FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS AWARDED AN MA FRESH GRANT BY HEALEY-DRISCOLL ADMINISTRATION
North Adams Public Schools is pleased to announce they have received $30,000 in MA FRESH grant funding from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Office for Food and Nutrition Programs.
The third round of the competitive, state-funded MA FRESH (Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health) grant has awarded $1.2 million to 24 Massachusetts school districts and 10 early education and care programs across the Commonwealth to support local food and local food education in schools.
This year's MA FRESH projects were made possible with food literacy funding in the Massachusetts state budget. This funding enables schools and early education sites to purchase and prepare more locally grown Massachusetts food, invest in farm to school efforts, and provide students with experiential learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom.
“We are thrilled to receive this MA FRESH grant,” said Tim Callahan, Ed.D, Superintendent of North Adams Public Schools. “With these funds we will expand our farm-to-school programming by partnering with local farms to bring fresh, seasonal produce into our cafeterias and by creating hands‑on garden and tasting lessons for students across grade levels. This investment strengthens student health and wellness, supports local farmers, and deepens classroom learning through real-world food and agriculture experiences.”
“This grant allows our Food Services team to source more Massachusetts-grown ingredients and improve meal offerings with fresher, higher-quality foods,” explained Director of Food Services, Tom Lark. “We’ll use the funding to train staff on scratch-cooking techniques and highlight ‘Harvest of the Month’ ingredients on our menus—giving students healthier choices while celebrating the bounty of our region.”
“We are delighted to see a diversity of programs and communities receive funding to further food education opportunities, enhance school meals highlighting local foods, and establish food literacy programs in schools. We are thankful for our Massachusetts Legislators and the Healey-Driscoll Administration for making these funds available to schools and childcare centers across the Commonwealth to do this important work. We see emerging and vibrant educational and meal programs tapping into this innovative funding to support the kind of farm to school programming we envision for every community in the Commonwealth,“ Simca Horwitz, Co-Director of Massachusetts Farm to School, stated.
Advocates are still working to establish a permanent farm to school MA FRESH Grant program in Massachusetts to provide ongoing support for the infrastructure investments, staff training, and educational initiatives that lead to farm to school program success and sustainability.
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