The Beginning Farmer Network of Massachusetts

As part of its broader food systems development work, New Entry coordinates the Beginning Farmer Network of Massachusetts (BFN/Mass), a collaborative group of farmers and farm service providers dedicated to beginning farmer success in Massachusetts.  By creating more space for networking and collaboration amongst Beginning Farmers and Service Providers BFN/Mass brings together people who want to work on similar issues, share information and lessons learned, and who can inspire each other by the work they are already doing.

The network features:

  • A reliable website (http://bfnmass.org) and referral network so that beginning farmers can effectively find the information and services that they need.
  • In-person meetings to allow beginning farmers and stakeholders to meet each other, network, find points of collaboration, and work together toward common goals.
  • Information to help farmers stay connected and thrive such as blog articles, farmer and service provider profiles, a farm jobs/internship page, and the events calendar.

June 2017 Update:

BFN/Mass Releases a New Resource on Beginning Farmer Resource Needs in MA

The Beginning Network of Massachusetts recently completed a research project on both the strengths and gaps in resources and information for beginning farmers across the state, and has compiled that research into a short report, “Key Findings Report: Beginning Farmer Resource Assessment & Gaps Analysis.” The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data which was collected through an online survey and one-on-one farmer interviews.We are pleased to be able to distribute the report widely and hope that many farmers, service providers, nonprofits, and other stakeholders across the state find the information useful and that it moves us closer to providing adequate resources to those who are starting out in farming in our beautiful state. Please share with your networks!

For more information please visit our website: www.bfnmass.org or e-mail Kevin Cody, at kevin.cody@tufts.edu.