Gould Farm Awarded Food Security Infrastructure Grant

Flipping the cheese: one of the many steps involved in making Agnes cheese at Gould Farm.

This fall, we’re thrilled to share that our farm team has been awarded a Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) — a publicly funded investment of $108,765 that will allow us to renovate and modernize our creamery.

This project, with a total cost of $135,957, will help us create a safer, more functional, and more accessible environment for both guests and staff — and bring more of Gould Farm’s fresh, local food to our broader community.

More accessible and functional creamery

Farm Team Manager Matthew McMahon shared that one of the most exciting parts of this renovation is the opportunity to redesign the creamery for accessibility and engagement.

“We’re trying to make sure the layout of the room is functional so that everyone can have clear workstations,” Matthew explained. “This will let us better scaffold how guests participate in the program — with workstations we’ve never had before.”

A new dedicated wash space, separate from production areas, will make daily operations safer and more efficient — a small but meaningful change that supports both quality and care in our creamery work.

Expanding what we can create and share

Gould Farm has long produced delicious cheese and milk, but limited space has constrained how fully we could transform our milk into a wider variety of value-added products. With new equipment and improved work areas, the team will be able to expand production with greater ease — including plans to reintroduce yogurt and a new fresh cheese.

Gould Farm staff member and cheesemaker, Michael Monteiro, pouring salt into the brine for making Agnes cheese.

The new setup will also help the farm team adapt to the natural rhythms of dairy production.

“Milk production varies through the year — more in the summer, less in the winter — and this renovation will help us be more responsive to the cows,” said Matthew. “When there’s more milk, we can make more.”

And what if the Farm produces more than our community can enjoy? Gould Farm already partners with a local food pantry and hopes to expand that collaboration by donating surplus yogurt or other products to help address food insecurity in our area.

“We might make 15 gallons of yogurt per batch, but our 90-person community only consumes about eight gallons a week,” Matthew noted. “We’d love to see that extra yogurt go to our neighbors.”

Reducing waste 

Another exciting element of the renovation is the potential addition of a bottle washer and glass milk bottles — the foundation of a returnable bottle program for milk sold at Roadside Store & Café.

A display of goods currently for sale at Roadside Store and Cafe, including Gould Farm milk and cheese.

This initiative could keep roughly 100 plastic containers each week out of the recycling center, replacing them with reusable glass bottles. Customers would pay a small deposit the first time they purchase milk and simply exchange their empty bottle for a new one on future visits.

A statewide effort to strengthen local food systems

The Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program was established by the Commonwealth to ensure that more Massachusetts residents have access to healthy, locally produced food, while helping farmers and food producers build a more resilient, connected food system.

As 22 News reporter John Budenas shared in his October 17, 2025, article, the Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded more than $4 million this year to farms, food producers, and nonprofit organizations across Western Massachusetts — including Gould Farm. Funding like this doesn’t come around often and is welcome support that Gould Farm searched many years for.

Governor Maura Healey celebrated the program’s impact, saying, “Massachusetts is stepping up to make sure our communities have affordable, healthy food while also supporting our farmers and local businesses.”

We’re deeply grateful to be part of this effort — one that not only strengthens our infrastructure, but also helps us live out our mission: building community through meaningful work while sustaining both body, mind, and spirit.

Next steps

Plans are already drawn up, and we’re hopeful to complete the renovation by June 2026. Once finished, this renovated space will allow Gould Farm to increase production, reduce waste, engage guests in new ways, and share even more of what’s grown and crafted here with our wider community.

“We’re pretty dialed in on the cheesemaking process,” Matthew reflected. “This grant gives us the space and tools to take the next step — to create more, share more, and connect more deeply with the people around us.”

A 3-D rendering of the renovation plans, which includes the addition of an enclosed entry room and reconfigured workspaces.

We’re honored to be part of the growing movement to strengthen local food systems here in Massachusetts. Thank you to MDAR, the FSIG program, and all those who support the work of local farms and organizations like ours.

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References

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program (Mass.gov)

Budenas, John. “Healey-Driscoll Administration awards over $4M to strengthen food security in western Massachusetts.” WWLP 22 News, October 17, 2025.