New Entry, an initiative of Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, works locally, regionally, and across the country to strengthen local food systems by supporting new farmers. We serve and collaborate with the people, communities, and organizations in Massachusetts, the Northeast, and beyond! Click below to learn how you can get involved with New Entry.
The New Entry Sustainable Farming Project’s (New Entry) mission is to foster resilience in local, regional and national food systems by training a new generation of farmers to produce food that is nutritious, culturally connected and accessible to all individuals. In doing this work, we develop economic opportunities for new farmers, generate new knowledge, and facilitate connections to the land to build thriving communities.
Vision
New Entry envisions an economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and equitable food system that honors and supports beginning and small-scale farmers who start and steward community-engaged farms.
Values
We believe ….
Diverse small-scale local farms enhance quality of life for farmers and communities, promote economic development, and are valuable contributors to resilient food systems.
Food sovereignty contributes to healthy, nutritious diets, greater control of localized production, and increased food security for the entire community.
A holistic approach to food systems brings together local, national and global practice and science for a resilient food system.
Agroecological farm practices and principles are essential to the sustainability of natural resources and to empower farmers to organize for food systems transformation.
Racial equity and social justice includes recognizing and dismantling systemic injustices, learning histories of liberation, redistributing power and wealth, and valuing the wisdom of leaders who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color.
Community partnerships are critical to sustainable, local food systems in Massachusetts and the Northeast.
Entrepreneurship, teamwork, and leadership create dynamic strategies and innovations in food production and distribution.
History
In 1998, New Entry was launched by Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in order to develop a cost-effective strategy to integrate recent immigrants and refugees with farming backgrounds into Massachusetts agriculture. In 2007, New Entry conducted a broad environmental analysis of the burgeoning food movement and expanded its target audience to beginning farmers of all backgrounds with a desire to grow food to create a resilient local food economy. The initiative was developed as a broad partnership and since its inception, New Entry has fostered collaborative partnerships with farm organizations, community groups and academic institutions to expand our capacity to address a broad range of issues related to beginning farming. New Entry has expanded its programs over the years to a point where today we serve local, statewide, and national audiences through comprehensive farmer training and technical assistance, land access, and direct market support programs; facilitation of collaborative partnerships; and national technical assistance and resource sharing with other land-based and experiential beginning farmer training organizations.
As a result of over two decades of work, lives have changed as people connect to the land and produce culturally preferred food important to their communities and their health; more regional farmland has been maintained in sustainable, active agricultural production; the agricultural community has welcomed diverse members of society into the farming sector; partnerships between service providers have strengthened; and economically diverse communities have greater access to locally grown food.
Over the past two decades, New Entry has continually expanded our training and technical assistance programs to include classroom, hands-on, and distance learning educational opportunities in both vegetable and livestock production. We have established and expanded marketing options for new farmers via our multi-producer Food Hub which serves consumers across all economic levels, including those who could otherwise not afford fresh produce. We have engaged communities across Massachusetts in assessing and making farmland available to new producers. We have coordinated a statewide network of farm service providers and created an active referral network. We are connecting emerging incubator farm projects and apprenticeship training programs across the country to share resources, best practices, and provide technical assistance through a vibrant community of practice.
A new era is clearly emerging with strong interest by small-scale beginning farmers in Massachusetts. The 2017 Census of Agriculture shows 2,526 new and beginning principal farm operators in Massachusetts stewarding over 89,164 acres of land . Mostly small-scale, highly diversified specialty crop and livestock producers, these farmers are responding to the rapidly expanding demand for local foods by selling through CSAs, farmers’ markets, local restaurants and grocery stores, and at farmstands. Demand for farm-grown, local produce continues as farm-to-school and farm-to-institution programs are also sourcing food locally.
Most of these beginning farmers have no formal agriculture schooling and some have limited informal training or prior farming experience. Many have limited resources. For this reason, New Entry has been at the forefront of training beginning producers – providing a combination of education, outreach, and experiential field experiences. New Entry is continually looking for the best way continue to provide high-quality programs and services, increase capacity to address regional food systems issues, and share our work with national and international audiences while we navigates our way through an ever evolving agricultural climate.
Project partners include federal and state government agencies, universities, local farmers, and multiple community-based organizations.
John Ogonowski Tribute
John Ogonowski was the pilot on American Airlines flight 11 to Los Angeles that crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. John is most remembered for his contributions to the farming community in Massachusetts, and particularly for his dedication to immigrant farmers from Cambodia whom he assisted as part of New Entry. John served as New Entry's first mentor farmer and dedicated acreage of his property to help Cambodians begin farming. He gave production advice, helped put up a shed and greenhouse, and often did not collect the rents. He is survived by his wife, Peggy, and their three daughters. Peggy and John's brother, Jim Ogonowski, are still actively involved in the project and assist to keep the farmers on their land to preserve John's memory.
