By Kathy Bell and Molly Horan

In the most recent legislative session, State Representative Adam Scanlon was the lead House sponsor of legislation to authorize the sale of craft beer at farmers’ markets. The Massachusetts Brewers Guild, a longstanding client of IMG, worked closely with the Representative to make the case for passage. The underlying legislation was ultimately passed by the House and Senate, and signed into law by the Governor, as a part of a larger economic development package, the Mass Leads Act. Governor Healey gave a shoutout to the state’s brewers and this policy change during her State of the Commonwealth in January.

IMG sat down with Representative Scanlon to reflect on how we got this over the finish line last session.

How did you first get involved with the brewers?

A few years back, North Attleborough was looking to host a farmers’ market in front of Town Hall, on some public land. We have a great brewery in town, Angle Tree Brewery, that wanted to showcase their products at the popular farmers’ market but was impeded by a state law that prohibited the sale of craft beer.

We have a lot of pride and passion for our farmers’ market and also for our brewery—both are great for downtown and great for small businesses. We wanted to enable them to collaborate, so we started talking to the Mass Brewers Guild and previous sponsors of a bill that enabled the sale of craft beer across the state at local farmers’ markets. I was asked to become the House lead sponsor last session.

Can you talk a bit about what the farmers’ market legislation does and why you felt this policy change was warranted?

At a high level, this policy was intended to simply level the playing field. We learned that cider, malt beverages, and wine were allowed to be sold at farmers markets, so our goal was to also allow sale of craft beer in these settings.

Secondarily, it’s a recognition that there is a symbiotic relationship between farmers and breweries. Breweries work closely with the agricultural community and pride themselves in supporting local farmers by purchasing local grains, hops, and fruit whenever possible. Additionally, many breweries serve as farm share pickup locations and donate spent grain back to local farms which in turn serves as feed for livestock and cattle. So, this change was an opportunity to further an already strong community partnership.

What do you think made the difference this last session in finding consensus?

Everything starts at a grassroots level. We built support through a shared goal and found consensus in how each of our communities were impacted by this law, as it wasn’t only my community seeking this change. The active participation from breweries across the state—coming to the hearing and reaching out to their local legislators to voice support made a big difference.

We also tried to be methodical about our strategy by targeting key legislators for support and leveraging strong partnerships inside and outside of the State House building. Certainly, hats off to the Speaker, Senate President, and Governor for their support.

What advice would you give to organizations who may be seeking a similar, common-sense change?

Work as a team. Know the State House and find experienced advocates who can help you navigate the process strategically. Don’t overlook the importance of grassroots support. Check one box at a time instead of running in a thousand directions at once. Be thoughtful and intentional in building support.

What’s your favorite thing about your local brewery, Angle Tree?

They host so many wonderful community events. Bingo night is well attended and very popular. They lend their space to nonprofits and community organizations for functions. They give so much back to our community and I’m glad that starting this spring they will be able to sell their products at our local farmers’ market.

Representative Scanlon is a Democrat from the 14th Bristol district, which includes parts of Attleboro, Mansfield, and all of North Attleborough. Representative Scanlon is serving his third term and was recently appointed Vice Chair of the House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight.