Northeast Harvest News

Essex Heritage and the Essex Agricultural Society received a $10,000 grant from The Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture for the purpose of further sustaining local agriculture and buy-local efforts through NortheastHarvest.com and e-newsletter. 

The Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, founded in 1791 as the nation was rebuilding its economy after the revolution, provides grants (and, on occasion, loans and investment funding) to enterprises that promote agriculture in Massachusetts. We are very grateful to the Trustees of the MSPA for supporting the locally-grown activities in Essex and Middlesex Counties.

About the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture

The Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture (MSPA), one of the earliest agricultural societies in the United States, was incorporated in 1792. Among the founding members were Samuel Adams (who hosted the first meeting), Charles Bulfinch, Timothy Pickering, Benjamin Lincoln, Christopher Gore, and Benjamin Guild. These were presently joined by the likes of John Adams (the MSPA president from 1805 to 1813), John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry, Artemas Ward, Josiah Quincy, and other national figures from Massachusetts. The Society's raison d'etre as stated in their petition for incorporation was to join the ranks of the agricultural societies in Britain and America "whose particular business is to make experiments themselves and invite others thereto on the subject of agriculture...[and] to give handsome premiums to the men of enterprise who have by their inquiries made useful discoveries and communicated them to the public." Although the methods have differed somewhat over the years, the Society has never strayed from this original intention of encouraging agricultural pursuits and experiments designed to advance agricultural technology and disseminate information.

After 1835, the Society directed more effort at introducing into America improved breeds of cattle, sheep, and horses. They also voted many scholarships and grants to the State Agricultural College (now the University of Massachusetts) and other educational institutions, funded research in animal diseases such as bovine tuberculosis, and supported the Cambridge Botanical Garden and the Arnold Arboretum among many such horticultural stations. At the same time, they continued to offer premiums for the finest examples of farm products and techniques, and became involved in the many county and local agricultural societies and fairs that formed in the nineteenth century, mainly through offering prizes and prize monies to them. In the middle of the Twentieth century the Society turned toward supporting basic scientific research. The trustees have looked with favor on small requests that are interesting, imaginative and even somewhat risky in their potential for results. In other words, "seed" money. Because such ideas require drive to bring them to fruition, requiring a matching grant will sometimes improve the chances of success, in addition to making it a larger overall grant. In addition, because of a long and close relationship with the University of Massachusetts, specific requirements were created for handling grants to that institution.

Throughout the 200 years of Society history one thread appears: its involvement with Organizations including the 4-H clubs to encourage Massachusetts youth to take an active interest in farming. Memorials, cash prizes and scholarships were dispensed to promote interest in the agricultural projects of the youth.
There is a very long list of scientific, technical and mechanical projects that have been supported in the last 70 years. Fighting pollution, milk research, eradicating poultry disease, wildlife research, forestry studies, integrated pest management, apple and cranberry management, livestock research, are but a few of the areas that the Society has supported with funding.

Since 1950 Massachusetts Agriculture has been threatened by the creation of huge western farms and international agriculture. With that has come the risk to the State of loosing open space to suburban growth. Since World War II over 2 million acres have gone out of production and with that has come a conspicuous movement to save the land. Members of the Society have helped lead the fight in the legislature to make that happen.

More recently, in addition to supporting Farm to School projects, publications guiding institutions for preparation of locally grown produce, mobile poultry processing, and providing aid to immigrant farmers who are helping to reassert local agriculture’s place in Massachusetts, the Society is recognizing the importance of the role of Horticulture in the fabric of Massachusetts agriculture. Working closely with the Agricultural Extension Service, the Society has been able to contribute to the study of flowers, fruits, vegetables, aquaculture, and livestock.

An important purpose – then and now

"Very great and important advantages may arise to the community from instituting a Society for the purpose of promoting agriculture" said the Charter of the Society in 1792 and that the "said Society is for the purpose of promoting useful improvements in Agriculture." These words still ring true.

As was said early in the history of the Society "the Trustees know the toil it takes to feed our population, and they offer support to any who will make the job easier."