Partners in Massachusetts Agriculture Education
Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources
Autumn 2009 Newsletter
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom is sponsoring a fall conference for educators on Saturday, November 7th at the Clay Conference Center of the Dexter and Southfield Schools in Brookline. The school borders Allandale Farm where tours will be offered during the morning.
The theme of the conference is Greening the School. All workshops will focus on composting, gardening at the school, taking the garden into the classroom, herbs, recycling and other green initiatives. Four workshop sessions, with multiple workshop choices, will be held throughout the day from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. offering specific lessons ideas and more. Tour the school’s solar panels, wind turbine and planetarium.
The Clay Center for Science and Technology is a state-of-the-art astronomical observatory and learning center that features seven research-grade telescopes. It also contains sophisticated computer and science laboratories, a multi-media lecture hall, classrooms, dining, and meeting spaces, and a solar energy roof deck and wind turbine.cook food to illustrate different textures, uses and cultures.
Allandale Farm is Boston’s last working farm -- located in Jamaica Plain and Brookline. The farm follows practices that meet the growing methods of the National Organic Program, although they have chosen not to pursue federal registration. They rotate crops, amend the fields with organic fertilizers and their own compost and use only approved herbicides and fungicide. The farm offers CSA Shares, a farm market with locally grown and artisan foods, a summer youth camp and a school.
Don’t miss this day of discussion, interaction and activity ideas that will enhance your classroom and schoolyard. The $45 fee includes all workshops and tours; workshop materials; breakfast snack; dessert and drinks at lunch; and 10 pdp’s with a related classroom activity. Click here for a list of individual workshops, registration form and directions.
We need your support. If you like what we do, please make a donation today to support Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom. We are a small non-profit with a big impact. All programming and operational support is raised annually through donations; we receive no direct state or federal dollars. Thank you!
Marjorie A. Cooper
At the final workshop session for our 2009 Summer Graduate Course, participating teachers told us about their summer experience. Inspiring was the word they felt best described their adventures on a dozen Mass. farms during the six-week agricultural immersion.
Jack Angley’s stories about cranberry bogs and farming, Jan Wentworth’s demonstration of canning techniques for fruits and vegetables in her beautiful kitchen and Bill Cassell’s presentation of activities he takes from the garden into his classroom were mentioned repeatedly as most memorable moments. The volunteers at Natick Community Organic Farm, techniques for keeping several students occupied concurrently at Sheep Pastures in North Easton and the volume of gardeners at Brigham Hill Grafton Community Farm who are committed to providing fresh vegetables to the Worcester County Food Bank are all inspiring.
The lesson plan that each participant presented to the assembled teachers and MAC board members represented an appreciation of how food is grown. It showed that examples from agriculture can stimulate student learning and meet state teaching standards.
Teachers love to visit farms. The beauty of the various landscapes, the locally grown products that are so often part of the workshop lunches, the enthusiasm of the speakers and the chance to meet and talk with the farmers provide basic information about our agricultural pursuits. They process what they have learned and enliven subjects they teach in the classroom.
This year a quiz was added at each farm workshop. MAC Board members Ken Oles and Jim Alicata provided information on how to connect to educational frameworks. One participant, Ian Scully, teacher and videographer, filmed each workshop with intent to create a short video.
Thank you to the host farms and thank you also to all of the farmers who spent quality time with teachers who wanted to comprehend agriculture and transfer this real world knowledge to their students.
Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Is Now Available
The 2010 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar is now available. Show your enthusiasm for agriculture, and also support the many educational efforts of Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom (MAC), the designated recipient of all proceeds. The Mass. Agriculture Calendar was a collaboration between the U.S. D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and MAC. It was created to educate consumers about the rich diversity of agriculture in the state, while at the same time providing an attractive color calendar that is a daily reminder of Massachusetts agriculture.
Each month of the calendar features one full-size photograph portraying a local farm or farm product in season. Photos were submitted by amateur photographers from across the state for our 2009 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Photo Contest. View the winning photos and check out the rules for taking and sending photographs to the 2010 Mass. Agriculture contest at www.mass.gov/agr/events.
The calendar also includes local agriculture facts, conservation facts, agriculture and horticulture related events and websites, as well as a chart showing the seasons of local crops. Nine non-profit agricultural commodity organizations each sponsored a page in the calendar. They are the: Massachusetts Agricultural Fairs Association; Massachusetts Association of Roadside Stands and Pick-Your-Own; Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association; Massachusetts Dairy Promotions Council; Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation; Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association; Massachusetts Fruit Growers Association; Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, and the Massachusetts State Grange.
Calendars may be purchased for $10 each. A discount price of $5 per calendar is available for orders of 5 calendars or more. All proceeds benefit Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom. Send a check payable to MAC with your name and address to: Calendar, MAC, P.O. Box 345, Seekonk, MA 02771.
The scientific name for the sunflower is Helianthus. This name comes from the Greek for the god of the sun Helios, and anthos, their word for flower. Could there be any better name for a bright yellow flower that appears to follow the sun?
The sunflower is native to North America. It is thought to originate in present day Mexico and Peru. It grew wild all over the continent from the Paleo-Indian time. Today there are approximately 67 species and subspecies growing wild across North America.
Archaeologists surmise that wild sunflowers were used by Native Americans going back to 8,000 years ago. The seeds were high in fat, providing an easy energy source. The hulls were used to make a drink and also for dyes and body paint. Dried stalks were used for building materials and the oil was used for cooking, medicine and lotion.
The use of the sunflower image as a religious symbols has also been documented in some native societies. The Aztecs in Southern Mexico wore crowns made of sunflowers in their temples.
The cultivation of sunflowers seems to have begun in present-day Arizona and New Mexico about 3000 BC, even before corn was grown as a crop. By about 2,300 BC, the Cherokee on the East Coast of North America were also farming sunflowers.
Through cross pollination and seed selection, they encouraged plants with larger flowers and more seeds. The result was a stem with just one large flower that held a large number of seeds in a variety of colors including black, white, red, and black/white striped.
In the 16th century, the European explorers were introduced to the tall, brightly colored flowers. They learned how to grow them and sent seeds back to Europe. The plants became widespread mainly as an ornamental, but some medicinal uses were also developed.
By 1716, an English patent was granted for squeezing oil from sunflower seeds. But it was in Russia, in the 1830s, that the manufacture of sunflower oil was began on a commercial scale. Sunflowers were farmed across that country on two million acres. Government research programs were implemented. Oil contents and yields were increased significantly.
The Russian Orthodox Church increased the popularity of the sunflower by forbidding most oil foods from being consumed during Lent. Since the sunflower was not on the prohibited list, it gained an immediate popularity as a food.
Russian and German immigrants brought sunflowers with them when they move to the U.S. and Canada in the 1900s. By 1880, seed companies were advertising the ‘Mammoth Russian’ sunflower in catalogues.of our
In the 1930s, the Canadian government encouraged farmers to grow more sunflowers for food. By 1946, Canadian farmers had built a small crushing plant and sunflower acreage spread.
In 1964, the Government of Canada licensed the Russian cultivar called 'Peredovik.' This seed produced high yields and high oil content. Sunflower continued to be hybridized in the middle seventies providing additional yield and oil enhancement as well as disease resistance.
The first commercial use of the sunflower in the U.S. was as silage feed for poultry. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the sunflower became an important agronomic crop in the U.S., starting in North Dakota and Minnesota with commercial interest in the production of sunflower oil.
By the 1970s sunflower farming spread into South Dakota and Kansas, then moving into other states including Nebraska, Texas and California. Today Europe, Russia, Argentina, China, India, Turkey and South Africa are also significant producers of sunflowers.
Sunflower production escalated in the late 1970s to over 5 million acres due to European demand for sunflower oil. During this time, animal fats as a cooking oil were discouraged due to cholesterol concerns. Russia could no longer supply the growing demand for the oil and European companies began importing whole seed from the United States, which was crushed in European mills. Today Western Europe depends on its own production and U.S. exports to Europe of sunflower oil or seed for crushing is quite small.
Two types of sunflowers are grown commercially in the United States today. The first is Oilseed. This small black seed is very high in oil content and is processed into sunflower oil and meal. It is also the seed of choice of most bird feeders. Of the two million acres of sunflowers that are grown each year in the U.S. today, up to 90 percent are the oilseed type.
The second type is Non-oilseed, also known as the confectionery sunflower. This is a larger black and white striped seed used in a variety of food products from snacks to bread.
Of the seeds processed for oil, about equal thirds are dehulled, partially dehulled, or left with hulls on for processing. When hulls are removed, they become a very low value byproduct, most often burned for fuel.
After the oil is extracted from the sunflower seed, the remaining seed material (meal) is fed to livestock. The nutrient value of the meal depends on the type of processing it has gone through and the degree to which the hulls were removed prior to processing. If part or all of the hulls remained on the seed prior to oil extraction, then the meal will have higher fiber content but lower protein and fat. Regardless of the method of sunflower meal manufacture, the meal can serve as a source of supplemental protein in diets for beef or dairy cattle.
In Massachusetts Today
Sunflowers have enjoyed immense popularity in the United States and worldwide. This is due, to their usefulness as food and medicine, their beauty and their ease of cultivation. Sunflowers can grow easily in many types of soil as long as they have direct sunlight and a constant source of water.
In Massachusetts, sunflowers are grown primarily as a garden adornment and for cutting. Farmers plant a patch of sunflowers and provide them to customers at farm markets and the local flower markets. They are long-blooming and beautiful and in much demand throughout the summer and fall.
Sunflowers are easy and fun for children to grow. They sprout quickly. Plant them in full sun, in well drained soil in an area where they won’t shade other plants. Sunflowers need a lot of room to grow. Protect from areas with heavy winds. Mix several inches of compost with the garden soil.
Direct Sow Outdoors: Plant seeds ½ inch deep, in rows about one foot apart after the danger of frost has passed. Water thoroughly. The seeds will sprout in one-to-two weeks depending on soil temperature and variety. When the plants reach six inches tall, thin to two-to-four feet apart to allow room for growth. Keep the seedlings well watered and the area weeded.
If growing sunflowers from seed indoors ahead of time, use peat pots, which are ideal for plants, such as sunflowers, that don’t like being transplanted. Sow two seeds per pot, cover with plastic to keep moist; set pots in a bright location.
Once seeds germinate (10-to-14 days), pinch out the weakest plant, so you have one sunflower per pot. Give seedlings bright light; water and fertilize regularly.Harden off the young seedlings outdoors during the day in mid-May. Plant young plants into garden, pot and all (the roots will grow through the pot) after all chance of frost is over. If you’re growing shorter cultivars in containers, transplant to their final pot.
Harvest sunflower seeds in the fall after the petals have fallen off and the back of the sunflower head turns yellow or brown. This may occur after the first killing freeze. Snip the head off the plant.
Store it in a dry, well-ventilated place to allow seeds to dry for several weeks. But you need to ensure that the seeds are mature. Remove any other plant debris for drying. Once the head has dried, just rub your hand over it and the seeds should fall out easily.
To replant saved seeds next spring, store them in a paper envelope in a cool, dry place. Avoid airtight containers like jars because mold can develop. The seeds are likely to be open-pollinated, and so next year’s plants aren’t guaranteed to be identical
Birds will eat the seeds from any sunflowers that remain in the garden. A few stray seeds may land on the ground and become next year’s sunflowers.
Sunflower seeds were roasted, cracked and eaten as a snack by Native Americans. They were also fine ground into a meal that was used to thicken soups and stews. Seeds were also ground or pounded into flour for cakes, mush or bread. Roasted hulls were brewed to make a drink similar to coffee. Dye or paint could also be extracted from the hulls and petal.
Today sunflowers may be grown for their flowers or for their seeds, which are used for both human and bird food. The sunflowers that are grown for human consumption produce a large black and white seed. The seeds are sold either shelled or unshelled.
A sunflower kernel is the “meat” of the sunflower seed. It has a mild nutty taste, but tender texture. It is removed from the hull mechanically. The sunflower seed is an inexpensive snack that is packed with healthy fats, protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals.
One quarter cup (a one ounce serving) of sunflower seeds contains 160 calories. The seeds are an excellent source of Vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. One serving contains 90.5 % of the daily value of Vitamin E, 31.9% of magnesium and 30.5% of selenium. They are also a very good source of Vitamin B1, manganese, copper, phosphorus, Vitamin B5 and folate.
Researchers at Virginia Polytechnical Institute found that sunflower kernels and pistachios had the highest levels of phytosterols among commonly eaten seed and nut snacks. This class of plant chemicals has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and improve heart health.
Sunflower seeds are not a commonly allergenic food and are not known to contain measurable amounts of oxalates or purines. Since sunflower seeds are high in fat, they are prone to rancidity. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or store in the freezer. The cold temperature will not significally affect the texture or flavor.
Sunflower oil is produced from oil type sunflower seeds. These small black seeds are high in oil content. This is also the type of sunflower seed that is the choice for bird food and that is ground into sunflower meal for use in animal feeds. Today sunflower oil is marketed worldwide and is second only to the soybean as an oil-seed crop.
Sunflower oil is a valued and healthy cooking oil. It is light in color and has a light neutral taste even when used for frying. It is a combination of monounsaturated and polysaturated fats with low saturated fat levels. It is ideal for cooking because it can withstand high temperatures. It also supplies more Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil.
There are three types of sunflower oil available on the market today. All are developed with standard breeding and hybridizing techniques. They differ in oleic levels and each offers a unique culinary purpose.
The three types are linoleic, high oleic and NuSun ™ sunflower oil. High oleic sunflower provides above 82 percent oleic (monounsaturated) acid. NuSun ™ is a mid-range oleic sunflower oil. It needs no hydrogenation when cooking and has a 9 percent saturated fat level, making it extremely useful for frying. It also has a good balance of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that enhances its taste.
Sunflower oil is also used as biodiesel. This vegetable-oil based fuel is used for vehicles, including farm equipment. It burns 75 percent cleaner than petroleum based diesel and is a good lubricant, reducing wear on engine parts.
The sunflower became popular as a cultivated plant in Europe in the 18th century. Over the years many new and unique cultivars were hybridized using the genetic material from the wild sunflowers that were collected in North America. Today there are even more beautiful cultivars for the garden including, pollenless varieties that are perfect for cutting and bringing into the house.
Traditionally, sunflower blossoms have large dark centers surrounded by brilliant yellow petals. Hybridization has produced many different colors ranging from a lime color to intense daylight yellow, sunset red and deep maroon. There are also varieties of sunflowers with double petals. Some have so many petals that the traditional dark eye is obscured.
Some varieties will grow to be fifteen feet tall, while other have been bred for their diminutive size. They will also vary from varieties with a large single head atop a sturdy stem to those that more closely resemble their wild cousins with as many as 20 flowers or more per stem.
Try one of these pollenless sunflower varieties that are well suited for cutting. ‘Ring of Fire’ has bi-coloured petals in dark red around a chocolate-brown center tapering off to golden yellow tips. ‘Claret’ keeps its intense velvet burgundy color in the summer sun. ‘Eversun’ is a deep yellow, early-blooming type with big 10-to-12-inch ray flowers around a dark brown disk. ‘Teddy Bear’ has soft, fluffy, pompom heads; 2 to 3 feet tall with lots of flowers per plant. ‘Giant Sungold’ is a taller version of ‘Teddy Bear’. ‘Mammoth’ is a classic big, tall sunflower that can reach 12 feet in height. Thick stalks on this single-stem variety supports huge heads.
Studies show that most seed eating birds prefer sun-flower seeds to other common seeds. They are a high fat and protein food that provides many of the nutrients birds need. The high oil content also provides energy for feather replacement, migration and winter survival.
Cardinals, jays, finches, nuthatches chickadees, grosbeaks, titmice, woodpeckers and other birds with stout beaks can crack the hulls of sunflower seeds easily to reach the seed inside. Blackbirds, juncos and sparrows don’t have large enough beaks to crack the shells, but search the ground for remnant seed pieces.
At the feeder, black oil sunflower seeds are preferred by most seed eating species. The small black seeds have a thin shell. They are easily cracked and thus preferred by chickadees, cardinals, evening grosbeaks, purple finches, mourning doves and house finches. Clean up the hulls periodically.
Hulled sunflower seeds and kernels are preferred by smaller species such as gold and house finches, and white-throated sparrows, along with grackles, cardinals and mourning doves. They produce minimal waste and require no clean up.
Black striped sunflower seeds are eaten by jays, grackles, cardinals, evening grosbeaks, white-throated sparrows, mourning doves, jays, chickadees, titmice, finches, juncos and woodpeckers. The gray-striped sunflower has a larger seed and heavier hull that is too tough for birds. It is used for human consumption.
If you are growing annual sunflowers for the birds, plant at two week intervals for a steady supply. Plant perennial sunflowers in a natural meadow or wild garden area where they won’t crowd other plants. They blend in well with natural grasses.
Make your own sunflower snack. Roast sunflower seeds by spreading them in a layer on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Roast in a 350 degree F. oven for ten to fifteen minutes.
If you like your seeds salty, soak overnight before roasting. Use ¼ cup of salt for each two cups of water. Drain and dry on absorbent paper.
Add sunflower seeds to your favorite tuna, chicken or turkey salad recipe. Garnish a mixed green salads, sprinkle on hot or cold cereal or add them to scrambled eggs for a unique taste and texture. Use fine ground sunflower seeds to dust meats or add to stews in place of wheat flour.
The quickest way to shell sunflower seeds is to grind them in a seed mill or pulse them with an electric mixer. Then place them in cold water where the shells will float to the top and can be skimmed off.
Sunflowers are said to track the sun’s movement in the sky. When in bud stage the flowers will move to face the sun as a result of phototropism. Once the petals have opened the flower faces east.
The sunflower as a motif appeared in many ancient myths and was viewed as a symbol of loyalty and constancy, as well as adoration and longevity.
The almost human-like appearance and dimensions of the sunflower has made it a favorite subject for artists and for designers of fashion.
One sunflower plant grown in the Netherlands measured 25 feet, 5.4 inches tall and another grown in Michigan had 837 heads on one plant according to Guiness Book of World Records. One flower head in British Columbia reached 32 inches across.
While cut sunflowers are beautiful in bouquets and the seeds are a nutritious snack for humans and food for birds, this useful flower also has been used for centuries as medicines and in paints. Today they are added to some varnishes and paints due to their quick-drying quality.
Sunflower oil also has other uses beyond cooking. It is being added to detergents and soaps. It is also being tested for use in plastics, lubricants and even pesticides. Sunflowers are also being used as a biofuel.
One beneficial uses of sunflowers is in the removal of toxic waste from the environment. Using an emerging technology called rhizofiltration, hydroponically grown plants are grown floating over water. The extensive root systems of the sunflowers can extract large amounts of toxic metals, including uranium, from the water.
1. 1. Investigate the history of sunflowers and track their journey throughout the world. Make some of the foods that Native Americans and others ate.
2. How many varieties of sunflowers are there today? How were the many varieties selected and hybridized? Invite a flower grower to your classroom to talk about plant breeding.
3. Grow a sunflower garden for the birds. What other plants can you grow that will provide food for birds?
4. Research how sunflowers are being used as a source of fuel energy.
5. Write a poem about sunflowers. Investigate how artists have used sunflowers in their works. Create a gallery of student’s sunflower work.
6. Study how flowers produce seeds. Learn about the disk and ray flowers of composites. What insects pollinate the sunflower? How does this plant produce so many seeds from one flower head?
Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources
251 Causeway St., Suite 500
Boston, MA 02114-2151
www.mass.gov/agr
Massachusetts Association of Roadside Stands and Pick -Your Own
www.massfarmstands.com
8 Gould Road
Bedford, MA 01730-1241
781-275-4811
www.massflowergrowers.comUMass Ext. Plant Culture Fact Sheets
www.umassgreeninfo.org/fact_sheets/index.html
Alternative Ag ventures - Sunflowers
www.eisc.org/attach/sunflower.pdfCrop Science Articles on Sunflowers
http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/collection/
Iowa State University
www.extension.iastate.edu/Kansas Flora - Dyck Arboretum
www.dyckarboretum.org
Sunflower Project Nebraska Arboretum
http://schoolgardens.unl.edu/Sunflower%20ArtMissouri State University
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/Ohio State University
http://ohioline.osu.edu/agf-fact/0107.html
Oklahoma State 4-H
http://agweb.okstate.edu/fourh/aitc/lessons/
Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute
pwww.jeffersoninstitute.org/sunflower.php
The information from this newsletter was taken from the resources listed above.
Workshops on the Farm
Join us for our winter workshop on the farm and try out some hands-on activities for the classroom while you get to know this special farm. The workshop runs from 9 to 3 and highlights the Maple Sugaring industry in Massachusetts with exploration of the work that goes on at this farm. The $30 fee includes PDPs, lunch and all materials.
During the winter break, spend Tuesday, February 16 at the Warren Farm & Sugar House in North Brookfield. Over morning coffee and treats learn about maple sugar history, Native American traditions and changes from Colonial times to today with owners Jan & Dale Wentworth. There will also be information on the current threats to maple trees from global warming and the Asian long-horned beetles, and how their potential effects daily life and economic aspects in New England. Following a unique maple lunch, we’ll spend the afternoon out-of-doors, exploring the sugaring operation and sugar house. You will assist with tubing installation and tap a tree, make maple candy and try out other hands-on activities to use in the classroom. Bring warm clothes and boots. Middle and high school teachers encouraged.
Winter Conference!
MAC will host a full-day conference for teachers at the Baird Middle School in Ludlow on Saturday, February 6th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This conference will provide teachers with activity ideas, resources and framework connections to bring agriculture alive in the classroom.
Six concurrent sessions will be held throughout the day. Each will be taught by a teacher or teacher working together with a farmer and will offer specific background and activities for the elementary, middle or high school level. The $50 fee ($45 for registrations received by December 1) includes all workshops, lunch, materials and ten PDPs with a related classroom activity. Click here for more information.
Summer Graduate Course
Check our website for updates and workshop locations for the three-credit 2010 Summer Graduate Course held in conjunction with Fitchburg State College. Participants must attend eight workshops on farms across the state, keep a journal and develop three lesson plans, presenting one to their colleagues at the last session.
MAC is seeking nominations for the 2009 MAC Teacher of the Year Award. Do you know a teacher who does an exceptional job of bringing agriculture alive in their classroom? Consider nominating them for this special award. Send a description of their agricultural classroom, and the reason that you recommend them for the award, to the address below. Applications are due November 1, 2009. The winner will be high-lighted in the Winter 2010 MAC newsletter and award will be presented at our Annual MAC Conference in February. Click here to see past winners.
There is a new way to express your support for agriculture in our state both visually and financially. You can also support your favorite state or local agricultural organization, including Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, while you do it. Orders are now being taken for the new Massachusetts Agriculture Specialty License Plate. The plate design was created and donated by graphic designer Susan Bergeron West.
Proceeds from the sale of these specialty plates will go to a newly created Massachusetts Agricultural Trust Fund. The Trust will fund programs and services that help farmers remain on the cutting edge in today’s market such as innovative practices, research, improvements in managing resources, marketing, training and education. By purchasing this plate, you’ll help preserve 520,000 acres of open space, the beauty of Massachusetts, our farming heritage and local farming families. You’ll also protect 13,545 jobs and the value local agriculture has on our economy while reaping fresher and better tasting food. And you’ll help shrink our carbon footprint by reducing the distance our food travels to market.
The final effort is now on to reach our goal of 1500 plates ordered. Once reached, the new Massachusetts Agriculture Specialty License Plates will be produced. The next few months are critical, so order now. Once 1,500 have been ordered, those plates will be produced and sent to regional RMV offices for distribution. The total cost to transfer your automobile registration to an “Ag Tag” is $60. This includes the $40 donation to the Agricultural Trust, and a $20 fee to swap plates paid directly to the RMV when the new plate arrives. Renewals every second year will cost $81, which includes the $41 RMV registration fee, and $40 specialty plate contribution to the Trust.
To apply for your Mass. Agricultural Specialty License now; send a $40 check made payable to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. From this, $12 will go to the RMV for production costs and the Agricultural Trust Fund will receive $28. The Trust will then distribute $15 to the organization responsible for the sale. We hope that you will mark your support for Mass. Agriculture in the Classroom, when you send in your order. To find out more about the Mass. Ag Tag, download an order form, choose a plate number or track the orders, visit www.mass.gov/agr/agtag.
- September 21 - 27 - Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week. Contact 413-253-3844 or kelerwin@localnet.com.
- October 2 - 12 - Topsfield Fair from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Visit www.topsfieldfair.org.
- October 3 - 4 - North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival in Orange, $ 5. Visit www.garlicandarts.org.
- October 10 - 11, Cranberry Harvest Festival, at A.D. Makepeace in Wareham, visit www.cranberries.org.
- October 22 - 25, Bioneers by the Bay Connecting for Change Conference, in New Bedford. For information visit: www.connectingforchange.org.
- November 3 - 5, New England Greenhouse Conference & Exposition in Worcester, Visit www.negreenhouse.org.
- November 10 - Water Resource Conference, by MA Environmental Trust, at Holy Cross in Worc. $30. Contact Susan.Lanza@state.ma.us.
- December 3 - 4, Massachusetts Farm Bureau Annual Meeting at the Cape Codder in Hyannis. For more information, Visit www.mfbf.net.
- National Agriculture Library for definitions, resources and kids page at www.nal.usda.gov/services.
- Mayflower School’s Cranberry Activities for the Classroom can be found at http://edutel.musenet.org:8042/cranberry/cranberry_activities.html.
- Christmas Tree books, facts & more at http://urbanext.illinois.edu/ trees/education.cfm.
- Agriculture Lesson Plans and vocational lessons can be found at www.khake.com/page81.html.
- The Green Team Compost ideas & lessons at www.the greenteam.org.
- Menus and Recipes for Schools at http://thelunchbox.org/content/menus-recipes/.
- Local Pick-Your-Own Orchards and Orchard tours can be found at www.massfruitgrowers.org. Farms that offer tours, pumpkins, turkeys and Christmas trees at www.mass.gov/agr/.
- Asian Long-horn Beetle in Massachusetts: Update and Newsletter are available online at http://massnrc.org/pests/alb/.
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Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom
P.O. Box 345
Seekonk, MA 02771
(508) 336-4426 Fax: (508) 336-0682