Funding to address food safety upgrades
A total of $200,000 was awarded to 30 sites in the second round of the Agricultural Food Safety Improvement Program (AFSIP), said the Patrick Administration, the government of the state.
Grants will allow agriculture operations to address food safety upgrades on their farms, enable them to meet buyer demands, increase consumption of local food and protect public health by reducing food safety risks, it said.
“Infrastructure improvements and food safety practices are critical for ensuring the success that our agricultural businesses have seen during the Patrick Administration,” said Maeve Vallely Bartlett, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA).
Projects include food safe harvest bins, fencing to keep wildlife out of produce fields, new packing/washing lines and food safe walls and flooring.
Greg Watson, DAR Commissioner, said it is important to provide grant and technical assistance to farms as they continue to modernize operations to meet new requirements.
“This assistance will strengthen our local food security, improve access to fresh local produce and help ensure that our agricultural operations are prepared to meet new market and regulatory challenges in the future.”
