Hi , If you’ve ever come by my house, you’ve probably noticed my obsession with urban gardening. All around my home, inside and out, are seedlings, vegetables, herbs, flowers — you name it and chances are I’ve got it growing.
In fact, when I first moved to my current home, my entire plot was concrete and pavement. So, I got it depaved and now there’s fresh homegrown vegetables everywhere! I get to send friends and guests home with fresh cut herbs, and be the neighbor with flowers constantly blooming. I’ve learned so much about urban gardening in the past several years, and luckily had a very successful seedling crop this year. I’ve got more than I can grow, even with the expanded garden space, so stop by my house at 11 Wesley Park if you’d like to pick up a free tomato plant!
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But I’m not writing you all today just to brag about my garden (though if you ever want to talk plants, I’d be more than happy). In my time as your State Representative, I’ve learned so much about our complex food system. I’m sure it’s no surprise that there are vast injustices within our food systems, particularly for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other people of color, and low-income communities.
Massachusetts is one of the wealthiest states in the country, yet 2.8 million people are in food apartheid. Those most likely to be affected are poor families of color. We must work at the local, state, and federal level to ensure and guarantee that all residents have easy access to nutritious food.
The approach we take to ending food apartheid includes and goes beyond increased funding to SNAP (food stamps). We must be supporting the most vulnerable stakeholders in our food system from farm to table.
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Supporting BIPOC Farmers
Like so many systems in our country, our food system is systemically racist. Communities of color are more likely to live under food apartheid and have limited access and buying power to healthy, fresh, locally sourced food. Farmers of color face more barriers to accessing land and resources to become farmers. We need to lift the voices of BIPOC stakeholders and ensure that they have a seat at the table. We must center their lived experiences to enact changes in our food system and others built on systemic racism. Even here in Somerville, our public transportation infrastructure is insufficient at connecting residents in low-income housing developments to grocery stores, farmers markets, and other locations with healthy, fresh food.
That’s why I am so excited to support An Act promoting equity in agriculture (H. 860). According to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, BIPOC farmers are represented on only 2.3% of the Commonwealth’s farms, farms that steward just 0.3% of the land in farming and sell just 0.4% of the market value of agricultural goods in the Massachusetts, despite people of color making up 29% of the state’s population. This bill will establish a commission composed of BIPOC stakeholders who will be charged with developing recommendations for the Department of Agricultural Resources to equitably serve socially disadvantaged farmers to address these disparities.
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Universal Free School Meals
Earlier this spring, the House passed one of the most progressive budget in recent years, which notably included funding for a one year extension of universal free school meals! This is a crucial measure because for so many children and families, school meals are the only guaranteed food of the day. Sustaining this program will not only help mitigate food insecurity for children, but its expansion will also reduce the stigma surrounding free school meals. We must continue to fully fund universal free school meals in future budgets. We are working in partnership with Project Bread to ensure that universal free school meals remains in the final version of the FY2023 budget, learn more here.
Somerville schools also provide free breakfast and lunch to students during the summer. So many families depend on schools to provide their children with healthy foods. That becomes much more difficult during summer breaks. Making breakfasts and lunches free and accessible during the summer would allow these children to continue to grow and thrive, even when they are not in school. As such I am fighting to expand this statewide, which is why I strongly support the one year extension of universal free school meals in the budget and will work to make the extension permanent.
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Funding the Healthy Incentives Program
The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) leverages federal SNAP funds by putting money back on your EBT card, up to a monthly limit depending on household size, when you use SNAP to buy fresh, frozen, dried or canned produce and seedlings from HIP vendors.
I’m excited to share another massive win that the House dedicated $18M to the Healthy Incentives Program in the latest budget, and will continue to fight for more funding. With additional funding and help from the administration, we can increase the amount of education and outreach the state provides to communities in need. So often, recipients don’t know they can take advantage of HIP and receive additional benefits for buying healthy, local food.
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Accessing Free and Low-Cost Food in Somerville If you or someone you know is in need of food, please check out the following resources online, or call Project Bread’s hotline at 1-800-645-8333. They serve people in many languages and can help. Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at (857) 264-1096 or erika.uyterhoeven@mahouse.gov if you need further assistance. |
The Somerville Food Security Coalition works to maximize the impact of existing efforts to provide healthy, accessible, affordable, and culturally appropriate food for Somerville residents. Their website is an excellent online resource for aggregating local food resources and connecting community members to this network.
The Somerville Office of Food Access & Healthy Communities runs a mobile market from July 8th – October 15th, 2022 with stops at the Council on Aging, East Somerville Community School, North St Housing Development, and the Mystic Housing Development. They offer an unlimited 50% discount for all who need it.
Somerville Cambridge Elder Services provides Nutrition and Meals services, including Meals on Wheels to help older people and younger people with disabilities remain healthy and independent at home. The Elizabeth Peabody House runs a food pantry that is open on Wednesday evenings.
There are two Community Fridges in Somerville that provide free food, located at 35 Prospect St & 36 Sewall St.
The Union Square Farmers Market is open for the season on Saturdays, the East Somerville Farmers Market is open on Sundays and Davis Square Farmers Market on Wednesdays! SNAP matches are available.
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This Thursday! Coffee chat with special guest Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley
I am excited to invite you all to an in-person coffee chat office hours with myself and special guest Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley this Thursday, July 7th from 1:30pm to 2:30pm at Lincoln Park. Please sign up at tinyurl.com/SomervilleCoffee if you plan to attend! |
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Canvass with Team Erika We will be launching canvasses to talk with neighbors about the most important issues they are facing in Somerville. This is critical work for me because your voice and your issue help drive my priorities in the State House. We are launching every Saturday and Sunday at 10am, hope to see you there!
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Don't forget, if you want a free tomato plant, feel free to wing by my house, 11 Wesley Park! |
It is truly an honor to serve you all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with your thoughts and questions about the budget, if you want to advocate for any bills, or need any help from government services. |
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