University of Massachusetts Amherst - Auxiliary Enterprises Sustainability
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Farmer of the Week: Sea to Table

3/26/2018

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The "Yellowbird," leaving the shore of Chatham, MA to catch fish for Sea to Table.
​Sea to Table is a food distributor that makes sustainably-caught seafood from American fishing communities accessible to restaurants, families, and food service operations across the U.S. Every Sea to Table fish is wild-caught and can be traced back to the dock at which it arrived. 
The company is based out of Brooklyn, New York but distributes fish from coastal towns across the United States. They are a B Corporation, meaning that they have been certified as an operation that is devoted to incorporating social and environmental responsibility into their business model. ​
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Sean Dimin, pictured in center, founder and CEO of Sea to Table.
​Sean Dimin is the founder and CEO of Sea to Table and explains that the company "started with a love of fishing." Sean says that it was clear to him that there was a need for fishermen and commercial docks to get a better market as well as a need for chefs to have access to high-quality, sustainable seafood. Sean founded Sea to Table to "deliver a high-quality product and tell the story behind it.” The company works hard to make their operation as transparent as possible to allow traceability, accountability, and honesty between fishermen, sellers, and consumers. 
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A wide variety of freshly caught species Sea to Table catches and distributes.
​In addition to restaurants, universities, colleges, and businesses, Sea to Table provides fresh seafood to Americans through their new home delivery service. "To be able to reach right into people's homes and connect with them at the dinner table and give them a better option of fish is key to what we do," Sean shared. ​​In February of 2017, Sea to Table provided about 1 million portions of seafood for their customers and diners. Sean explained that "over 90% of the seafood that is consumed in this country is imported," making it the company’s goal to improve the value and quality behind the fish that we eat by providing customers with sustainable, traceable, and local options.
​While there is a growing awareness and shared sentiment among consumers that we want to know where our food comes from, we often overestimate the ability of the earth’s ecosystems to keep up with our demand. Fisheries involve complex interactions between species and their environment, and just like any resource, there are limits to how much we can take. In order to become more conscientious as consumers, it is essential to develop an awareness of seasonality and locality for everything we eat, including seafood. ​
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Jamie Eldredge, a fisherman that works with Sea to Table to supply UMass Dining with fresh, sustainable, traceable seafood.
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Fresh scallops about to be packaged and shipped across the country.
​Sea to Table incorporates this consumer education into its practices in order to help people understand what fishermen are catching (which are often not the same species of fish that Americans are used to eating). Tuna, shrimp, cod, and salmon are the most popular fish in the U.S., yet these are also some of the most unsustainable species due to the vast quantities in which they are harvested. "We are doing a lot of education to bring the diner right to the dock to see what it is like... and to see how the fish were caught, who caught them, and what fish they were catching," Sean explains. 
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​Sean shares that his favorite part of the job is when he gets to be on the water. "It is where I have a connection and it is not every day that we get to connect with nature. I think it brings us back to an elemental root of where our food comes from." Sean believes that something anyone can do to protect fish stocks and contribute to ocean health is just to care. "If you care about the fish that you eat and buy, you want to know where it came from," he explains. By demanding transparency about where our food is coming from, we as consumers have the power to change the way that food is produced and sold on the market.  
Thank you so much Sean for all of your hard work to make our food system more sustainable. UMass Dining appreciates all of the knowledge and resources you are able to share with our customers and we look forward to continuing to collaborate in the future to educate and empower!

For more information about Sea to Table, or to get high quality seafood delivered right to your door, visit their website.
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Join the UMass Permaculture Summer Crew!

3/19/2018

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Former Permaculture crew members displaying their harvest of kale and swiss chard for the Dining Commons.
Looking for a job this summer? Join our wonderful, dedicated team of permies and spend your summer days in the permaculture gardens! To apply for this 15/hr per week position, please download our position description and application here and email your completed application to htlogan@umass.edu by Friday, April 6th.
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One of our permies explaining the medicinal properties of our herbs to the youth visiting for the day.
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Harvesting rainbow swiss chard at the Franklin Permaculture garden.
Position Description:
Members of the Summer Crew work under the Sustainability Coordinator of Campus Gardens and Student Garden Coordinators to support the planning and upkeep of the UMass Permaculture gardens and educate garden visitors. For this role, members of the Summer Crew will develop and maintain our on-campus permaculture sites at Franklin, Berkshire, Hillside, Worcester, and Hampshire. Daily responsibilities may include planting, watering, weeding, harvesting, working with volunteers, and leading tours. Crew members will also assist in longer-term projects, such as repairing raised beds, installing mushroom production systems, plant design, and other tasks as needed. Throughout this process, members of the Summer Crew learn about permaculture design, sustainable agriculture techniques, plant identification, and volunteer leadership.
Qualifications:
- Must have passion and interest in sustainable food production 
- Must love working outdoors with individuals and groups in a variety of weather – we only break for thunderstorms! 
- Must enjoy manual labor and working in a team environment 
- Valid driver’s license strongly preferred 
- Must be able to lift 25 lbs 
- Must be an undergraduate at UMass Amherst  ​

Hours: ​15 hrs/week. Work times are 8:00 am-12:00 pm, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. 

Start and End Dates: Start date will be decided by a group consensus, between Monday May 7th and Monday May 14th.  End date is Wednesday, August 29th. 
 
Compensation: ​The Summer Crew works 15-20 hours each week at a rate of $13/ hour. ​​

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A permaculture crew member weeding a bed of corn seedlings.
If you are interested in applying to the UMass Permaculture Summer Crew position, please submit your completed application to htlogan@umass.edu by Friday, April 6th.​ 

We look forward to reviewing your applications! Feel free to reach out to Hannah Logan (htlogan@umass.edu) with any questions you have!

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Beautiful golden beats harvested from the UMass Permaculture gardens.
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Farmer of the Week: Fort River Farm

3/5/2018

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Fort River Farm's beef cattle grazes out in the pasture.
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Bruce Jenks stands in front of a group of his cows.
Fort River Farm is managed by Bruce Jenks, pictured to the left. Bruce cares deeply for the animals that he works with and says caring for them is his favorite part of the job. He grew up across the road from Fort River Farm on his father's farm operation and you can tell when you talk to him that farming is in his blood. The way Bruce interacts with his coworkers, customers, and cows makes it clear how much he loves what he does. “I haven’t taken a day off in seven years," Bruce laughed, "and when I did, I went to a dairy conference." 
If you live in New England, you know that eating locally and seasonally can seem a bit dreary during the long winter season. However, dairy and beef can be found locally all year round. Additionally, all of the cattle at Fort River Farm are grass-fed and pasture-raised so they are treated as humanely as possible. This also increases the sustainability of their business because they do not have to order feed for their animals. 
Fort River Farm, located less than four miles from campus in Hadley, MA provides UMass Dining with high quality, pasture-raised Black Angus beef. All of the beef produced from Fort River Farm is processed in Vermont and is both certified prime and certified humane. Beef cattle can be found grazing on Fort River Farm’s 60 acres of land, 365 days a year. Bruce says that the cows prefer to be outside in the fields all year round even through snowy New England winters.
Fort River Farm is also home to upwards of 25 Swiss cows of all ages that are raised for their raw milk. This is such a small, select group that, unlike on most dairy farms, Bruce knows all of them by name. They bottle fresh raw milk every day and any milk that is too old to be sold is fed to their pigs to minimize their food waste. The beef cattle are tended to by other farmers on their team, but Bruce takes sole responsibility for caring for his five Swiss cows. 
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Bruce Jenks explaining how Fort River Farm cares for their black Angus cattle.
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Silver, one of their Swiss cows grazing in the pasture.
Aside from raising cows for beef and raw milk, Bruce also owns and operates Maple Valley Creamery and the Mill Valley Milk Store. Maple Valley Creamery has been making ice cream for nine years, and source Jersey milk from other farms to make their product. Every year, Maple Valley Creamery collaborates with the UMass Amherst Food Science department to hold a competition where students compete in groups to make the best flavor to add to Maple Valley Creamery's wide selection. Their newest flavor – root beer float – won this year’s competition.
Thank you so much to Bruce Jenks for the hard work that you do to care for your animals while supplying conscientiously-raised beef and dairy products to the local community! 

To purchase Fort River Farm’s grass-fed meat, raw milk, and Maple Valley Creamery ice cream,
​check out their farm store located in Hadley. Here, you can also find an abundance of other local products from farmers and vendors in the area. For more information about their farm visit their website!

Photo Credit: Keith Toffling
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UMass Dining Sustainability is Hiring!

2/23/2018

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We are excited to announce that the UMass Amherst Permaculture Initiative is seeking a highly passionate, thoughtful and skilled individual who embodies holistic sustainability and shows a demonstrated commitment to social justice to fill the Sustainability Coordinator of Campus Gardens position. If you are experienced in regenerative agriculture, enjoy working with diverse groups, and are passionate about facilitating transformational learning, apply today!
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​This full-time, benefited position serves as a key role in the UMass Amherst Auxiliary Sustainability Department, whose mission is to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to increase the sustainability of our campus food services' facilities and operations. We leverage resources, visibility, and leadership to propel the campus sustainability movement at UMass and beyond.
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UMass Dining Sustainability Staff educating students about food preservation.
The Position: The Sustainability Coordinator of Campus Gardens will oversee the educational programming, community outreach, care and operation of current gardens, and development of new gardens when space is available for the UMass Amherst Permaculture Initiative. In doing so, the Sustainability Coordinator of Campus Gardens provides students, faculty, staff and community members with unique opportunities to make meaningful connections to their food, the earth, and each other. ​​The ideal candidate for this exciting and challenging position would possess extensive knowledge and experience in both production and regenerative agriculture, excellent problem solving skills, and the ability to develop successful programming in an academic setting. 
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Xochi Salazar, former Sustainability Coordinator of Campus Gardens, gives a garden tour.
Duties and Responsibilities include:​
  1. Oversees and coordinates care and operation of campus permaculture gardens. Develops and implements new permaculture gardens.
  2. Teaches a two-session, one credit, hands on course (STOCKSCH 198P) in which students learn about permaculture basics while maintaining on-campus gardens in both the Fall & Spring Semesters.
  3. Supervises Departmental Assistants, student employees, and interns.
  4. Performs planning, community outreach, and program development for the UMass Permaculture Initiative.
  5. Performs marketing, communications, and public relations of the UMass Permaculture Initiative including web design, social media, posters/flyers, press releases, newsletters, brochures, etc.
  6. Supervises the weekly, seasonal UMass Student Farmers Market.
  7. Coordinates with faculty on interdepartmental research efforts in campus permaculture gardens.
  8. Conducts presentations and tours.
  9. Devises and organizes educational workshops and events.
  10. Holds open forums where students, faculty and staff may present ideas, comments or questions about environmental sustainability at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
  11. Acts as a consultant to other universities and institutions by responding to inquiries regarding permaculture, garden design and sustainability.
  12. Collects and analyzes garden data.
  13. Coordinates and distributes garden produce to residential and retail dining operations.
  14. Collaborates with university chefs (Chef de Cuisine) on sustainable menu development and best uses for garden produce.
  15. Performs other Auxiliary Services sustainability duties as assigned
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UMass permaculture students planting garlic in Franklin garden.
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An abundant harvest from all five permaculture gardens.
Requirements:​
  1. Knowledge of sustainability issues, regenerative agriculture, and best practices.
  2. Ability to develop and execute new programs within an academic setting.
  3. Problem solving skills.
  4. Excellent oral and written communication skills
  5. Skill in application of the principles and practices of effective supervision
  6. Excellent team-building, relationship-building, and networking skills
  7. Ability to build and sustain excellent working relationships.
  8. Ability to lift 25 lbs.
  9. Permaculture Design Certificate preferred
Ideal start date is April 2018. Position is open until filled. 
Apply online here! For more information, please contact info@umasspermaculture.com. 
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Farmer of the Week: Swaz Potato Farms

2/21/2018

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Swaz Potoates rolling down the conveyer belt after being washed and sorted.
Swaz Potato Farms was founded in 1910 by John Rupert Szawlowski and grows 3,000 acres of White, Red, Yukon Gold, and Russet potatoes in the Connecticut River Valley. The Szawlowski family business is based in Hatfield, MA and has been in operation for over 100 years. They are now one of the largest potato farms in New England. The provide potatoes to UMass Dining and many other businesses, including grocery stores and restaurants across the region.  
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Totes of potatoes in their coolers waiting to be packaged.
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Potatoes being bagged for market in Hatfield.
At Swaz Potato Farms, they harvest their crops until late November but operate throughout the winter by storing, packing, and distributing potatoes grown on 2,000 acres by farmers across the country. This enables them to run a full-time farm in New England and to provide a variety of products for their customers 365 days a year. During their peak season in August, they harvest 500,000 pounds of potatoes every day and package 80 bags a minute at their facility.  ​
Swaz Potato Farms is currently owned by brothers Frank, Chet, and Stanley  Szawlowski. ​Frank Szawlowski, pictured to the right, shared that potato farming is all he has ever known since he was a little boy. He grew up "eating dirt" and using the farm as his playground. He has worked on the farm his whole life and believes that the independence and freedom that comes with the job makes all of the hard work well worth it.  
​ As active members in the community, Swaz Potato Farms donates over 100,000 pounds of potatoes to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts every year. They also offer seconds, or imperfect produce, to the Food Bank and other organizations at a discounted price. This allow their business to make money off of products that they would otherwise be throwing away and helps them decrease the amount of food waste they are producing. ​
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Frank Szawlowski of Swaz Potato Farms.
Additionally, the Food Bank of Western MA works hard to increase food security in the Pioneer Valley by supplying local community meal programs with fresh, nutritious food.  ​
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Frank and Diane Szawlowski (pictured on the right) sharing their farming and business experiences from over the years.
Thank you so much to Frank and Diane Szawlowski for working with UMass Dining and for supporting our local campus food system. All of your hard work is very impressive.  

To learn more about Swaz Potato Farms, visit their website.  

Photo Credit: Keith Toffling ​
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Welcome to the Team

2/6/2018

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Chris Young is currently the Sustainable Food Systems Purchasing Coordinator for UMass Dining. In this role, he is responsible for handling the data and metrics reports for all of the local food purchases that are made. UMass currently sources products and ingredients from over 100 small farms and businesses, many of which are located under 20 miles from campus. ​
Before working with UMass Dining, Chris was an outreach coordinator for the Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success. He also served as the student advisor for the “Men of Color United” student group on campus as a part of the Vice Chancellor’s Diversity Board. ​​
Chris notes that the most rewarding aspect of his current job with UMass Dining Sustainability is “seeing how much students, as well as myself, learn about eating healthy, local, and sustainable food.” While the University is constantly working toward expanding its local food purchasing and has pledged to participate in the Real Food Challenge, Chris hopes to see UMass Dining not only meet but exceed its current goal of purchasing 20% local “real” food by the year 2020. ​
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Due to its immense purchasing power and the size of its student body, the University of Massachusetts has an incredible opportunity to continue to set the bar higher in terms of environmental sustainability. When asked why he is passionate about food in particular, Chris explains, “I believe a crucial step towards a sustainable economy is through our food system, the impact alone speaks for itself.” ​
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Phoebe Gelbard is a sophomore International Development major with minors in Natural Resources Conservation and Education. She is from Williamsburg, Massachusetts and has grown up in the Pioneer Valley for all twenty years of her life.

​She is passionate about the plants and animals with which we share our home, and she spends her summers teaching elementary and middle school students about the geology and bio-cultural history of the forests, fields, and rivers of Western MA. 
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Phoebe is particularly interested in social justice, alternative economic systems, and environmental sustainability – and how we can bridge the gaps that exist between these three concepts. After all, as writer, farmer, and activist Wendell Berry reminds us, “The Earth is what we all have in common.” In the future, Phoebe hopes to work internationally as an environmental policy advocate and community-based food sustainability educator. ​
In Phoebe’s spare time, she loves to cook, spend time outdoors, and play the guitar, ukulele, and piano. On campus, she is a leader for both the UMass Outing Club and Food Recovery Network, and as part of her involvement in the International Scholars Program, Phoebe will be studying abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand, next fall. ​
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Farmer of the Week: UMass Hydro Farm

1/26/2018

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Leafy greens growing in the UMass Hydroponics Farm greenhouse.
UMass Hydroponics Farm is a student-run hydroponics business located on campus that grows leafy greens, culinary herbs, tomatoes, bok choy, leeks, and strawberries for Franklin Dining Commons and the UMass community as a whole. UMass Hydro was founded about a year ago by Evan Chakrin, studying Horticulture, and Sustainable Food and Farming student Dana Lucas.  "We wanted to have a chance while in school at Stockbridge to have hands on hydroponic experience using common production systems and growing actual food," says Evan Chakrin. 
Right now, UMass Hydro is supplying greens to on-campus student-run business Greeno Sub Shop and will begin regular deliveries to Franklin Dining Commons and the Belly of the Beast in Northampton this semester. They will also be launching a small Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share around March 1st and will be selling their produce at the returning UMass Student Farmers' Market this Spring. Because of their small scale, UMass Hydro cannot provide all of the calories that people need, "but we can supplement what they are eating with the highest quality produce that is possible to be grown," says Evan. 
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Dana Lucas (left) and Evan Chakrin (right) holding beautiful and freshly harvested UMass Hydro produce.
Hydroponics is a very important innovation for farming because it is extremely portable, resource efficient, and customizable for any location. UMass Hydro has eliminated pest pressure, the need to weed their crops, and the need to attend to soil fertility and health. The adaptability of the technology also allows hydroponics to potentially increase food security. "You can set it up in a desert, in a city, on a rooftop, or in a shipping container without the need to deal with tons of soil. It is a very portable and efficient way to grow food," Evan shares. Hydroponics uses only 10% of the water that traditional farming requires to grow the same types of crops. Evan explains that, "hydroponics will never replace field agriculture for root or grain crops, but for delicate crops and small fruit crops it is perfect." Dana Lucas shares that "Massachusetts grows only 4% of their food and 80% of the cost of produce is transportation." Dana explains that to run one freight container of hydroponics for one year takes the same amount of energy to drive one truck load of produce from California to Massachusetts. Hydroponics may become an essential part of the solution to food insecurity and the increasing pressures of climate change on food production.  
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UMass Hydro lettuce growing on a table raft.
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A UMass Hydro strawberry ripening.
Another unique and sustainable benefit of UMass Hydro and other indoor farms is their capability to grow food year-round. "We have been growing lettuce, basil, and tomatoes all winter," says Evan. Even in the middle of January, students can look out the windows of Franklin Dining Commons to see the food they are eating being grown in the purple-lit greenhouses of UMass Hydro. Evan shares that he loves "being with the plants in the winter under the light and in the heat of the greenhouse. When it's cold and the ground is frozen and nothing is growing outside we can come in here with lights that have the orange glow of the sun."  
This spring, UMass Hydro is expanding using a grant that they received from the Sustainability, Innovation and Engagement Fund (SIEF). They are building four new lettuce raft tables to double their growing space and will also begin experimenting with aquaponics. This is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics, and they will be raising koi fish and growing plants together in an integrated system. The only inputs to the system will be fish food and water. The UMass Hydro project was started using a grant from the University as well, and Evan shares that "if you’re really ambitious, do a lot of work, and write decent grant proposals, there are a lot of opportunities at UMass that are not advertised." 
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UMass Hydro student Antonia Morini packaging lettuce for sale with Dana Lucas.
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Hydroponic tables setup inside the greenhouse growing food for the campus.
Arguably the most impactful and important aspect of UMass Hydro is the educational opportunity that it provides UMass students. In fact, UMass Hydro is the only year-round indoor food production system that they can be a part of on campus. Mia Cogliano, a Sustainable Food and Farming senior at UMass, works in the UMass Hydro greenhouse. She shared that she has learned about growing and identifying vegetables, cloning plants, managing pests, and building hydroponic equipment. Mia explains, "I didn’t even know what hydroponics was when I started. I was with Evan all of the time and that is one of the reasons I stayed. He taught me so much and any question I could ask he would answer it.” Mia describes the UMass Hydro greenhouse as her "happy place" and points out that "you can get really cheap lettuce here and it is really fresh. You can literally come by any time and choose which one you want. I don’t think it gets fresher than that.” ​UMass Hydro takes pride in its unique and exceptional ability to provide an unparalleled opportunity for students to gain access to fresh produce and hands-on experience with hydroponic growing systems.  ​
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Evan Chakrin harvesting a leek.

A huge thanks to Evan, Mia and Dana for speaking with us for this interview, and to the entire UMass Hydro team for all of their hard work to provide fresh food and unique educational opportunities to the students of UMass Amherst. Follow their Facebook Page for information and updates or email umasshydrofarm@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing a CSA share, getting credit for working in the greenhouse, or buying their produce!  

​Photo credit: Keith Toffling Photography
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Farmer of the Week: Sidehill Farm

12/19/2017

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One of Sidehill Farm's young Normande calves roaming in the fields.
Sidehill Farm is a small, family run dairy farm that produces delicious, organic yogurt in Hawley, MA. Sidehill farm is owned by Amy Klippenstein and Paul Lacinski. They decided to start making yogurt because it is a healthy food “that your average person could afford to eat every day.” They started the farm nearly 20 years ago in Ashfield with only one cow and a small garden. They moved to their land in Hawley in 2012, which was previously an organic potato farm. Today, Sidehil Farm is the highest elevation operating farm in the state, and has a gorgeous view of rolling hills in every direction. They produce nearly 1,000 gallons of yogurt each day and have 225 acres of pasture and hay fields in the Berkshire Hills.

​Amy and Paul give the utmost attention and care to every part of their business. They name all of their cows and don’t need to use tags to identify them. They milk only four cows at a time to give them the best treatment possible each day. They never use hormones or antibiotics on their cows and add nothing artificial to their yogurt.

Additionally, they spend a lot of time caring for their land and soil. A large percentage of the land they own is used to graze their cows and Paul loves the process of growing grass and learning about soil fertility. He explained that they use their cattle as a land management tool. As the cows rotate through the pastures cutting grass down and moving on in order to allow the grass to recover, fertilizing the field as they go. Paul and Amy work hard to enhance the health of their soil to care as best they can for the earth and their cows. 
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Amy Klippenstein and Paul Lacinski, owners of Sidehill Farm.
Their great care extends to their customers as well. Sidehill Farm raises Normandes and Jersey cows because their milk has a much higher protein content than traditional Holstein cow’s milk. This high protein content and natural cultures of their milk is essential for making firm yogurt naturally. Many companies use Holstein milk because the cows are a lot larger and produce much more milk per day, but have to add artificial ingredients to make their yogurt firm. Amy and Paul sell their raw milk at their small farm shop. They also sell their sour cream, yogurt, grass-fed beef, pastured pork, and cheddar cheese. Additionally, they carry many products from other nearby farms including cheese, eggs, ice cream, and even pickles.​
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Paul and Amy spending time with their Jerseys.
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Amy explaining how the milking process for their cows in the Sidehill Farm milk room.
Paul and Amy both love the “moments in farming of breathtaking beauty” and the ability to spend so much time with nature and animals. They love contributing good, healthy food to their community and love when customers stop through to visit the farm. Sidehill Farm's yogurt is available at Harvest Market in the Campus center and other retail dining locations on campus. Be sure to check out their farm stand in Hawley if you are ever in the area! 
​Thank you so much, Amy and Paul, for all of the hard work you do to care that you have for the earth and to provide such delicious, healthy, unique yogurt to our community. 

Photo credits: Keith Toffling 
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UMass Fresh HOmemade Holiday Meal

12/8/2017

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Customers picking up their UMass Fresh Holiday Meal from the Campus Center.
Brrrr… winter is here, and so are all of the holidays that go along with it! If you haven’t started thinking about the food you’ll be eating during your celebrations, UMass Fresh has you covered. Just like the Thanksgiving meal from November, this month’s holiday meal will be starring a delicious assortment of local foods from the Pioneer Valley and greater New England region. All menu items come pre-cooked and are filled with festive, sustainable ingredients. 
December’s UMass Fresh Holiday Dinner will include an all-natural, humanely-raised ham from California’s Niman Ranch. For the non-meat eaters at the table, the menu also features a vegetarian “Wellington” topped with mushroom jus and stuffed with vegetables from Hadley’s Czajkowski Farm. Each meal is intended to feed 6-8 people. ​
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The UMass Fresh Holiday Meal features a delicious, humanely-raised applewood smoked ham from Niman Ranch.
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Jars of Balsamic Vinaigrette, Mushroom Jus, and Cold Spring Orchard Cider Glaze, all included in the Holiday Meal.
​For just $99.95 (plus tax), the full meal includes:
​•​ Niman Ranch All Natural Ham with Cold Spring Orchard Cider Glaze
•​ Czajkowski Farm Vegetable “Wellington” with Mushroom Jus
•​ Little Leaf Farms Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette with Warm Colors Apiary Honey Roasted Beets, Shaved Fennel, and Red Onions
•​ Szawlowski Farm Slow-Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
•​ Hadley-Grown Roasted Butternut Puree with Spiced Walnuts
•​ Pioneer Valley Sweet Potato Gratin with North Hadley Sugar Shack Maple Syrup
•​ Pioneer Valley Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon Lardons
•​ Cranberry Grain Bread Loaf
•​ Gingerbread Roulade & Almond Cookies
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Joe Czajkowski, owner of Czajkowski Farm, in one of his carrot fields in Hadley, MA.
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Bonita and Dan Conlon of Warm Colors Apiary, located in South Deerfield, MA.
Support local farms and businesses while enjoying a delicious holiday meal cooked by the award-winning chefs of UMass Dining. Place your order online at http://umassdining.com/holiday by Tuesday, December 19th at 8:00 PM and let the festivities begin!
Orders will be available for pickup at the Campus Center’s Harvest Market on: ​
• Friday 12/22 from 12pm – 5pm
• Saturday 12/23 from 12pm – 5pm
• Sunday 12/24 from 12pm – 5pm
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UMass Dining's Chef Tony preparing the Shaved Brussels Sprouts for the Holiday Meal.
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Farmer of the Week: Warm Colors Apiary

12/4/2017

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Bonita and Dan Colon, owners of Warm Colors Apiary in South Deerfield, MA.
Warm Colors Apiary is located on eighty acres of woodlands, open fields, and wetlands in South Deerfield, MA. They produce over seven different kinds of delicious regional honeys from Western MA. Right now at Warm Colors Apiary, owners Dan and Bonita Conlon are working to prepare their bees for the coming winter. They are insulating the hives, checking them for disease, and making sure there is enough honey in the hives for their bees to survive through the long stretch of cold weather approaching. UMass Dining is the largest single buyer of Warm Colors Apiary honey. Their honey is used in the Dining Commons and the UMass Bakeshop.
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Dan Conlon conversing with UMass Amherst students about their honeybees in Franklin Dining Commons.
Honeybees and other pollinators are crucial to the health of ecosystems and the survival of humans. More than 75% of all flowering plants on earth need pollinators to reproduce, including a majority of the food that we eat. Dan Conlon explained that bees have been around for 80 million years and have overcome all kinds of natural phenomenon, but many species of pollinators, including bumble bees, are endangered. The decline of pollinator species is attributed to a loss in feeding and nesting habitats, and Warm Colors works to provide both of those for their bees and other pollinators.
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Bonita Conlon educating students and providing honey samples at Franklin Dining Commons.
Since we last spoke with Warm Colors in April 2017, they have been working with UMass Amherst to incorporate more bees into the UMass landscape, and will hopefully be installing new beehives in different gardens around campus in the coming year. This project hopes to connect students to bees and other pollinators and educate them about beekeeping and honey harvesting.  Installing beehives on campus would also provide ultra local honey for students to enjoy. Additionally, Warm Colors Apiary is working with Graduate students in the School of Engineering to develop sensors that diagnose disease within beehives to help beekeepers like Dan and Bonita catch and treat them early before they spread out of control.  ​
​Dan works to improve the health of his hives in other ways too. He is currently the President of the Russian Honeybee Breeders Association and raises Queen Russian Honeybees to supply beekeepers all over the country. Warm Colors is the only source of “certified” Russian queens in New England. These Russian bees have been bred to improve their tolerance to mites and immunity to diseases, which reduces the amount of chemical treatments necessary to maintain healthy hives. This is part of what makes Warm Colors’ honey so unique and high quality; it is pure and uncontaminated by chemicals. Dan Conlon is thrilled to be a part of this innovation and shared, “I enjoy the involvement with the sciences and that we are discovering things that are going to benefit future generations. That is the pinnacle of my career - participating in things that will make a difference long after I am gone.”
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Dan and Bonita in the beautiful fields at Warm Colors Apiary with some of their bee boxes.
Dan urges readers to be aware that “the biggest threat to all of these creatures is human activity. Everyone should be conscious of their activities, actions, and how they affect the environment.” Dan has many suggestions for how everyone can help bees to survive and thrive:
  1. Plant flowers to support wild bees and butterflies. Bees and other pollinators eat the nectar from flowers, and you can make a difference by planting native species on any land you have access to.
  2. Be aware of the chemicals you apply to your land and follow the instructions on chemical labels. Chemicals can be the most problematic when they are used improperly. 
  3. Learn to live with stinging insects. If stinging insects aren’t directly in your way, they are actually beneficial to your space. For example, yellow jackets eat fly larvae which can decrease the amount of flies on your property. Wasps can control garden pests by hunting insects that harm vegetable crops. ​​
"Everything in nature has a purpose and contributes in some way to the cycle of life. Insects are actually very important to humans. I admire these little creatures."
​-Dan Conlon
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Dan and Bonita Conlon at Franklin Dining Commons to teach students about beekeeping.
Many thanks to Warm Colors Apiary for all of their hard work to protect pollinators and for their many contributions to the UMass Amherst community. UMass Dining is so thankful to work with you. For more information about Warm Colors Apiary, visit their website. 

Photo credit: Keith Toffling
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