Improving Access to Local Food in North Central Massachusetts

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, Growing Places, an imaginative nonprofit based in Leominster, Massachusetts, is leading a new effort in our region to improve access to local fruits and vegetables. They have established a local food processing center that takes raw produce, items like old butternut squash, potatoes, apples, carrots, and cauliflower, and peels, chops, and packages it into an easy-to-consume form.

When I visited, we peeled and cubed local squash for schools and hospitals that could be roasted or easily turned into soup. This processing center helps farmers more easily take the nutritious food that they grow to market. It helps institutions purchase more local food because they often don't have the equipment or resources to prepare the raw produce onsite. It improves access to local produce for families at school, work, and home through their produce delivery program.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the incredible Ayn Yeagle and the entire Growing Places team for their work to improve our local food system, make us all healthier, and end hunger now.

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