Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources

06/18/2026

This weekend, the weather looks great and it’s currently peak strawberry picking season in Massachusetts! Whether you enjoy Pick-Your-Own Farms or going to your local farmers market, our MassGrown Map have you covered! Click on the following link to find a PYO farm or farmers market near you! https://massnrc.org/massgrown

06/17/2026

Massachusetts is launching a statewide Farm and Sea to School Roadmap to guide priorities, partnerships, and investments over the next 3-5 years. This effort is being led by the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in partnership with Massachusetts Farm to School, along with key state and community partners. The roadmap will build on the strong foundation already in place across the Commonwealth and help define how "farm to school" and "sea to school" can become more coordinated, equitable, and sustainable statewide. Your feedback is important - please take a few minutes to complete the survey by June 25th at the following link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8826306/Massachusetta-Farm-to-School-Survey?utm_source=National+School+Lunch+Program&utm_campaign=2ae74e1c06-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_05_21_08_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-2ae74e1c06-35525463

Massachusetts is launching a statewide Farm and Sea to School Roadmap to guide priorities, partnerships, and investments over the next 3-5 years. This effort is being led by the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in partnership with Massachusetts Farm to School, along with key state and community partners. The roadmap will build on the strong foundation already in place across the Commonwealth and help define how "farm to school" and "sea to school" can become more coordinated, equitable, and sustainable statewide. Your feedback is important - please take a few minutes to complete the survey (before June26th): https://bit.ly/f2s-roadmap-survey

06/15/2026

27th Annual Massachusetts Agriculture Photo Contest - Submit up to 5 photos - Deadline July 6, 2026!

Each year we encourage the public to submit their best amateur photographs that spotlight the diversity of agriculture and horticulture grown in Massachusetts throughout the various seasons.

We seek photos at farms, farmers markets, fairs, as well as your home garden, that represent "MassGrown" crops: maple syrup, cranberries, livestock and poultry, flowers, pollinators, native plants, fruits, vegetables, Christmas trees, as well as innovative farming methods such as renewable energy systems and urban agriculture.

The annual contest and calendar is sponsored by Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom(MAC), Massachusetts State Grange, and MDAR.

Whether on a farm or in your garden, send us your best!

Learn more and submit here: www.mass.gov/forms/agriculture-calendar-annual-photo-contest

06/12/2026

“Great to join city and local officials for the grand opening of the Assembly Row Farmers Market today!

With over 30 farm and value-added food vendors, the market is a great destination for locally grown and produced products. The market accepts SNAP and offers a match program to further access for customers.

Congratulations to the management team for bringing this vibrant market to residents and visitors in Somerville!” -AR

06/12/2026

In celebration of June Dairy Month, our next feature for the International Year of the Woman Farmer in Massachusetts is Angie Facey of Our Family Farms Milk!

Raised by her parents, Meg and Bob Moschini, alongside her siblings on a dairy farm in Spencer, she developed a deep love and respect for their cows, the land, and the farming way of life. Growing up on a farm taught her teamwork, responsibility, humility, and instilled a strong work ethic that continues to guide her today. More importantly, her parents taught her the values of perseverance, integrity, and caring for both people and animals.

She received her B.S. in Dairy and Animal Science from Penn State and returned to Massachusetts, working as a dairy nutritionist where she met her husband, Randy. They married in 2004 and purchased her parents' herd to combine both family's farms.

For Angie, farming means being part of something bigger than herself. It's a way of life that requires hard work, resilience, and a commitment to caring for the land, animals, and people who depend on her everyday.

She is proud to honor the generations of women who came before her, especially her mom, who recently passed away this past March. She was one of Angie's greatest role models, having a sixth sense when it came to cows, knowing exactly what was needed when something wasn't quite right with them. She feels very fortunate that her mom was able to pass that instinct onto her and carries the lessons she learned from her and her dad in her work and life today.

Ultimately, she feels incredibly fortunate to make a living doing what she loves and advises to any woman thinking about getting into farming to not be afraid to jump and get dirty...there will always be people who think women can't do something but agriculture is one of those industries where you learn by doing so work hard, ask questions, and never be afraid to admit when you don't know something. Farming needs strong, dedicated women and there is always a place for them at the table, in the barn, in the field, and in the boardroom!

06/11/2026

This week, we hosted state agricultural leaders from 9 other Northeast states in Western Massachusetts at the annual NEASDA meeting. NEASDA is part of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).

Commissioner Randle currently serves as the President of NEASDA and welcomed Commissioners, Secretaries, and Directors of Agriculture from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware where they and other attendees, including an international delegation from several African countries, networked, participated in panel discussions on hot topic issues in the ag industry, and toured local farm operations to experience the best of Massachusetts Agriculture!

06/04/2026

June is Dairy Month so to celebrate, we recently hit the road with staff and the newest members of the Agricultural Youth Council to visit 2 local family-owned dairy farms in Southeastern Massachusetts along with Bristol County Agricultural High School to see their hands-on dairy program.

At Almeida Dairy Farm in Rehoboth, visitors can find a state-of-the-art facility with robotic milkers. This summer, they’ll be opening up a farm stand where customers can purchase direct from the source their delicious milk.

At Bristol County Agricultural High School, we learned about the data-driven approach that students in the Animal Science division use to learn more about animal care in the 21st century-skills that will prepare our future dairy farmers in the 21st century. The school has an actual working dairy farm that supplies its milk to Agri-Mark.

Our final stop at Hornstra Dairy Farm in Whitman had owner John Hornstra recount his story of saving this dairy farm from potential development after the previous owners decided to sell off their farm property. Now restored to its former glory, it currently operates a farm store selling local products and an immensely popular ice cream stand that’s on our Massachusetts Ice Cream Trail!) with an adjacent indoor area for visitors to see the cows up close!

For centuries, dairy farming has been a staple of the farming community in Massachusetts and these visits underscore the tremendous value that dairy farmers bring into their communities and the local economy. From milk to cheese to butter and of course ice cream, our hardworking dairy farmers produce premium products that strengthen the local food system.

To find a local dairy farm near you, head to our MassGrown Map at the following link: https://massnrc.org/farmlocator/mobile-map.aspx?Type=Dairy%20Farms

06/02/2026

Our final round of voting is underway to crown the first ever "Fat Queen Bee" in Massachusetts! It all comes down to two stellar and regal queens: Regina and Queen Gilded Tomato. Votes are due by Sunday, June 7th at midnight. The winner will be crowned at a ceremony during this year's Massachusetts Beekeepers Association Field Day. More details on that event to come!

Cast your vote at the following link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/XyitnqMR3j

06/01/2026

This month’s Plant Pest Newsletter is out! In it, you can learn about: Spotted lanternfly hatch in Massachusetts, spotted lanternfly egg mass scraping, an update to the MA Prohibited Plant List to include Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata) and sapphire berry (Asiatic sweetleaf; Symplocos paniculata), and six-spotted tiger beetle which is an insect native to Massachusetts that’s sometimes mistaken for emerald ash borer. Read the newsletter and learn more here: https://massnrc.org/pests/blog/?p=3942

Photo credits: Alden Dirks and chdphoto, iNaturalist