Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom 2006 Donors
Partners in Progress: Donations of $1,000 or Greater
Bristol County Farm Bureau *
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources *
Massachusetts Nursery & Landscape Association *
Mass. State Lottery in Mass. Building at Eastern States *
Middlesex County Farm Bureau *
Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth *
Worcester County Farm Bureau *
Partners in Progress: Donations of $500 to $999
Allandale Farm, Brookline *
Christensen-Dunn Early Childhood Foundation *
Massachusetts Beekeepers Association
James Munger, South Dartmouth *
Norfolk County Farm Bureau
Frederic and Susan Winthrop, Turner Hill Farm, Ipswich *
Partners in Progress: Donations between $250-499
Communities Involved in Sustainable Agriculture
Mass. Association of Roadside Stands & Pick-Your-Own *
Massachusetts Fairs Association *
Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation *
Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association *
Massachusetts Fruit Growers’ Association *
Massachusetts Maple Producers’ Association *
Massachusetts State Grange, P of H. *
Middlesex County Beekeepers Association *
Lenore Paul, Ludlow *
Warren Farm & Sugarhouse, North Brookfield *
Partners in Progress: Donations between $150-249
Lucy G. Carter, Woodleigh Farm, Weston *
Paul and Claire Desilets, East Sandwich
Eastern Mass. Trustees, Eastern States, West Springfield
Debi Hogan and Warren Leach, Seekonk *
June and Jim Johnson, Tewksbury *
Robert Lawrence, San Francisco, CA
Mary and Tim Nourse, Nourse Farm, Whately *
Nathan Nourse, South Deerfield *
Karen Randall, Randall’s Farm, Ludlow *
Tewksbury Garden Club
Sven and Rosamond Vaule, Brookline
Program Associates: Donations between $100-149
Agri-Mark, Inc., Lawrence *
Allen and Sarah Berry, Boylston
Apponagansett Bay Vineyard, South Dartmouth *
Richard Bourgault, Farm Family Insurance, Westford
Frank Carlson, Carlson Orchards, Inc., Harvard
Suzanne Colloredo-Mansfeld, South Hamilton *
Linwood Erskine, Jr., Paxton *
Russ French, OESCO, Inc., Conway *
Griffith Cranberry Co, Inc., South Carver *
Ashley V. Holmes, Plymouth *
Judith Kimball, Haverhill *
Mary McBrady, Plymouth *
Charles H. McColough, McColough Associates, Bedford *
June Millett, Whitman *
Jerry Myers, Springfield
New England Vegetable & Berry Growers Association *
A. Russo & Sons, Watertown *
Gary Saunders, Brookline
Gus Skamarycz, Tyngsboro *
Wayne and Priscilla Smith, Abington *
John Sterling, Ithaca, NY
Friends of MAC Donations up to $54 to $99
John and Dorothy Angley, Carver *
Sarah L. Barnett, Newton Centre *
Jane Lyman Bihldorf, Canton
Janet Christensen, Milton *
Franz and Anne Colloredo-Mansfeld
Warren and Marilyn Cook, Wrentham *
Marjorie Cooper, Rochdale
Lawrence H. Cournoyer, Paxton
Joseph Donato, JoBarb Farm, Bolton
J. Peter Griffin, Boston
Anne Jencks, Seekonk
Robert and Barbara Johnson, Rutland *
Catherine Lastavica, M.D., Manchester
Cynthia and Orrin Mason, Jefferson *
Raymond E. McKay, Foxborough *
Oiva Hannula & Sons, Carver *
Francis H. Phillips, Kingston *
Elizabeth and Richard Rogers, Ward Hill
Lee Salonen, Jr., Sunapee, NH
Richard Sheppard, Sterling
Will Snyder, UMass Extension
Charles Tarleton, Winchendon
Donald and Dorrie Upton, Jaffrey, NH
Charles Wilkinson, Swampscott
Donald Wilson, Wilson Farm, Lexington
Friends of MAC Donations up to $49
Abington Grange # 57 P. of H. *
Colleen Abrams, Holden
Mark Amato, Hopkinton
Mary Jo Barrington, South Deerfield
Francis E. Bingham, Dedham *
Braintree Grange # 262 *
Martha Burkett, New Braintree
Ronald Carriveau, Holyoke *
Debbie Cary, MAS, Worcester
Robert Cecchi & Sons, Feeding Hills *
Janet and Charles Chase, Clinton
Francis Colburn, Manchester
Karen Cole, Gill
Katherine Conway, Stockbridge School *
Peggy Corbett, Lancaster 4-H
William Craigue, Leominster *
Steve Cumming, Bayer Crop, Lunenburg
Linda Cysz, Lee
Martha L. Dailey, Bidwell House Mus. *
Marcia B. Dexter, Taunton *
Joanne DiNardo, Leominster
Margaret Doyle, West Springfield
David Dumaresq, Brox Farm, Dracut
Caryl A. Dyer, Bernardston *
Susan Ebitz, Otis
Kurt Enko, R.C. Mahar Regional, Orange
David Fisher & Anna Maclay, Conway
Robbin Fitzgerald, Norwell
Luther C. Flanders, Jr., New Braintree *
Barbara Fontecchio, Upton
Geldmacher Cranberries, Inc., Duxbury *
Pamela Gill, Saugus
James Gilman, Huntington *
Lloyd Gingras, Mansfield
Deborah Goldberg, Swampscot
Charles Gourlis, Woburn
Brian Granville, Spencer
Charles Grassetti, Gloucester,
Sherrie Guyott, UMass Extension, Walpole
Deborah Leta Habib, Orange
George & D.D. Harrington, Framingham *
Stacy Hedges, Abington
Marnie Henneman, Belchertown
Sandra Hume, Naquag School, Rutland
Rich Hyslip, Griffin Greenhouse
Jean Crum Jones, Jones Family Farm, *
William H. King, West Brookfield
Brenda Kohl, Sargent School, North Andover
Laurel Hill Grange # 161, West Newbury
Robin Laurens, Northbridge High School
Frances Lawton, Hudson
Judy and Don Leab, Hancock
Cheryl Lekstrom, West Boylston
Paul Livingston, Littleton Public Schools
Bill Llewelyn, Five Point Farm, Northfield
Joseph Lombard, Medway
Roseanne Luvisi, Weymouth *
Gordon and Barbara MacPhee, Holden *
Mayflower North Pomona Grange # 40 *
Doris and Richard Mills, Westport
Emily Turtletaub Nelson, Ipswich
Joellyn Nevins, Townsend
Northborough Pomona Grange
Norton Grange # 218
Carl O’Neil, Duxbury
Pittsfield Grange # 14
Linda Plachy, Natick High School
Taniko Porter, Bellingham
Doug Potter, Worcester
Erik & Christine Rasmussen, Gloucester
Norma Raymond, Stoughton
Mary Reardon, Green Harbor
Rochester Grange # 257, Carver *
Kimberly Roell, Hingham
Jane Roundy, South Hamilton
Max and Miranda Russell, Ipswich
Charlie Sampson, Lancaster
Ellen Schwartz, Northfield Elementary School
Erika and David Sheldon, Great Barrington
Herbert Shepard, Acton
Debra Simes, Acton
Karen Sirois, Acton
H. Michael Smolak, Jr, North Andover
Cathy St. Andre, Southborough
Richard Starkey, Greenfield
Gordon MacDonald Starr, West Barnstable *
Jane Stauffer, Salem
Kathryn Stevens, Littleton Conservation Trust
Stockbridge Grange # 295 *
Nancy Stutzman, Boston
Susan Thibedeau, Wrentham
Mary Ann Tourkantonis, Medway
Christine Voss, Groveland
Dawn Marvin Ward, Montague
David White and Family, Washington *
Judith Wiezbicki, East Longmeadow *
Louise Woodward, North Brookfield
Memorial Gifts
In In Memory of Christine Worthen Eames given by Janet Christensen
In Memory of Sandy Facey given by June and Jim Johnson
In Memory of Gilbert Griggs given by June and Jim Johnson
In Honor of Frederic Winthrop, Jr.
In Honor of John Lee of Allandale Farm
In- Kind Donations
The Board of Directors wishes to thank the following individuals and organizations that made in-kind donations throughout the year.
Jim Alicata, Fitchburg State College
Allandale Farm, Brookline *
Amerilink Log Home Company
Jean Anliker, Ph.D., UMass, Amherst
Appleton Farm, The Trustees of Reservations, Ipswich
Diane Baedeker Petit, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service *
Pamela Barch, Ludlow High School
Adelia Bardwell, Brookledge Farm, Whately
Avant Gardens, Dartmouth
J. P. Bartlett Company, Sudbury *
Maria Beiter-Tucker, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Bemis Farm Nursery, Spencer *
Billingsgate Shellfish, Wellfleet *
Bliss Brother’s Dairy, Attleboro *
Richard and Muriel Boisseau, Westfield
Carol Borglund, Westborough *
Rebecca Bottomley, Quabbin Regional High School
Philip Boucher, Rehoboth *
Ed Bourgeois, Amherst *
John Bradley, The Trustees of Reservations, Beverly
Bramble Hill Farm, Amherst
Brigham Hill Community Farm, North Grafton *
Brockton Rox, Brockton
Robert Brodeur, Cathedral High School, Springfield
Tricia Brunner, Massachusetts 4-H Foundation
Louise Butler, Belchertown
Marybeth Campbell, Mass Technology Collaborative
Frank Carlson, Carlson Orchards, Harvard *
Meredith Carter, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Intern
Janet M. Christensen, Milton *
Cider Hill Farm Amesbury
Tom and Andrea Colyer, Hubardston
Community Farms Outreach, Waltham
Karen and Glen Cook, Amesbury *
Marjorie Cooper, Rochdale *
Cooper’s Hilltop Dairy Farm, Rochdale *
Susan Cornelia, Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation *
Nancy Cox, Veterans Park Elemementary School, Ludlow
Al Craig, Topsfield Fair
Ken Crater & Peg Ferraro, North Grafton *
Davidian’s Farm, Northboro
Devon Lane Farm Supply, Belchertown
Dole and Bailey, Woburn
Eastern States Ag. Dept, West Springfield
Edaville USA, Carver *
Fitchburg State College
Garden Vision, Hubbardston
Susan Gentile, USDA Food & Nutrition *
Kristin Getler, School Garden Consultant
Mary Gioiosa, USDA Food & Nutrition Service
Ken Gooch, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Laura Grabski, Boxford
Joann Greenwood, Chestnut Hill School
Hope Guardenier, School Garden Consultant
Deborah Habib, Seeds of Solidarity, Orange
Robert Haigh, Bobby’s Ranch, Acton
Gordon Hammersley, Hammersley’s Bistro
Greenwood Farm, Hubbardston
Lynn Hartman, Barre *
Jonathan Healy, Charlemont
Brenda Helleberg, North Brookfield
Debi Hogan & Warren Leach, Seekonk *
Donna Hogan, Principal, Paul Baird Middle
Craig Hollingsworth, UMass Extension
June and Jim Johnson, Tewksbury *
Justine Kahn, Project Bread, East Boston
John Kinchla, Sunderland
John King, Townsend
Sheila King, Ironstone Farm, Uxbridge
Guy Koppe, Project Bread, East Boston
Kent Lage, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources *
Christine LaPointe, Rochester
Judy and Don Leab, Hancock *
Rick LeBlanc, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources *
Hans Leo, Bramble Hill Farm, Amherst
Robert and Barbara MacLeod, Medfield
Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln
MA. Department of Agricul. Resources *
Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation *
Mass. Farm Bureau, Women’s Committee
Massachusetts 4-H Foundation *
Mary McBrady, Plymouth *
Mary McCaffrey, East Taunton *
Charles McColough, Bedford
Richard McIntire, Amherst
Sandra Medeiros, Stoughton *
Gilbert Moore, Slatersville, Rhode Island*
James Munger, South Dartmouth *
Ben Murray, Red Gate Farm, Buckland
Jerry Myers, Springfield *
Mary and Tim Nourse, Whately *
Oakdale Farm, Rehoboth *
Ken & Bobbie Oles, Wrentham *
Rita Brennan-Olson, M.S., Massachusetts Department of Education *
Lenore Paul, Ludlow *
Paul R. Baird Middle School, Ludlow
Dennis Picard, Storrowton Village Museum
Bill Pineda, Nissitissit Middle, Pepperell
Tia Pinney, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln
Nancy and Angela Possinger, Berkley
Gordon and Susan Price, Boxford *
Dianna Provencher, Leicester *
Quansett Nursery, South Dartmouth *
Karen Randall, Randall’s Farm, Ludlow *
Tom Raposa, Attleboro *
Red Fire Farm, Granby
Red Gate Farm, Buckland
Shawn Reeves, Energyteachers.org
Leif Riddington, 4 Rivers Charter School
Joyce and Leon Ripley, Blandford
Rogers Spring Hill Farm, Ward Hill
Russell’s Orchard, Ipswich
Deirdre Scott, Northampton
Carrie Chickerring Sears, UMass Extension
Shaws Supermarket, East Providence
Adrienne Shelton, Red Gate Farm Education Center, Buckland
Smith Farmstead Cheese, Winchendon
Gus Skamarycz, Tyngsboro *
Kris Skopinich, MAS, Lincoln
Jay Slattery, Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation *
Scott Soares, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources *
Stoney Meadow Farm, South Dartmouth *
Storrowton Village Museum, West Springfield
Joanne and Wayne Stuart, Brimfield *
Robin Stuart, Massachusetts audubon Society, Lincoln
Suburban Enterprises, Abington *
Sylvan Nurseries, Inc., Westport *
Topsfield Fair, Topsfield *
Maurice and Phyllis Tougas, Northborough
Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston
Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth *
UMass Extension, Amherst
USDA Food & Nutrition Service, Boston *
USDA Natural Resources Conservation *
Robert Wallace, Wellfleet
Mark Walter, Farm Educator, Waltham
Wayne Smith, Abington *
Heather Ware, Chester *
Warren Farm & Sugar House, North Brookfield *
A Special thanks to the Sponsors of our 2006 Seasonal Workshops
Bliss Allandale Farm, Brookline
Billingsgate Shellfish, Wellfleet
Bramble Hill Farm, Amherst
Brigham Hill Community Farm, Grafton
Cider Hill Farm, Amesbury
Community Farms Outreach, Waltham
Cooper’s Hilltop Dairy Farm, Leicester
Greenwood Farm, Hubbardston
John King’s Farm, Ludlow
Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln
Paul R. Baird Middle School, Ludlow
Lenore Paul’s Farm, Ludlow
Nourse Farm, Whately
Red Gate Farm, Buckland
Stoney Meadow Farm, South Dartmouth
Storrowton Village Mus., West Springfield
Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth
UMass, Amherst
Program Overview
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom (MAC) operates under the guidance of a 30-member volunteer Board of Directors who represent Massachusetts’ agricultural commodities, associations, and state and Federal Agencies involved in agriculture education and awareness. Programs include:
Mini-Grant Program
The Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Mini-Grant program is now in it’s thirteenth year. The Mini-Grant Committee awarded $5,247 in 2006, to support eight worthy initiatives submitted by Massachusetts educators. Since 1994, MAC has awarded more than $165,000 to more than 200 projects planned and carried out by educators across the State of Massachusetts. Grants of up to $1,500 per projects are awarded three times a year. Deadlines are April 1, September 1 and November 1. A MAC Board member serves as a liaison to support each project.
Workshops for Teachers on the Farm
In 2006, MAC conducted eight workshops for educators on farms across the state. Ten professional development points were offered for each of the workshops, reaching over 110 educators. Each session offered a farm tour and the opportunity to meet the farmer and learn about the work that goes on at that farm. Related hands-on activities conducted on the farm helped bring agriculture back to the classroom.
The 2006 topics included: Botany and Nursery; Community Farming; Early American Farm Activities; Farm Field Trip Education; Hunger; Insects and Pollination; Maple Sugaring, Orchards; School Gardening and Sustainable Agriculture. MAC has offered 90 workshops on the farm for educators since 1996, bringing on-farm education experiences to more than 1,100 educators.
Growing Minds Conference
In February 2006, Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom held our Fifth Annual Winter Conference titled “Growing Minds Through Massachusetts Agriculture” at a new location, The Paul R. Baird Middle School in Ludlow. Each workshops was presented by a teacher or farm educator or a teacher working in conjunction with a farmer, and offered a number of hands-on activities for the classroom. During each of the four workshop sessions, participants chose one of four sessions on a variety of agricultural topics. Kent Lage from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources offered an inspirational keynote talk about the history of agriculture in Massachusetts. Randall’s Farm in Ludlow provided a farm-made feast. During the year, the Board of Directors planned the 2007 Conference, once again pairing classroom educators with farmers for hands-on workshop that link to the Mass. Curriculum Frameworks.
Educational Newsletters
The MAC newsletter is published three times a year. Each newsletter focuses on one aspect of the organization and also provides in-depth background materials and activities for one agricultural commodity or issue. Feature articles in our 2006 newsletters described our Summer Graduate Credit Course for educators, paid tribute to Frederic Winthrop who founded Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom in 1982 and honored our 2006 Teacher of the Year, Regina Adams. Additional articles described our mini-grant program, the Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar, the Massachusetts Farm to School Program and our Heirloom Tomato efforts. Featured Massachusetts agricultural topics included: Goats; Seeds and Animals in the Classroom. We currently print 10,800 copies for distribution and also send the newsletter by e-mail.
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Web Site
Visit the MAC Web Site at www.aginclassroom.org to find an ever expanding site including information on workshops and conferences; educational information from past newsletters; mini-grant guide-lines and recipients; a regional AITC page, and many links.
Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar
MAC collaborated with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to produce the 2007 Calendar of Massachusetts Agriculture. The calendar is a tool to educate teachers, legislators and the general public, while at the same time creating an attractive color calendar to offer a daily reminder of Massachusetts agriculture. A calendar was sent to every public library in the state as well as each legislator.
Graduate-Credit Course for Teachers
In 2006, Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom launched our Summer Graduate-credit course “Growing Agriculture in the Classroom” in conjunction with Fitchburg State College. Twenty-one teachers participated in the program, attending seven educational workshops on farms across the state. Each participant also kept a journal and completed an agricultural project which they presented at the final workshop session on August 15th. This project was funded by a grant from the Northeast Farm Credit Ag-Enhancement Program and Agway Foundation. The Committee is planning a follow up Graduate-course this summer.
Other Education Materials
Massachusetts Agricultuire in the Classroom's Farm Field Trip Manual was developed to assist Massachusetts farmers who want to offer field trips on the farm for school groups. It included an outline on how to develop or expand the farm education program, pre-activities and post-field trip activities for the classroom, suggestions for carrying out the field trip and connections to the Mass. Curriculum Frameworks. It was funded by an Agro-Environmental Technology grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.
The School Community - Green Industry Handbook provides resources to facilitate cooperative gardening efforts between schools, local community groups and businesses. This handbook was reformatted and reprinted in 2004. This handbook was developed by Diane Syverson as part of a Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources & Federal Specialty Crops Grant Program.
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom continues to distribute our “Eight Lesson About Agriculture and the Environment” (a resource with sample activities for elementary and middle school teachers with sample); “Reprints of Ten Past Newsletters”; an “It’s Your World” curriculum for grades K through 12 and our Teacher’s Resource Directory of free and low cost agricultural education materials Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom
For additional information on any of the projects or proposed initiatives in the Annual Report
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