AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – President Joe Biden used Massachusetts as a backdrop to encourage climate change legislation, now Congressman McGovern says part of the freshly passed Inflation Reduction Act could help farmers combat climate change.
“Climate change affects everyone but we are the forefront of it and it really hits us hard when we have dry years like this or ridiculously wet years like last years,” Kerry Taylor, one of the co-managers of Brookfield Farm in Amherst.
She has been watching the Inflation Reduction Act move through Congress, now she’s curious what this could mean for her small farm. “I would love to electrify my vehicles,” she said.
Brookfield Farm was one of several stops for Congressman Jim McGovern’s 12th annual farm tour. McGovern said the $20 billion in funding could potentially help Taylor.
“We’ve heard over and over and over again, climate change, climate change, climate change,” McGovern told 22News. “Our federal government and the world has to start getting serious about dealing with climate change and combatting this climate crisis because if not we’re going to continue to see these kind of crazy weather patterns.”
Republican opponents say the act is “big government overreach” and criticize an $80 billion investment that will go towards hiring new IRS employees.
McGovern is expected to visit 13 farms on Tuesday and Wednesday. It began in Greenfield at 8:30 a.m. at “Just Roots”, followed by stops in Montague, Amherst, Hadley, Florence and Northampton.
Tuesday, August 16th
- Just Roots on 34 Glenbrook Drive in Greenfield
- Red Fire Farm on 184 Meadow Road in Montague
- Brookfield Farm on 24 Hulst Road in Amherst
- Barstow Farm on 172 Hockanum Road in Hadley
- Next Barn Over Farm on 10 Cemetery Rd in Hadley
- Grow Food Northampton in 140 Meadow Street in Florence
- Pie in the Sky Berry Farm on 139 Fair Street Ext in Northampton
Wednesday, August 17th
- Old Friends Farm on 593 South Pleasant Street in Amherst
- Seeds of Solidarity on 165 Chestnut Hill Road in Orange
- Free Living Farm on 87 Maple Lane in Petersham
- Carter & Stevens Farm on 500 West Street in Barre
- Clover Hill Farm on 1096 Barre Road in Gilbertville
- Jordan Dairy Farm on 51 Muschopauge Road in Rutland