Policy & Advocacy Newsletter
It’s been a busy summer on Beacon Hill and the fall slate is looking equally action packed. In this first of two years of the legislative cycle, advocates have been busy strategizing and building support for bills. This may include developing and dispersing fact sheets or holding a public event to educate stakeholders. Providing testimony during committee hearings is another important opportunity for advocacy at this time in the legislative cycle.
In mid-July, advocates crammed into a small hearing room in the Statehouse for a hearing of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources regarding the Mass Ready Act, colloquially known as the Environmental Bond Bill. An environmental bond bill is a piece of legislation that authorizes the state to borrow money through bonds to fund long-term investments in natural resource protection, climate resilience, and environmental programs. Amongst these advocates were NOFA/Mass’ Senior Policy Advisor, Dago Driggs, and Policy Coordinator, Randy Violette. We were joined by Matthew Karas, the Conservation Programs Manager at the Hampden Hampshire Conservation District (HHCD). Together, we comprised a “Healthy Soils Coalition”, a subset of the larger Agricultural Advocacy Coalition that NOFA/Mass strategizes with to advance a number of legislative priorities.
After waiting at the back of the hearing room for more than four hours, we finally had our opportunity to address the committee members. Our primary ask of the committee was to earmark $5.1 million in the Mass Ready Act for the MA Healthy Soils Program. We spoke of the importance of this program and how it establishes the commonwealth as a federal leader in healthy soils policy. We also mentioned the critical impact of the Healthy Soils Program grants and the high demand for more grant funding for such projects. Lastly, we highlighted the importance of investing in soil as living, breathing climate infrastructure at a time when the impacts of climate change are already being acutely felt right here in Massachusetts.
From left to right: NOFA/Mass Policy Coordinator, Randy Violette, Conservation Programs Manager at HHCD, Matthew Karas, and NOFA/Mass Senior Policy Advisor, Dago Driggs, addressing committee members at the Statehouse.
MA Legislators visit Maine Statehouse to discuss PFAS
In exciting news, a delegation of Massachusetts legislators made a trip to Maine in early August to learn about the neighboring state’s efforts to protect farmers and the public from PFAS. Maine has been ground zero for the effects of PFAS on farmland. In 2022, Maine was the first state to ban the spreading of sewage sludge, a cheap form of fertilizer, on farms.
The delegation of lawmakers from Massachusetts included Representatives James Arena-DeRosa, Michelle Ciccolo, and Steven Owens, as well as Senators Jo Comerford and Jamie Eldridge. Framed as a research trip, the primary focus for the delegation was the bill sponsored by Comerford and Arena-DeRosa that would ban the land application of sewage sludge in MA. Their bill, An Act Protecting our Soil and Farms from PFAS Contamination (H.109/S.56), would also block the sale of fertilizer containing biosolids/sludge, begin the creation of a statewide plan for reducing and managing sludge, authorize legal and financial protections for affected farmers, and would establish a relief fund for farmers experiencing financial burdens due to PFAS contamination.
The delegation visited a PFAS-impacted dairy farm in Arundel, Maine. This farmer incurred significant financial losses due to PFAS contamination, including pausing sale of products and slaughtering part of their dairy herd. At the Maine Statehouse, Representative Bill Pluecker explained the importance of the PFAS legislation that he sponsored and why this issue requires cooperation from politicians across state lines. Pluecker is a farmer himself and also serves as the Public Policy Organizer for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). MOFGA has been a national leader in the movement to protect farmers, consumers, and farmland from PFAS contamination. Check out their new video shorts about PFAS and farmland.
The visit to Maine marks a significant step for PFAS legislation in the Commonwealth. Comerford and Arena-DeRosa’s PFAS bill died in the Ways and Means Committee last session, but they are determined to get it across the finish line this time around. Describing the value of their meeting with Maine lawmakers, advocates, and farmers, Comerford said “I leave with a renewed fire in my belly that in Massachusetts, we have to turn off the tap for PFAS.”
Check out this full Boston Globe article about the bill and legislators’ trip to Maine, including a brief reference to NOFA/Mass:
NOFA/Mass Holds Farmer Listening Session
On August 19th, NOFA/Mass held an online listening session to give Massachusetts farmers the opportunity to speak directly about the importance of USDA programs for their operations ahead of renewed Farm Bill negotiations. Some themes we heard were concerns about SNAP cuts and subsequent impacts on direct to consumer farm revenue, concerns about access to USDA agents and programs after large workforce reductions, and anxiety about the unpredictability of grant opportunities after the rollercoaster of grant freezes and cancellations this year.
For any farmers in Massachusetts that were unable to attend the event but would like the opportunity to provide feedback, you may submit comments through the form below. To respect confidentiality, no personal or identifying information will be shared with legislators. NOFA/Mass will compile anonymous feedback to share with legislators and both Congressional Agriculture Committees. If you know any farmers who may be interested in providing feedback, please share the form with them.
Thank you for advocating for a healthier Commonwealth,
The NOFA/Mass Policy Team
