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WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
Food help is on the way
By Anne Marie Tobin
PEABODY — Two Peabodybased
businesses have received
state grants they hope will help
them stave off hunger in the community
and also give Peabody’s
seniors more access to healthy, locally-grown
produce.
Citizens Inn ($475,587) and
Chris’ Farm Stand ($1,158) were
among 47 organizations receiving
a total of $5,895,554 in awards
under the fourth round of the
state’s $36 million Food Security
Infrastructure Grant Program, an
initiative created following recommendations
from the Governor’s
COVID-19 Command Center’s
Food Security Task Force.
Chris’ Farm Stand, which
has an open-air market on Lake
Street in West Peabody and a
139- acre farm in Bradford, will
use its grant to purchase software
and equipment needed to process
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program) payments.
“We’ve had the system in place in
Bradford and have been fighting
for two years to get it in Peabody,”
said Marlene Stasinos, who owns
the business with her husband,
Chris.
“I’m so excited about that as
there are a lot of seniors living in
Peabody who now will have access
to fresh, healthy locally-grown
produce.”
Chris’ Farm Stands offer a
wide variety of fruits, vegetables,
honey, hay, eggs, and meat. Open
daily from May to November, the
farm grows natural products using
sustainable agricultural practices
at Silsby’s Farm, a 200-year-old,
fourth-generation working farm in
Bradford.
The farm sells its own naturally-raised,
farm-fresh turkeys and
offers educational programs and
farm tours to educate children and
their families on the importance
of growing food using sustainable
agriculture practices. Chris’ is also
a CSA (Community Supported
Agriculture) farm, which offers
its members an array of seasonally-fresh
produce and food products
throughout the growing season.
Stasinos said CSA memberships
skyrocketed after the onset of the
pandemic.
“COVID basically meant we
couldn’t have any of the normal
things we usually do, like hay rides,
but business was actually good because
people didn’t want to go to
grocery schools,” Stasinos said.
“So we were busy and we also tripled
the number of CSA members
from last year. I think a part of it
was people felt safer and a lot of
them were blown away at the food
we grow in our fields. It opened a
lot of people’s eyes knowing where
they could get fresh and healthy
produce and not have to go into a
store.”
Over the first three rounds of the
Food Security Program, which was
announced in May, 2020, the state
awarded more than $11.7 million
to close to 100 organizations in its
effort to address urgent food insecurity
for residents throughout the
Commonwealth as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic and also ensure
that individuals and families
have access to healthy, locally-produced
food.
The program also addresses
critical gaps within Massachusetts’
local food system and helps local
farmers, fishermen, food banks,
and distribution networks continue
their essential work producing a
steady supply of healthy, nutritious
food to communities and underserved
neighborhoods.
“As part of our response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, we continue
to build on our efforts to secure a
resilient, diverse local food supply
chain so Massachusetts residents
maintain access to fresh, healthy
food,” said Gov. Charlie Baker.
“With this fourth round of grants,
we will have awarded a total of
$17.7 million, making critical
investments in our local food infrastructure
and ensuring a secure
supply of food as residents across
the Commonwealth adjust to the
impacts of this unprecedented
public health challenge.”
Citizens Inn, which offers a
food pantry and a community
meals program, received one of
the largest awards. It plans to use
the grant to renovate its facility to
increase storage capacity for food
received from the Greater Boston
Food Bank as well as local farms
and partners.
This will include both dry and
refrigerated food products which
are essential, to meet the increased
demand it is seeing due to COVID.
“We are very excited about this as it
will allow us to double our storage
of proteins and grains with a new
freezer and walk in coolers,” said
Executive Director Corey Jackson.
“We will also be able to add a
heated canopy we can use in the
winter for additional pickup. The
need to help people has never been
greater as there are so many more
people who need food,” adding
that registrations have increased
370 percent since the start of the
pandemic in March.
INDEX
Obituaries........................................................................................ 7
Police Log....................................................................................... 4
Sports..........................................................................................8-9
PHOTO | OLIVIA FALCIGNO
From left, Peabody resident Brian DellaCrose and his daughter, Avery, 2, browse through the
newly-opened homemade gelato bar at Mills58.
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the PACC board of directors; a
Kappy’s Fine Wine and Spirits gift
basket, compliments of Kappy’s;
a bottle of wine with a $100
Kappy’s gift card, donated by the
PACC board of directors; a John
Hardy sterling silver cuff bracelet,
donated by Long’s Jewelers; a
luxurious spa day, donated by
CC Salon; an imported olive oil
gift basket, donated by Patrida
Imports; a date night basket, donated
by the Amico family; an In
the Game gift card; a gift bag including
a four pack of Jonah craft
beer, branded face mask and beer
bones dog treats donated by Essex
County Brewing Company, and
a gift bag for Breaking Grounds,
Shine Jewelry and Parcels
Boutique, donated by Northeast
Arc. Event sponsors included
Great Gatsby sponsor Community
Credit Union; Speakeasy sponsors
Citizens Inn, Salem Five and North
Shore Bank; Bee’s Knees sponsors
Land Computer.com, MRG
Construction Management, Inc.
and ServePro; Flapper sponsors
Elite Pest Solutions, Inc., Keller
Williams Realty, Peabody Wealth
Advisors, Bishop Fenwick High
School, Essex County Brewing
Company and the YMCA of
Metro North; Rumrunners sponsors
Atlantic Ambulance Services,
Evans Flowers, Reade Law Firm,
PC and Rousselot.