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The goal of the IMMAG project is to advance refugees in Western Massachusetts into income-earning, commercial-scale agriculture and to improve their food security. Currently we have four refugee families seriously involved in the project and plan to add another four families for our 2009 initiative. Our goal is to closely support and monitor the refugee farmers for at least 2 years before they move into independent operations. The funding need is for production supplies, marketing expenses and efforts, packaging and distribution in addition to staffing. Objectives and outcomes include: - Provide community gardening opportunities for training and nutrition purposes
- Develop an employment/mentoring program
- Provide nutrition education
- Skills development (gardening and marketing)
- Access to farmer’s markets and supermarkets to sell products
- Transfer to independent commercial farming
- Increase availability of culturally appropriate foods
- Community building
- Increase financial stability of participants
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Now that our graduates are ready to farm on a larger scale, we are looking for a large parcel of land between 2-8 acres. This can be a very fruitful partnership between a farmer and our refugees. |
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Every Thursday, 2-6 PM, in Westfield downtown there will be a Farmer's Market. Our IMMAG stand is projected to be there during the summer. Come for fresh and natural produce! |
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