Massachusetts Farm to School is pleased to share a series of FREE professional development events for educators, school nutrition staff, and advocates throughout the year. These events will be hosted by Mass. Farm to School and partner organizations, and feature speakers from a variety of farm to school backgrounds. All events are virtual unless otherwise indicated […]
Learn MoreHydroponics for the Cafeteria This webinar took place on March 6, 2024. Please scroll down to watch a recording. Presenters Danielle Sprague, Food Service Manager, Dr. Franklin Perkins School Sam Malesa, Director of Partnership Development, Fork Farms Curious about growing and serving hydroponic produce in your school cafeteria? In this workshop, participants will understand how […]
Learn MoreThis event occurred on February 29, 2024. Please scroll down to watch a recording. This workshop will highlight local foods school nutrition professionals can utilize in their menu planning, providing an overview of different approaches from several sized districts across Massachusetts, as they share their procurement objectives and strategy. Food safety considerations and proper procurement […]
Learn MoreThis webinar took place on January 10, 2024. Please scroll down to watch a recording. This workshop is designed to highlight school nutrition professionals who are currently sourcing local meat, seafood and dairy products for their Northeast Food for Schools program. Learn about different products, cuts, and considerations to make when looking to procure meat, […]
Learn MoreThis event took place on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. Please scroll down to watch a recording. This workshop highlights local fresh and frozen produce school nutrition professionals have utilized for their Northeast Food for Schools program. Participants connected with school nutrition professionals utilizing different products, learned recipes they found successful with their students, and got […]
Learn MoreThis school year, 243 school districts around the state are utilizing over $3 million in USDA funds to buy local foods that are fresh or minimally processed for their school menus. This funding, which encourages districts to source from BIPOC and women-owned farms and businesses, is making waves in the local food economy. While USDA […]
Learn MoreOn Monday, October 16th, we had an amazing visit to MA FRESH grant recipient Shaloh House last week where we saw the incredibly integrated farm to school program thriving at the school. Check out these photos from the event and don’t hesitate to reach out with help on your FRESH grant application (proposals due November […]
Learn MoreThis year, Mass. Farm to School is working in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to facilitate the Northeast Food for Schools (NFS) program, and will be sharing stories from program participants. We will be highlighting stories from both the school and vendor sides, and will discuss the impact this funding […]
Learn MoreBrittany Chloe Tope-Ojo, Mass. Farm to School’s Communications Assistant, sat down with Nancy Thibault of the Rainbow Child Development Center in Worcester to gain insight into how the MA FRESH grant played out at their early learning center. Overview Rainbow Child Development Center services 250 highly at-risk children daily from 6 weeks up to 13 […]
Learn MoreGrant Recipient: South Shore YMCA South Shore YMCA Preschool students, clad in raincoats of every color, marched through the rain and puddles to their outdoor classroom on Monday. They had their scheduled garden lesson with Farmer Kate, and were curious about, but quickly ignored the over two dozen Farm to School champions gathered […]
Learn MoreVote on your favorite local lunch tray of the year! Join Massachusetts Farm to School and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office for Food and Nutrition Programs (FNP) in celebrating School Year 2023-2024’s monthly Terrific Tray Winners! School nutrition programs across the Commonwealth have submitted photographs of trays featuring delicious local foods sourced from […]
Learn MoreEncourage your legislator to attend the October 12th Virtual Farm to School Policy Briefing. Use the text below to send them an invitation. Need your legislator’s contact information? Visit: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator Template Text: Dear _____, I hope you will join me in attending a policy briefing on the farm to school grant program on Thursday, October […]
Learn MoreFarm to School Grants (Updated 7/5/2023) This is a summary of state, regional and national grant opportunities related to farm to school, school gardens, hydroponics, school food and more. If you know of other grants to add to the list, please let us know! Name $ Due Date MA FRESH: Supporting Grant $5,000-$25,000 Anticipated release […]
Learn MoreWe invite you to apply to be a member of the 2024 Massachusetts Farm & Sea to School Conference Program Planning Committee! We plan to host the conference in person in March of 2024 and seek to provide a space for cross-sector learning, networking, and inspiration. The conference will offer content relevant to individuals working […]
Learn MoreAbout the Project With support from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and the USDA Specialty Crops Grant program, Massachusetts Farm to School is working to develop resources for the Harvest of the Month for Educators program. The material will be designed for secondary educators who wish to utilize the Harvest of the Month […]
Learn MoreMarch 22, 2024 // Shook, Ashley. Lt. Gov. attends farm to school conference in Northampton WWLP22 News Vide0. October 30, 2023 // Kazakiewich, Todd. 5 schools in Boston receiving hydroponic towers to grow healthy food. WCVB Channel 5 Video. November 29, 2022 // Kalb, Heath. Kale Blazer awarded to farm-to-school initiative in Greenfield schools. WWLP22 […]
Learn More11/3/2022 Jeffrey D. Wagner WESTPORT — Participating teachers called it the best professional development they have ever had. School leaders envision a future in which all produce at the school is grown locally. Westport earlier this fall was among a handful of districts statewide to participate in the 6th annual Massachusetts Farm to School Institute. According […]
Learn MoreMass. Farm to School’s Harvest of the Month program is highlighted in the June/July 2021 issue of School Nutrition Magazine (a publication of the School Nutrition Association). The article, “Making the Most of Harvest of the Month,” by Dayle Hayes (@SchoolMealsThatRock), features Massachusetts Farm to School (and our friends at Island Grown Initiative (of Martha’s […]
Learn More9/23/2019 By Margaret Christie his year’s back-to-school season has come with lots of good news about the farm-to-school efforts underway in local K-12 and college dining services. Our schools are serving more local food in the cafeteria, growing food and teaching lessons in school gardens and connecting food and farms to learning goals in the […]
Learn MoreThis year, Mass. Farm to School is working in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to facilitate the Northeast Food for Schools (NFS) Program, and will be sharing stories from program participants, on both the school and vendor sides, showing the impact this funding has had on communities across Massachusetts. Walden […]
Learn MoreThe MetroWest YMCA Early Learning Center provides care and early education services for around 140 toddler to preschool-aged children in the Framingham community. In speaking with Maggie Lynch RDN, LDN, the Director of Nutrition Services at the center, we learned more about the efforts at the MetroWest Y to educate children and their families about […]
Learn MoreMFTS Communications Assistant Brittany Chloe Tope-Ojo sat down with Catherine Champiney, Program Dietitian, and MaryAnn Rollings, Health Coordinator at Worcester Head Start, to learn about the Farm to School initiatives taking place at their centers. Worcester Head Start serves about 390 children and their families, ranging in age from 2.9-5 years old at four different […]
Learn MoreFrom Gymnastics Centers, Day Camps, Nature Science Centers, and Centers for the Arts, the South Shore YMCA provides programming for physical, mental, and artistic development. Our Communications Assistant, Brittany Chloe Tope-Ojo, spoke with representatives from the Early Learning Center (ELC) & Family Farm in Hanover, and the Nature Center Preschool at the Natural Science Center […]
Learn MoreWhile school was out in July and August, communities across the Commonwealth ensured that children still had access to healthy foods by operating summer meal programs. The programs are run by school districts as well as numerous community based organizations. While the programs may run for just a few months, many have developed strong relationships […]
Learn MoreThis webinar took place on February 6, 2023. Please watch a recording below. Presenters: Safiyat Hamiss, Owner, Tasty Harvest & Juliana Soltys, School Garden Coordinator, Groundworks Somerville Are you interested in establishing a school garden program at your school or in your classroom but you do not have any outdoor space? This workshop will focus […]
Learn More[This event occurred on January 18, 2023, please scroll down to watch a recording.] Presenter: Amy Donovan, Program Director, Franklin County Solid Waste Management Composting is a dynamic teaching tool you can use to introduce and explain concepts as far reaching as the life cycle, the importance of death and decomposition, soil, recycling, resource management, […]
Learn MorePresenter Karen Spiller, KAS Consulting & the Thomas W. Haas Professor in Sustainable Food Systems at University of New Hampshire For the past seven years, Food Solutions New England has hosted the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge that has inspired thousands to learn, reflect and act in service of creating a culture of belonging and […]
Learn MorePresenter Anna Cynar, Innovation Academy Charter School, Classroom Educator Learn from Anna Cynar, Educator and Co-Coordinator of Innovation Academy’s Sustainable Food Systems course, an interdisciplinary, full-year lab science class for 11th and 12th graders. You’ll learn about how the class is structured, explore class projects, and take a virtual tour of the cooking labs and […]
Learn MorePresenters: Brittany Peats, MA Food System Collaborative Jessica Lander, Lowell Public Schools Maria Berrios, Auburn High School Hear from high school teachers about how they have creatively and thoughtfully included discussions about diverse culinary traditions and sustainability in the food system in their classes. Brittany Peats, Program Manager of MA Food System Collaborative, moderated this […]
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