Page 32 - BusinessWest December 9, 2024

COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN SUSTAINING AGRICULTURE (CISA)
1 Sugarloaf St., South Deerfield, MA 01373 (413) 665-7100 www.buylocalfood.org
Interim Executive Director: Kelly Coleman
YEAR ESTABLISHED 1993
OPERATING BUDGET
$2.2 million (2024)
MISSION STATEMENT
Community Involved
in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) strengthens farms and engages the community to build the local food economy.
UPCOMING EVENTS
• Field Notes, Saturday, Feb. 8. 4 p.m., Academy of Music. Join us for an evening of funny, inspiring, and heartfelt stories from farmers and more, live on stage.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jenny Ladd, Chair Benjamin Bland, Vice Chair Myra Marcellin, Treasurer Tessa White-Diemand,
Clerk German Alvarado Hameed Bello Glenroy Buchanan Julia Coffey Greg Garrison Kat Chang Laznicka Samaita Newell Caroline Pam Shawn Robinson Catherine Sands Jeremy Werther
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
CISA builds a resilient, diverse, and just food system in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Mass. For more than 30 years, CISA has provided farms with in-depth technical assistance to help them with every aspect of running a viable business, working to ensure that farmers can keep farming and growing our food.
Our Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown program, the nation’s longest- running agricultural buy-local campaign, strengthens connections between farmers and the community, enhancing both farm viability and quality of life for residents across the region.
CISA also strives to make local food accessible to all, regardless of
income, through our Senior FarmShare program and effective support of the statewide Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). These initiatives help ensure that fresh, local food is available to everyone in our community.
By the numbers:
• Local Hero members: more than 250 local farms and nearly 150 food businesses in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties
• Farms assisted by CISA annually: 551
• Beginning farmers assisted by CISA: 131
• Low-income senior citizens provided with a CISA Senior
FarmShare in 2023: 800
• Farmers’ markets assisted by CISA: 52
GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
Your donations strengthen local farms and help get more local food to the community. Your support fuels personalized assistance to farmers, helping with everything from climate resilience to business planning. You make our Emergency Farm Fund possible, providing zero-interest loans after crises. Your support is also essential to our Senior FarmShare that provides 800 seniors throughout the Valley with 10 weeks of fresh vegetables and fruit.
Donations can be made securely online at buylocalfood.org/donate. We also rely on the financial support of local businesses through our corporate sponsorship program, which highlights participating businesses in various media and CISA events.
Sponsored by:
G12 DECEMBER 9, 2024
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