Fall is upon us with crisp mornings, leaves at peak foliage, and orchards brimming with enthusiastic Pick-Your-Own customers lining up for apples, pears, fresh cider, and cider donuts. My colleagues from sister state agencies have been keeping me updated on the orchards they’ve visited and for many of them, they’ve brought along their children for the first time to experience the time-honored tradition of apple picking in New England. It’s been fun and heartwarming to hear about their adventures and also serves as a reminder that there’s only a few more weekends left in the season to visit the many great family-owned and operated orchards across the state. Throw on your best flannel and visit the MassGrown Map to find a location near you!
A highlight of the fall for our MDAR team was welcoming our new Chief of Staff, Jack Sisson-Manning. Jack started with us on October 6, after spending the past four years at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management-Division of Agriculture as their Chief of Program Development. Prior to working in Rhode Island, Jack worked for the Plymouth County Conservation District as their District Manager. Jack graduated from UMass Amherst with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and attended Bristol County Agricultural High School where he served as State FFA President and was actively involved in the MA 4-H Dairy Goat program. Jack’s enthusiasm and passion for agriculture, as well as organizational and leadership skills, make him a terrific addition to the MDAR team. Welcome, Jack!
Fall also signifies prime time for agricultural fairs. I traveled to Marshfield Fair in late August and enjoyed touring the grounds with fair directors, meeting with exhibitors and vendors, and celebrating 4-H Day at the fair. Along with Karen Schwalbe from MA Farm Bureau, we judged very competitive costume classes that featured animals from rabbits to miniature ponies competing on their costume creativity. It was one of the hardest, but most fun, classes I’ve had to judge in my career! The youth programming is strong at Marshfield Fair and showcases the wonderful partnership between Plymouth County Extension and the fair.
MDAR team members and I traveled to the Provincetown Farmers Market on a beautiful Saturday morning to tour the market. We were able to meet with the many farm vendors in attendance and learn about their business models, as well as the importance of the market to customers who utilize nutrition programs to maximize their purchasing power. It was also a special treat to walk the market with Chef Michael Ceraldi of CERALDI restaurant and see how he incorporates fresh, seasonal produce, dairy, meat, and seafood into his meal offerings. Thank you to Francie Randolph of Sustainable CAPE for hosting us and prioritizing the importance of access to nutritious food.
With MDAR Director of Climate and Equity Rebecca Davidson, Chef Michael Ceraldi, and Sustainable CAPE Director Francie Rudolph
The Greenfield Common was bustling with over 800 attendees for the 20th Annual Greenfield Harvest Supper. The event is an opportunity to celebrate local farms and food producers while providing a delicious pay-what-you-can meal prepared by Stone Soup Café. Chef Kirsten Leavitt spearheads this event each summer and gathers volunteers from across the county, as well as donations of the freshest Mass Grown items from local farms. It’s a wonderful example of community feeding community and providing the opportunity for everyone to share in the “bounty from the county.”
Deputy Commissioner Winton Pitcoff and I attended the 157th annual Cummington Fair and visited with fair board members, vendors, livestock exhibitors, and fair attendees. We also watched some of the dairy show that was taking place and enjoyed getting to talk with the judge, who is one of our colleagues from the CT Department of Agriculture. We also got to see the miniature horse pulls in action, which provide a fun venue for kids and adults alike. The weather was good throughout the fair and helped to attract strong crowds over the course of four days.
Buy Fresh Buy Local Cape Cod hosted our MDAR team for a great day of tours that featured visits to Midnight Our Seafood, Allard Farm, Dennis Conservation Land Trust, and Cotuit Oyster Company. Midnight Our Seafood owns a fleet of scallop boats and we were able to see the impact of investments made through the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program that helped with their storage and processing capacity. Allard Farm grows and sells produce and horticultural plants to the local community and across the Cape. The Dennis Conservation Land Trust showcased a unique partnership with the Brazilian Resource Center and Barnstable County 4-H through their community farm model. The day ended with a boat tour of Cotuit Oyster Company’s oyster beds and learning about the challenges and opportunities for aquaculture. A great diversity of tour stops and stories were shared!
Congressman Jim McGovern hosted his annual farm tours in Western and Central MA with a focus on the impacts of federal funding cuts and ways in which Congress and the state can best support farmers during these uncertain times. Farms ranged in production models from vegetables and fruit to livestock to floral and herbs. We also heard about the importance of diversifying market channels and market access challenges, agritourism, and the value of federal programs like the Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program that were terminated earlier this year. The tours also highlight the importance of federal and state partnership with several MDAR, USDA-FSA, USDA-NRCS, and USDA-RD staff in attendance.
I visited the Three County Fair on the Friday evening of Labor Day weekend and toured the fairgrounds with President Heather Perry and VP Bill Jablonski. We watched some of the horse pulls, toured the Baby Barnyard and livestock exhibits, and connected with the faculty and staff from Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School who were showcasing the many trade programs offered at the school. The fair continues to honor its storied agricultural history through the Farm Museum displays and making updates to livestock buildings across the fairgrounds.
UMass-Amherst held a Grand Opening for their new Campus Food Pantry, which is a partnership with the Amherst Survival Center to address food insecurity among students and staff. The pantry offers a host of local, fresh foods in addition to non-perishable food items and is open to students and employees, as well as their families. With 1 in 3 individuals identified as being food insecure in Massachusetts, students often face even higher rates of food insecurity and lack access to three meals a day. The pantry is a significant milestone in addressing the rising costs of food and removing the stigma of accessing free or reduced food.
We were thrilled to once again host Agriculture Night at the WooSox, with nearly 200 farmers and friends of agriculture in attendance. It was a beautiful summer evening where attendees were able to connect and watch the WooSox win against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees. If only our beloved Red Sox could have beat the Yankees in the playoffs! As they say, there’s always next year. Thank you to everyone who joined us at the ballpark, and to my husband for practicing throwing a baseball with me in anticipation of the first pitch. Practice paid off as I threw a strike down the middle!
I joined the Sterling Fair for their opening ceremonies, alongside fair volunteers, local legislators, Sheriff Lew Evangelidis, and attendees. As a completely volunteer-run fair that does not charge admission, it is always impressive to see how the local community supports the operations of the fair and the many volunteers that make it a success. The agricultural exhibits were up in numbers this year and featured several beautiful floral displays, as well as produce entries. I watched some of the oxen pulling competition, as well as sheep, poultry, and dairy shows before it was off to Franklin County Fair.
This year’s theme at Franklin County Fair was a “Blue Ribbon Affair” and honored the many agricultural contests that take place during the four days of the fair. The Roundhouse is always my first stop at the fair (after we get our dairy cattle moved in!) to see the beautiful fruit display from Clarkdale Fruit Farms and visit with the MA Maple Producers Association. The Roundhouse is full of exhibits including produce, flowers, canned items, quilts, crafts, and photography. A major weather event caused us to shelter in place in the Roundhouse so I made the best of the situation and talked with attendees about their favorite agricultural products and stops during the fair. Many enjoyed the dairy cattle shows, Hager’s fried dough with maple cream, floral exhibits, and beekeeping display. I also visited the Youth Building to see the exhibits from those under 18 years old and enjoy the creative spirit of their entries. Having grown up showing at the fair, it’s nice to reconnect with community members and see the area’s rich agricultural history alive and well!
The Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP) hosted members of our MDAR team, legislators, and Board of Ag members for a great tour of local farms. Our day started at Copicut Farms in Dartmouth, a small-scale environmentally conscious livestock farm that raises chickens, turkeys, hogs, sheep and cattle. They specialize in grass-fed and pasture-raised chickens, turkeys, hogs, sheep and cattle. They are one of a handful of farms that operate their own custom-designed, state-inspected poultry processing facility. We next toured Blue Stream Shellfish in Fairhaven, owned by Board of Ag member Dr. Dale Leavitt and two partners, where they grow oysters on more than 45 acres. They operate one of the only electric skiffs in the country. Our final stop was Russells Mills Flower Company in Rochester, one of the largest dahlia farms in the country. The business is owned by Bethanie Costa and Tucker Manley, both graduates of Bristol County Agricultural High School.
Our team then transitioned to one of our biggest undertakings of the year, managing the MA State Building at The Big E. We welcomed several new vendors this year that were a wonderful addition to the building and had a very successful showing during the 17-day event. While attendance was slightly down this year, with 1,538,463 visitors total, our building saw steady crowds and Massachusetts Day and Harvest New England Day had great participation from one-day vendors. Thank you to Building Manager Fran Pearson and Assistant Building Manager Heather LaBonte for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the building, supporting the vendors, and continuously raising the bar year after year!
Inside the front entrance of the Massachusetts Building with MA Office of Travel and Tourism Executive Director Kate Fox
In the middle of the hustle and bustle of The Big E, Deputy Commissioner Pitcoff and I traveled to the NASDA Annual Meeting in Rogers, Arkansas. Policy discussions throughout the week included trade and market access, USDA’s reorganization plan, access to federal programs and technical assistance, the need for a new Farm Bill, and labor concerns in light of immigration enforcement. Tour stops included Walmart’s corporate headquarters and Tyson Foods. It was great to connect with colleagues from across the country, hear from industry members during policy committee meetings, and learn about Arkansas’ top agricultural commodities including rice, soybeans, and poultry.
I was invited to participate on a panel during NYC Climate Week along with Connecticut Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt, New Jersey Secretary Ed Wengryn, and American Farmland Trust’s Vice President of Policy Tim Fink. The day’s theme was “Keeping Farmers on the Land” and was hosted in partnership with American Farmland Trust and Food Tank. Our discussions focused on land protection programs, how to attract and retain the next generation of farmers, climate impacts farmers are experiencing across the region and country, and what programs should be prioritized in upcoming Farm Bill deliberations. I always appreciate the opportunity to hear about the work taking place in other states and how we can work together as a region to become more resilient in tackling climate-related challenges.
MDAR’s Market Development & Food Systems Planning Coordinator Bonita Oehlke, along with Food Export-Northeast, organized a week of tours focused on sustainability for a delegation of journalists from the European Union. The group began their journey in Maine to learn about their lobster, forestry, and value-added sectors. The journalists began their Massachusetts’ adventure with a cranberry bog visit and touring Westport Sea Farms to learn about oyster production. The following day I joined them at UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST) to hear from Professor Kevin Stokesbury about sustainability initiatives in the seafood sector. We also got to see a blue lobster during our tour, with only 1 in 1-2 million lobsters having this genetic color variation. The afternoon included a tour of Eastern Fisheries, where 1 in every 5 scallops globally are processed. We also got to visit a scallop boat on the New Bedford harbor and hear from the captain about the challenges the industry is currently weathering. The final day included a visit to Tufts University to hear from Professor Timothy Griffin, Story Reed from MA Division of Marine Fisheries, and myself to share about sustainability initiatives across food, fisheries, and agriculture. The group also toured Boston Public Market for lunch, Fancypants Baking Co. to learn about their GMO and allergen-free upcycled ingredients, clean labels, zero waste, and no additives in its line of premium cookie products, and ended the day at Commonwealth Kitchen to see their shared-use kitchen and hear from entrepreneurs utilizing the site. It was a fascinating time with the journalists and learning about the various trends, hot topics, and initiatives in their respective countries.
Harvard Law School hosted the 10th Food Law Student Leadership Summit and I was honored to provide the keynote address during the luncheon. Law students, undergraduates, and faculty from across the country attended the annual event to discuss timely topics in food and agricultural policy. My talk focused on federal impacts with respect to Massachusetts agriculture, as well as discussing my career journey and advice for future attorneys in the field. I enjoyed getting to meet with students at the event, as well as have follow-up conversations as they explore career opportunities in agriculture. Thank you to Emily Broad Leib and the team at Harvard Law School for the invitation to attend and present!
Farmers Market Coordinator David Webber and I traveled to the Canton Farmer’s Market to celebrate Young Entrepreneurs Day on October 5th. After getting to ring the opening cowbell, we toured the market with Manager Marie Ericson, board members, and supporters of the market. There were over twenty youth that were selling their wares, and some full-time vendors that started at the market through Young Entrepreneurs Day. We also visited with several of the farmer vendors and learned about how their growing seasons went and the importance of the market to their businesses. With 2025 being the Year of Youth in Agriculture in Massachusetts, the day showcased how farmers markets can serve as incubators for future entrepreneurs.
October Cranberry Month kicked off at A.D. Makepeace Company’s Cranebrook Cranberry Bog in Carver. The event included the reading of the Governor’s Proclamation and allowed members of our MDAR team, Ag Youth Council, legislators, industry representatives, and cranberry growers to help with the cranberry harvest. It’s always a stunning visual seeing the crimson berries, our number one food crop grown in the Commonwealth, rise to the top of the flooded bogs and be harvested for consumers to enjoy. Thank you to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association for hosting us and the collaboration to make the kick-off event a success!
Green City Growers, located in Somerville, hosted their annual Harvest Party to convene stakeholders and partners in urban agriculture. Friends of the Boston Schoolyards were honored with the Gus Schumacher Award for Advocacy for their efforts of developing vibrant gardens within Boston Public Schools and engaging students in how their food is produced. The event is a celebration of the efforts of many in community building around food production and the possibilities that exist to connect more individuals to the local food system.
I visited Topsfield Fair on a beautiful Friday afternoon and joined fair leadership, legislators, and exhibitors for a luncheon discussion around the impact of agricultural fairs and agritourism. The luncheon was organized by the MA Food System Caucus and included panelists Michael Smolak of Smolak Farms, Nancy Gardella of the North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vito Giacalone of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, Dr. Heidi Riccio of Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School, and General Manager James O’Brien from Topsfield Fair. I also got to see the winning giant pumpkin, which set a new fair record weighing in at 2,507 pounds! The agricultural exhibits were brimming with color and the barns and exhibit halls were full of Massachusetts agricultural products.
The Boston Public Market (BPM) celebrated its10th anniversary at their annual Harvest Party, and honored the incredible contributions of CEO Cheryl Cronin who has been with the market since day one. Cheryl’s steadfast leadership guided the market through the pandemic, market fluctuations, and the current economy that small businesses find themselves operating in. The Harvest Party was an evening of celebration and reflection, as well as an opportunity to connect with many of the vendors. Congratulations to the market on this milestone and for serving as a key partner to farms, entrepreneurs, and small businesses across the state!
We’re looking forward to celebrating a new special recognition month in November (stay tuned!), Green Friday with the MA Christmas Tree Growers Association, and the State House Tree Lighting (details for interested vendors in this month’s F&M Report). Now is a great time to start planning for your Thanksgiving meals and ordering a locally grown turkey and all the fixings from one of our Massachusetts family farms. Wishing you a Happy Halloween, a grateful Thanksgiving holiday, and rest after a successful harvest season!
Locally Grown and Proud,
Ashley