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.

Applications are accepted Jan 1-31.

About

We are thrilled to celebrate the 12th year of the Local Farmer Awards, supporting capital improvements on farms throughout Western Massachusetts. These awards 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; Eilzabeth & Charles D’Amour Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts; Audrey & Chick Taylor; PeoplesBank; Andrew Associates; DeNucci, Crosby & Associates – Merrill Lynch Wealth Management; Eastern States Exposition; Farm Credit East; HP Hood LLC; Baystate Health; Three County Fair; Country Bank; Franklin First Federal Credit Union; and BankESB.

Each fall we host a Farmer Appreciation Party to honor and celebrate our local farmers, inviting all applicants and awardees to attend.

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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