Numerous studies, including a recently-completed effort conducted for the Department of Food and Agriculture by Pan Atlantic Consultants, have revealed that consumers are poorly informed about Massachusetts agriculture. However, when asked their preferences, they express strong support for local agriculture, and suggest a willingness to "buy local". However, many consumers are also concerned about reported environmental and public health risks from agriculture, particularly those associated with pesticide use. Thus, a program that seeks to educate consumers about ways local producers and related businesses are reducing their use of pesticides while maintaining availability of high quality locally-produced food, is timely.

With this in mind, the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture, the USDA Farm Services Agency, and UMass Extension began a collaboration in 1990 that resulted in the first-in-the-nation IPM Education and Certification Project. This project was based on the unique IPM definitions called IPM Guidelines first developed at UMass, and was known in the marketplace and media as Partners With Nature (PWN). PWN offered IPM adopters a verifiable way to document their use of IPM and take advantage of consumer's favorable attitudes toward it. Since 1990, nearly 100 growers of crops as diverse as sweet corn, cabbage, strawberry, peppers and winter squash have signed up and participated in the program. Research conducted by UMass and Tufts University has documented positive consumer response to IPM labels, and grower participants have reported increased sales, new markets and new customers gained, and substantial favorable media attention.

The objectives of the Community IPM Project are to:

• Promote an understanding of IPM principles by growers
• Promote an understanding of IPM concepts by the general public
• Develop guidelines which define IPM practices for commodities supported by IPM research.
• Explore applications of certification of IPM practitioners to enhance IPM adoption and public education

Community IPM Project Team Members are: C.S. Hollingsworth and W.Coli

Selected Articles:
Education and Certification Report FY 1999
Education and Certification Report FY 2000
Adoption of IPM Systems
Sweet Corn IPM Adoption
IPM in Massachusetts Public Schools
Partners with Nature - History
IPM for Bedding Plants - 1996 Survey
Integrated Pest Management for Northeast Schools: (View Only)
Complete Version: What is Integrated Pest Management? (9 languages)
Massachusetts IPM Guidelines
Introduction & Acknowledgements
Apple
Cole Crops
Cranberry
Pepper
Potato
Pumpkin & Squash
Strawberry
Sweetcorn
Field Tomato
Greenhouse Tomato
Highbush Blueberry
Pointsettia
Raspberry
Wine Grape