McGovern Kicks Off 2016 Massachusetts Farm Tour

McGovern’s Two-Day Farm Tour to Highlight Success of Central and Western Mass. Agriculture Economy and Ways to Support Local Farmers

Today, August 30th and Tomorrow, 31st, U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02) will host his 6th annual cross-district agricultural tour to meet with farmers, agricultural producers, non-profit farming organizations and community development corporations in Central and Western Massachusetts to highlight the success of our region’s agricultural industry and its role 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 Brad Pfaff, USDA Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, as well as many other local, state and federal leaders.

Congressman  McGovern looks forward to learning more about issues of importance to the farming community.  The tour will include visits to local farms as well as roundtable discussions on a wide range of topics such as: the preservation of and access to farm land; the impact climate change is having on agricultural production; and new organic standards. 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 30th – Day 1

9:30 -10:30AM: Green Acres Farm, 51 Pleasant St, Mendon

11:00AM-12:00PM: Pearson’s Elmhurst Dairy, 342 West Main St., Millbury

12:30-1:45PM: St. Joseph’s Abbey, 167 North Spencer Road, Spencer /Tour and roundtable discussion on New Organic Standards.

2:00 –3:00PM: Inishowen Farms, 18 North Street, North Brookfield

3:30-4:30PM: Clover Springs Farm, 233 Ragged Hill Road, West Brookfield

4:45- 5:45PM: Stillman's Farm, 1205 Barre Cutoff, New Braintree

August 31st – Day 2

8:00-9:00AM: Tanstaafl Farm, 389 Adams Road, Greenfield

9:30-10:30AM: Bar-Way Farm, 188 Mill Village Road, Deerfield           

10:50AM-12:00PM: CISA Offices, 1 Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield / Roundtable discussion on  the Preservation of, and Access to, Farm Land.

12:05-1:05PM: The Kitchen Garden, 131 South Silver Lane, Sunderland                       

1:15-2:15PM: Twin Oaks Farm, 116 Stockbridge Road, Hadley               

2:20-3:20PM: Plainville Farm, 135 Mount Warner Road, Hadley              

3:30-5:30PM: Winter Moon Farm, 17 Lawrence Plain Rd., Hadley / Roundtable discussion on Climate Change and its Impact on Agricultural Production.       

For more info and to RSVP, please contact Abraham White at abraham.white@mail.house.gov or 202-308-8430.

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