Blog Post

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), in collaboration with the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), recently launched the MassGrown Exchange, a new online platform that facilitates business-to-business connections within the local food system. This platform is a tool for businesses looking to sell, donate, or purchase Massachusetts crops, seafood, products and services:

  • Buyers (including supermarkets, institutions, schools, food banks, restaurants, and retail outlets) looking for local food products.
  • Farmers, fishers, and value-added producers with wholesale products to sell to restaurants, grocery stores, and other outlets.
  • Farmers, fishers, and specialty food producers searching for equipment or services, such as storage, distribution.
  • Service and equipment providers working with businesses in the food system. (This may include composting businesses selling finished compost to growers).

Key features of the platform include:

  • Simple registration process: Buyers and suppliers are only required to register when adding a listing. Registration is not required to browse listings.
  • Business can act as buyer and supplier: a business can act as a buyer and a supplier, depending on whether they are looking for, or looking to provide a product or service.
  • User notifications: This feature eliminates the need for businesses to re-visit the site to check for new listings. If a business creates a listing or alert, the system automatically notifies a business when the product/service becomes available.
  • Automatic listing expiration: Listings expire after an end date specified by the user. A notification is sent with the option to remove or extend the listing.

RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts encourages all food businesses and service providers to check out the MassGrown Exchange webpage, which includes a short video tutorial. For more information or questions, contact Richard.LeBlanc@mass.gov, or Mary.Jordan@mass.gov.

If your food business is looking for additional ways to reduce waste, donate surplus food, or divert food scraps for composting, contact the RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts hotline at 888-254-5525 or info@recyclingworksma.com for free assistance!