Sen. Gobi, Rep. Madden Honored With “Kale Blazers” Award at MA Farm & Sea to School Conference

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Tuesday, November 08, 2016

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Sen. Ann Gobi

Senator Ann Gobi and State Rep. Tim Madden were awarded the "Kale Blazers" award at the fourth Massachusetts Farm & Sea to School Conference. The award recognizes individuals who advocate for arm to school programs across the state.

“I am incredibly honored to receive the first ever “Kale Blazer” award. Farm to School programs have had great success and I have been proud to work with Rep. Madden, our colleagues and Mass Farm to School to expand them across the Commonwealth,” said Senator Gobi.

The Conference

Almost 400 teachers, farmers, chefs and advocates representing communities from Provincetown to the Berkshires got together for the fourth Massachusetts Farm & Sea to School Conference.

“Bringing all of these people together for this conference is really important for building the farm to school movement in Massachusetts. Participants learn from each other and leave inspired to bring new ideas back to their own communities,” said Mass. Farm to School Co-Director, Simca Horwitz.

The conference featured seafood cooking demonstrations, curriculum development intensives and offered those looking to get students excited about local food and agriculture the tools to do so.

Conference workshops covered topics including procuring local food for institutions, garden based learning, nutrition education, and cooking with farm fresh foods.

The event also included a producer-buyer networking session where school food chefs could meet directly with farmers and fishermen to develop new sales relationships.

Farm to School Programs

Farm to School programs grown across the country in recent years, with a wide range of impacts on local economies, student health, and learning.

Massachusetts has been at the head of this movement, with a statewide program since 2004. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School Census finds that 171 Massachusetts school districts are helping 422,000 students gain access to healthy, local foods and helping school cafeterias spend an estimated $10.2 million on Massachusetts produced food.

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