. We were successful in securing the [...]