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Massachusetts Department of Agricultural ResourcesFarm & Market ReportVol. 80, No. 5, July 2003In this issue:LOCAL NEWS
NEWS FROM USDA IN EVERY ISSUE Commissioner's ColumnAre Fairs Sending the Right Message About Agriculture?by Douglas P. Gillespie It's fair season in Massachusetts, a good time to take a look at what fairs are telling the public about agriculture. Agricultural fairs are a traditional American celebration of the harvest where farmers can show off their best produce and livestock. Massachusetts was the leader in the early development of fairs in the United States. Some of the first agricultural and horticultural societies were founded here. We should be proud of that history, but agricultural fairs should be more than an historical look at an old tradition. Perhaps the message that many fairs send about agriculture is that it is relic from the past, on display much like an artifact in a museum. While fair managers must remain true to their farming roots, they must also offer something fresh, interesting and entertaining to attract today's fairgoer. Are they portraying agriculture as fresh, vibrant and relevant to the average fairgoer? People are most interested in what affects them directly. And more and more people are concerned these days about knowing where and how their food is produced. Fairs are a great place for folks to learn about local food production and perhaps meet some of the farmers that grow their food. Tying agricultural exhibits into local efforts to promote agriculture such as regional "buy local" campaigns is a great way to make the connection for fairgoers between what they see at a fair and what they see everyday in the grocery store. Or perhaps the message fairs send is that farming is an exclusive club. Fairgoers get a peek at club activities but never really understand what goes on in competitions or the jargon that's used. Competition was the cornerstone of early American agricultural fairs, but education was also an important component. Do fairgoers learn anything from the agricultural competitions and exhibitions? Helping fairgoers to understand what's going on when they stop by a sheep judging or why a particular entry in a produce competition was awarded a blue ribbon will make these events more interesting for the average fairgoer, will make them feel welcome and will keep them coming back. The emphasis at today's fairs may have shifted to entertainment to attract fairgoers, but education is no less important than it was in the early 1800s. In fact, as consumer connections to farming grow further apart with each generation, education about agriculture is ever more important. Fairs are among the few places today where farmers and non-farmers come together, offering a golden opportunity to make the consumer-farmer connection. Fairs continue to be a forum where youth who raise livestock and produce can learn through competition and are encouraged to continue in agriculture for a lifetime. I hope that fair managers will take advantage of that opportunity to make the farmer-consumer connection while continuing to provide the valuable competitive forum that they have always provided. [back to contents]A Note from the EditorThis is the last issue of the Farm & Market Report that I will produce for this Department. At the end of this month I will join the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's Massachusetts state office in Amherst as Public Affairs Specialist. While I am sad to be leaving this department after 19 years and will miss working with the great folks who have been my coworkers and friends, I am excited to be joining the NRCS staff and look forward to serving Massachusetts farmers from a new perspective. Several DAR staff members will be collaborating on this newsletter in the future, so please note that it will be coming from a different e-mail address and there are new contacts to whom you will be sending news, classifieds and mailing list updates (see About the Farm & Market Report at the bottom). I will still be in touch with many of you in my new position and if I can assist in any way, don't hesitate to contact me. Starting on July 28th you can reach me at 413-253-4371 or Diane.Petit@ma.usda.gov. Until then I can be reached at 617-626-1752 or this e-mail address. Diane Baedeker Petit [back to contents]DFA Becomes DARThe Department of Food and Agriculture has had a name change. Effective July 1st, our name is now the Department of Agricultural Resources. The change takes effect immediately in all legal documents, correspondence and in prominent locations on our web site. It will be implemented on a more gradual basis in publications as we use existing supplies first. Our web address will remain the same (www.mass.gov/dfa) for the time being, but stay tuned for a change there, too, in the near future. [back to contents]Signs of a Milk Price ReboundKey dairy industry indicators and developments point to a milk price rebound coming as early as August or September, according the Department's Division of Dairy Services. The first signs appeared when the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cheese price responded to news of the Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) initiative to bring milk supplies in line with demand. The May Milk Production Report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service showed the first decline in cow numbers after almost a year of cow-number increases and a decline in output per cow. CWT began a series of educational meetings throughout the country and eventually gained commitments to the supply management program from cooperatives and farmers amounting to 70 percent of the nation's milk supply. On July 3, 2003, the Board of Directors at the National Milk Producers Federation decided to implement the supply management programs of the CWT. In addition, June's Dairy Products Report showed a slowing of inventory build-up of cheese and butter. This information has driven the strongest cheese price gains in a very short period of time. Cheese prices on the CME went from $1.09 for blocks at the end of May to $1.48. Most of that increase has come in the past two or three weeks. The result appears to be the highest one-month gain in milk prices for some time. The Class III futures price for August 2003 is $13.36. If that price materializes, Class III prices will have jumped by over $3.50 over June's Class III of $9.75. These developments also indicate that milk prices will be on the rebound and remain strong for at least a year. Massachusetts Agriculture Photo Contest Winners Announced!2003-04 School-Year Calendar PublishedThe winning photos from this year's Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Photo Contest have been selected and published in the 2003-2004 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar, an 18-month academic year calendar. The calendar, published by Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, features a winning photograph each month, plus several honorable mention winners in selected locations throughout the calendar. The winning photos portray local farms and products throughout the seasons. The winners will receive their awards in a ceremony on Thursday, September 18 - Massachusetts Day -at The Big E, West Springfield. Commissioner of Agricultural Resources Douglas P. Gillespie will present the awards on the front lawn of the Massachusetts Building on the fairgrounds. The 2003 Massachusetts Agriculture Photo Contest winners are:
The calendar also includes Massachusetts agriculture facts, a chart showing when local crops are in season, and recipes featuring local products. "This calendar will educate consumers about the rich diversity of agriculture in the Bay State," said Commissioner Gillespie, noting that the calendar also features facts about Massachusetts agriculture, agricultural events, recipes that include local ingredients, and websites offering more information. "I'm sure folks will enjoy viewing these attractive pictures throughout the year while learning about farming in Commonwealth and trying out the recipes." Each winner will receive a certificate, a basket of Massachusetts products, two tickets to the Eastern States Exposition (The Big E), and two complimentary calendars. Calendars may be purchased for $10 each; the wholesale cost is $5 each for orders over five copies. Proceeds will benefit Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, a non-profit organization that works with teachers throughout the state in developing classroom materials. Send a check payable to Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom with your name and address to: Calendar, Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, c/o Debi Hogan, PO Box 345, Seekonk, MA 02771. SEMAP's Sizzling Summer Chef SeriesThree acclaimed chefs will demonstrate how to make seasonal specialties during SEMAP's Sizzling Summer Chef Series at "Westport Cooks" at Lees Market in Westport. Native produce and other local products such as local wines and cheeses will be featured in all the recipes. Sponsored by the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP), the event is a fundraiser for SEMAP's Buy Local Campaign. SEMAP is a coalition of farmers, consumers and industry representatives who are working together to raise consumer awareness of the value of farming and farmland throughout Southeastern Massachusetts in an effort to keep farms economically viable and protect valuable working farmland and open space. "The cooking series will highlight some of the best farm products the Southcoast region has to offer," says Sue Guiducci, SEMAP's Buy Local Campaign Coordinator The series kicks-off on Sunday, July 20, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm with Chef Mike Melo from M & C Café in New Bedford. With a degree from Johnson and Wales in both culinary and baking, Melo has worked in his family's 36-year-old restaurant business and has run his own catering business for the last ten years. Melo's class will focus on summertime grilling and will include local shellfish, local beef, chicken under a brick, and grilled pound cake with fruit compote. Following up on last summer's successful demonstration at "Westport Cooks," James Beard Foundation Award nominee, Emily Luchetti, of Farallon Restaurant, San Francisco, will return to Westport on Saturday, August 9th, 10:00 am - Noon. Luchetti, a graduate of the New York Restaurant School, will prepare dessert recipes from her latest cookbook, A Passion for Desserts. Signed copies will be available for sale. Named one of the top ten pastry chefs in America by Chocolatier Magazine in 1994 and recipient of San Francisco Magazine's Critic's Choice "Pastry Chef of the Year" award in 1998, Luchetti and her recipes have been profiled in magazines including Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Martha Stewart Living and Fine Cooking. The series will conclude on Saturday, September 13th, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm with Boston area chef and vegetarian cookbook author, Didi Emmons, of Veggie Planet Restaurant in Cambridge. Emmons, a 1988 James Beard Book Award Nominee in the vegetarian category will feature "inventive, flavorful and fun" recipes from her new cookbook, Entertaining for a Veggie Planet, including spring rolls, goat cheese and roasted garlic fondue and crudités and dip demonstrations will be highlighted. An added bonus will be wine pairings for each recipe featuring local wines led by Boston wine consultant and teacher, Eden Stone. Emmons will be available to sign copies of her latest cookbook after the class. Participants can register for one, any two, or all three classes. Space is limited so it's best to register early to ensure a spot. Registration is $40 per person for any one class, $70 for any two classes, or $100 for all three. Register by calling Lee's Market at 508-636-3348 or in person at Lee's Market, 796 Main Road, Westport, Massachusetts. Credit cards accepted. For more information contact Sue Guiducci at 508-997-9456. Massachusetts Tomato Contest to be Held August 18thThe 19th Annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest will be held in conjunction with the City Hall Plaza Farmers' Market in Boston and the kick-off of Massachusetts Farmers' Market Week, on Monday, August 18th at 10:30 am. Tomato growers from across the state will compete for top honors in slicing, cherry, heirloom and heaviest categories. Farmers can bring tomato entries to the market from 9:00 am to 10:15 am that morning or drop them off at one of several locations around the state over the previous weekend and the tomatoes will be brought in to Boston. For more information, contest criteria, drop off locations, and registration form contact David Webber at 617-626-1754, David.Webber@state.ma.us or download the materials from the DAR website at www.mass.gov/dfa. Massachusetts Farmers' Market Week, August 17-23Massachusetts farmers' markets and their contributions to local agriculture and communities will be recognized during Massachusetts Farmers' Market Week, August 17 - 23. A kick-off celebration will be held on Monday, August 18th at Boston's City Hall Plaza Farmers' Market. Special events such as tastings and chef demonstrations are planned. For more information, contact David Webber at 617-626-1754 or David.Webber@state.ma.us. Farmers' Market Opportunities
Dairy, Vegetable Twilight Meetings PlannedDairyThe Central Massachusetts Dairy Producers Association, UMass Extension, Department of Agricultural Resources and USDA Farm Service Agency present a Twilight Barn Meeting on Wednesday July 31, 6:30 pm at Cooper's Hilltop Farm, 515 Henshaw Street, Rochdale, MA 01542. The meeting will include a barn visit and social interaction, updates from Extension, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Mass. Department of and Agricultural Resources, and a farmers panel featuring Richard Cooper , Bud Stillman, and David Duprey. State Commissioner of Agricultural Resources Douglas P. Gillespie will speak about the dairy situation in Massachusetts. Contact Dr. Stephen Herbert at 413-545-2250 for more information. VegetableThe 2003 Summer Twilight Meeting Series co-sponsored by Massachusetts Association of Roadside Stands (MARS) and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources will focus on diversified farm production and direct marketing. Twilight Meetings provide an opportunity to learn from and socialize with your peers during the production season. Meetings include a relaxed farm tour, a discussion about their production practices, and highlights on how they are successfully direct marketing their farm products. These farms feature vegetables, berries, cut flowers, greenhouses, and livestock, "value-added" products and agri-tourism. Keep up-to-date on solutions to production and marketing challenges with UMass Extension, the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources, and the Massachusetts Association of Roadside Stands. All meetings held rain or shine! The next Twilight Meeting is planned for Wednesday, August 6, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at 4 Town Farm 90 George Street, Seekonk, Mass. Approximately 200 acres of vegetables, small fruit and greenhouse production. Retail and wholesale sales, mainly retail. Highlights of the tour will be a new Morton building, mechanical corn picker, application methods of Admire, stale seedbed technique for weed control, bird management in sweet corn, no-till squash in hairy vetch and greenhouse grown mesclun mix. Commercial vendors will be present. For questions contact Frank Mangan, UMass Vegetable team, 413-545-1178 or Steve Clegg, 508 336-5587. Visit http://www.massfarmstands.com/twilight.html for information on additional Twilight Meetings. Participate in Farmer Research GroupsFarmer Research Groups are an opportunity for farmers working with other farmers to test practices, develop ideas or answer questions systematically on their own farms. The Farmer Research Group Network helps connect farmers with interests in similar topics, facilitates meetings, finds technical expertise to help the group, provides scientific guidance for the tests or trials, pays experimental and lab costs, and pays each farmer participant an honorarium for their work in the research group. Farmer Research Groups allow farmers and scientists from all three southern New England states to use resource and expertise efficiently to address farmer priorities. The Network is supported by NE -SARE, the universities of Massachusetts and Connecticut, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Research groups can work on any topic farmers want to work on. Contact us to find out what problems farmers in Southern New England are solving. Manure Stacking:A Farmer Research Group is working to develop efficient, environmentally acceptable techniques for manure stockpiling. The farmers are evaluating various organic materials (old hay, leaves, compost, etc.) layered under and over manure piled in the field to test if they reduce leaching and runoff. First year results were very promising, indicating their may be simple effective techniques to manage manure without a manure pit. If you field stack/stockpile manure prior to fall spreading, or winter stockpile and spring spread you can participate in this study. Farmer Research Groups develop their own solutions to problems on their farms in partnership with scientists. Farmers receive a $500 honorarium for participating in a research group. Contact: Farmer Research Group Network Coordinator: Sue Ellen Johnson, 413-323-4531. Establishing Rye Cover Crops:Several farmers are beginning a study about establishment of fall rye cover crops. Among other questions- they plan to test harrowing after germination, timing of manure applications. If you have ideas or nagging questions about managing rye cover crops in your fields- work with other farmers to choose the questions and get conclusive answers. Farmer Research Groups test their own ideas on their farms in partnership with scientists. Farmers receive a $500 honorarium for participating in a research group. Contact: Farmer Research Group Network Coordinator: Sue Ellen Johnson, 413-323-4531. The Festival That Stinks!You wonıt want to miss New Englandıs most savory autumn celebration: The Fifth Annual North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival on Saturday, September 20th at Forsterıs Farm located at 60 Chestnut Hill Road, Orange, MA! Come taste glorious garlic cuisine such as Diemand Farmıs turkey garlic chili, Peopleıs Pint pulled pork with garlic baked beans, Bartıs garlic ice cream (other flavors available for the more timid), New Salem Fire Departmentıs famous burgers and hotdogs a la garlic sauce, and more! Meet local artists and woodworkers as they display their fine handmade wares. Take your family on a relaxing horse-drawn hayride, and enjoy live music by some of the regionıs most popular musicians. Are you a serious garlic-lover? Then, enter the raw garlic-eating contest, or just watch the antics as brave contestants vie for the prize! Animal-enthusiasts might want to view a sheep-herding demonstration performed by a real 21st century local shepherd, and then marvel at Tom Ricardiıs distinguished birds of prey. Local forestry guides will be on hand to lead easy nature hikes. Gates open at 10:00 am for those with an appetite for garlic and a passion for fun. Follow your nose (or the yellow and green signs along routes 2 and 202) to. Admission is $3.00 for adults; kids under 12 are free. Free parking. Visit www.garlicandarts.org to learn more! Sponsored by the Forster/Stewart family, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce, Seeds of Solidarity, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council agencies of Athol, Leverett, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, and Shutesbury. Savor the Seasonings with Chef Peter McCarthyYou're invited to a five- course dinner at EVOO, 118 Beacon Street, Somerville, Monday July 28 at 7:30 pm. The dinner is a tax deductible benefit for the Federation of Massachusetts Farmers' Markets. Chef Peter McCarthy will present A Summer Dinner featuring Massachusetts agricultural products. The menu will include house smoked goat cheese and homemade apple butter tart with roasted beets and summer herbs, corn bisque with buttered sweet 'n' spicy roasted peppers, "Just Tomatoes," grilled beef club sirloin and braised oxtail with smoked fried potatoes, habanero Hollandaise sauce and a ragout of zucchini, "Last Summer's" pickles and caramelized onions. The dinner will conclude with blueberry-apricot crisp with Toby's homemade honey lavender ice cream. Appropriate wine served with each course $100 per person including tax & gratuity. RSVP EVOO, 118 Beacon Street (corner of Kirkland), Somerville MA 617-661-3866 or FMFM at 781-893-8222. NEWS FROM USDAFinancing Resources Workshop OfferedYou're invited to learn about financing and planning resources for small communities, businesses of all sizes, individuals looking to start their own company and non-profits in a Financing Resources Workshop offered by USDA Rural Development. This free workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 23, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Winchendon Town Hall, 109 Front Street, Winchendon, Mass. State senators Stephen Brewer and Robert Antonioni and state representatives Brian Knuuttila, Lewis Evangelidis, Anne Gobi, Chris Donlin are hosting the workshop. Presentations will be made by representatives of USDA Rural Development, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, Greater Gardner Community Development Corporation, Western Massachusetts Enterprise Fund, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Rural Housing Improvement, Inc., US Small Business Administration, Small Business Development Center, Mass. Rural Development Council, Franklin County Community Development Corporation, North Central Massachusetts Development Corp., SCORE, Franklin Regional Council of Government, Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce, and Massachusetts Office of Business Development. This workshop is free and open to the public. For further information or questions, please contact David Tuttle at 413-253-4302 or Tom Guerino at 413-545-4404 [back to contents]IN EVERY ISSUECLASSIFIED ADS
How to Place a Classified AdClassified ads are accepted free-of charge on a first-come basis. Limit: 25 words. Be sure to include a phone number. No display ads will be accepted. Only one ad per business/individual per issue, unless space permits. Ads may run in consecutive issues, space permitting. Ads must be of interest to Massachusetts farmers. The Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources reserves the right to refuse any listing it deems inappropriate for publication. E-mail, fax or mail ads to: Farm & Market Report, Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114, 617-626-1750 fax: 617-626-1850, e-mail: Mary.Jordan@state.ma.us CALENDAR
About the Farm & Market ReportPublished monthly by: Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, Governor
This publication is available in alternate formats upon request. Send news and classified ads to Mary.Jordan@state.ma.us or by fax to 617-626-1850. To unsubscribe or change your address, send an e-mail message to Richard.LeBlanc@state.ma.us or call 413-545-2353.
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