A message from a SEMAP Member:

Cranberry Vine Catering and Events new 2018 Thanksgiving Menu and order form is available below. Let us help you create the perfect Thanksgiving dinner! All orders must be received by Friday, November 16, 2018. 

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November is a month for gratitude – for a season of good harvests, strong farm businesses, happy customers, and improved access to healthy food for our community members who are struggling.  These are the things that SEMAP works, plans, and fights for and we are thankful for the opportunity to work for the region.

The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) has been a significant reason to be grateful.  The program is offered to Massachusetts users of SNAP (formerly food stamps) and is a 1:1 match for fruits and vegetables bought from local farmstands and farmers markets.  The incentives have been extended to February 28, 2019 instead of closing next week as previously announced.  Farmers started the year planning on a full season of matching incentives but the success of the HIP has made the program a bumpy one.  The program will resume in the spring of next year.

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Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, Creative Commons 2.0

November 7, 2018

LAKEVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS — For the past 25 years, family-owned Elliot Farm in Lakeville, MA has provided southeastern Massachusetts with quality, native produce. The 50-acre family farm grows mixed vegetables, beefsteak tomatoes, and specializes in sweet corn. Elliot Farm’s roadside farm stand is open seasonally 7 days a week, and also offers a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) program.  Founder Kenneth Elliot, 60, has been farming for over 40 years and welcomed his two children into the family business at the ripe ages of 10 and 8, now 34 and 33.  Now, as proud co-owners, the siblings are determined to keep agriculture in their community for generations to come.

Unfortunately, sweet corn crop damage from red-winged blackbirds is threatening the viability of Elliot Farm and hurting other farms across the region. Despite tremendous efforts to keep these pests at bay, including balloons, bird distress calls, bird repellent, reflecting tape, and netting, in 2016 season, Elliot Farm lost 80% of its sweet corn crop during the height of bird season, roughly mid-July through mid-October, estimated at $18,000 in lost product.

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Location: Westport, MA / Little Compton, RI

We’re looking to hire good folks to join us this winter as we wrap up 2018 and get 2019 rolling. Strong Preference will go to applicants hoping to farm with us for the entire 2019 season and beyond.

We have four 30′ x 96′ high tunnels that keep us busy straight through the winter harvesting and marketing fresh greens to go along with what we’ve put in storage during 2018, so year-round work is available.

Full time and part time positions available, 2-5 days a week, 8 hours per day of fieldwork, harvest and market prep, with the possibility of farmers market sales.

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