**MEDIA ADVISORY** Next Week: McGovern to Kick Off 2015 Massachusetts Farm Tour

McGovern’s Two-Day Farm Tour to Highlight Success of Central and Western Mass. Agricultural Economy and “Buy Local” Movement

Worcester, MA, August 21, 2015

On Monday, August 24th and 25th, U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02) will host a cross-district agricultural tour to meet with farmers in Central and Western Massachusetts to highlight the success of our region’s agricultural industry and the “Buy Local” movement in growing the region’s economy.

Congressman McGovern will meet with local producers of vegetables, dairy, and meat, and will also meet with non-profit farming organizations and community development corporations. McGovern will be joined by Scott Soares, USDA State Director for Rural Development; Secretary Matthew Beaton, Mass. Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs; Jason Wentworth, Deputy Commissioner of the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources; John Lebeaux, Commissioner of the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources, and other local, state and federal leaders.

Massachusetts has made great strides in establishing itself as a national leader in the “Buy Local” movement and in the expansion of value-added agriculture. Congressman McGovern looks forward to the opportunity to learn more about the local food economy and to hear directly from farmers, specialty producers, and retail outlets that source and sell locally-grown food and farm ingredients.

Congressman McGovern will see firsthand the impact of local, state and federal programs and discuss additional ways that government at all levels can support the Massachusetts food economy.

A Full List of Congressman McGovern’s Massachusetts Farm Tour is below:

August 24 – Day 1

8:30-9:30AM: Visit to Hanson Farm, Smith and Hanson Road, North Brookfield

9:45-10:45AM: Visit to Clover Hill Farm, 1096 Barre Road, Hardwick

11:00-12:00PM: Visit to Robinson Farm, 42 Jackson Road, Hardwick

1:00-2:00PM: Visit to Boisvert Farm & The North Hadley Sugar Shack, 181 River Drive (Rte.47), Hadley

2:10-3:10PM: Visit to Simple Gifts Farm, 1089 North Pleasant Street, North Amherst

3:25-4:25: Visit to Atlas Farm, 218 Greenfield Road, South Deerfield

4:45-5:45: Visit to Just Roots 34 Glenbrook Drive, Greenfield

August 25 – Day 2

8:30-9:30AM: Visit to Ragged Hill Orchard, 94 John Gilbert Road, West Brookfield

10:00-11:00AM: Visit to Royal Crest Farm, 30 Howe Road, Spencer

11:10-12:10PM: Visit to Breezy Gardens, 1872 Main Street, Leicester

12:25-1:25PM: Visit to Cooper’s Hilltop Farm, 515 Henshaw Street, Rochdale

1:45-2:45PM: Visit to Whittier Farms, 86 Douglas Road, Sutton

3:00-4:00PM: Visit to Foppema Farm, 1605 Hill Street, Northbridge

For more info and to RSVP, please contact Abraham White at abraham.white@mail.house.gov.

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