Lee Agricultural Commission Meeting: Discussion on Massachusetts Farming and the FARM Act - April 15, 2026

[Introductory paragraph] The Lee Agricultural Commission held a meeting on April 15, 2026, to discuss the state of agriculture in Massachusetts. The meeting featured two presentations: Casey Pease, director of communications for Senator Paul Mark, spoke about the recently passed FARM Act (Fostering Agricultural Resilience in Massachusetts), and Dr. Sarah Gardner, President of Berkshire Grown and Chair of the Williamstown Agricultural Commission, gave a presentation on farmland preservation and the role of agricultural commissions. The meeting was recorded and included active audience participation.

Presentation on the FARM Act

• Casey Pease outlined key provisions of the FARM Act, which passed the Senate unanimously in early April 2026. He emphasized that the bill is policy-focused with no major budgetary components. Key elements include: requiring the state to create a long-term plan to protect food access; tracking local food use in state programs (such as SNAP and schools); investing in food infrastructure grants for farms, food banks, and schools (covering equipment, storage, distribution, processing); creating a Next Generation Farmers Fund with workforce training and programs for underserved populations; promoting urban agriculture; studying barriers to keeping land in agricultural use, including the impact of solar and renewable energy on farmland; creating a statewide farmland registry and map; expanding farm-to-school grant programs; supporting agritourism (an amendment championed by Senator Mark); and codifying the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) into law. Pease noted that the bill is now before the House and encouraged attendees to contact their representative to support a yes vote.

Presentation by Dr. Sarah Gardner on Farmland Preservation

• Dr. Sarah Gardner presented data on farmland loss. She stated that Massachusetts has over 7,000 farms but that farmland is being lost rapidly: in the five years around the pandemic, 27,000 acres were lost statewide, and projections by American Farmland Trust and the Department of Agriculture indicate 50–89% loss by 2040 if current trends continue. In Berkshire County, dairy farms declined from 32 in 1999 to 12 today (4 in North County, about 6 in South County). Gardner noted that two out of three Massachusetts farmers operate at a financial loss. She emphasized that agricultural commissions, though lacking regulatory authority, play a critical social, educational, and political role. She highlighted strategies for farmland preservation: creating a local Agricultural Preservation Fund (using Community Preservation Act funds or other sources), conducting a survey of farms and Chapter 61 land, developing a local farmland action plan, and engaging in buy-protect-sell programs in partnership with land trusts. She commended the Lee Agricultural Commission for its existing work, including its farm brochure, seed library, and plans for community gardening on town-owned land.

Audience Discussion and Questions

• Audience members raised several issues. A speaker questioned efforts to reduce the mandatory five-acre minimum for agricultural tax classification; Casey Pease offered to look into the status of a Farm Bureau proposal to lower it to two acres. Multiple attendees expressed strong opposition to solar panels on prime farmland, arguing that farmland is finite and should not be replaced by solar development. One speaker described a local case where a field farmed for 100 years was lost to a 10-million-dollar solar installation with only a thousand dollars worth of sheep. Another attendee advocated for revising the blue use law and using brownfields and highway interchanges for solar instead. The need for agricultural education was discussed: one speaker shared their positive experience with 4-H and FFA, noting that only four Aggie high schools exist in Massachusetts, all in the eastern part, leaving western Massachusetts underserved. Another attendee from NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) introduced federal conservation funding available to farmers. Food security was addressed, with discussion of the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) and the importance of farmers markets accepting SNAP and HIP benefits. Dr. Gardner noted that the FARM Act aims to improve infrastructure for small farms to get food into schools.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken. The meeting was informational and educational.
• Casey Pease encouraged attendees to advocate for the FARM Act in the House and left his contact information for further questions.
• Dr. Sarah Gardner offered continued support from the Agricultural Commission Technical Assistance Project, available through MDAR, including additional resources and site visits.
• The Lee Agricultural Commission is working with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) on a farmland action plan and is exploring a town-owned farm for community gardening and hay production.
• Attendees were encouraged to stay connected and to participate in future events such as open farm days and ag day programs in schools.