Massachusetts Department Of Agricultural Resources

Massachusetts Department Of Agricultural Resources, a state government entity within The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, receives federal grant funding as a prime recipient for plant pest and disease surveillance, pesticide enforcement and regulation, specialty crop marketing, and food system infrastructure development. MDAR operates exclusively as a grant recipient; the source records no federal contracts or sub-award activity.

MDAR's federal grant portfolio centers on three capability domains. Plant pest surveillance and early detection—funded primarily by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) cooperative agreements—accounts for the largest grant concentration. MDAR conducts statewide monitoring and survey activities targeting invasive species including spotted lanternfly, Asian longhorned beetle, box tree moth, and Phytophthora ramorum across nursery stock, orchards, forests, and natural areas. Representative awards include a cooperative agreement for nursery and orchard pest survey work (May 1, 2024, ultimate completion April 30, 2025), a state survey coordinator position managing pest surveillance and response infrastructure (May 1, 2023 through April 30, 2024), and spotted lanternfly mitigation targeting high-risk Massachusetts areas with rapid response and regulatory compliance tracking (May 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023). A secondary surveillance stream covers animal disease traceability and animal health national surveillance under APHIS cooperative agreements (April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2025). MDAR also conducts honeybee pest and disease sampling as part of the National Honeybee Survey (May 1, 2024 through November 30, 2024).

Pesticide regulatory enforcement and compliance constitute the second major capability stream, funded by EPA Region 1 under CFDA 66.700 (Consolidated Pesticide Enforcement Cooperative Agreements). These awards support pesticide applicator training and certification, compliance monitoring, field inspections, enforcement actions, worker protection for farmworkers and handlers, water quality protection, endangered species habitat protection, and public outreach and education. MDAR received a $2.23 million project grant (October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025) and a $2.28 million formula grant (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) for pesticide program continuation. A glyphosate drinking-water monitoring study (October 1, 2021 through December 31, 2025) complements the state's pesticide product registration review process.

Specialty crop competitiveness and food system resilience represent the third stream, funded by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Block grants support marketing and promotion of Massachusetts specialty crops (cranberries, herbs and spices, fruits, vegetables, apples, tree fruits) and research and development assistance to producers. MDAR received a $441,530 specialty crop block grant (September 30, 2025 through September 29, 2028) and administers six sub-awarded projects for education, outreach, and marketing. Local food purchase assistance and Massachusetts Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure programs (January 15, 2025 and May 25, 2023, respectively) fund direct purchase of local unprocessed or minimally processed foods from historically underserved farmers and small businesses, with distribution to underserved communities. A separate cooperative agreement (June 1, 2022 through May 31, 2025) supported purchase and distribution of locally grown food from socially disadvantaged farmers and producers, targeting 100 farmers and producers and reaching approximately 100,000 individuals.

Customer concentration sits predominantly with USDA. APHIS accounts for 99 awards; AMS for 44 awards. EPA (combined Region 1 and national office) accounts for 20 awards. The top five customer categories represent 95% of recent awards. FNS carries 11 awards. The remaining customer agencies (HHS, NRCS, NOAA, DOI, USDA Forest Service) collectively hold low single-digit shares.

Award activity was roughly flat across 2022 through 2025 (ranging from 9 to 12 awards annually), with only one award dated 2026. Four awards reach completion within the next twenty-four months, representing modest recompete exposure. MDAR does not engage sub-recipients on federal grants; all source awards carry "no subawards" language or explicit N/A subrecipient statements. MDAR's role is consistently that of direct recipient of federal grant funding for state regulatory and agricultural development functions, not as a contracting conduit or intermediary for private-sector partners.