October is national Campus Sustainability Month! Here at UMass, we would like to celebrate by offering some tips & tricks to adopting a more sustainable lifestyle while helping to make a difference in our community! If you’re interested in getting more involved with sustainability on campus, consider joining one of many student groups; Eco-Rep, UMass […]
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We are proud to announce that we have recently begun sourcing from three new, local family businesses. These farms comprise a step in our efforts to provide more locally grown food and meet our commitment to purchase 20% real food by 2020. ATLAS FARM – SOUTH DEERFIELD, MA Atlas Farm is an 85-acre diversified, organic
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Last week, our staff visited Warm Colors Apiary to discuss how to strengthen the connection between the apiary and surrounding communities. The event was organized by CISA, a non-profit dedicated to improving the viability of local agriculture by bridging the gap between farms and local consumers. The visit included a tour of the apiary as well
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Last week, the UMass Dining team met with Andy Kendall, Executive Director of the Henry P. Kendall Foundation regarding the Local, Healthy UMass Food System Initiative. The meeting was held to discuss the progress being made at UMass Dining to leverage broader institutional change in order to create a more resilient New England food system. The
A diet full of healthy, nutritious, and fresh foods is a huge part of the key to success for children in K-12 public schools, but when we think about what public schools actually serve students, the food is usually the opposite – unhealthy, nutrient deficient, and highly processed. 93% of students who attend the Stefanik Elementary
Growing Community in Chicopee- The Stefanik Elementary Garden Read More »
Tara, Pete, and their five children We last spoke with our partners at PT Farm for Farmer of the Week eighteen months ago. Any farmer will tell you that farms never remain stagnant and are constantly in a state of evolution. So, it was time to check in to find out what’s new on the
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Last week, the UMass Earth Day Festival brought together a diverse range of student groups including the UMass Food Recovery Network, New2U Reuse Tag Sale, the Student Farming Enterprise and the UMass Green Building Council for a day of activities, education, and fun! This year was the 46th annual Earth Day Festival at UMass. It
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Preparing spiralized butternut squash at the Taste of UMass event on 4/7/16. We checked in with Joe Czajkowski, our largest local farm partner to find out what’s been happening on the farm since we last interviewed him in late 2014. He’s been busy! Joe is always working to expand his product line. In the past
As UMass Dining sources from more local meat farms, our staff has increased its ability to butcher on site. While processing meat on site requires more time and labor, it also allows the chefs to get the cuts they need to be creative with their dishes. For example, Hampshire Dining Commons grinds its own beef, sourced
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University of Massachusetts Amherst Auxiliary Enterprises has been awarded a $3,500 grant from the Women for UMass Amherst Fund (WFUM) that will be used for a permaculture garden project at Stefanik Elementary School in Chicopee. The award will fund maintenance for the garden and provide educational programming both at the garden and in classrooms at
