What’s Happening

Waste Reduction: A Focus On Reducing our Plastic Usage  

Waste Reduction /

UMass Dining is committed to reducing single-use plastics from infiltrating our environment and impacting environmental and human health. With this focus, UMass Dining creates new initiatives that incentivize students to make better, informed choices regarding their waste management. The exchange of knowledge is an essential factor for change and growth, so it is important to […]

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Textile Waste  

Waste Reduction /

When you go shopping for new clothes, what do you pay attention to before making a purchase? You may consider factors such as the latest fashion trends, price, and versatility–but how often do you think about the environmental impact of the clothing you wear?   It may be difficult to believe that something as simple as

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Keeping Up With Kelp: A Delicious Partnership with Atlantic Sea Farms to Save Our Planet 

Food /

Did you know that despite covering over 70% of the Earth’s surface, only 2% of the food we eat is supplied by the ocean? Although the first foods that come to mind when you think of the ocean may be animal products, such as fish, shrimp, and lobster, many people are also eating sea vegetables–specifically

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A Foraging Guide to Campus

Garden /

This past semester, Anaadi Pooran, a student in the Master’s in Sustainability program, worked with UMass Permaculture Initiative Coordinator, Dan Bensonoff, to create a field guide to foraging on the UMass Amherst campus.  The field guide presents detailed information on 21 different species of edible plants and mushrooms that can be readily found on campus. Also

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As Above, So Below- Digging Roots and Scattering Seeds Under the Scorpio Moon

Garden /

It is no secret that Scorpio season (October 22nd – November 21st) is a time for contemplating the ever-present cycle of death and rebirth. This, I can only assume, is why many of the holidays celebrated this time of year (Halloween, el Día de los Muertos, Samhain, All Saints’ Day, etc.), regardless of the cultures

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UMass Student Farm

Farmer Spotlight /

The UMass Student Farm is a student-run farm on campus that manages 14 acres of land and grows 35 different crops using ecologically sound practices. They supplied UMass Dining with over 10,000 lbs of local, fresh, organic vegetables in the past year. Produce from the Student Farm is featured in all four Dining Commons, at

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Diet For A Cooler Planet Dinner

Food /

On November 27th 2018, UMass Dining hosted an event called Diet For A Cooler Planet that served a meal of delicious regenerative foods featuring contributions from local farms practicing alternative farming methods. The meal was served in all four dining commons on campus to highlight our local partners and encourage students to practice more mindful

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Food For All Market

Food /

On November 9th, the Student Farmers’ Market held a Food For All Market with an attempt to address the stigma on hunger around campus. UMass Permaculture, the Food For All Program, and the Student Farm teamed up to organize this exciting Market, which featured a fresh and canned food drive, opportunities to engage in conversation

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Joe Czajkowski

Farmer Spotlight /

Joe Czajkowski Farms carrot fields in Hadley, MA.  Joe Czajkowski Farm, located in Hadley, MA, has been supplying food to UMass Dining since 2015 and is owned by Joe Czajkowski, a third generation farmer. Joe’s 400 acre farm grows a wide variety of crops including corn, winter squash, summer squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, strawberries and

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Cold Spring Orchard

Farmer Spotlight /

Cold Spring Orchard apples.  Cold Spring Orchard is a research and education facility of UMass Amherst located in Belchertown, MA. The Cold Spring Orchard farm store has different varieties of apples to choose from every couple of weeks and also sells honey, maple products, jams, jellies, apple cider, and more. At Cold Spring, they offer

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UMass Student Farm Off:Grid Greenhouse

Climate Literacy /

The UMass Student Farming Enterprise has recently finished building an off-grid greenhouse at the Agricultural Learning Center in Amherst, MA. The National Science Foundation grant funded the project with the objective of educating students about renewable energy in agricultural settings. Throughout the past four years, interns and students have been involved with the development of

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North Hadley Sugar Shack

Farmer Spotlight /

Tapped trees at the North Hadley Sugar Shack in Hadley, MA.  The North Hadley Sugar Shack, owned by Joe and Shelly Boisvert, is located less than four miles from campus and supplies UMass Dining with high quality, pure maple syrup. The North Hadley Sugar Shack is a family-owned business that was started about twenty years

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