In 2016, we named our first Massachusetts Farm to School, “Kale Blazers,” at our biennial Farm & Sea to School Conference. Going forward we have honored our Kale Blazers during Farm to School Month in October, as a way to celebrate all things Farm to School. 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 or groups at the forefront of the farm to school movement – innovating and setting inspiring examples for others to learn from. As we seek to advance equity in the farm to school movement, we aim to recognize those individuals who are working to ensure that all students can enjoy local food in school meals and engaging food education.
Kelly Erwin
Kelly Erwin is the original Massachusetts Farm to School Kale Blazer. Kelly began connecting MA farmers with school customers in the early 2000s as an employee of the MA Department of Agricultural Resources. In 2004, she took this idea further and founded Mass. Farm to School, one of the first statewide farm to school organizations in the country. She was involved in the development of the National Farm to School Network in 2007 and later the launch of Farm to Institution New England in 2011. Kelly has always had a bold vision for the powerful potential of school, farm and community partnerships. She fostered countless relationships between school customers and local growers and is foundational to the farm and sea to school movement in the Commonwealth.
Phone: (413) 253-3844
Email: info@massfarmtoschool.org
