State Commissioner Recognizes UMass Dining Services Director Ken Toong for Supporting Local Agriculture

Sept. 26, 2008

Contact:

Ed Blaguszewski 413/545-0444

AMHERST, Mass. – Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Petersen today presented Ken Toong, director of University of Massachusetts Amherst Dining Services, with the state’s Faces of Agriculture Award in a ceremony at Berkshire Dining Commons. The award recognizes Toong’s outstanding support of local agriculture. A special luncheon featuring local foods was part of the celebration.

Toong also received the 2008 Blue Ribbon Award from the Amherst-based nonprofit Farm to School Project for his outstanding work in fostering Massachusetts farm-to-school connections. The award was presented by state Rep. Ellen Story.

Under Toong’s guidance, the campus’ use of locally grown produce, eggs, milk and meat has grown substantially over the past five years. Today, approximately 20 percent of all food bought by the campus comes from area farmers and is worth approximately $225,000. “We are proud to have achieved so much toward buying locally and supporting Massachusetts farmers in the past few years,” Toong said. “We’re going to keep trying to improve and even increase the local foods we use this year to 25 percent. This is something the whole university community is proud of.”

Toong’s work is part of a statewide effort to bolster local farms. Commissioner Petersen said, “For the more than 60 Massachusetts family farms providing their products directly to schools, the farm-to-school connection is generating more than $700,000 in additional revenues each year.”

Gov. Deval Patrick proclaimed this week as Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week, when schools, colleges and universities are encouraged to purchase, serve and celebrate locally grown food on their menus. More than 160 school districts now purchase locally grown food, according to the Farm to School Project.

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