In the first two weeks of November, I travelled across the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester district to advocate for our farms and highlight the deep connection between food, health, and innovation.
On October 31, officials from the Department of Agricultural Resources, MassHealth, and the Department of Public Health joined farmers and producers at Just Roots in Greenfield to explore how locally grown, nutritious food can serve as medicine—improving health outcomes while strengthening local economies.
What’s happening at Just Roots—through its partnerships with state agencies and regional growers—is revolutionary, necessary, and inspiring. That’s why I teamed up with Representatives Susannah Whipps and Natalie Blais to invite state colleagues to see firsthand the powerful intersection of farming, food access, and public health.
Food is Medicine is a double win:
- It’s a health win. Good food prevents illness, promotes healing, and keeps people well—at a fraction of the cost of a hospital stay or prescription.
- It’s an economic win. Participating farms gain a stable income stream in an otherwise volatile agricultural economy.
As the Commonwealth braces for painful federal MassHealth cuts, I’m committed to protecting programs like the one run so beautifully at Just Roots.
On November 4, I joined Rep. Blais and Kelly O’Reilly from her team on a three-stop tour of local farms in the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester district — celebrating local excellence in agriculture.
Thanks so much to Rep. Blais for leading!
At our first stop, we visited Our Family Farms to celebrate their being chosen as the Manufacturer of the Year in Franklin County. Shout out to Angie and Randy Facey at Bree-Z-Knoll Farm in Leyden, a Co-Op Member Farm of Our Family Farms, for their commitment to innovation in bringing quality products to local communities.
We then ventured over to Bar-Way Farm to celebrate the fact that it has been named 2025 Massachusetts Dairy Farm of the Year.
In the midst of our tour, we also stopped by Clarkdale Fruit Farms for an apple or two or three.
I’m proud to represent a region that leads with creativity, care, and an unwavering commitment to food, farming, health, and community.
