Sen. Mo Cowan tours Nouse Farms in Whately

WHATELY, Mass. (WWLP) - Senator William “Mo” Cowan made his first trip to Whately on Friday, since taking over for now- Secretary of State John Kerry.

Last week, Cowan became the first Massachusetts Senator to sit on the Senate Agriculture Committee since 1879.

On Friday, he toured Nourse Farm in Whately with Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard Sullivan and Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Gregory Watson.

Since 2007, Massachusetts has seen a 27% growth in family farms, and Cowan says he doesn't want to see this innovation stop.

"This is the future, the Nourse family and this farm are doing exactly what they should be doing to make our economy strong, make the nation stronger, and provide healthier food choices for us all," Cowan said.

Sullivan said that the growth in local agriculture has a lot to do with increasing concerns about where food comes from.

"People are obviously concerned about healthy food, food safety, organic food; farmers markets have grown exponentially," Sullivan said.

Nourse Farm is a fruit nursery that specializes in on-site research and growing and exporting berries. The trip highlighted the importance of investing in agricultural research and innovation at the farm-level.