Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week

Schools and Farms Will Celebrate
“Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week”
September 19-23

Locally grown fruits and vegetables make student meals healthier, tastier

(AMHERST, MASS.) Get ready for local tomatoes, sweet corn on the cob, fresh crunchy Macintosh apples, and cucumber dill salad! It's time for the fifth annual Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week, September 19-23, 2011.   

During Harvest Week, schools and colleges serve fresh, nutritious meals prepared with foods produced by Massachusetts farms.  Across the Commonwealth, food service staff as well as teachers, students, farmers, and public officials will celebrate in many ways, such as featuring a local fruit or vegetable on each day’s menu, serving produce from the school garden, providing local snacks or sharing recipes at parents’ night, hosting student visits at a nearby orchard, or inviting a legislator to lunch. 

Harvest Week is coordinated by the Massachusetts Farm to School Project in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, the School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.   

"There’s always an abundance of delicious locally grown fruits and vegetables during Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week,” stated Massachusetts Farm to School Project Director, Kelly Erwin. “Bringing our local harvest into school cafeterias is a very effective way to insure that ALL students have access to healthy food that tastes good,” she added. “It also gives us a chance to focus on the wonderful connections between Massachusetts agriculture and educational institutions throughout the state.”

The Massachusetts Farm to School Project can provide assistance in finding sources for local foods and suggest creative ways for schools, students, families, and communities to get involved. In addition, it offers a variety of free materials to help celebrate Harvest Week, including recipes, posters, stickers, farmer “trading cards,” and other fun items. 

How will your community celebrate Harvest Week? For ideas, assistance and materials, please visit www.massfarmtoschool.org/harvest-week.htm, or contact them at info@massfarmtoschool.org or 413-253-3844.