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The Nov. 19 forum at Holy Cross Hogan Campus Center brings farmland, food access, climate resilience, youth education and food waste into a day of policy discussion ahead of the 2027–2028 legislative session.
All times are local to the venue · America/New York
Massachusetts has protected more than 75,000 acres through its Agricultural Preservation Restriction program, yet thousands of acres of farmland have also been lost over the same period. That tension—progress alongside unresolved needs—runs through the Massachusetts Food System Forum, where participants will examine five connected food-system priorities and consider what state policy and local work could do next.
The Massachusetts Food System Collaborative presents this annual forum as a working day for discussion and group strategizing, rather than a series of stand-alone talks. Its purpose is to take stock of ongoing work and challenges, then consider shared priorities as the state approaches the 2027–2028 legislative session.
The gathering is intended for people working across farming and fishing, food-system advocacy, conservation, public health and housing, as well as people with lived experience of food insecurity, legislators, legislative staff and state agency staff. That range matters to the forum’s policy focus: its topics connect food production and land use with access, public programs, education and waste.
Further reading: 2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗ · Events - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗
The Farmland Protection, Access, and Succession track sets a preservation achievement beside the continuing loss of agricultural land. The state has reached its 1,000th farm property protected through the Agricultural Preservation Restriction program, which accounts for more than 75,000 preserved acres. The Collaborative also notes that thousands of acres have been lost over the same period.
The program description credits work by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, land trusts, municipalities, landowners and funders, alongside farmland preserved through other conservation programs. The track asks participants to consider not only protection, but also access to farmland and succession—questions that shape who can keep land in agricultural use over time. Unlike the other four tracks, its description does not specify a morning review followed by an afternoon planning session.
Further reading: 2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗
The Local Food and Food Security track addresses hunger while looking at systems that can improve access to local food. Its morning discussion is set to review nutrition-assistance programs, urban agriculture and local production, food-security infrastructure, and the role of local food policy councils. The Collaborative says food insecurity has risen despite substantial investment over the past decade, with persistent barriers and federal cuts among the challenges. In the afternoon, the focus turns to possible ways stronger local food systems can help reduce hunger in Massachusetts.
The climate-resilience track similarly pairs a review of past work with questions about what support should come next. The morning discussion will look at how the food-system movement has advanced agricultural resilience, including disaster-relief programming, soil-health policy and organizing around bond funding. Floods, droughts and intensifying urban heat are part of the context, with effects that vary across the Commonwealth. The afternoon is intended to identify further areas where resilience efforts could be supported.
Further reading: 2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗
Food System Education and Youth Development focuses on unequal access to high-quality food-system education. Its morning discussion will highlight food-literacy and youth-development initiatives; the afternoon will consider expanding education, strengthening career pathways and supporting future food-system leaders. For attendees interested in how the state’s food system develops its next generation of workers and advocates, that makes education a central policy question rather than a separate school topic.
Food Waste Prevention and Reduction connects existing programs to a longer-term state goal: reducing food waste by 30% by 2030 and striving toward zero waste. Massachusetts has been implementing its organic waste ban for more than a decade, expanded food-rescue capacity and seen new prevention approaches, according to the Collaborative. The morning discussion will review the ban, food rescue, composting, and school and household waste reduction while identifying persistent gaps; the afternoon will focus on promising next steps.
Further reading: 2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗
Check-in, breakfast and networking are listed from 8:00 a.m., with the program beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Collaborative’s event page and calendar list a 4:00 p.m. end; NCAT’s listing gives 5:00 p.m. EST. Confirm the closing time with the organizer before making plans for the end of the day.
2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗ · Events - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗ · Massachusetts Food System Forum – NCAT ↗
The standard ticket includes a locally sourced breakfast and lunch. The Collaborative reports that tickets are sold out and directs interested attendees to a waitlist in case tickets become available.
Free registration is offered to farmers, fishers, people with lived experience of food insecurity, and others for whom the fee is a hardship and who otherwise could not attend. The free-registration page also directs applicants to the waitlist. Questions can be sent to [email protected].
2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗
The event listing names Holy Cross Hogan Campus Center, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College St, Worcester, MA 01610. It does not identify a specific entrance or give parking, transit or accessibility instructions. Use the map links to calculate directions from your starting point; contact the organizer if you need campus-arrival or access details before planning.
2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗ · Massachusetts Food System Forum – NCAT ↗
The Collaborative lists 4:00 p.m.; NCAT lists 5:00 p.m. EST. Check with the organizer before planning your departure.
2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗ · Events - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗ · Massachusetts Food System Forum – NCAT ↗
The Collaborative reports that standard tickets are sold out and directs interested people to a waitlist. Free-registration applicants are also directed to a waitlist.
2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗
Farmers, fishers, people with lived experience of food insecurity, and others facing financial hardship who otherwise could not attend may request free registration through the waitlist.
2026 MA Food System Forum - Massachusetts Food System Collaborative ↗
1 College St, Worcester, MA 01610
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.
Images from the linked sources. Each caption identifies the context of the image.
Event, planning and background information checked 2026-11-02 against the linked sources.