Finding common ground on farm and food programming
At the FCCDC, we usually use this space to showcase our clients, but this month, we are shining the light on the Chair of our Board of Directors, Tamsin Flanders. Tamsin, who joined the board and became Chair in 2023, is a Senior Land Use and Natural Resources Planner at the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) in Greenfield. We asked Tamsin about her approach to board leadership and how she sees it overlapping with her work as a planner.
How do you see the work of the FCCDC impacting the community?
My first few jobs in this area were working on organic farms, so my career and my community, were shaped by the food system. When I tell friends or acquaintances who own farms or food businesses that I serve on the board of the FCCDC, very often they say “Oh they helped us out when we first got started,” or “Oh they gave us a loan for the barn renovation.” I am always excited to see new food businesses appear, particularly ones that bring us foods I may have never tried before or only had the opportunity to try in cities. I really appreciate how broadly the FCCDC has worked to support a full and thriving food system.
Of all the programs at the FCCDC, which is your favorite and why?
I can’t say I have a favorite program, but I am fascinated by the way they all weave together. I have this friend that makes the most astoundingly delicious savory popcorn and if I could ever convince her to take her talent to the business level, I know that there are experts at the FCCDC with whom she could figure the whole thing out: whether it would be a viable business, a business plan, branding and packaging, and even making the popcorn in bulk. It’s amazing to have that kind of wrap-around resource.
How does board membership overlap with your work at the FRCOG?
At the FRCOG, we think about how Franklin County municipalities and regional partnerships contribute to an environment that builds vibrant, resilient communities. The FCCDC recognizes that certain barriers to capital and technical savvy have historically prevented certain people from using their talents to become entrepreneurs and build wealth. For me, part of creating vibrant, resilient communities means that the businesses that make up the fabric of our communities have the resources they need to weather change, and anyone who is ready to become an entrepreneur can get a fair shot at it.
At the FRCOG we also recognize that the farm and food economic sectors, which are highly integrated in our region, are core to our heritage, our sense of place, our access to healthy food and land-based jobs, our land stewardship practices, and our future adaptation to climate change. Again, the FCCDC’s long-standing focus on farming and food enterprises has been critical to our local food system.
What do you hope to achieve as FCCDC Board Chair?
I bring expertise around things like climate change adaptation, or the housing gap in Franklin County, which doesn’t always translate to being able to inform overarching policy or budgeting decisions for the CDC but does mean I can jump in with suggestions about responsibly repaving the parking lot for better stormwater management or explain to other board members how housing-related zoning might be impacting the local economy.
As board chair, I’m very interested in growing a board that understands well the many facets of the FCCDC’s work and that functions as a community of support for the Executive Director as he carries out the organization’s mission.
