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Mayor Mitchell, city councilors send another Parallel Products opposition letter to state

Anastasia E. Lennon Standard-Times

NEW BEDFORD — Mayor Jon Mitchell, city councilors and state legislators on Friday sent another letter to the state environmental office expressing their opposition to the expansion of Parallel Products.

The company, which is located on Duchaine Boulevard in the far North End, currently processes glass, plastics and cans for recycling, but is seeking to expand its glass operations and add the processing of municipal solid waste and biosolids (also known as sewage sludge). 

The letter is addressed to Kathleen Theoharides, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA), which is currently reviewing the project's final environmental impact report for certification. 

In their letter, local officials wrote the final environmental impact report is "fatally flawed," and that the MEPA office should not certify it. They are asking the state to require Parallel Products to submit a supplemental report that addresses their many concerns. 

"In a community with significant environmental justice populations, it is a fundamental requirement of the Environmental Justice Policy that EEA take necessary steps to ensure these populations are protected," the letter states. "To achieve the  appropriate protections, this project must pause, the applicant must engage with the City, there must be increased dialogue with concerned residents, and additional protections must be incorporated to address community concerns."

In an interview with The Standard-Times, Mitchell said the 16-page letter spells out the many reasons why the project is not suitable for New Bedford, a city he says has dealt with its share of waste dumps in addition to two Superfund sites. 

"This is not the city where this type of activity should happen," he said. "What we're trying to make clear in that letter is it's very doubtful that [Parallel Products] would ever be able to satisfy that burden."

By burden, he means their request for Parallel Products to address and resolve the city's 35 concerns before the project can move forward. 

In February 2020, the MEPA office approved Parallel Product's draft environmental impact review. Theoharides previously said the company receiving a certificate for its draft report does not forecast the outcome of the rest of the permitting process.

If the state grants a certificate for the final report, which the city's counsel Mark Reich previously said would likely happen around April, then the project would be reviewed by the MEPA office for site suitability. 

If the office issues a site suitability report, which he said would likely happen around June, then the city's Board of Health would start its review and hold a public hearing involving all parties. 

The earliest the city's Board of Health would render a decision is September, Reich, of the firm KP Law, said. 

The mayor and city councilors previously sent a letter of opposition in 2019, when the city retained KP Law to fight the expansion. Community opposition has been consistent since then through protest, petition and objection at public meetings. 

"We appreciate the solidarity reflected in the letter sent to MEPA by our elected officials opposing this project and look forward to taking action with them to protect our city and the surrounding towns from the detrimental impacts this project would have on the environment, our homes, health, and quality of life," said Wendy Graca, president of South Coast Neighbors United, which has a committee for citizens against the Parallel Products project.

Theoharides did not immediately respond to a request for comment that was made through EEA press secretary, Craig Gilvarg. 

In addition to all 11 city councilors, state Reps. Antonio Cabral, Christopher Markey, William Straus, Paul Schmid III, Christopher Hendricks and state Sen. Mark Montigny signed the letter.

Free COVID testing extended in New Bedford through March

Source: The Standard Times

BOSTON — No-appointment, neighborhood-based testing for COVID-19 will remain in New Bedford neighborhoods through March despite previously announced Jan. 15 end date, according to a press release from Senator Mark Montigny's office.

Montigny, alongside state Representatives Antonio Cabral, Christopher Hendricks, Paul Schmid, and William Straus, were pleased to announce that the state’s Stop the Spread community testing program operated by Seven Hills Behavioral Health has been extended through March 2021, the release said.

The successful testing program has performed thousands of tests in city neighborhoods since its inception last summer. In December, the state’s COVID-19 Command Center informed the legislative delegation that the city’s only neighborhood-based testing sites would end on January 15, 2021.

In response, Montigny and his colleagues pressed Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders to immediately reconsider that decision, stating that a lapse in testing would have a “deleterious impact” on efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19, according to Montigny's release. Many city residents lacking access to transportation or a computer to book appointments would suddenly be left with no accessible testing options.

After receiving the delegation’s appeal, Sudders informed the legislators on Monday, Jan. 6 that the neighborhood-based testing program would be extended through March 31, 202, according to the release.

“Rapid, accessible testing is a critical tool to combat this deadly pandemic, and our residents can rest assured that they will continue to receive this vital service,” said Montigny. “The efforts by Seven Hills and their team have been tremendous and we cannot afford to lose them as hospital admissions remain at an all-time high. I want to thank my colleagues, Secretary Sudders, and the many community leaders who have advocated for this program.”

"Free, neighborhood-based, walk-in testing has been the backbone of our response to this public health crisis. It is the model that works best for our community and we can't thank the on-the-ground responders enough for their work to make testing available to everyone who needs it. I am pleased the Governor & the COVID Command Center responded to our concerns and have been willing to work with us on the issue of equitable access to COVID-19 testing,” said Representative Antonio F. D. Cabral

“Working together with my colleagues at the State House, we were able to persuade the state to continue to provide this essential service to our community. Without it, the stop the spread effort was flawed and would not meet its stated goal,” said Representative Chris Hendricks.

“The Seven Hills testing location is a vital resource for the New Bedford community and it is important that we maintain our current testing capacity during the winter months,” said Representative Paul Schmid. “My colleagues and I, as well as the Baker-Polito Administration and COVID-19 command center, will work to preserve equal access to treatment and the public’s health.”

As stated on the state website, Stop the Spread sites support the testing of asymptomatic individuals and are free for all Massachusetts residents.

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Getting their hands dirty: Program connects New Bedford students to local farms, provides 3 million meals per year

By Kerri Tallman, Standard Times

Posted Oct 26, 2020 at 5:11 AM

NEW BEDFORD -- The city is teaming up with local farmers to provide three million meals per year for students as a part of New Bedford’s Farm to School program.

Local legislators, farmers and educators gathered at Alfred J. Gomes Elementary on Wednesday to discuss the expansion of the program. Simca Horwitz is the co-director of the Massachusetts Farm to School program, a statewide organization that supports schools to increase local food sourcing. In junction with the Marion Institute, the program has helped connect classroom and community through the sourcing of local food. According to Horwitz, numerous schools in the New Bedford area have taken advantage of the program.

“Teaming up with Simca and the program has been a great start,” said Robert Shaheen, director of food service for NBPS.

Shaheen is hoping to improve school cafeterias in the next year through renovations and sourcing local produce. He said the district applied for and received three awards from the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program which gave $1.4 million to support the New Bedford High School cafeteria and kitchen renovations. This $3 million project will be complete by June 2021 and have the look and feel of a college cafeteria. The district also received $485,000 from a USDA Federal Grant to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to all 18 New Bedford Public Elementary Schools during the 2020-2021 school year. A new central kitchen culinary center is in the works, hoping to provide meals to all non-cooking school sites up to 5,000 meals per day by next fall.

“We hope students have better choices, more nutritious meals,” he said.

Over at the Marion Institute, Grow Education program manager Adam Davenport has been busy bringing the garden to Gomes Elementary. Twelve garden beds are ready to be planted by students from six elementary schools, including Alfred J. Gomes, Jacobs, Carlos Pacheco, Hayden Mcfadden, Ellen R. Hathaway and Rodman. They were built six years ago and were used to bring people together through agriculture in the first three to four years. He just harvested sunchokes, a species of sunflower that can be used as a root vegetable. Davenport plans for students to become involved in this community action and conversation by hosting a garlic planting workshop for third-graders next month.

“It’s an experiential opportunity for city students to come out, play and get their hands dirty,” he said. “It’s a way to connect classroom and community.”

Both Davenport and Food Corps service members Mikaela Thiboutot and Keri Cusson-DeFusco emphasized converting picky eaters into children who love to learn about the food they eat and grow. The service members act as a liaison face to face with students, connecting them to their food and introduce them to new food that they’ve grown themselves. Thiboutot said they’ve had parents contact them, amazed at how their child suddenly loved raw radishes and vegetables they’ve never tried before. Davenport said he is looking to rebuild the gardens to have 3-foot-tall beds, filled with compost and soil, made out of Trex decking to sustain longer periods of time before having to rebuild.

According to the USDA, one out of 10 U.S. households were food insecure prior to COVID-19. With the pandemic is a major factor, that statistic has increased by 50% to one in every five households.

“We need to address immediate food insecurity,” Horwitz said. “The pandemic has illuminated how vital these programs are. It really does take a village.”

Sourcing local foods not only benefits students’ health but also brings in diversity and new jobs. Davenport said the Grow Education program holds workshops with community partners to incorporate diverse culture into meals. Rep. Paul A. Schmid is thrilled at the idea of these local meals providing more jobs for the community.

“For me, it’s just a dream come true to see 3 million meals a year in its school system open to buying locally,” Schmid said. “That’s going to make a tremendous difference to local farmers and local food processors. It’s all about getting local healthy food into our schools and doing it in an economic development way.”

According to Schmid, who is also House co-chair of Massachusetts Food System Caucus, a local slaughterhouse in Westport is currently at capacity for jobs but plans to expand by 50% next year. He emphasized that these jobs pay well and cannot be outsourced to other countries such as Mexico or China.

As a farmer himself, he even got his hands dirty while dressed in his suit. “It’s just great to have your hands in the soil in New Bedford,” he said.

Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey can now officially call New Bedford home

By Linda Roy, Southcoast Today
Posted Jul 27, 2020 at 6:55 AM Updated Jul 27, 2020 at 8:58 AM

NEW BEDFORD -- Five years ago the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey was towed out of New Bedford Harbor and made her way to Boothbay Harbor Shipyard in Maine for $6 million worth of repairs.

Would New Bedford ever see the vessel again?

The answer is a resounding “aye-aye!”

A bill signed by Gov. Charlie Baker on July 8 designates New Bedford as the vessel’s home port in perpetuity and requires significant access for New Bedford schoolchildren at no cost.

“The New Bedford community has cared for and maintained the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey for decades,” said Sen. Mark C. Montigny in a written statement to the Standard-Times. “After many years and countless, dedicated volunteers, we are now poised to welcome her home. This vessel transported Cape Verdean immigrants to the United States, and the people of Cape Verde gifted this beautiful ship to the people of Massachusetts to reflect our strong bond. The Schooner is a tremendous source of pride for our local Cape Verdean community and they will now have a direct role in shaping her future in New Bedford, something that was sorely lacking in previous law. We look forward to working with the community and the many stakeholders involved to finally welcome her home.”

Montigny wrote sections in the bill requiring the Ernestina-Morrissey to be docked in New Bedford no less than 90 days per year. The bill also requires that Mass Maritime work with the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey (SEMA) advisory board, the city of New Bedford, the Cape Verdean Association in New Bedford, and other interested stakeholders to ensure the vessel is made available to local public schoolchildren and residents of the city of New Bedford at no cost during cultural events and educational programs and when the vessel is not actively deployed as a sail training ship.

“The signing of this Bill is another seminal moment in the story and miraculous survival of this remarkable vessel,” said SEMA President Julius Britto in a prepared statement. “We are grateful to Massachusetts’ Senators Mark C. Montigny, Michael Rodrigues, and former Senator Viriato de Macedo as well as Representatives Antonio F.D. Cabral, Paul A. Schmid, and David T. Viera, among others, for their sponsorship of this legislation.”

The late Sen. Thomas Lopes was very active telling Ernestina’s story and engaging supporters through Cape Verdean News, said Mary Ann McQuillan, SEMA secretary. Lopes visited Cape Verde with CVN cable to record the work on Ernestina as well as her departure, and he later produced the film “Mystery Lady” from his Cape Verdean footage.

“As the internet came into popular use, he shared his videos on his video channel,” McQuillian noted. “Tom was still documenting Ernestina at the 2010 Forum and in December 2011 video-recording the masts being removed and producing YouTube videos on his channel. He was a true advocate of Ernestina until his death in 2012.”The vessel has been at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard in Maine for the last five years undergoing extensive rebuilding. Staff photographer Peter Pereira visited the shipyard back then and gave readers a first-hand look at the work being done on the ship.Designated as Massachusetts’ official sailing vessel, the Ernestina-Morressey was built in 1894 and was the last sail ship to bring immigrants to the United States from the Cape Verde islands. She has sailed within 600 miles of the North Pole and is one of the six remaining Essex-built schooners.According to historical documentation, the ship was originally named the Effie M. Morrissey. Her first skipper, William Edward Morrissey, named the ship after his daughter, Effie Maude Morrissey. In the late 1940s, after the ship was sold, its new captain Henrique Mendes re-registered the schooner under the name Ernestina, after his daughter. In 1978, Cape Verde gifted the ship to the people of the United States. In 1982, the Republic of Cape Verde restored the ship and presented her to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In December 2014 she was officially renamed the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey.The original Ernestina banner was replicated donning the ship’s new name. The new banner was designed and donated by Brewer Banner Designs in New Bedford.A recent photo at the Tom Lopes sculpture at the intersection of County and Sixth streets with the new banner brought together SEMA members: Willi Bank, former captain of the Ernestina; Derek Stevens and family decendants of Capt. Henrique Mendes; SEMA president Julius Britto who was on the first commission in 1978 and worked with Tom Lopes preparing for the arrival from Cape Verde; and Fred Sterner, former Ernestina Mate and educator and former SEMA member.

“Ernestina-Morrissey returned to the state of her birthplace as the extraordinary gift from newly-independent Cabo Verde in 1982, in explicit acknowledgement of the centuries-old ties between the African country and the ‘people of the United States’. Her return crew, composed of a diverse crew, citizens of Cabo Verde and of the U.S., men and one woman, and led by Cabo Verde’s Captain Marcus Nascimento Lopes, demonstrated and honored the diversity of her history and future. Over the decades between her birth and repatriation, hundreds of people and organizations played significant roles in her history.

“Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey is alive today because Black People and White People listened to and learned about each other’s histories, hurts, and aspirations; challenged each other; acknowledged their similarities and differences; and collaborated with each other.”

Schmid and Rodrigues, SEMAP lobby for free coronavirus testing for farmers

By Jeffrey D Wagner Contributing Writer, South Coast Today

Posted Jun 3, 2020 at 1:16 PM Updated Jun 3, 2020 at 1:16 PM

WESTPORT — Interest in local produce has grown thanks to COVID-19, according to state Rep Paul Schmid and other local farmers. Schmid, state Sen. Michael Rodrigues, and the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership have lobbied for free COVID-testing for farmers. For the eastern section of Massachusetts, the testing is available at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro but right now is only available through Friday. SEMAP Executive Director Karen Schwalbe mentioned that she and others are looking to persuade the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to extend the free testing beyond this Friday, June 5. Schmid and Schwalbe stopped by Paradise Hill Farm in Westport — a SEMAP farm. They and Paradise Hill owners were talking about the popularity of farm stands and locally grown products, especially as people are trying to avoid gathering indoors at supermarkets.

“It is Important to treat our farmers as front line workers in this fight. As consumers look more and more to local produce, we want them to know it is safe. This priority testing has been available in western Massachusetts and is now offered here in the South Coast (at Gillette),” Schmid said.

Schwalbe added that this availability to farmers will give both consumers and farmers the needed “peace of mind.”

“We are real pleased. The timing is so right. Everyone is out on their fields, just about starting to harvest and there is a heightened interest in local food. We want folks to know that local food is safe. That is what this is all about,” Schmid said.

Schwalbe added that farmers are sometimes working in close quarters and can’t always practice social distancing with each other. This testing will give them some added security.“If there are any concerns, they can take care of it right away,” Schwalbe added. Both Schwalbe and Ted Robbins, owner of Paradise Hill mentioned that interest in farms is record-breaking, but restrictions are heightened.

Ted Robbins said he has no plans for the test just yet, because he has been socially isolated. He says he has had limited help at the farm, so staying local has been a priority. “It’s a tough thing. I get it,” Robbins said of the need for the free testing. “This is the first time we have sold out of herbs in 27 years,” Robbins said, commenting on the demand for locally grown produce. Robbins, who has been farming for 30 years, said that some locals were not even aware of Paradise Hill’s existence — a sign of the renewed interest in buying local.

“Business has been tremendous and a lot more people are coming here because of this,” Robbins said. His wife, Shirley Robbins, said that strict social distance guidelines are enforced for those who visit the green houses at Paradise Hill.

The testing site address is Gillette Stadium, 2 Patriots Place Gate P10, Foxboro, MA. Farmer or farm employees seeking to be tested can call 1-855-563-7510. The employees seeking to be tested would dial the call center at 1-855-563-7510.

“They will be booked an appointment date and time. They are required to be in a vehicle; they cannot walk onto the site. They will need some type of identification that at a minimum has their name on it,” according to SEMAP’s written release.

“They will be given information on how to access their results by registering online using the Quest App. If they by chance cannot access their results for some reason they can call 1-866-MYQuest.”

Farm operations who wish to have 10 or more people tested, should call SEMAP directly at info@semaponline.org

Fall River pays tribute to fallen veterans with Memorial Day Rolling Tribute

By Jo C. Goode
Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted May 25, 2020 at 5:21 PM Updated May 25, 2020 at 5:21 PM

FALL RIVER — The city showed that despite a COVID-19 pandemic it still will honor the nation’s fallen heroes with the unique Memorial Day Rolling Tribute Motorcade that thundered through Fall River neighborhoods on Monday.

It was quite different than the city’s traditional Memorial Day parade that would have normally started at Kennedy Park, traveling down South Main Street to Government Center, where a ceremony is normally held in the atrium. But because of restrictions due to the deadly virus, organizers had to be creative. And by all accounts, it succeeded in honoring military heroes.

Kicking off from the Industrial Park, Fall River police officers on motorcycles led dozens more motorcyclists, Gold Star families, chartered veterans’ association members, local and state elected officials and more members of the police and fire departments and non-military organizations on a tour of all parts of the city.

In the North End, folks sat in lawn chairs along the parade route waving flags, as did people sitting on their apartment stoops to honor members of the military who died in battle for their country.

“Some people had their thumbs up or saluting, and others had their hands over their hearts. It was a really great reaction,” said Bill Desmarais, senior vice commander of the War Veterans’ Council and one of the rolling parade organizers. “It was really more so of a tribute than I expected. I was really surprised. People were really respectful, and I think it built up the spirits for the people of Fall River.”

State Rep. Paul Schmid III, a military veteran, said after the rolling tribute that “there is really a lot to reflect on today.”

“I think this is going to be remembered for many, many years as something all of us in Fall River can really be proud of. I saw so many faces, from the triple-deckers to the homes, so happy that they got a chance to say thanks to those who gave.”

Mayor Paul Coogan, who helped lead the motorized procession, said “it was really positive for the city” and an opportunity for the residents to honor their veterans.

“Without them, we wouldn’t even be here. We needed all they did for this country to make it what it is today,” said Coogan. “This was a way to honor them the way we really should.”

The long motorcade was perhaps most spectacular as it wound its way down Water Street toward Battleship Cove, where families gathered and children and their parents waved as the parade drove by, dispersing at the Gates of the City.

This year, there were no ceremonies or speeches after the parade, but a pre-recorded program produced by FRGTV in honor of Memorial Day.

Robert Viner, commander of the War Veterans’ Council and this year’s parade marshal, said honoring the fallen soldiers for their wartime service and valor is “the least we can do for those who have sacrificed so much.”

“It’s an event to let the world know that Fall River will never forget. We will always remember,” said Viner.

Westport’s Meatworks slaughterhouse and store taking off during pandemic

By Jeffrey Wagner / Contributing Writer

Posted: May 8, 2020/ Herald News

WESTPORT —State Agricultural Commissioner John Lebeaux fondly recalls a fateful meeting in winter 2015 at a Raynham Honey Dew Donuts.

That meeting was the “genesis of a South Coast slaughterhouse” in Westport. It might have also been the first step in a potential fight against hunger — if the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on food industries, according to Lebeaux and other sources.

Lebeaux, who had just been named the state Department of Food & Agriculture commissioner in 2015, met with state Rep. Paul Schmid, as well as some South Coast meat farmers, only a short time after taking on the commissioner role.

Schmid and fellow farmers urged Lebeaux and the state to consider reopening a Westport slaughterhouse to assist local farmers. At that time, local farmers often traveled an hour or more to have their locally grown meat processed.

Schmid recalled when a slaughterhouse was open in Westport and longed for those days,

Fast forward five years later — Meatworks Inc. is doing better than expected, practicing social distancing and boasting a healthy workforce to boot.

Schmid credits the work of Lebeaux, state Sen. Michael Rodrigues and many stakeholders that led to the opening of the slaughterhouse in September 2018 and then the opening of the adjacent meat store a few months later that year. Now, pork, lamb and beef are processed locally from farms such as Triple S Farm, only a few miles away on Horseneck Road.

Schmid and Lebeaux were joined at that 2015 meeting by Andy Burnes, a Dartmouth farmer and president of the Livestock institute of Southern New England, the nonprofit cooperative of local farmers who organized to build the USDA-licensed slaughterhouse in the region.

“It has exceeded expectations,” Lebeaux said, calling it an example of how “targeted use of government money can bring about real economic change and food security to our residents.”

Schmid, of Westport, and Burnes have noted how well Meatworks’ plant and store have succeeded, especially lately. Schmid repeatedly used the phrase “flat-out” to describe the busy atmosphere there.

Burns recalled a Saturday in March when a line was forming outside the store before its opening.

He and Burnes also reported a healthy workforce that sends employees home at the first sign of a COVID-19 symptom. Social distancing is practiced and the two facilities are always busy.

“It looks as though that this investment by the state is very timely. It shows that in this crisis over industrial meat packing, it underlies the importance of a local food economy and the importance of building our food processing infrastructure in the state,” Schmid said.

Burnes noted that the major issues that the Livestock Institute and Meatworks face are the growing demand for meat.

After all, Meatworks is only one of three meat processing facilities of its kind in the state.

Meatworks would like to team up with local pantries, but its primary focus at the moment is keeping up with the demand and keeping employees healthy.

“Meat plants are closing all over the country because of the absurd way they are running,” Burnes said, noting how poor social distancing has led to some of these plant closings and some animals euthanized, wasting meat in the process.

“It is really a shame. We have been lucky but I would also say that we have been careful. In Westport — you can’t go into a facility without a mask on. Everyone in that plant is social distancing all the time.”

“It is really indicative of the problems with industrialized food systems and the issue of having local processing, which is something that the Livestock Institute, with Meatworks, have been saying all along.”

Burns is very grateful to the various stakeholders that support local agriculture.

“There has been a slow and steady growth of investment in local agriculture and it is only growing now. From my perspective, it is a wake up call to a lot of people,” Burnes also said.

Added Schmid, “It’s nice to know that the state has made investments that appear to be very wise.”

Polito, Keating, Kennedy tour field hospital at UMass Dartmouth

For the full article featured on SouthCoast Today, click here

“In addition to Polito, Keating and Kennedy, other elected officials in attendance for Tuesday’s tour included State Representatives Antonio Cabral, Christopher Hendricks, Christopher Markey and Paul Schmid and Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan.”

Rep. Schmid sat down (virtually) with Keith thibault, FRC Media, to discuss COVID-19 and the progress Massachusetts has made.

Westport Dairy farms hard hit by coronavirus crisis

By Jeffrey D. Wagner / Herald News

Posted Apr 16, 2020 at 2:57 PM

Updated Apr 16, 2020 at 5:15 PM

WESTPORT — There are fewer than a handful of dairy farmers in town and all have had it worse than any other farming market locally, according to Agricultural Commission Chairman Ray Raposa.

“It’s been tough, as if the business isn’t tough already,” multi-generation farmer Andrew Ferry said during an interview on Tuesday.

Ferry owns Pine Hill Dairy at 272 Pine Hill Road. His father, Michael Ferry, also does dairy work at his farm on Gifford Road. The Ferry family has farmed for generations.

The two say that the COVID-19 epidemic has been especially tough for business in an already difficult time for dairy farming.

Their businesses, as well as Shy Brothers Farm, are part of a Dairy Farms of American cooperative, which ships milk to be processed at a Garelick Farms plant in Franklin, Raposa said.

A worker at the plant tested positive for COVID-19 and that shut the plant down for more than a week, forcing some locally produced milk in Westport to be dumped at a waste processing site, said Ferry.

Andrew Ferry has a stand outside his Pine Hill Road operation, an “honor system” where travelers can stop and buy raw milk. But, all excess milk goes to the Garelick Farms plant.

Luckily, the plant is operating again, according to Andrew Ferry. Ferry and his dad, Michael, say that they are hoping to build their own processing plant later this spring on Michael Ferry’s Gifford Road property.

The duo have a bottling plant already, so a processing facility would allow the Ferrys to do everything on site, and make different products as well.

“It is the only hope that I have right now,” Andrew Ferry said.

Raposa says he believes every dairy farmer in town has reported some milk dumping during this time.

State Rep. Paul Schmid, also a farmer, noted local dairy farmers rely on three markets — schools, retail and export. Schmid said schools and export markets have taken a major financial hit during this pandemic.

Schmid said last year he and state Sen. Michael Rodrigues of Westport worked to create legislation that allows farmers to earn a tax credit whenever milk prices drop to a certain level. Schmid said that the tax credit is on its way.

Schmid and Rodrigues have also been working with a Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources commissioner toward securing federal funding. However, he does not see that funding becoming available to local farmers until June or July.

Katie Greene, a spokesperson for Westport Business to Business, said that her association was holding a Zoom meeting on Thursday morning with guest speakers discussing federal Small Business Administration loans, as well as the economic impact COVID-19 is having on local businesses.

Despite the promise of federal money and other prospects, longtime farmer Jay Tripp, of Tripp’s Dairy Farm on Old Pine Hill Road, was not optimistic.

“Milk prices are down. Beef prices are down. I haven’t heard of anyone getting government money. The SBA money is a little confusing; banks aren’t up to speed, especially since the application says farmers aren’t eligible. I haven’t heard anything from the Farm Service Agency,” Tripp said. “Otherwise, business as usual.”

Raposa and Ferry reported some silver linings. Raposa, who owns Hay Ray’s Farm & Feed on Main Road, said there has been a slight uptick in sales at his store. He says people at this time are opting to avoid box stores and are buying farm and feed products from his business.

Raposa said interest in raising chickens and becoming more self-sufficient is also on the rise.

Ferry said more people are buying milk from his stand, where they can also easily practice social distancing.

“It is pretty clean — customers come in, take their gallon, and put money in a box,” Ferry said. “During times like these, it is convenient for people.”

But, perhaps the biggest benefit during this pandemic — “it’s a contact-less system,” he said.

New Bedford legislative delegation seeking more COVID-19 testing for SouthCoast

By The Standard-Times

Posted Apr 16, 2020 at 3:10 PM

Updated Apr 16, 2020 at 3:10 PM

NEW BEDFORD — Members of the New Bedford legislative delegation are calling on the state to pursue additional drive-through testing sites for the coronavirus on SouthCoast.

In a letter to Marylou Sudders, Health and Human Services Secretary and COVID-19 Response Command Center lead, the delegation said based on information provided by the administration, only three of 91 testing sites are currently accessible to SouthCoast residents. They cited the need for more testing facilities in this region, particularly in the form of drive- through tests similar to the CVS site in Lowell, which was announced April 7, according to a news release from Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral’s office.

The delegation includes Cabral, Sen. Mark Montigny, and Reps. Paul Schmid of Westport, Christopher Markey of Dartmouth, William Straus of Mattapoisett and Chris Hendricks of New Bedford.

“As we all know, this public health crisis is not isolated to one particular region,” Cabral said in the release. “The COVID-19 pandemic requires all of us to think beyond our cities and towns’ borders. There needs to equitable access to testing and timely results, especially on the SouthCoast, to ultimately limit the spread of this novel coronavirus.”

“Equitable access to testing is absolutely critical for our region, which experiences high levels of underlying health risks relative to numerous other counties,” said Montigny, also in the release. “Perhaps even more troubling is our vulnerable senior population where there is still no robust plan in place to ensure proactive testing in nursing homes, assisted living, and other residential facilities. This must be addressed immediately.”

In the letter, the legislative delegation also requested that the Response Command Center provide region-specific data related to testing and to be briefed if there are any immediate plans to work with CVS and other providers to establish new testing sites on SouthCoast.

“Readily available testing is the cornerstone to the reopening of our businesses and our communities,” said Schmid, in the release. “It will allow health care professionals to isolate active cases and reassure residents.”

“Robust, regular testing is the first step we need to move beyond this crisis in a meaningful way. It is imperative we make testing free and accessible to all of the communities of the SouthCoast,” Rep. Hendricks said.