LANESBOROUGH — Red Shirt Farm will receive a $28,000 grant from the he Agricultural Food Safety Improvement Program (AFSIP), administered by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) to improve refrigeration.

 

The Baker-Polito Administration announced $1,000,000 in grants to 23 Massachusetts farms to implement practices that improve food safety within their operations. 

 

The Agricultural Food Safety Improvement Program (AFSIP), administered by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), is a competitive grant program that allows produce and aquaculture operations to address food safety on their farms, enabling the operations to meet buyer demands, increase consumption of local food, and protect public health by reducing food safety risks.

 

"The Commonwealth's agricultural industry continues to grow and upgrade its practices to both meet marketplace demands and regulatory requirements," said Governor Charlie Baker. "These grants underscore our Administration's commitment to helping farmers implement important upgrades within their operations to ensure that food safety risks are managed, that their marketplace needs are addressed, and their businesses continue to grow."

 

Grant funds for produce operations provided through AFSIP focus on assisting these efforts meet regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), as well as to protect public health, sustain public confidence in the food system, and meet buyer requirements. Examples of awards to produce operations include cold storage, wildlife fencing, washing/packing facility upgrades, and produce washing lines.

 

This round of grant funding has a focus on assisting commercial oyster farmers to comply with the Department of Fish and Game's (DFG) Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and the Department of Public Health's (DPH) Vibrio Control Program.

 

"The Baker-Polito Administration is committed to supporting the state's local farms utilizing a variety of strategies and funding programs, such as the Agricultural Food Safety Improvement Program, to enable great access to fresh, local food that is grown and harvested according to appropriate food safety practices," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Bethany Card. "These grants will further assist farmers in helping modernize their operations and strengthen the local food supply safely and sustainably."