A look at our community, impact and initiatives in 2021
The NOFA/Mass Staff at our annual staff retreat, this time at Greenhill Park in Worcester, MA, October 2021
Director’s Note
2021 started off on a high note for NOFA/Mass, with the Healthy Soils Bill marking a long-awaited policy victory; a stronger than expected Winter Conference; and a banner year for the Bulk Order, all within the first 30 days. Our dedicated staff took this momentum and ran with it, carrying our success throughout the year. When some outstanding staff members resigned, we braced ourselves for hard times. As it turned out, our new team was a perfect fit, and the whole staff is working collaboratively together, expanding our impact and pushing our boundaries for new growth.
Internal accomplishments: Improving our organizational wellbeing, we created a comprehensive Personnel Handbook, drafted a 5-year Strategic Plan, and initiated a process for accepting stock donations. We also embraced our racial equity work, dismantling racism through time, money, energy, honest conversation, and action.
External accomplishments: New programming in 2021 included launching a state-wide Pollinator Network; building partnerships through our Western Mass Regenerative Food System initiative; expanding our Soil Technical Assistance Services; and offering programming in Spanish for the first time.
Over the coming year, we look forward to building on our new soil tech offerings, expanding our food access work across the state, continuing to nourish our internal growth, weaving racial equity into our work organization-wide, and acting on our goal of growing a healthier Massachusetts.
Jocelyn Langer, NOFA/Mass Executive Director
Program Successes
Serving farmers, growers, land stewards, food system activists and their supporters
Our Community
Equity
Increased BIPOC representation to 30% of staff, board, and conference presenters
Implemented a sliding scale for our membership and conference registration, and offered $6,776 in scholarships
Staff participated in a 21-day Racial Equity Challenge and 15 weeks of training and conversations on Dismantling Racism
Audience
988 active members
(including 168 first time members in 2021)
45% Gardeners
25% Farmers
12% Consumers
10% Homesteaders
6% Food Activists
3% Landscapers
Reach
15,800 social media followers
180,229 website views
13,718 email subscribers
(78% increase in 2021)
7,214 podcast episode downloads
4,063 YouTube subscribers
Financials
Community Testimonials
“As an educator, community activist and matriarch educating and nurturing children in a pandemic world, I felt like I learned and made meaningful connections each day. Most importantly, this knowledge is all about building our resilience and sustainability as we build and transform how this all works.”
-2021 NOFA/Mass Conference Attendee
“I am inspired by the diverse group of young farmers and farm advocates that I meet at NOFA events.”
-2021 NOFA/Mass Member
“The most valuable lessons are from local farmers, to hear directly from them and to be able to ask questions is extremely helpful.”
-2021 NOFA/Mass Educational Event Attendee
“I am inspired by the caliber of the new generation of farmers. There was so much awareness expressed about the different movements emerging that it seems possible to create the connections to dismantle capitalism, establish regenerative practices on an institutional scale, and bring humans into harmony with nature.”
-2021 NOFA/Mass Conference Presenter
