Farmer Spotlight

Mapleline Farm in Hadley, MA.  Mapleline Farm is a family owned and operated Jersey farm established in 1904 in Hadley, MA. They have 300 Jersey cows, who are brown instead of black and white, and produce rich, creamy milk that is higher in calcium, protein, and nonfat solids than traditional cow’s milk. As of September […]

Cold Spring Orchard’s beautiful apples.  Cold Spring Orchard is an education and research facility of UMass Amherst and grows over 100 varieties of apples on 50 acres of land. They offer “pick-your-own” apples and also sell a variety of goods including peaches, honey, apple cider, jams, jellies, grapes, blueberries, pears, squash, and pumpkins. They always

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

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

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

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

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

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

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