3/22/2017 ORLEANS –The state has announced $105,500 in grants to seven marketing campaigns designed to increase awareness and demand for Massachusetts seafood products. The grants were awarded through the Division of Marine Fisheries’ (DMF) Seafood Marketing Pilot Grant Program. Seven organizations were awarded funding for projects to stimulate demand though education,promotion, and other strategies… Read full article […]

11/9/2016 By Catherine Smart How does one become a “Kale Blazer”? Ask state Senator Anne Gobi, who received the distinction from the Massachusetts Farm to School Project last week at its fourth Statewide Farm & Sea to School Conference. The organization — supported by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and the School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts, […]

6/20/2016 By Steven A. Rosenberg FRAMINGHAM — Six years ago, Brendan Ryan gazed at the empty courtyard at Framingham High School and envisioned a garden that could serve as a hands-on experience to teach students where their vegetables come from. His dream has become a verdant reality. Now, the district’s affable food service director presides […]

1/22/2016 By Katheleen Conti Cupcakes and brownies have long been absent from Quincy’s public school cafeteria menus in favor of apple crisps with granola or yogurt and fruit parfaits. Cereals and pastas are among the many whole grain offerings that are paired with a wider range of fruits and vegetables, as mandated by federal school […]

11/10/2015 By Ann Trieger Kurland BROCKTON — Boxes of Massachusetts-grown tomatoes, blemished, bruised, and misshapen, sit in a chilly storage room at food processor Boston Fresh here. Most shoppers would likely deem them unappealing, though they’re perfectly safe to eat, with flesh that’s dense and sweet. This season alone, Medford food entrepreneur Karl Dias has […]

10/23/2015 By Bruce Coulter “Farm-to-table has been a growing trend in the restaurant industry for several years, but perhaps less well-known is the Massachusetts Farm to School Project. That’s not the case in Tewksbury. DebraLee Mugford, director of food and nutrition services for Tewksbury Public Schools, is passionate about providing nutrition education and healthy meals to […]

1/20/2015 By Jane Dornbusch Ten years ago, getting locally grown and raised foods into school cafeterias seemed like a far-off fantasy, attainable only in places like Berkeley, Calif., or other cities close to the growing regions. Today, according to a USDA farm to school census, more than 75 percent of schools in the Commonwealth report […]