Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation

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Local Farmer Awards

Recognizing that farming is essential to our community, we provide funds to selected local farms for necessary farm improvements. Our goal is to strengthen local farmers’ ability to compete in the marketplace so that our region benefits from the environmental, health and economic advantages of local farming. We also hold a farmer appreciation/celebration event in the late fall to promote the importance of local farming.

We are now accepting applications for the 2026 season.

About

We are thrilled to celebrate the 11th year of the Local Farmer Awards for capital improvements on farms throughout Western Massachusetts. These grants are made possible by our generous funders: The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation in partnership with Big Y, the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, and sponsors Ann & Steve Davis, Charles & Elizabeth D'Amour, Audrey & Chick Taylor, Barbara Deslauriers, PeoplesBank, Andrews, Denucci Group at Merrill Lynch, Eastern States Exposition, HP Hood LLC, Baystate Health, 3 County Fair, Smith College, Country Bank, Franklin First Federal Credit Union, and BankESB.

A farmer Appreciation Event is held yearly for all applicants and awardees to honor and recognize our farmers and promote the importance of local farming.

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For more information please contact:

Cari Carpenter
Send Email
413-276-0831

What They're Saying...

This grant allowed us to more than double our laying hen flock, going from 300 to 700 laying hens!

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Everyday Farm (Gill, MA)

We were able to start plants 6 weeks earlier and will expand our growing season by approximately 2 months. This allowed our farm to participate in three farmer’s markets per week, and increase our profits by around 200%.

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Quabbin Hill Farms (Pelham, MA)

Farmer's Stories

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Justamere Tree Farm - Worthington

Kim Trust, Kelly Auer, and Deb Rocque – friends who met while working in Alaska and found they shared a passion for farming – made a dream come true by purchasing Justamere Tree Farm in Worthington in April 2020.

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Kosinski Farm - Westfield and Feeding Hills

Recipients of several Local Farmer Awards, seasoned farmers Gene and Sue Kosinski are among the top five blueberry growers in the region. They have three farm sites in Westfield and Feeding Hills.

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Red Shirt Farm - Lanesborough

Jim Schultz is amazingly productive on his organic, no-till, 13-acre farm. Abundant vegetables grow on two acres while the rest is pasture for chickens, turkeys, and pigs.

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Thomas Farm & Dairy - Sunderland

A passion for farming led Jim Thomas and Laurie Cuevas to buy farmland in Sunderland where Jim built their house and barn. While eager to enter the dairy business, they soon realized that on their small farm, goats would make more sense than cows.

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Award Recipients

The team of funders has now supported 788 projects across more than 320 farms, investing $1.78 million in local agriculture. We remain deeply grateful to these farmers who bring fresh food to our tables, care for the land they steward, and continually strive to improve their farms.

2024 Projects Slideshow Video

Award Recipients PDFs

Award Recipient Maps