Saturday, October 18, 2025
12th Annual Farm to School Event at East Veterans Memorial Elementary School
Recently, Kristin McDonald, our District
Liaison Legislative Aide, attended on my behalf the 12th annual Fall Harvest
Day “Farm to School” event held at East Veterans Memorial Elementary School, as
a kickoff of October as “Farm to School” Month.
Students harvested the crops they
planted this spring as part of a state grant supporting school gardens.
Thanks to a MA FRESH CORP grant of
$16,000, Backyard Growers, a local nonprofit dedicated to teaching kids about
healthy eating, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture, was able to expand
taste tests of locally grown foods to preschoolers and O’Maley Middle School
students, in addition to elementary students currently enjoying their program.
Grants like these should be available
year-round, which is why I’m a proud cosponsor of S.311, An Act Establishing
the Massachusetts Farm to School Program.
This bill would create a permanent grant
program to support school gardens, farm-to-school education, and locally grown
food across Massachusetts.
As co-chair of the Food System Caucus,
I’m thrilled to see programs like Backyard Growers giving students hands-on
experience with and access to healthy eating and local agriculture.
Read the full text of the bill:
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S311/Cosponsor
Read full Gloucester
Daily Times article:
https://www.gloucestertimes.com/.../article_68bd5b40-592b...
