DEVAL L. PATRICK
Governor
TIMOTHY P. MURRAY
Lieutenant Governor
Ian A. Bowles
Secretary
Awards and Special Events mark "Massachusetts Day" at The Big E
Commissioner Soares Presents Agricultural Awards
Massachusetts Day events revolve around the Massachusetts Building on the Avenue of States – an attraction that features replicas of the original capitol buildings of each New England state. Managed year-round by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, the Massachusetts Building offers fair attendees an opportunity to take a virtual tour of the state’s landmarks, sample Bay State cuisine, and shop for Massachusetts-made products. The 90-year-old building’s mission is to promote Massachusetts agriculture, commerce, and tourism.
As part of an effort to highlight the new faces of Massachusetts’ agriculture industry, DAR recognized seven Massachusetts wineries and three Massachusetts cheese makers that won top awards at wine and cheese competitions this year. The winning cheese makers, Carlisle Farmstead Cheese in Carlisle, Shy Brothers Farm of Westport and Westfield Farm of Hubbardston, took home multiple awards at the 2009 American Cheese Society Awards, while seven Massachusetts wineries took home top awards at the 2009 Big E Wine Competition. Obadiah McIntyre Farm Winery in Charlemont won in the category of best fruit wine and best Massachusetts wine. Other winners included Alfalfa Winery in Topsfield, Charlton Orchards in Charlton, Furnace Brook Winery in Richmond, Green River Ambrosia in Greenfield, Hardwick Vineyard and Winery in Hardwick, Plymouth Winery in Plymouth and Still River Winery in Harvard.
“The Big E is a great way to showcase all that the Commonwealth has to offer – in particular, our rich agricultural heritage,” Commissioner Soares said. “This year, I am especially pleased to recognize the efforts of the Commonwealth’s wineries and cheese makers.”
DAR is once again using The Big E as an opportunity to promote the Ag Tag, a specialty license plate designed to support Massachusetts agriculture. Once the Registry of Motor Vehicles receives the 1,500 orders needed to begin producing the plates, Ag Tag sales are expected to yield $60,000 annually for a new Massachusetts Agriculture Trust Fund. Fairgoers had the chance to pose for photographs with a live tableau that mirrors the Ag Tag’s cow-and-produce design – including a cow from Talvy Farm in North Brookfield.
DAR Commissioner Soares also announced the winners of this year’s Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Photo Contest, and the Massachusetts Dairy Industry Promotion’s “3-A-Day” poster contest. In the “3-A-Day” contest, Shannon Hogan of Hatfield took home first place, followed by Dylan DePalma of Leyden in second and Patrick Mahaney of Bernardston in third. The students received U.S. savings bonds as prizes, and winning posters will be on display at the Massachusetts Building.
Calendar contest winning photos and honorable mentions will be printed in the 2010 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar published by Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom in cooperation with DAR and the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. Each winner receives two Big E tickets and two complimentary calendars. Winning calendar photographers are:
January – Patty Hitchcock of North Attleboro (“Red Barn”)
February – Lyn Harris of Groton (“Orchard in Winter”)
March – Jerry Hobert of Worcester (“Piglets”)
April – Roz Makowiec of East Longmeadow (“Spring in Bloom”)
May – Dee Dee Mares of Gill (“Emu Chicks and Egg”)
June – Lesley Graham of Williamstown (“Brown Swiss”)
July – Bart Piscittello of Gloucester (“Alpaca Show”)
August – Kent Boynton of Harvard (“Pick-your-own Flowers”)
September – Kent Boynton of Harvard (“Apple Orchard in Vineyard”)
October – Erick Brown of Mendon (“Andrew Brown Sitting Amongst the Pumpkins”)
November – Jerry Horbert of Uxbridge (“Cranberry Bog”)
December – Patty Hitchcock of North Attleboro (“Snow Tractor”)
In addition, honorable mentions went to: Diana Rodgers of South Hamilton, Diana Rodgers of South Hamilton, Georgeann Dufault of South Deerfield, Emily Everett of Williamsburg, Erin Koh of Buzzards Bay, Amy Martin of Peabody, Lyn Harris of Groton, Roz Makowiec of East Longmeadow, John Zieman of Vineyard Haven, Robert Israelian of Worcester, and Christopher Flouton-Barnes of West Newton.
Calendars can be purchased for $10 each, with proceeds benefiting Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, a nonprofit organization that works with teachers to develop classroom materials. Send check payable to Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom to PO Box 345, Seekonk, MA, 02771.
In addition to DAR and a number of Bay State companies offering Massachusetts-made products, exhibitors in the Massachusetts Building include: Hampden County Bee Keepers Association, Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association, Massachusetts Federation of Farmers Markets, New England Apple Association, Massachusetts State Grange, Massachusetts Conservation Districts, Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, Massachusetts Association of Campground Owners, Massachusetts Dairy Industry, Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts State Treasurer’s Office, and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
The DAR’s mission is to ensure the long-term viability of local agriculture in Massachusetts. Through its four divisions – Agricultural Development, Animal Health, Crop and Pest Services, and Technical Assistance – the DAR strives to support, regulate, and enhance the Commonwealth’s agricultural community, working to promote economically and environmentally sound food safety and animal health measures, and fulfill agriculture’s role in energy conservation and production.