PHILLIPSTON – U.S. Rep. James McGovern visited Red Apple Farm on Thursday as part of his 16th annual district-wide farm tour, which brought him to 10 farms across central and western Massachusetts.
The Aug. 26 and 27 tour was intended to give McGovern an opportunity to hear about challenges facing local farmers and highlight agricultural products grown and produced in Massachusetts’ 2nd Congressional District.
At Red Apple Farm, co-owner Al Rose, who operates the farm with his wife, Nancy, led the group through the property, including a stop in the farm’s hard cider production area.
“Diversification has been our key for managing everything we do, and value-added products has been very key to what we do, and you can’t get more value-added than hard cider,” Al Rose said.
He said the farm received a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant, which helped it expand and invest in its hard cider operation. Staff also discussed the cider-making process and explained that the farm’s flavored ciders are made with real fruit.
The tour continued through the farm’s sunflower fields, which Al Rose said were introduced after the farm dealt with waterlogged fields that caused problems for other crops. The farm now has three sunflower fields, which he said are a big part of the summer business model.
The group also visited the orchard, where attendees were invited to pick peaches. Al Rose discussed Red Apple Farm’s role as a University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension Mentor Farm and said the farm typically has six to eight research projects underway at a time.
He also highlighted the farm’s renewable energy efforts, including solar panels, a wind turbine and a geothermal/solar-thermal system.
After touring Red Apple Farm, McGovern discussed some of the challenges farmers had raised with him during the two-day tour.
“What I’m hearing is that farmers are constantly having to reinvent themselves because of all the different economic realities that they have to deal with,” McGovern said.
Some farmers have raised concerns about tariffs. McGovern pointed to one farmer who produces maple syrup and needs equipment from Canada to process it, and that the tariff adds another $25,000 to the price, which the farmer could not afford. McGovern also cited the costs of fertilizer, gas and energy, along with operating tractors and trucks used to deliver food.
“Everything is more expensive,” McGovern said. “They’re worried about whether they can make a living, and they’re worried about whether people can afford what they produce.”
McGovern said addressing those challenges would require a global economic policy that does not punish the American people or small and mid-sized farms, as well as a farm bill that takes into account the needs of New England agriculture.
“Our farms are not big corporate farms,” McGovern said. “They’re small and medium-sized farms, and they need support.”
McGovern said agriculture is an essential part of the local economy, with more than 2,000 farms in his district alone. He said supporting local agriculture also ties into his work on nutrition and food security and his goal of maintaining a strong local food system.
“I want people to have access not only to food, but to good food, nutritious food,” McGovern said.
McGovern praised Red Apple Farm for its involvement in the community.
“What I love about these people here is that they also give back to the community,” McGovern said. “They help people who are struggling, and they really care about the people here. When I come here, it’s always inspirational.”