CISA

CISA CISA strengthens farms and engages the community to build the local food economy.

We believe that:

* Diverse and prosperous farms are essential to the economic health and environmental quality of our region.
* When our farmers can successfully bring food and other products to markets that reach all people in our communities, we all benefit.
* When our communities have a deep understanding of the local farming economy, all of our farmers benefit.
* By connecting

farmers, neighbors, and communities, CISA sustains local agriculture and enhances the long-term health of our communities. At CISA we take a grounded visionary approach to all of our work by solving today's problems while looking towards future challenges. It is a world where more food and farm products are locally produced, farmers have the skills and resources to sustain their businesses and the land and all community residents have access to locally grown farm products

We recently had the pleasure of chatting with the Old Creamery Co-op about CISA's early days, and how CISA supports loca...
06/03/2026

We recently had the pleasure of chatting with the Old Creamery Co-op about CISA's early days, and how CISA supports local farms today. It's worth a read, and we couldn't have come to a better conclusion: "So be a local hero. Remember that local agriculture has an ace up its sleeve: You. When we choose to support local, by shopping at local markets to buy food produced in our region, we aren’t just buying groceries: we are acting as the primary driving factor of success for neighborhood farms. CISA helps us harness that power, by showing us where to put our money when we want to see it have an impact, and by connecting the dots with folks working the land that sustains us." ❤

💭 Now what do you do with all that asparagus?!?!Ferment it! 😜 Just Roots has several asparagus recipes on their website....
06/02/2026

💭 Now what do you do with all that asparagus?!?!
Ferment it! 😜

Just Roots has several asparagus recipes on their website. Why not try this simple lacto-fermented recipe to preserve the goodness of this precious spring veggie?

Share your favorite method of cooking or preserving asparagus in the comments! ⬇

Urban farms are an oasis in the city. Each week, farmers' markets bring the farms to the city.Mobile markets bring local...
06/01/2026

Urban farms are an oasis in the city.
Each week, farmers' markets bring the farms to the city.
Mobile markets bring local food directly to neighborhoods.

If you live in Springfield, Chicopee, and Holyoke, did you know that fresh, local food and beautiful plants and flowers for your home are available close by?

Gardening the Community grows fresh vegetables and plant starts to sell at their farm stand at 200 Walnut Street, Springfield, and they accept SNAP & HIP.

Nordica Street Community Farm straddles the Chicopee-Springfield line at
7 Nordica Street, Springfield. They offer a CSA and weekly Farm Stand on Wednesday afternoons from mid June to October. SNAP is welcome!

Nuestras Raices supports a group of farmers at La Finca, a shared 30-acre urban farm in Holyoke. They also support community gardens and have a mobile farmers' market that brings food to neighborhoods directly.

Speaking of Farmers' Markets, you'll find The Farmers Market at Forest Park every Tuesday through October 27, 12:30-6 at Forest Park in Springfield. Use the Trafton Road entrance. Parking is free for market goers.

If Holyoke is closer to you, check out the Holyoke Farmer's Market on Wednesdays at the Holyoke Medical Center 11 AM - 2 PM.

Finally, our friends at Go Fresh Springfield Mobile Farmer's Market deliver beautiful, local produce to neighborhoods in Springfield and Chicopee throughout the season.

Enjoy a tasty and beautiful summer in the city! 🌞😎
Photo of the children at Forest Park courtesy of WWLP-22News .

🌱 The history of life here in the Valley is rooted in agriculture. Many local farms and food businesses have been aroun...
05/31/2026

🌱 The history of life here in the Valley is rooted in agriculture. Many local farms and food businesses have been around and operating for almost 100 years!

Today, we honor a couple of farms and one food business that contribute to the vibrant local food system here in western Massachusetts.

🦃 Diemand Farm in Wendell is celebrating 90 years of raising turkeys and chickens since they began in 1936. Did you know they also managed horses, pigs, ducks, rabbits, and donkeys? Learn more about this Local Hero at their 90th celebration event in September!

🍎 Bashista Orchards in Southampton has been farming and cultivating the land for growing apples, peaches, cherries, and other tree fruit since 1926. Farming for 100 years is surely something to celebrate! Check them out when they re-open their farmstand in mid-June.

🛒 Fruit Fair Supermarket in Chicopee started as a fruit store (yep!) in 1936. They expanded to offer a full line of imported Polish products, fresh seasonal fruits, and vegetables from local farms. Stop in for a delicious sandwich (made daily), and check out their social media pages for your own entertainment!

💚 Thank you for supporting these businesses and all farms that make western Mass a truly wonderful place to live and call home.

📸 1: Diemand Farm
📸 2: Bashista Orchards
📸 3: Fruit Fair Supermarket

It's time for another Local Hero Spotlight with Claire, Monte, and Kaliis! This week, they visit Lindsay Allen from .ma ...
05/30/2026

It's time for another Local Hero Spotlight with Claire, Monte, and Kaliis! This week, they visit Lindsay Allen from .ma in Buckland.

Listen here: https://www.buylocalfood.org/nepm-fern-hill-farm/

Fern Hill Farm is an agroforestry-based vegetable no-till farm. Their three acres grows a lot of vegetables integrated into perennials, fruit, berry, and nut trees as well. Their fruit trees include Asian pear, peaches, and quince. See their website to learn more.

The farm grows for a hyperlocal CSA for neighbors and to sell at the Ashfield Farmers Market and Shelburne Falls Farmer's Market.

Photos courtesy of New England Public Media

As temperatures continue to rise, more spring veggies are becoming available!➡ Visit your local farm, farmers’ market, o...
05/28/2026

As temperatures continue to rise, more spring veggies are becoming available!
➡ Visit your local farm, farmers’ market, or farm stand to see what’s ready.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Make the trip to Pomeroy's Vegetable Farm in East Longmeadow for beautiful leaf lettuce available for preorder.

Head over to Bardwell Farm in Hatfield for pretty spring onions that are great raw in a salad or satueed for a warm meal.

Little Light Farm from Amherst will have swiss chard, bok choi, and other greens at the Easthampton Farmers' Market .

Swing by the Greenfield Farmers' Market for radishes and other spring veg from Hart Farm of Conway.

💚 Thank you to the farmers growing gorgeous and nutritious food for everyone in the community!

What’s your current favorite spring vegetable? Tell us in the comments! ⬇

📸 1: Pomeroy's Vegetable Farm
📸 2: Bardwell Farm
📸 3: Little Light Farm
📸 4: Hart Farm

CISA is incredibly grateful to have the support of UMassFive College Credit Union in our work with local farms. UMassFiv...
05/27/2026

CISA is incredibly grateful to have the support of UMassFive College Credit Union in our work with local farms.

UMassFive College Credit Union is community-centered and people-focused; they are a credit union that works for you, not big shareholders.

You can become a member of UMassFive when you support CISA! UMassFive can help you set up your membership, and in turn, you’ll be helping local farms thrive for years to come.

We are so appreciative of this partnership that supports the local food and farming economy in the Valley.

Thank you, UMassFive College Credit Union, for endorsing CISA and for all that you do to support area farms!

Photo of Cook Farm by Paul Shoul

The mighty asparagus is growing strong now! 💪Find local asparagus at stores, farm stands, and markets near you using CI...
05/26/2026

The mighty asparagus is growing strong now! 💪

Find local asparagus at stores, farm stands, and markets near you using CISA’s online guide: https://tinyurl.com/HadleyGrass26

In Granby, McKinstry Market Garden, Inc. at Sapowsky Farms has a beautiful crop of asparagus. This asparagus is from Sapowsky Farms and is tended by Farmer Will McKinstry.

Makana Farms in Williamsburg has so many local veggies to choose, including these gorgeous asparagus.

Long River Produce Market in South Deerfield has asparagus and cherry tomatoes?!

Let us know where you get your favorite asparagus in the comments! ⬇

📸 1: Sapowsky Farms
📸 2: Makana Farms
📸 3: Long River Produce Market

Hay is a cornerstone of agriculture, particularly for livestock farmers. Climate change is influencing the timing, quali...
05/25/2026

Hay is a cornerstone of agriculture, particularly for livestock farmers.

Climate change is influencing the timing, quality, and quantity of hay production due to heat stress, warmer temperatures, and unpredictable weather patterns.

Windrow Farm in Conway comments on this being the earliest time of year for their first cutting.
Leyden Glen Lamb started haying their fields to provide feed for their sheep and other farms' animals.

🌱 CISA helps farmers adapt their growing practices to continue farming in a changing climate through workshops, one-to-one support, and events like Climate Change & Farming Week in September.

➡ Learn more about CISA’s programs to support local farms by signing up for our e-newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/cisanewsletter

📸 1: Windrow Farm
📸 2: Leyden Glen Lamb

This week, Monte, Kaliis, and Claire form a knitting group to head to Ashfield to visit Lisa Fortin, of Growing a Bunch ...
05/24/2026

This week, Monte, Kaliis, and Claire form a knitting group to head to Ashfield to visit Lisa Fortin, of Growing a Bunch Farm.

Listen here: https://www.buylocalfood.org/nepm-growing-a-bunch-farm/

The family homestead raises sheep and children: the farm offers summer programs in fiber arts for children (spinning, knitting, felting, and sewing). Bloom Woolen Yarns processes raw wool and purchases wool from other local farms to design and produce lush and lofty yarns that are sustainably dyed in small batches. Bloom Woolen Yarn uses lamb wool from Leyden Glen Lamb for their Babe wool.

Photos courtesy of New England Public Media

Address

1 Sugarloaf Street
South Deerfield, MA
01373

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14136657100

Website

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