Greenfield Community College has been awarded a Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) of $370,848 from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to support a $463,560 campus project that expands access to fresh, locally grown food. The award will help fund construction of a new greenhouse and connected workspace, including a produce washing station and cold storage, to increase production, processing and distribution of nutritious food through the GCC Corner Market Food Pantry and the GCC Dining Commons.

“With this investment, GCC will strengthen a campus food system that supports student success today and trains the region’s food and agriculture workforce for tomorrow,” said GCC President Michelle Schutt. “It’s a win for access, for learning and for our broader community.”

Led by the Farm and Food Systems program in close partnership with the GCC Food Pantry, the initiative is designed to increase local food access to GCC students and their families. The greenhouse will also serve as a teaching and community hub, offering workshops, student-led free farmers markets and collaborative programming with local farms and organizations.

“The greenhouse teaches students how to propagate seeds and cuttings, extend the growing season and move harvested produce quickly into cold storage so it reaches students at peak freshness,” said Anthony Reiber, senior special programs coordinator for natural resources.

Cynthia Rebelo, food security program coordinator, added, “Cold storage and a proper wash/pack space will let us accept and safely store more donations from local partners, reducing waste and getting more healthy food to students.”

Key features and outcomes include:

• Hands-on learning for academic courses, workforce training, and community workshops
• Season extension greenhouse with ADA-accessible design for teaching and community use
• Wash/pack station and cold storage to safely handle campus-grown and donated produce
• Integrated distribution to the GCC Food Pantry and Dining Commons (with menu highlights of campus-grown foods)

Partners & community connections: Permitting and contracting begin this fall, with equipment purchasing and construction through spring; greenhouse installation is targeted to be completed by early summer.

Project timeline: The project builds on collaborations with local farms, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and on-campus dining partner Genuine Foods, strengthening the regional food system while advancing student-led food security initiatives.