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Agriculture

  • Natick's StrattComm recognized by SBA

    Sam Bonacci April 28, 2016

    StrattComm has been named Massachusetts' Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

    Sam Bonacci April 28, 2016
  • Students feeding Mass. agriculture industry

    State House News Service April 6, 2016

    Educating agriculture students forms a pillar of support for the farming industry in Massachusetts.

    State House News Service April 6, 2016
  • Senator: Legal marijuana would create challenges

    State House News Service January 19, 2016

    Highly potent edible forms of marijuana make up nearly half the legalized market in Colorado and have had dangerous consequences for adults and children, according to a Massachusetts senator who returned last week from a research trip.

    State House News Service January 19, 2016
  • North County chamber to finance small biz growth

    January 18, 2016

    Roy Nascimento took over as leader of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce one year ago, succeeding David L. McKeehan, the North Central chamber's only chief executive since its founding 32 years ago.

    January 18, 2016
  • Worcester State adds freight farm, fresh produce

    Sam Bonacci November 19, 2015

    Worcester State University will be the first higher education campus in New England to make use of a freight farm with a 40-foot shipping container set to yield an acre's worth of fresh produce for the campus' dining hall.

    Sam Bonacci November 19, 2015
  • Local produce hitting Big Y shelves this fall

    October 15, 2015

    Springfield-based Big Y Foods says this is its biggest year yet for featuring locally grown fruits and vegetables in its markets.

    October 15, 2015
  • Push to label genetically modified foods gains momentum

    State House News Service September 23, 2015

    Now supported by more than three-quarters of state lawmakers, legislation that would require all genetically engineered food to be labeled won praise from proponents Tuesday as a consumer protection that would help people make informed choices about

    State House News Service September 23, 2015
  • Local farmers take over 350-acre site

    Sam Bonacci August 26, 2015

    Two young farmers in Berlin have purchased a farm in Holden where they plan to raise a variety of livestock.

    Sam Bonacci August 26, 2015
  • Farmers: Animal welfare ballot bid would boost food prices

    Colin A. Young State House News Service August 20, 2015

    A ballot initiative seeking to eliminate the "extreme confinement" and "lifelong immobilization" of farm animals is unnecessary and would lead to a sharp rise in food prices for Massachusetts residents, the head of a state farmers association said.

    Colin A. Young State House News Service August 20, 2015
  • Worcester 1st in U.S. in community farmers markets

    Sam Bonacci July 29, 2015

    Worcester has been ranked number one in the nation for bringing nutritious food to the local community through farmer's markets, according to a recent study.

    Sam Bonacci July 29, 2015
  • D.C. dithering on depreciation forces capital spending delays

    Livia Gershon Special To The Worcester Business Journal March 16, 2015

    Earlier this year, the U.S. House passed a plan to make the $500,000 cap on Section 179 capital investment depreciation permanent. But President Obama called for more clarity on how the tax break will be funded without adding to the federal deficit

    Livia Gershon Special To The Worcester Business Journal March 16, 2015
  • Worcester chamber and REC partner for food hub study

    Sam Bonacci February 10, 2015

    The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Regional Environmental Council to study the feasibility of creating a food hub in Worcester.

    Sam Bonacci February 10, 2015
  • 'Locally grown' food holds potential for a greater bounty

    Janet Pierce Special To The Worcester Business Journal February 2, 2015

    The potential impact of “locally grown” food and farm products on the Central Massachusetts economy is incredibly promising.

    Janet Pierce Special To The Worcester Business Journal February 2, 2015
  • Two local groups to benefit from ‘buy local’ funding

    October 29, 2014

    Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday announced $300,000 in funding for seven “buy local” groups, including two in Central Massachusetts, in an effort to boost Bay State agriculture.

    October 29, 2014
  • Worcester sees economic and health benefits in urban farming

    Sam Bonacci October 27, 2014

    Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty wants to capitalize on urban farming by opening the city to commercial farming that he says will expand the economy while enhancing the quality of food available to all residents.

    Sam Bonacci October 27, 2014
  • SBA disaster loans available following extreme May weather

    Emily Micucci October 8, 2014

    The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Wednesday announced that disaster loans are available to small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and nonprofit organizations impacted by extreme temperature fluctuations, frost and hail between May

    Emily Micucci October 8, 2014

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Today's Poll

Should Massachusetts significantly reduce the environmental review time for new housing projects?
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Poll Description

In an effort to increase the pace of new housing development in Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey has proposed streamlining the environmental review process for certain new housing projects, with the goal of reducing the time spent on the process from about one year to 30 days. Environmental reviews are a hallmark of community planning, to ensure new development doesn't negatively impact surrounding properties or natural resources, even though the process does add significant time and often cost to projects. Healey's proposal comes after Massachusetts fell behind the national average in new housing production, despite adding 90,000 new units since she became governor in 2023.

New England already averages the longest timeline in the nation to build a single-family home once the developer has been giving the authorization to move forward with construction, according to U.S. Census statistics compiled by the National Association of Home Builders. In 2023, single-family homes in New England averaged 13.9 months from permit to completion. The South Atlantic states have the lowest average of 8.9 months while the region that includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana is the second quickest at 9.4 months. The second-longest average after New England is the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania region, which takes 13.2 months.