The UMass Student Farming Enterprise is a student-led initiative that manages 14 acres of land and grows 35 different crops using ecologically sound practices. They supply UMass Dining with over 46 tons of ultra local, fresh, and organic vegetables every year- grown for students, by students. Working with the Student Farm helps UMass Dining meet […]
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Colorful turnips from Czajkowski Farm. Joe Czajkowski’s farm operates on over 400 acres of land in Hadley, MA and is so close to campus that you can see the UMass Graduate Research Center from his fields. In comparison to conventional produce, which uses hundreds of gallons of fuel to travel from California to Massachusetts, vegetables
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A bumble bee pollinating flowers in the UMass Permaculture garden. The UMass Permaculture Initiative is a cutting-edge sustainability program managed by Xochiquetzal Salazar that provides empowering hands-on education for students to learn about local, sustainable food systems. Now in its sixth growing season, UMass Permaculture has five gardens on campus that are home to nearly
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Fresh Fungi Ally Oyster mushrooms. Fungi Ally grows fresh, organic mushrooms year round in Hadley, MA and provides a sustainable, medicinal, and nutrient dense protein source for our local community. Fungi Ally is owned and operated by Willie Crosby, an alum of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass Amherst. Fungi Ally grows Oyster, Lion’s
Colorful array of Student Farm produce for their CSA pickup. Start the semester off right and treat yourself to some free healthy snacks, herbal infusions, and spin-to-win prizes for our Welcome Back Wellness Market. Let us all celebrate and support the well-being of our community in this hectic, yet exciting time of year. Join UMass
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On July 26, 2017 UMass Dining hosted a Poultry Gathering to facilitate a conversation with our community about how the local poultry industry can be supported, improved, and expanded. More than 45 people from sectors across the poultry industry attended, including local poultry producers, State and Federal agricultural agencies, Nonprofit organizations, and institutional food service
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Chef Ron DeSantis, Director of Culinary Excellence and Quality Assurance for Yale Dining, presenting about jackfruit and other underutilized edible plants. This week, the 23rd annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference hosted by UMass Dining has returned! The theme of this year’s conference is The Power of Food, which encompass all aspects of
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Natural Resources Conservation (NRC) 185: Sustainable Living in the 21st Century, instructed by Professor Lena Fletcher, is one of the most popular introductory sustainability classes on campus. NRC 185 is an interdisciplinary, team-based learning class that explores many of the most critical social, environmental, and economic issues our society is facing today. Every semester, NRC
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Roberto Laurens petting a High Lawn Farm Jersey cow. [Image by Keith Toffling] High Lawn Farm is a family-owned dairy farm located in Lee, MA in their 97th year of operation that produces all natural milk free of artificial hormones. High Lawn Farm is owned by the Wilde family, who have lived on the farm
Dan and Bonita Conlon, owners of Warm Colors Apiary, in front of their pollinator plants. [Image by Keith Toffling] Warm Colors Apiary, owned by Dan and Bonita Conlon, is located on eighty acres of woodland, open fields and wetlands, in South Deerfield, MA. Dan and Bonita manage about 1,200 colonies of bees, which can provide
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Silver, one of Maple Valley Creamery’s cows grazing in the pasture. Maple Valley Creamery, located in Hadley, MA is a dairy farm that produces premium ice cream using their own fresh milk and cream. They are dedicated to sustainability, supporting local economies, and treating their dairy cows with the utmost love and respect. Maple Valley
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UMass Student Farm chickens. On February 16, 2017 several UMass Auxiliary staff attended a poultry forum in Grafton, MA hosted by the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative. In attendance were several Massachusetts poultry farmers and representatives from a variety of organizations such as MDAR, the USDA, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), and Massachusetts Farm to
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Kielbasa Orchards and their stunning view of the Holyoke Mountain Range. Kielbasa Orchards is a small apple orchard located in Amherst, MA that has been in the family for four generations. This local farm, with a stunning view of the Holyoke Mountain Range, provides UMass Dining with tasty heirloom apples every year. Kielbasa Orchards is
Little Leaf Farm’s greenhouse in Devens, MA. Little Leaf Farms is a three-acre greenhouse operation run by Paul Sellew, Pieter Slaman, and Tim Cunniff in Devens, Massachusetts. Little Leaf Farms grows their greens hydroponically indoors all year round and is dedicated to producing sustainable, nutritious and fresh greens. 95% of the lettuce greens we consumed
Queen’s Greens greenhouses. Queen’s Greens, a charming farm in Amherst, MA, grows certified organic greens, herbs, and vegetables year-round on 30 acres of fields and greenhouses. Although it is rare for farms to grow winter crops, Queen’s Greens harvests spinach twice a week through December! Queen’s Greens is owned and operated by Matt Biskup and
