MASSACHUSETTS
Major Program Accomplishments
Teacher programs include newsletters, on-the-farm workshops, calendars, mini-grants and our annual conference.
Our newsletters which in the past year have focused on: DNA, hunger relief and value-added agriculture. Our 9 on
the farm workshops continue to be a favorite activity. The mini-grant program allows educators to get financial
assistance to expand into a new project area. Our day-long teacher conference proved to be a great success.
Teachers rated it highly for the networking possibilities and sharing.
In collaboration with Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources and the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, MAC produced a Calendar of Agriculture. A calendar was sent to every public library in the
state as well as all legislators.
Working on completing Project Green Genes in conjunction with Univ. of Mass. Coop. Extension. This project
brought hands-on DNA activities to middle school teachers and educators. With funding from NAITC we were able
to create additional internet modules that allow students to play a DNA whodunit game. Also we explore breeding
systems in heritage breed animals and how farmers are using genetics in their everyday choices on their farms.
These critical thinking skills are increasingly important in this age of media technology.
In the process of implementing a graduate course for teachers for integrating agriculture in their classrooms. Our
grant funding came from Northeast Farm Credit and Agway Foundation. Summer 2006 will find teachers are
engaged in this pilot project which we hope will become a regular educational offering.
Major Program Impacts
Our newsletters continue to reach 10,800 educators throughout the state of Massachusetts. The feature articles
continue to be a source of great educational material for these educators. Our on-the-farm workshops average 25
teachers and teachers report that these experiences help them to translate what today's farmers are doing in the
fields and greenhouses of Massachusetts. In the past year we have awarded over $9,235 in mini-grants to twelve
different projects throughout the state. Since 1994 MAC has awarded more than $160,000 to nearly 200 projects to
educators throughout Massachusetts. The February workshop is a great opportunity for revving up teachers out of
the winter doldrums and generating excitement with new opportunities for spring.
Massachusetts students began to receive the benefits from the DNA program as trained teachers and educators
implemented this material in their classrooms and programs. In addition information from this program was then
disseminated regionally at the Northeast Volunteer Leader Forum extending the reach of this information.
There is a high level of interest in the graduate level course and we should begin to see the benefits of that training
in the Fall of 2006.
We are continually striving to stabilize our funding and are working through the legislative process to accomplish
this goal.
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