Community Plan for Target:Hunger Northern Berkshires

Target:Hunger Northern Berkshire is a community organizing project affecting the towns of Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, North Adams, Savoy, and Williamstown. It is a multi-sector partnership of more than two dozen organizations and individuals, including social service agencies, communities of faith, concerned residents, farmers, students, schools and colleges, working together to reduce hunger in Northern Berkshire by 10% in four years while increasing food security for everyone in the community. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is coordinating this effort with support from the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition. Toward the goal of ending this great want in the midst of plenty, the Target:Hunger Northern Berkshire partners have drafted this six-point Community Plan.

Strategy #1: Create a directory to connect residents with food security resources in their own community. Market the Food Stamp Program. Train local agencies on this and other federal nutrition programs. Use the media to help.

Strategy #2: Improve local infrastructure to support food security. Map the Northern Berkshire food shed, relative food prices, services, public transportation routes, farms, schools, and areas where significant numbers of low-income people live. Create transportation links to grocery stores, co-ops, and services through BRTA, TANB, agency vans, and other means. Organize and expand food rescue programs from stores, restaurants, and colleges.

Strategy #3: Initiate and support food and agricultural businesses that promote food security and create opportunities for low-income people. Increase the use of farmers’ markets and other sources of local produce. Help farmers’ markets accept food stamps (EBT cards) and refine WIC and senior farmers’ market coupon acceptance. Create a “secondary market” co-op using surplus from orchards, farms, stores, distributors, and restaurants. Create a Community Kitchen – A certified kitchen the public can rent by the hour to make products to sell, and which can serve as a small business incubator. Establish a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm that includes affordable, accessible shares for people living at lower incomes.


Strategy #4: Work with schools and programs for children and youth to promote healthy eating and community food security. Establish Farm-to-School and “Edible Schoolyard”-style programs in schools to increase use of local produce; gardening, cooking, and nutrition skills; and awareness of local food systems. Use swipe cards in all school cafeterias to eliminate the stigma of free and reduced price lunch. Improve taste, nutrition, and availability of school breakfast, lunch, and summer meal programs.

Strategy #5: Promote community-building through food by encouraging the sharing and building of skills in growing, cooking, and storing food, as well as in budgeting, nutrition, and movement-building.

Strategy #6: Create awareness of hunger, food insecurity, and community food security and their connections to other local issues. Coordinate public events in each Northern Berkshire town to involve the community in Target:Hunger initiatives and spread the word about available resources. Involve visible champions and local leaders as advocates. Produce radio and cable access programs to create awareness of issues and resources. Advocate for the dedication of resources to build food security from local, regional, state, and national gatekeepers.