PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A substantial state grant will help Roots Rising further its mission to address food insecurity and empower youth.

 

The nonprofit was awarded $430,219 from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs for the purchase of farm and industrial kitchen equipment during its land acquisition process.

 

This is the largest award that the organization, founded and directed by Jamie Samowitz and Jessica Vecchia, has received by far and they are notably excited for what is to come.

 

"The grant is for our upcoming youth farm," Samowitz said. "We were in a land analysis for a year and a half now, we've been looking at parcels and this grant will fund our needed farm equipment, as well as kitchen equipment for our future commercial kitchen."

 

A location has not been identified yet but Roots Rising is looking for at least a couple of acres to become a sanctuary where the community and kids can connect with the land and feel that it is a special place.

 

"We've been a pop-up organization since we started and once we acquire the land this will become our home base, we'll be building out the farm we'll also be building out an educational center, our offices, a commercial kitchen space, a teen drop-in center it will really be you know, the base of our operations and so all of that is in the planning stages now," Vecchia added.

 

"The grant was really specific around what it could fund and it was like very much about equipment. tangible goods, basically and so, you know, that's why we really focused on getting the type of equipment that would really help us get the farm started from the ground up.

 

"So there are things like greenhouses and propagation houses and tractors and [Samowitz] has been doing a ton of research on very cool electric vehicles so we're looking at, you know, a pickup truck for the farm and a refrigerated box truck and we're trying to be really thoughtful and intentional about how we do everything and so we're looking at the most eco-friendly technologies that we can and this grant will help us do that."

 

Roots Rising youth crews bring teams to different farms and food pantries across the county to help with labor and learn valuable skills. There are spring, summer, and fall seasonal crews that earn up to $1,000 for the summer intensive and $500 in the other seasons.

 

There is also a market crew for graduates of the farm crews that involves all aspects of running the Pittsfield Farmers Market including vendor support, customer service, children's activities, and implementing food justice programs.

 

"We are still committed to supporting our local farmers, that's a big part of our mission so our youth will still be traveling to work with local farms but the home base will be our own farm the heart of our work will be our own farm," Samowitz said.

 

"So there will be a bit of a shift of gravity once we start our youth farm but we will always still be going out and supporting our local farmers, especially those who are using sustainable growing methods are often very labor-intensive and they really rely on our labor, so we want to keep that going."

 

With the new farm, Roots Rising will continue its food justice component, as it is a large part of the organization. They are currently planning how much food they will grow, how much will be donated, and how much will be sold at the market.

 

"The farm will address the deepest needs of our community, including the vulnerabilities in our food system made evident by the pandemic. For instance, local farmers are experiencing a shortage of experienced workers, and our Youth Farm will serve as a training ground to cultivate the next generation of changemakers and land-stewards," the organization stated in announcing the grant award.

 

"More than just a worksite for Roots Rising's Youth Crews, the farm will be a community and food hub, a green oasis in the city, and a headquarters to amplify Roots Rising's legacy of food justice work in the city of Pittsfield."

 

It was emphasized that the food sold at the Pittsfield Farmers Market will not compete with existing farmers who also sell at the market. Instead, planning will be done to fill the gaps in what farmers are able to offer so that there is a whole slate of produce available.

 

Deadline-wise, they would love to be on land this year and ready to grow for next season and are working to do more fundraising to help with that goal.