Infrastructure improvement grants awarded to Massachusetts farms

Jan 06, 2016

Five projects were selected to receive funding

In an effort to support and improve its agricultural industry and the farmers who provide the crops and livestock, five farms in Massachusetts will split $400,000 in grants to be used towards improving infrastructure.

State legislators believe the grants will support different sectors in Massachusetts because they will put more people to work.

“These agricultural investments help create jobs and make Massachusetts’ farms more competitive in the national and global marketplace,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our administration is committed to supporting Massachusetts’ vibrant agriculture industry, which provides fresh, healthy food for the Commonwealth’s residents.”

The grants will be distributed among five farms in Adams, Hatfield, Westborough, Sunderland and Westport counties. Each farm, under the state’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program, is permanently protected from development.

With agriculture being an ever-changing landscape with the introduction of new technology and practices, the investments could help farmers be on the cutting edge of agricultural infrastructure.

“Reinvesting in these farms has enabled these businesses to keep up with the changing dynamics of modern agriculture and demands of today’s consumers,” said Department of Agriculture Commissioner John Lebeaux.

Rob Russell, owner of Westport Rivers Winery, one of the farms scheduled to receive a share of the funding, said the investment will support the winery’s production for years to come.

“We will be using these funds to contribute to the construction of our own grapevine grafting facility,” he said. “This facility will give us the luxury of a consistent supply of quality replacement vines, surely a great help mastering our next 30 years.”

A report by Farm Credit East in 2012 provided stats about Massachusetts agriculture, including:

7,700 farms spread out over 520,000 acres created 68,110 jobs
Agriculture is responsible for $13 billion in output - $5.5 billion of which stays within the community
The state produces 2.3 million barrels of cranberries – second only to Wisconsin

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.