Massachusetts farmers are barely getting by with rising costs of production and labor shortages, and though locally grown products are becoming increasingly popular among city dwellers, farmers and activists say the boosted interest is not enough to sustain the industry.
Though the farmers’ markets are at the height of their popularity, most farmers do not sell their produce at farmers’ markets because of expensive vending permits and travel expenses, and instead rely on traveling tourists and community-supported agriculture programs for revenue, according to a survey conducted by the Essex County and Merrimack Valley Buy Local Program.
Alfalfa Farm and Winery in Topsfield is one of the many area farms that has turned to innovative strategies to sustain profitability, said owner Richard Adelman. After breeding cattle and producing dairy products for decades, the farm turned to wine production, he said.
“We rely almost exclusively on tourists coming here for our fall festivals and wine tours,” he said.
Farmer advocacy organizations say large food corporations like ConAgra Foods and Philip Morris pose a serious threat to U.S. farmers by aggressively acquiring smaller food companies, dictating prices and undercutting farmers.
“Demand for cheap food is high in this country,” said Jeff Cole, executive director of the nonprofit Federation of Massachusetts Farmers’ Markets. “Economic pressure means farmers will make more money by selling their land to the bank and collecting interest than selling their farmed products.”
Cole also said locally grown food typically is fresher and tastes better. Vegetables and fruits imported from outside the state are usually at least a week old by the time they arrive in the supermarket, he said.
“The issue is not price differentiation,” Cole said. “You pay a little bit more in farmers’ markets to utilize a much higher shelf life. There is zero value when you have to throw moldy vegetables away.”
Cole said though federal funding has not been sufficient, Massachusetts lawmakers have tried to pick up the slack.
“There is a serious shortage of federal funds,” Cole said.
Enabling farmers to compete in the marketplace is important to the state economy, said Energy and Environmental Affairs Office spokeswoman Lisa Capone.
In May, the state awarded $2.7 million in grants to various agriculture innovation projects and local farms to help them promote their products, she said.
Capone pointed to Gov. Deval Patrick’s support of farmers, instituting policies and statewide events like Farmers’ Market Week and the Massachusetts Tomato Festival to support farming.
