Division of Agricultural Development 



Walter Larmie, Director 



The mission of the Division of Agricultural Develop- 

 ment is to ensure the continued viability of the 

 Commonwealth's multifaceted agricultural industry- 

 through a variety of educational and promotional ac- 

 tivities. State assistance is vital to the continued growth 

 and viabihty of this $3 billion industry, particularly in a 

 small, heavily populated industrial state like Mas- 

 sachusetts. While concerned with the overall health of the 

 entire agricultural industry, the Division has focused in 

 particular on several key areas of concern, notably the 

 Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food coupon pro- 

 gram, Agri-Composting, and farm labor issues. 



Labor Shortage 



One problem facing the entire economy of the Com- 

 monwealth is the acute shortage of labor affecting virtual- 

 ly every facet of Massachusetts industry. Agriculture, in 

 particular, has been very hard hit, owing to long hours, 

 hard work and seasonabihty. With no control over the 

 maturation process of their crops, farmers are often held 

 hostage to the lack of a ready supply of labor, and often 

 suffer financial loss. The Department has been working 

 with individual farmers, commodity groups and other 

 government agencies to examine solutions to this prob- 

 lem. One option is the creation of a job-training program 

 in urban areas, another mvolves establishing zn exchange 

 program for students from Ireland £md Poland. We will 

 continue to monitor the labor situation, and potential 

 solutions, closely. 



On-Farm Agri-Composting 



The Department worked diligently with legislators in 

 1987 to secure a $3 million appropriation to underwrite 

 the development of a statewide agricultural composting 

 program. This undertaking will lessen our farmers' 

 reliance on expensive fertiliziers and soil conditioners, 

 while simultaneously finding a beneficisd use for farm 

 wastes and organic materials which otherwise would be 

 disposed in our already overfull landfills. The Depart- 

 ment is now developing regulations to help guide farmers 

 through the composting process. 



Federal-State Marlceting 

 Improvement Program 



The Department of Food and Agriculture worked 

 closely with the USDA to administer a grant program 

 designed to help finance innovative agri-marketing 

 programs. The USDA provides funds to state depart- 

 ments of agriculture to conduct cooperative marketing 



service projects to improve the marketing, handling, 

 storage processing, transportaion and distribution of 

 agricultural products. Here in Massachusetts the 1988 

 grants aided the development of an aquaculture opera- 

 tion. 



Farmers' Market Coupon Program 



In 1986 the Department established a program to 

 provide low-income individuals, famihes and elders with 

 coupons redemable at farmers' markets throughout the 

 state for fresh, locally-grown produce. Since its inception, 

 this program has been widely imitated by some 17 other 

 states, as well as the federal government. In 1988 the 

 program served over 30,000 clients, providing them with 

 over $170,000 worth of foodstuffs. Not only does the 

 program assist nutritionally at-risk people, but it also 

 rjiises the income of petrticipating farmers significantly. 



