Massachusetts is fortunate to have many exciting Farm to School efforts underway throughout the state. Farm to School work benefits farmers by opening new avenues through which they can sell their products locally, and benefits the community by increasing access to fresh, local foods for school children.

The National Farm to School Network provides great general resources, including information about funding opportunities and original publications.

Upcoming Local Events:

Summer Workshops in the Farm and 3 Credit Graduate Course
Dates from Tuesday June 29-Wednesday August 18, 9am-3pm
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom is pleased to announce our second summer graduate credit course in agricultural literacy training for educators. Using Massachusetts farms as your classroom, learn how agriculture can enhance your curriculum, enthrall your students and meet many MCAS requirements. This graduate course offers agricultural-literacy training through fun, hands-on study and investigation of agriculture education resources. It will assist new educators and those who want to expand their classroom offerings as they learn how to integrate agriculture into the classroom to create lessons and reinforce MCAS concepts.  Some of the workshops involve: Sheep and Wool, Farm Animal Literacy, and Locally Grown, Organic, and Slow Foods.

Massachusetts organizations that are devoted specifically to Farm to School work:

The Farm Education Collaborative
Resource for: Parents, Teachers, Community Groups, Farmers
The Farm Education Collaborative designs and delivers authentic agricultural experiences that nurture connections between families and food in the Pioneer Valley. Email or call 413-559-5670.

Fertile Ground
Resource for: Parents, Teachers, Community Groups
Based in Williamsburg, Fertile Ground empowers children, youth and families to make smart food choices, and to work together across race, class and difference, improving their communities through school gardens, food celebrations, and caring for the land. For workshops on how to start and grow a farm to school program, curriculum integration, developing innovative community partnerships, program monitoring and evaluation, contact: Catherine Sands, (413) 268-7334 or chsands@fertilegroundschools.org.

Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom
Resource for: Teachers
Based in Seekonk and works statewide. Mass Ag in the Classroom organizes trainings to help teachers bring agriculture into their classrooms. Contact: Debi Hogan, (508) 336-4426 or massaginclassroom@earthlink.net.  

Massachusetts Farm to School Project
Resource for: Farmers, School Food Purchasers
Based in Amherst and works statewide. The Massachusetts Farm to School Project has been matching up schools and farmers since 2004, helping to create sustainable local foods purchasing relationships. With strong support from the Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources, this grassroots Project has encouraged the growth of preferential local foods purchasing in more than 160 public school districts, as well as at least 40 colleges and private schools. Contact: Kelly Erwin, (413) 253-3844 or mafarmtoschool@gmail.com.

School Sprouts
Resource for: Parents, Teachers, Community Groups
School Sprouts Educational Gardens professionally collaborates with educators and community partners to design and implement standards-driven, hands-on, garden education programs, which cultivate enhanced student academic performance through a multidisciplinary approach that inspires lifelong learning. Contact: Hope Guardenier at (413) 657-0000 or hope@schoolsprouts.org. 

Seeds of Solidarity Education Center
Resource for: Parents, Teachers, Community Groups
Based in Orange, Seeds of Solidarity provides people of all ages with the inspiration and practical tools to use renewable energy and grow food in their communities. Contact them about their 'Grow Food Everywhere (TM)' trainings for your school district or community. Contact: Deb Habib, (978) 544-9023 or solidarity@seedsofsolidarity.org.  

Massachusetts Farm to Cafeteria Resource Guide

This resource guide can be downloaded for free here.

Farm to school initiatives have been under way in Massachusetts for several years, but as the movement has grown, demand has outstripped the support available to farmers and schools. Therefore, in 2007 and 2008, the Massachusetts Farm to School Project, CISA, and SEMAP (Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership), collaborated on a "Train the Trainers" workshop series to offer intensive, pragmatic training designed to prepare more community-based agricultural professionals and others to help farmers decide if and how to sell to schools.

The information gathered through these workshops has been compiled in Massachusetts Farm to Cafeteria Resource Guide. It contains information on relationship-building, state and municipal procurement policies, the federal School Lunch Program, food safety, and local and regional farm to school resources.