Meet the 2021 Kale Blazers!

We are pleased to announce our 2021 Kale Blazers! The Kale Blazer recognizes an individual or group of individuals who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in farm to school activity in Massachusetts. These are people innovating and setting inspiring examples for others to learn from.

Anna Cynar, Farm to School Coordinator & Science Teacher, Innovation Academy // Anna helped take the lead on building Innovation Academy’s Farm to School program from scratch three years ago with help and support from facilities, the library staff, administrators, other teachers, and a phenomenal team of interns. She’s developed a program that is inclusive and pervasive throughout the school. She not only maintains gardens and a greenhouse, but started a Farm to School internship program for students, and creates opportunities for learning at all grade levels. Her colleague, Gale Stafford says, “Anna truly sees farm-to-school as a bridge between the school, our students’ lives outside of school, and our local landscape as well. She is a true visionary of creating programs, opportunities, connections, space for questions, learning, and inclusion.”

Dave Dumaresq, Farmer Dave’s // Dave Dumaresq has travelled extensively, sharing his knowledge and learning from others about farming in Ecuador, Georgia, Tajikistan, and Ethiopia. He’s worked closely with the Lowell Public Schools and Mill City Grows to support the Harvest of the Month program and provide local fruits and vegetables for Lowell Public School cafeterias. Alissa Haskins (Mill City Grows/FoodCorps) says Dave has, “been a great partner in our community.” Beyond providing produce, Alissa shares that he also, “offers programming to students on his farm,” allowing for students to make a direct connection between the farm and their cafeteria meals.

Christine Esposito, Cafeteria Manager, Webster Middle School // Christine  is someone who embraces the challenge of new ingredients, new recipes, and new cooking techniques. Ellen Nylen (Food Service Director, Webster Public Schools) says, “she has enthusiastically embraced local procurement… prioritizing what we can afford to purchase locally, a process which adds a significant amount of work to [her] day.” Her dedication to local sourcing and her sense of adventure in the kitchen is a gift to the students who eat in her cafeteria.

Jane Rice, Cook Manager, Taylor Elementary School (Foxborough, MA) // Jane is a farm to school leader in the Foxborough district. She has embraced the Tower Garden Program where lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs are grown and eaten in the cafeteria. Beyond maintaining the tower gardens, she has provided training to other staff members on how to care for their gardens in other schools. Her enthusiasm has inspired students and staff and helped Foxborough to receive an education grant allowing Jane to present garden lessons to students.

Leila Tunnell, Garden Educator, Amherst-Pelham Public Schools // Leila uses school gardens as not only an educational experience, but also as a way to build community. Centering students in her lessons, she connects to students and families by sharing food based stores and looking for ways to create an inclusive and welcoming environment. Jennifer Reese (Science and Garden Coordinator for the Amherst & Pelham Public Schools) says, “she has been instrumental in incorporating multiple languages into garden lessons, signage and communications, and she plans her lessons with an equity lens, noticing which voices/experiences are centered and ways that that may need to shift.”

YouthGROW // YouthGROW, a program of the Regional Environmental Council, is an urban agriculture-focused youth development and employment program for Worcester teens. Maintaining two urban organic farms, along with participating in a focused curriculum, allows for youth to gain leadership, job, and agriculture skills. YouthGROW goes beyond simply providing training to teens, but incorporates youth into the decision-making process when developing and adapting their programs.