BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced awards of $710,140 in APR Improvement Program (AIP) funding to nine farms across Massachusetts including $90,000 for Forthill Farms in Pittsfield. 

 

Forthill Farm will expand their existing farmstand building, increasing their operational efficiency by creating additional space for retail sales, washing and packaging produce, and storage.

 

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ (MDAR) grants provide business planning, technical assistance, and funds to commercial farms with land that has already been protected through MDAR’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program to help sustain active commercial farming on the land.

 

"The assistance provided through AIP will help fund critical infrastructure investments on protected farms," said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "Massachusetts is committed to supporting our farms through this important farm viability program. This will ensure the continued economic vitality of our agricultural sector."

 

Grant recipients will use these funds to improve or construct new agricultural buildings, such as barns, livestock housing, farmstands or processing facilities. They will also use these funds towards resource improvements, such as wells, establishing perennial crops or fencing. The AIP program also provides additional technical assistance in identified areas of need such as family succession, marketing, or financial tracking to help increase farm sustainability.

 

"The valuable business and technical assistance provided through AIP will help these farms stay in business for many more generations," said MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle. "We thank these farm families for their commitment to preserving our workable farmland in the Commonwealth and keeping it sustainable for years to come."