Farmers. Families. Restaurants. Grocery stores. We're all working to keep local agriculture in western Masachusetts strong.

CISA's Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown® public awareness and marketing campaign was launched in 1999 and has since become the country's longest running and most comprehensive ''buy local'' program for farm products. This year more than 202 farms, 46 restaurants, 31 grocery stores, eight landscape/garden centers, eight specialty producers, and 12 institutions have joined together to raise awareness and sales of locally grown farm products.

The Local Hero campaign uses a wide array of paid advertising (print, radio, web) and public relations (press releases, events and appearances) to engage the public and increase support for local farmers. And it works!

• Workshops and assistance
• Resources for farmers
• Events and education
• Infrastructure development
• Farm to school