Serving the community through food
Hameed Bello and his wife Ayo founded the organic farm Agric Organics in Springfield in 2020, and subsequently moved their operation to a 10-acre plot in Wilbraham. In October 2024, building on their mission to bring fresh food to people who need it, they opened Farm Store 99 in downtown Springfield. The store carries produce from the farm as well as items you’d find in any grocery store. With financing from the Massachusetts Food Trust, a program that provides low-interest loans and grants for projects that bring healthy food to communities where residents earn lower incomes and there are fewer grocery stores, the Bellos were able to fill a need for affordable food in a densely populated area, magnifying their impact. The Massachusetts Food Trust Program is funded by the Massachusetts Legislature through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and co-administered by the Franklin County CDC and the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund. We talked with Hameed about this new venture.
FCCDC: You’ve had some tremendous successes, starting with your farm, Agric Organics in Wilbraham, and now your new business in Springfield, Farm Store 99. How does that feel?
Hameed Bello: I feel committed to serve. That’s always a good thing. Any time I get the opportunity to be of service to my community, I always feel blessed.
FCCDC: Have there been challenges with growth?
HB: We have the right team in place. That makes everything manageable. It’s a team effort.
FCCDC: If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you tell yourself?
HB: Hard work pays off. No knowledge is too little. Regardless of how minute a lesson is, it’s good to learn it. You never know when you might need it. Relationships are important and it’s good to be respectful. Pick up your book and read. As a small business owner, you have to be a carpenter, you have to be a plumber, an accountant. You have to be ready to say, hey, how do I do this? And hey, can you help me with this? Being a jack of all trades and being a people person. We can’t just stay cocooned at the farm, there’s more to the business than that.
FCCDC: Zooming out a bit, these are turbulent times. What are you feeling about being a Black man owning a business in 2025?
HB: There’s a saying, “It’s important to keep the main thing the main thing.” That’s the mantra right now. Focus on what we can control, on who we are. Don’t let this cloud your judgement. How to continue to serve your community. We will pivot if we have to, rather than over-anticipate. That can create a scenario that takes you away from the main thing, which is service to the community through food.
FCCDC: As you say, your focus has been on feeding the community with healthy farm-fresh products. How has the community responded to your efforts?
HB: The reception has been great. Over the moon. People come into the store and they’re excited. They always say, “Thank you for being here. We truly needed this.” And part of it is we didn’t just open a store, we opened a store that met people’s needs. We asked the community what they need and because of that, we are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There’s access after work hours. When people come in, they are truly appreciative. We try to educate on HIP [the Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Program provides families who qualify for SNAP benefits with funds for farm fresh produce; its benefits were cut from between $40 and $80 monthly, depending on family size, to $20 per month last December]. Sometimes it’s just a light bulb and a wow moment. Just that little amount of food that they can get access to every day.
FCCDC: Have the HIP cuts affected your customers or your bottom line?
HB: We anticipated the cuts when the store opened in October 2024. When we designed the store, it wasn’t the sole focus. Folks are using it and with HIP, it’s more about education, saying, “This is an available resource.” And people respond, “This is awesome. My kids love fruits and vegetables. They go through them so fast.” So using this $20 to bring fruits and vegetables for them, it’s just rejuvenating. It makes me want to go to work every day.
FCCDC: How has it been working with the Franklin County CDC and the Massachusetts Food Trust Program?
HB: It’s been smooth sailing. We’re very appreciative of the organization. Sometimes we wish it could be a shorter timeline, but we understand, that’s the business landscape. There are a lot of variables. But we thoroughly appreciate this organization and the Mass Food Trust Program.
FCCDC: Anything else you’d like to add?
HB: The remembrance that we are one community. We’re here together. If we continue to help one another, we will persevere. If we keep that in mind, the sky is just the foundation.
