DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND USE 

 Susan Redlich, Director 



The Division works in various ways to strengthen local food systems, 

 and to improve the state's capabilities in food production and distribution. 

 The importance of promoting food security by ensuring the viability of farming 

 is underscored by the current dependency on imported food supplies from out- 

 side the region. Any food security gains are tied closely to the conservation 

 of a land base. 



COMMUNITY GARDENING 



We have developed community gardens on state-owned lands and other public 

 lands. There are now garden sites at 20 state locations which are used by 

 youth, families, elderly and people on fixed income. The Division can negotiate 

 arrangements between public land owners and garden groups to make land avail- 

 able. With the Division's assistance, the first community garden for Allston/ 

 Brighton was organized on MDC land; youth groups farmed several acres of land 

 at Framingham MCI, Metropolitan State Hospital, Massasoit Community College and 

 Bridgewater MCI. 



We serve as a clearinghouse of information for the over 200 community 

 gardens across the state and maintain lists of current garden locations and 

 coordinators. The Division also organizes and administers the Massachusetts 

 Seed Program, which involved 16,000 participants. The program provides 

 vegetable seeds, free or at reduced cost to members of community garden 

 groups. Furthering the Division's promotion of community food production, 

 the Legislature passed the Massachusetts Fruition bill, providing funds for 

 purchase of food-bearing trees and shrubs for planting on public land. The 

 Division will administer this program. 



PROTECTING THE AGRICULTURAL LAND BASE 



The Division prepared the handbook. Cows, Corn, and Cranberries , a 

 compendium of positive measures for towns and cities that want to protect 

 their agricultural resources. One thousand copies were distributed to local 

 officials. To assist policy-makers on the subject of re-disposition of sur- 

 plus state property, the Division has undertaken the task of mapping and 

 classifying a major portion of the 5,000+ acres of state-owned farmland, in 

 order to document its importance. The Division administers permits for ap- 

 proximately 500 acres of state land utilized by commercial farmers. 



An increase in development projects that posed negative impacts on 

 farmland called forth Division investigations during the state's environmen- 

 tal review process. 



ADVOCATING DIRECT MARKETING FOR SMALL PRODUCERS 



The Division coordinated 6 market sites in the Boston area and expanded 

 farmers market activities by organizing a market at Uphams Corner in Dorchester 

 and a mobile farm stand at Mission Hill in Roxbury. We researched the state 



46 



