Somerville Public Schools Receives $34K State Grant For Food Security

SOMERVILLE, MA — Somerville Public Schools has received a $34,252 state grant to help combat food insecurity, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced Thursday.

The grant is part of over $26.3 million in funding that is being allocated to 165 projects through the Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) Program, which was created to combat urgent food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen Massachusetts’ food supply system.

According to Gov. Maura Healey, the recent flooding in Western and Central Massachusetts is expected to have a further impact on food security in Massachusetts. State officials have been assessing damage at farms and discussing recovery and mitigation efforts over the past week.

“In speaking to farmers over the past week, it’s clear that they need support now more than ever after being hit hard by extreme weather events from flooding to drought to late frost,” Healey said in a statement. “Our farmers are the backbone of Massachusetts’ food infrastructure, and it’s critical that we continue to make short and long-term investments through grants like these to help strengthen resiliency and enhance mitigation efforts.”

The FSIG program is designed to ensure farmers and other local food producers are better connected to a strong and resilient food system. It was created to provide grants for capital infrastructure investments that increase access to locally produced food.

“In the past few months, Massachusetts has seen both droughts and extreme rainfall, record-setting temperatures, and poor air quality,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “The climate crisis is here, and the FSIG program could not be more important. It’s clear that our farmers, fishers, and other organizations in our food system need help building resiliency to these impacts.”

“Now more than ever, we need a robust local food system that can withstand the ever-increasing weather challenges our farmers will continue to face,” added MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle. “With these FSIG awards, Massachusetts is poised to increase our ability to grow more food and just as importantly, provide that food to as many as possible across the Commonwealth.”

For more information about the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, click here.