SHELBURNE FALLS — A group of gardeners, landowners and sustainability enthusiasts is looking to reduce the number of people in Franklin County who struggle with food insecurity.

The Central Connecticut River Valley Institute is a nonprofit based in Shelburne Falls whose latest project is addressing food insecurity in the village and developing a network of local gardens.

“Feeding everybody in the village, that’s what we’re about,” said Karina Lutz, a volunteer with the nonprofit.

According to “The Cost of Hunger in Massachusetts,” an annual report from the Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham, “Over the last five years, food insecurity among Massachusetts households has steadily increased, rising from 19% in 2019 to 37% in 2024.”

The report states that due to the increased cost of food, rollbacks of pandemic-era food assistance programs and cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more Massachusetts residents are struggling with food insecurity. In 2024, one in three households faced this challenge.

Franklin County had one of the highest levels of food insecurity in the state in 2024. According to the report, 50% of households in Franklin and Hampshire counties faced food insecurity, an increase of 13% over 2023. These counties were second behind Hampden County (54%) in food insecurity in 2024 and just ahead of Suffolk County at 49%.

“That’s a lot of people without reliable food access,” Lutz said.

Lutz added that the nonprofit has been working to curb food insecurity in the region since 2009, when founder Will Flanders commissioned a study from the Conway School of Design focusing on Shelburne Falls.

“He commissioned a study of the village’s ability to feed itself — what animals could be raised, what veggies could be grown and how many plots would be needed to provide enough locally grown food,” Lutz recounted.

The study found that the village had sufficient available land to garden and grow food for its residents. Residents have proposed various community gardens over the years, and Lutz said that due to recent federal cuts to SNAP benefits and similar programs, the nonprofit is looking to create a Village of Veggies.

“The principal reason for growing as much food locally as we can is for the purpose of providing sustainability and food security,” Lutz said.

She said the Central Connecticut River Valley Institute is looking for property owners with extra space they are not using who are willing to share their land, as well as gardeners who have the time and energy to maintain a plot, even if they do not personally have the land for one.

“We’re enlisting people with land, and enlisting people with time and green thumbs,” Lutz said. “Lands and hands, that’s the idea.”

The institute is working to connect plots of land with people, and help gardeners and landowners develop land-use agreements. Lutz said the fruits and vegetables that will be grown could be divided among gardeners and landowners, and any extra would be donated to food pantries and free community meals programs.

The Central Connecticut River Valley Institute is developing a list of available land and gardening tips on its website, and the nonprofit invites interested individuals and organizations to reach out. For more information, visit ccrvi.org.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.