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On the Ground- Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference 2017

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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Coursework Collaborations

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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High Lawn Farm

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

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Warm Colors Apiary

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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Maple Valley Creamery

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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On the Ground Update- Regional Protein Forum

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 Orchids

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

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Little Leaf Farms

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

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Queen’s Greens

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

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