Acton-Boxborough Public Schools | $28,961.00 Acton, MA
The Acton Boxborough Food and Nutrition Department will support local, scratch-cooked menus through recipe development, staff training, and student- and community-based outreach development. Culinary specialists will be utilized within the department to champion sustainable changes to benefit students, staff, and the community.
Boston Public Schools | $48,316.00 Boston, MA
Boston Public Schools (BPS) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will establish a new full-time Farm to School Manager position. The incumbent will establish and implement a strategy to build, manage, and execute relationships with local farmers, schools and food service providers to increase the procurement and serving of fresh, locally sourced foods for school meals. The Farm to School Manager will promote healthy eating habits and support sustainable food systems within the community. The incumbent will build the educational bridge between school meals/local, sustainable food/nutrition and academic learning. The Farm to School Manager will collaborate to provide equitable access to nutritious school food for all students.
Bristol County Agricultural Public School District | $35,420.00 Dighton, MA
Bristol County Agricultural High School (Bristol Aggie) will launch a foundational phase of its local food systems initiative by leveraging the internal knowledge and expertise of faculty and staff. This phase will prioritize strategic planning and with a focus on curriculum development, logistical coordination, and program establishment. Building on previous efforts such as the Northeast Food for Schools Grant and ongoing farm-to-table programs, this initiative will enhance student engagement in food literacy and expand our capacity to integrate sustainable food systems into our academic and operational framework.
Chicopee Public Schools | $16,620.00 Chicopee, MA
Funds will be used to add a full-time Garden Educator to our district's Farm to School team. Working alongside our district's Farm to School Coordinator, this employee will design and teach garden education for 2,800 elementary school students at 9 schools. Additional funds will be used to pay for professional development opportunities for our Garden Educator and existing district staff to ensure the continuation of our initiatives and curriculum after the grant period ends.
Collaborative for Regional Educational Service and Training | $14,950.00 Andover, MA
Farm Fresh to CREST's Culinary is driven by CREST educational collaborative's mission, "elevating every learner together" and dedicated to the goal of serving new healthy school menus with a multitude of fresh produce and protein farmed locally in the Merrimack Valley, while optimizing current Massachusetts FRESH CORP resources and educational partnerships. In addition, CREST's students, families, teachers, and food service partners will also be immersed in increased food literacy activities with the goal of increasing farm to table knowledge in all K–12 classrooms.
Crispus Attucks Children's Center | $17,600.00 Dorchester, MA
CACC will work with a consultant to support local food system educational activities for the nearly 200 children and their families who are a part of its early childhood education center in Dorchester. This includes optimizing growing and teaching potential with children and teachers in raised bed gardens and a beautiful new greenhouse, providing professional development for teachers on food and nutrition, providing workshops for families on growing vegetables and fruits, and providing input on how we incorporate the produce we grow into the meals the center provides.
Frontier Regional School District | $27,372.00 Deerfield, MA
Frontier Regional Union 38 School Districts (FRSU38) will hire three part-time staff members to work collaboratively with the existing Farm to School Team, including the Food Service Director, to create a districtwide Farm to School Program — integrating Classroom, Cafeteria and Community. This grant will also provide funding for seven current staff members to become leaders in the Farm to School Program at their schools. All the members of the Farm to School Team will engage community partners — including local farms and businesses, caregivers, teachers, and administrators — in a process that reflects the diversity of our community and celebrates its agricultural roots.
Gloucester Public Schools | $16,075.00 Gloucester, MA Gloucester Public Schools will work in partnership with the non-profit Backyard Growers to expand our Harvest of the Month taste tests to include preschool and middle school students. We currently host our taste testing at four elementary schools. In addition, preschool students will take part in two additional school garden learning experiences per year, offering four total touchpoints in the garden per year. Lastly, Backyard Growers will offer educators garden guides on ways to infuse seasonal use of the garden into classroom learning.
MetroWest YMCA | $15,023.00 Framingham, MA
Funding from MA FRESH CORP will increase our part-time Farm to School Director to full-time. This will allow us to enhance the impact of our work across classrooms, cafeterias, and communities while also building new year-round relationships with additional farms and local food sources.
Nauset Public Schools | $17,700.00 Nauset, MA
Nauset aims to establish a Farm to School (FTS) Program Coordinator position to enhance local food procurement, integrate farm-based education, and manage district farming systems in alignment with cafeteria needs. The coordinator will oversee 3 school gardens, our greenhouse, and district's hydroponic units to ensure year-round food production while fostering hands-on learning opportunities for students. Additionally, they will collaborate with local farmers, provide professional development for staff, and align menus with locally sourced foods to promote sustainability and enrich the school community. This role will strengthen connections between local agriculture and education while supporting healthier, more sustainable school meal programs.
Northampton Public Schools | $15,125.00 Northampton, MA
The Freshampton Farm to School program at Northampton Public Schools has been around in various forms of the 3 C's (Cafeteria, Classroom, and Community) for more than 15 years. However, the programming needs to be better aligned and sustainable for the long-term. Additionally, there is a disconnect among parents and other community members around Farm to School programming, cafeteria services and the hard work the cafeteria team does to improve school meals. So, we are starting the Freshampton Collaborative, with the goal of strategically planning, refining, creating, and coordinating programs that are more cohesive and sustainable, in addition to promoting these programs so that the community is fully aware and proud of this work.
Robbins Children's Programs, Inc | $26,591.00 Attleboro, MA
Robbins will utilize three of their School Age Educators to implement a taste testing experience for children and families in the Preschool Program. Funds will also be used to fund stipends to support staff with project activities and the implementation of a Garden Club. Robbins will also be taking Preschool children on field trips to a local pick-your-own farm so they can experience a variety of fruits and vegetables when they are in season, as well as collaborating with Mass Audubon to provide professional development to Preschool Educators about gardening.
Salem Public Schools | $44,039.00 Salem, MA
Salem Public Schools (SPS) will work with a Farm to School (FTS) consultant team to integrate FTS, food literacy, and school garden education into Pre-K, elementary and middle school classrooms and Out of School Time (OST) programs. The FTS consultants will work with the SPS Academics Department to identify FTS Coaches at each school to lead this work and provide professional development to other educators. The consultants will also work with SPS on the creation of a School Garden Master Plan to ensure gardens are used equitably and consistently, and a communications strategy to include FTS information in weekly school newsletters, social media, and special events. Salem Public Schools is eager to connect and systematize our farm-to-school work with this grant opportunity to ensure that all students in the Salem Public Schools district have equitable access to school gardens, and food literacy education.
Watertown Public Schools | $26,200.00 Watertown, MA
This grant will fund a part-time Freight Farm teacher position and expand a part-time garden coordinator role to a full-time position to enhance food literacy and local food system education from a K–8 model to K–12. The grant will also fund supplies and professional development activities related to the Freight Farm and school gardens. The project will support existing Farm to School programming while playing an integral role in expanding these initiatives as we operationalize our newly purchased Freight Farm at our high school. By integrating experiential, culturally sustaining learning opportunities into classrooms, cafeterias, and the broader school community, this initiative will strengthen connections between students, their local food systems, and nutrition education. These roles will ensure the sustainability of programs that align with the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child Adult Food Care Program (CACFP).
Billerica Public Schools | $16,668.00 Billerica, MA
The Billerica School Farm project seeks to develop a long-term system to grow nutritious and local food in order to provide additional healthy food options to the Billerica community. By increasing growing capacity through investment in alternative methods (hydroponics, indoor grow lights), a robust curriculum can be created that allows students of all ages and backgrounds to cultivate food year-round. The inclusion of an indoor garden will allow students to overcome the challenges of a shorter New England growing season and the impacts of climate change. It will also allow students the opportunity to learn about sustainability, nutrient cycling, soil science, and vertical gardening. The project will develop a sense of community around food cultivation as students engage with a broad range of community stakeholders.
Boston Public Schools | $30,000.00 Boston, MA
Boston Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services will develop a sustainable procurement channel for local food grown by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers, supported by development of an educational component for students at point of sale. This project would encompass a) networking to identify New England BIPOC farmers; b) an exploration of the opportunities and impediments for BIPOC farmers to conduct business with Boston schools and schools, generally; c) finding solutions to overcome challenges, and d) initiating long-term, respectful procurement relationships.
Brockton Day Nursery, Inc | $30,000.00 Brockton, MA
Brockton Day Nursery's project is an engaging, interactive and fun, opportunity for children to learn about how and where our food comes from. Children will learn how certain foods are better than others for our bodies and growth, all while supporting the cultural diversity of our community. The complementing curriculum will be taught in multiple languages and highlight foods that are ethnically diverse.
Brockton Public Schools | $20,000.00 Brockton, MA
Brockton Public Schools' project aims to establish an indoor mushroom farm to promote mushroom cultivation and education within the school community. This initiative will allow Brockton to grow a variety of mushrooms such as oyster, pink oyster, maitake (hen of the woods), shiitake, snow white, and more. In addition to providing educational opportunities, the farm will also serve as a platform for community engagement through tasting sessions, lunch and learns, and special events.
Chicopee Public Schools | $1,985.00 Chicopee, MA
Chicopee Public Schools would like to connect our existing farm to school activities with more productive school gardens and greater student knowledge about Massachusetts-grown products. We will install school garden irrigation systems at four existing garden spaces to more efficiently and consistently water gardens during the school year and summer months. To further encourage garden learning and engagement, we will hold a district-wide Harvest of the Month Trading Card Design Contest and print custom, informative trading cards to be distributed during taste tests and garden planting and harvest events.
Communities United, Inc. | $21,112.00 Lexington, MA
Feeding Hungry Minds will introduce the families in our program to their local food community. We will do this by providing children with the opportunity to taste test locally grown fruits and vegetables, planning field trips to a farm to see how food is grown, and incorporating farm to early education curriculum. Our staff will feel confident in implementing this through our partnership with Mass Audubon who will be providing over 5 hours of farm to early childhood education professional development training. Through these new initiatives, we hope to help our families feel more connected to their community and incorporate locally grown food into their own unique cultures.
Community Action, Inc | $28,053.00 Haverhill, MA
Community Action, Inc (CAI) is committed to addressing the food and nutrition needs of our community in innovative ways. This grant will enable CAI to offer food and nutrition programming for Head Start children, focusing on cooking, gardening, and other topics that support access to farm fresh foods. We have an integrated approach to the project — supporting professional development for Head Start staff; encouraging experiential learning in the classroom; and offering opportunities for families to deepen the connection in fun and engaging ways at home.
Dennis-Yarmouth Public Schools | $26,870.00 Yarmouth, MA
The Dennis-Yarmouth High School Farm Initiative is a transformative project designed to cultivate sustainable agriculture, promote inclusivity for our diverse student body, and foster healthy lifestyles through hands-on learning opportunities. This initiative aims to establish a community farm and indoor hydroponics system that offers cooking classes, engages students with disabilities, provides fresh produce to local food pantries, and practices environmentally responsible farming. Students will also have opportunities to visit organic farms, engage with Master Gardeners, and learn how to cook healthy recipes. By integrating education, culinary arts, sustainability, and community support, the project seeks to empower individuals of all abilities while addressing critical food access and environmental concerns.
East End House | $29,214.00 Cambridge, MA
SproutEd, an initiative of East End House, aims to deepen the connection between young children and fresh, local foods through the creation of an on-site garden. In partnership with Green City Growers, we will integrate gardening into the curriculum of our early education program for toddlers and preschoolers. This garden will become a living classroom, offering hands-on learning experiences that ignite curiosity and enthusiasm for sustainable food practices and healthy eating. By immersing our youngest learners in this dynamic environment, we strive to cultivate a lifelong passion for nutritious eating and environmental stewardship, laying the foundation for healthier communities in the future.
Gill-Montague Regional School District | $27,540.00 Gill, MA
The Gill-Montague Regional School District is using the FRESH funds to expand an existing Farm-to-School program at Gill Elementary by providing opportunities for students to plant vegetables throughout the year through hydroponics and a small greenhouse. The funds are also being used to build a new program at Sheffield Elementary including a raised bed garden and hydroponic system for their school. Sheffield is also experimenting with the use of a worm compost system as a part of their gardening endeavors. The funds are also being used to provide stipends to educators at both schools to create lessons and extensions to established curriculum in order to support farm-to-school programming.
Hatfield Public Schools | $3,848.00 Hatfield, MA
FRESH HES will help Hatfield Elementary School students build awareness of the connections among sustainable farming practices, climate change, and health promotion through a partnership with Prospect Meadow Farm. This will be achieved with student-led taste testing events featuring locally-sourced produce from this partnership, followed by farm-led tours.
Leominster Public Schools | $10,565.00 Leominster, MA
Grow, Prepare and Eat Local at Leominster High School is a collaboration between the Culinary Arts students, Life Skills students, staff, our food service management company, Chartwells, Wellness Committee, Professional Development Committee and local partners. The goals are to introduce gardening, focusing on indoor gardening, using aeroponics and greenhouse techniques; introduce recipe development using fresh, local produce; broaden the student and school community's food knowledge and experience; and provide food literacy topics that are in alignment with DESE's Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Framework.
Lowell Public Schools | $30,000.00 Lowell, MA
The Lowell Public Schools' Food is fun! program teaches students about our local food system by collaborating with community partner, Mill City Grows. Students engage in hands on learning in their school gardens and learn about healthy eating by incorporating their harvests into their school cafeteria menus.
Merrimack Valley Men's Christian Association, Inc | $20,785.00 Lawrence, MA
Merrimack Valley YMCA's FRESH project will provide opportunities for preschool youth to learn about where their food comes from and the food chain through hands on activities and experiences. FRESH educators will be trained in farm to school education through Mass Audubon's SEEDS program to help develop youth's food literacy and interactions with local farms. We will also provide educators with Dr. Yum curriculum to better support their curriculum development and help to educate youth on the importance of healthy food and where it comes from. Students will grow their own vegetables and herbs in their classroom gardens. Parents will be engaged with programming focusing on picky eaters, the importance of healthy breakfasts and lessons on healthy meal preparation.
New Bedford Public Schools | $28,054.00 New Bedford, MA
"New Bedford Eats Using Hydroponics" looks to embrace students in the elements of hydroponics and how hydroponics are used in the growing of produce. The indoor growing of lettuce as well as several herbs and other produce will be an educational experience for students at the elementary and high school levels. Harvested products can be incorporated into the school menu and meal preparation in these schools.
North Middlesex Public Schools | $6,550.00 Townsend, MA
The North Middlesex Regional School District will grow its current community garden and gardening club to increase awareness and education about the health benefits of fresh vegetables. Through grant funding, the district will upgrade the community garden currently located at the high school, increase the students' access/exposure to fresh vegetables grown locally at school and in the community, and leverage high school students to be stewards of food literacy within their building and with students in the elementary and middle schools.
Orange Public Schools | $6,710.00 Orange, MA
Fisher Hill Elementary School will link a farm field trip for Grades 1 & 2 to their social studies curriculum, specifically "Topic 4. Economics: resources and choices" of the Massachusetts' Social Studies Curriculum Framework in which students should "explain the relationship between natural resources and industries and jobs in a particular location (farming & trading)." Additionally, the school will have a speaker from Seeds of Solidity come to share a presentation as well as conduct a MA Farm to School curriculum lesson.
Oxford Public Schools | $2,950.00 Oxford, MA
Oxford's project integrates agricultural education with school food service, helping students understand food systems. Through growing crops in a campus greenhouse and studying soil health, students contribute fresh produce to the school meal program. The project also explores the link between agriculture, health, and sustainable food sourcing, encouraging students to take ownership of the food they grow and connecting the classroom to the cafeteria.
People Incorporated | $22,871.00 Fall River, MA
The People Incorporated Early Education Roots of Friendship Project will focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for preschoolers and will prioritize hands-on, interactive learning that helps children discover concepts through play and exploration. By engaging young children in activities that demonstrate the connections between food, nutrition, community, and the natural world, educators will make these concepts both fun and meaningful. Children will explore locally sourced organic produce, meet farmers from the community, and learn about the magic and science of growing food in their classrooms and their new outdoor organic gardens.
Provincetown Public Schools | $8,000.00 Provincetown, MA
The goal of Provincetown IB Schools' Expansion of Edible Gardens: Native Fruits project is to develop our current food program gardens with the design and installation of a new orchard area containing native apple & pear trees, and a native fruits garden containing blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, elderberry and beach plum. Expansion of our current school gardens allows us to include new native food resources in our current farm-to-school program and enhance our food system education, including local food webs, nutrition, and global issues of food insecurity. Expansion of our gardens will increase our resource output and support the contribution of grown food to our school kitchen and community food pantry.
South Shore YMCA | $21,648.00 Quincy, MA
As South Shore YMCA expands its Hanover Family Farm by 8,000 square feet, we are building new breakout education areas dedicated to supporting our preschoolers, our preschool teachers and other teachers in southeastern Massachusetts. These new spaces will be designed for small group gatherings (classroom groups, for our early learning center) that will include farm-to-school professional development programs for our 90 or so preschool teachers, our afterschool, and summer camp staff, as well as teachers from around the region from other districts/programs.
Taunton Public Schools | $29,985.00 Taunton, MA
Taunton Public Schools' project unites students with moderate to severe disabilities and other at-promise high school students in a state-of-the-art hydroponics lab, where they will grow fresh produce for the Tiger Den, our student-run restaurant, a school cafeteria taste-test, and for local families. Through hands-on sustainable agriculture practices in partnership with local farmers, students not only learn about sustainability and the green economy but also take control of the growing, packaging, and marketing processes. Students will then make PSAs to share their learning journey and show the entire district just how exciting and impactful sustainable farming can be!
Westford Public Schools | $16,600.00 Westford, MA
Norman E. Day Elementary School will bring our students' vision of a more inclusive school nutrition program to reality. We will expand our long-standing recreational school garden program and enable students to cultivate a variety of ethnically significant vegetables that honor their heritage. Students will collaborate with school nutrition professionals to work those crops into fresh new options that will be served on the lunch line. These new offerings will mirror our growing Indian, Asian, African, and Hispanic student body, while also providing a window for all to celebrate diversity through food.
Whitman-Hanson Public Schools | $30,000.00 Whitman, MA
"Hydroponics, Culinary Class, School Gardens: Oh My!" is an engaging program designed for students to explore the intersection of innovative gardening techniques and culinary arts. Participants will learn about hydroponics, cultivate their own school garden, and develop hands-on cooking skills, all while discovering the importance of sustainable practices and healthy eating. Through interactive lessons and activities, students will gain a deeper appreciation for where their food comes from and how to prepare delicious meals from fresh, home and locally grown ingredients.
Worcester Public Schools | $30,000.00 Worcester, MA
Worcester Public Schools' Head Start program will implement a Spring Harvest farm-to-school unit, culminating in a field trip for 26 classrooms to a local farm. This hands-on experience will be complemented by books, classroom and home activities, and cooking experiences centered around locally grown spring produce. The goal is to provide an immersive educational experience that enhances learning through nature exploration, literacy, and hands-on cooking projects.
ABCD Head Start & Children's Services | $11,242 ($13,897 FY25) Boston, MA
ABCD Head Start & Children's Services will build a new garden, invest in professional development for food service staff and purchase equipment to increase access to fresh produce for enrolled children and their families. The garden will provide opportunities for teachers to enhance their curriculum, access green space in an urban environment, and teach children about gardening and nutrition. Food service staff will increase their knowledge and ability to prepare unprocessed food from the garden and provide taste testing events for teachers, children, and families.
Boys & Girls Club of Metro South | $20,000 ($30,000 FY25) Taunton, MA
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South, serving more than 2,500 youth ages 5–18 each year, would utilize MA FRESH funds to support the expansion of innovative food system curricula. As they prepare to operationalize their third hydroponic Freight Farm adjacent to their downtown Taunton Clubhouse, MA FRESH funds will facilitate the adaptation and delivery of comprehensive nutrition education programs, support youth engagement, food security, and community development.
Codman Academy Charter Public School | $13,922 ($32,400 FY25) Dorchester, MA
Codman Academy will utilize funds to create a new initiative "Urban Roots" to focus on evidence-based urban agriculture curriculum integration in every grade from K1–12th, while providing direct in-school guidance and support to teachers. Urban Roots will increase local and regional produce and seafood procurements, establish new and current indoor growing systems for all middle school students and implement an Urban Roots Certification in Controlled Environment Agriculture Readiness, that will prepare our high school youth with marketable urban agriculture based technical skills. This certification program will include a series of planned experiential opportunities in Codman's indoor growing systems, indoor growing systems at partner sites and Codman's year-round youth farmer's market.
Community Action Pioneer Valley Head Start & Early Learning Center | $8,550 Greenfield, MA
Community Action Pioneer Valley, Head Start & Early Learning Program will utilize MA FRESH grant funds to provide professional development training for its food service staff. This will in turn help by expanding educational programing to promote food literacy and nutritional education for our students around preparing, cooking and eating locally grown foods. Community Action Pioneer Valley's weekly 'Nibbles Snack Activity' will allow children to fully participate in a hands-on nutritious snack. As part of this project, Community Action Pioneer Valley will secure the tools and materials needed for children to help prepare these snacks, as well as integrate the MA Harvest of the Month program into snack activities.
Community Charter School of Cambridge | $3,985 ($3,625 FY25) Cambridge, MA
Community Charter School of Cambridge will create a farm-to-school initiative with its middle and high school students that provides experiential learning opportunities, as well as the opportunity to celebrate cultural culinary traditions. Grant funds will be used to support travel to Land's Sake Farm to learn about how the farm operates and how it grows/harvests its produce during each season. Produce from the farm will then form the basis of a cooking class at a local community kitchen at the Foundry in Cambridge. Students participating in the cooking portion of the program will share family or cultural dishes and recipes and will learn how to prepare the food in a kitchen and enjoy a meal together afterwards.
Ellis Early Learning | $25,000 Boston, MA
Ellis will partner with Green City Growers to promote hands-on learning experiences achieved through food and nutrition education. Ellis believes that increased guided exposure to its garden will allow for more engaged interdisciplinary learning that will help students prioritize local and sustainable food options. Through this partnership, Ellis's students will be working with urban agriculture experts in order to better understand where the food they eat comes from.
Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School | $50,000 Hathorne, MA
The current farm operations at Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School (ENSATSD) are, by volume of production, on par with many local small farms and food producers; however, the district's ability to safety handle, wash, and store this produce is lacking. As a result, much of the produce cannot be served to the student population. This proposal includes many measures to implement and support a robust food safety program, including expanded cooling space, wash-pack station construction, staff & student training, water and soil testing, all in hopes of leading to a successful GAP audit and certification by school-year end. Through this project the entire student population will not only be able to access the freshest possible food to support them in their academic and technical endeavors while at school but will be all the more versed and involved in their local food system, becoming food-literate citizens and eaters in their own communities.
Greenfield Public Schools | $3,017.00 ($10,497 FY25) Greenfield, MA
Greenfield Public Schools will collaborate with local non-profit, Just Roots, to launch a new farm to school initiative at the elementary grade level. All GPS elementary students will participate in monthly taste tests of local foods following the harvest of the month program. Additionally, all third grade students will visit Just Roots Farm for a curriculum-aligned fall field trip and receive two additional food literacy lessons during the 2024-2025 school year.
Haverhill Public Schools | $21,790 ($28,150 FY25) Haverhill, MA
The hydroponic garden project for the Bartlett School and Assessment Center, aims to increase healthy eating habits by cultivating a variety of nutrient-rich vegetables and herbs to integrate into school food programs. Through hands-on participation in the garden's setup and maintenance, students will learn about plant growth, nutrition, and sustainability, fostering an appreciation for fresh, organic produce. This project will offer a sensory-rich environment while encouraging healthy eating habits and empowering students to make informed food choices for a balanced diet.
Holyoke/Chicopee Head Start | $18,645.00 ($18,734 FY25) Holyoke, MA
The project will build off of existing gardens at Educare Springfield and Churchill Head Start to fully integrate gardening and healthy foods into year-round use within the school curriculum. With the support of MA FRESH and partnership with Mass Audubon, the schools will receive professional development, resources and connections to bolster nutrition and gardening education for students and increase family and community engagement. Increased use of the gardens will allow for more food to be integrated into school meals and a larger diversity of culturally appropriate crops to be grown and shared.
Holyoke Public Schools | $23,479.00 ($8,700 FY25) Holyoke, MA
The grant will be used to ensure that all six elementary schools in Holyoke Public Schools have school gardens on site where students can participate in gardening in order to increase food literacy, increase their sense of belonging in the school community, and develop a sense of curiosity and willingness to try new things. Holyoke will expand existing gardens in five schools and create an entirely new garden space in one of the schools, establishing school garden cultures with longevity in mind. Funds will also be used to launch a classroom taste test program so students can try the types of foods they are growing in the garden and give feedback on their preferences.
Lenox Public Schools | $11,010 Lenox, MA
Lenox would like to add two Fork Farms Hydroponic systems — one system located at each school — to the district allowing all students access to indoor hydroponic growing capacities. Produce will be used in the kitchen and students will be involved in the growing process.
Mashpee Public Schools | $33,400 ($3,100 FY25) Mashpee, MA
Mashpee Middle High School (MMHS) in collaboration with the community partners Barnstable County Cooperative Extension Office of Nutrition Education and Food Safety, Master Gardeners of Cape Cod, and Health Ministry is building and sustaining an educational farm. The program integrates fresh, unprocessed produce harvested directly from the onsite farm into the menus of the school cafeteria which reflect the diverse cultural backgrounds of the students. The farm will be an edible educational outdoor classroom that creates new opportunities for hands-on learning through food and food systems. The food sovereignty provided by the farm will broaden students' culinary horizons while elevating both the quality of life and academic achievements of all. The MMHS Community Farm will be a hub for the classroom, cafeteria, and community.
Medway Public Schools | $7,000 Medway, MA
The Memorial School's MA FRESH project will conduct a school-wide produce tasting session and host a poster contest about the local food cycle for 4th grade students. Additionally, Memorial School will expand its partnership with the Medway Community Farm to include its 2nd and 3rd grade students in an annual school-based farming educational experience.
MetroWest YMCA | $28,583 ($20,344 FY25) Framingham, MA
The MetroWest YMCA aims to enhance its commitment to promoting holistic well-being by expanding its garden initiatives. With funds from the FRESH grant, MetroWest YMCA will be able to grow more fresh fruits and vegetables, fostering nutritional awareness and food education within its early learning centers. Through hands-on experiences such as classroom taste tests, gardening lessons, and cooking classes, MetroWest YMCA will educate students and their families to make informed choices around locally produced food, promoting both individual health and environmental sustainability.
Mystic Valley YMCA | $8,675 Malden, MA
Funds received from the MA FRESH grant will be used to purchase hydroponic garden towers for children to explore concepts related to the life cycle of seeds and how to grow produce. Produce will be used directly in Mystic Vally YMCA's cooking classes. The garden towers will promote lifelong healthy habits and social and emotional learning, while based in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) activities. These garden towers will be used throughout the Mystic Valley YMCA's preschool programming as well as the child care centers in Malden and Medford.
Norfolk County Agricultural High School | $4,317 ($8,176 FY25) Walpole, MA
Norfolk Aggie's Abundance Garden will expand its produce availability to students and the greater community. Norfolk Aggie will install a vegetable wash and pack area, and cold storage for its cafeteria. Both of these additions will allow Norfolk Aggie to fully utilize its garden by assuring more fresh food gets into the cafeteria.
PACE Head Start | $13,900 ($11,100 FY25) New Bedford, MA
PACE Head Start program will plant a community garden of fresh fruits and vegetables in beds, and also fruit bearing trees. The program will partner with Bristol Agricultural Highschool to acquire an intern to support the garden and work with children to plant and tend to the produce growing in the new space. Fresh produce grown through the project will be used to supplement our nutritious meal program and incorporated into culturally reflective recipes and family engagement opportunities.
Prospect Hill Academy Charter School | $23,345 ($24,465 FY25) Cambridge, MA
PHA will focus on educating students about how farming impacts student health, by sharing where food comes from, the work it takes to grow and harvest fresh produce, and the myriad ways students can incorporate nutritional fresh produce into their daily lives. The MA FRESH grant will be used to pilot a program with 9th graders, their teachers and members of the school's nutrition team, providing them with a transformational experiential learning opportunity at the Farm School. This opportunity will connect participants to the land and introduce them to the work that goes into planting, growing, and harvesting fresh produce. Then, when they bring their knowledge back to PHA, to share with our entire PreK–12 community, everyone benefits.
Salem Public Schools | $17,050.00 ($32,475 FY25) Salem, MA
Salem Public Schools will connect its existing Farm to School programming, which includes procurement of fresh local foods and Harvest of the Month tastings in the cafeterias, with the classrooms of its six K–5 elementary schools. Funding will support professional development for SPS K–5 teachers to integrate Farm to School curriculum including experiential learning in school gardens, culinary and nutrition lessons, and to provide field trips to local farms for fifth graders. Funding will also be used for data collection and evaluation activities during the grant period.
Waltham Boys and Girls Club | $25,000 Waltham, MA
Get Fresh will be a hands-on science program where a local nonprofit farm is the classroom. Over the course of several weeks, participating youth will get to experience first-hand how produce is grown, while building their knowledge of horticulture, food systems, and life cycles. Along the way, the program will promote healthy habits, environmental awareness, personal growth, and teamwork. Get Fresh will culminate in a community dinner where students will prepare a community meal featuring the produce they have grown for their families and guests.
Webster Public Schools | $11,900 ($5,000 FY25) Webster, MA
Webster Public Schools will strengthen and expand Farm to School efforts by increasing whole school community involvement. They will provide a multi-purpose school garden that benefits all members of the school community to enhance a sense of belonging and empowerment. Students will actively participate and learn in ways that support their health and sustainable awareness, with a farm to school to table rounded approach.
Westford Public Schools | $16,190 ($2,800 FY25) Westford, MA
The multi-disciplinary team at Nabnasset is excited and committed to creating an inviting and highly visible garden-based learning lab for our entire PK–2nd grade community to experience the wonder of how food is grown and appreciate its impact on life systems. Students will explore gardening, observe living things and be given the chance to learn, surrounded by a beautiful and peaceful landscape.
Assonet Daycare | $5,250 Assonet, MA
Assonet Daycare is building a new school garden and greenhouse and sponsoring two field trips to an area farm. Students started seeds in their classrooms and are now regularly tending to the plants as part of their day. They are learning about the life cycle, observing how plants grow, and sharing in the excitement of growing strong and healthy plants
Boston Public Schools | $12,300 ($37,700 FY24) Boston, MA
Boston Public Schools, in partnership with Green City Growers, a Boston-based company that partners with schools and businesses to transform underutilized spaces into biodiverse food production landscapes, is bringing hydroponic lettuce towers to English and Charlestown High Schools. This pilot project, "Lights, Water, Lettuce!" introduces student grown lettuce to the salad bar and provides professional development for teachers to support integration of the hydroponic system into their curriculum.
Bridge Boston Charter School | $45,668 ($4,312 FY24) Boston, MA
Bridge Boston Charter School has used their grant allocation for MA FRESH to fund the transformation of a vacant lot into the Jennifer Daly Outdoor Laboratory and Classroom, a garden named after their founder. The school will now host nine cedar raised beds, plants and soil, galvanized steel trellising, a drip irrigation system, and fixture options for an outdoor classroom. MA FRESH is providing both the infrastructure and professional development services to care for and maintain the garden. Curriculum utilized incorporates MA STEM standards, language arts, math, social studies, art, and social-emotional learning.
Fitchburg Public Schools | $23,356 ($500 FY24) Fitchburg, MA
Reingold Elementary School, serving over 660 students in grades 1–5, is piloting a more integrated STEAM curriculum, indoor grow tower, and garden expansion through the MA FRESH grant. In partnership with the community-based organization, Growing Places, Reingold Elementary will provide professional development trainings to teachers and install indoor grow towers and an outdoor community garden on site.
Gloucester Public Schools | $10,000 Gloucester, MA
Gloucester Public Schools, in partnership with Backyard Growers, a community-based garden organization, piloted a high schooler mentoring program. Mentors became ambassadors for Gloucester's Farm to School program, made age-appropriate promotional signage to engage younger students, assisted with garden lessons, prepared and served samples of local vegetables, and engaged with students as a resource for extra information and support. MA FRESH funding also allowed Food Services to purchase new kitchen tools to use in the Harvest of the Month program.
Guild of St. Agnes | $24,663 Worcester, MA
The Guild of St. Agnes' utilized FRESH grant funds to provide the much needed sinks, refrigerators, freezer, dish washer and work tables at the University Collaborative Early Education and Center. This equipment enables staff to now prepare and serve fresh, nourishing meals on site to the 177 children in 7 preschool and 3 infant/toddler classrooms. Students at this center reflect the general population the Guild of St. Agnes serves, largely children from low income households or those who are in the DCF system.
Medway Public Schools | $19,840 Medway, MA
In partnership with Medway Community Farm, the Medway Public Schools is expanding their farm to school program through creation of an on-site elementary school garden at the Burke-Memorial Elementary School, professional development for the school's cafeteria staff, and food systems education for students including regular visits and project based learning at the community farm.
MetroNorth YMCA | $6,200 Lynn/Melrose/Saugus/Peabody, MA
With MA FRESH funding, the Demakes Family YMCA was able to relocate their raised bed gardens to a higher visibility location where they can reach new youth and their families and integrate the garden with the early care and afterschool curriculum. Working with UMass Nutrition Extension, students and families are receiving lessons around how food choices impact growth and development, cooking lessons, and more.
Northampton Public Schools | $9,366 ($36,164 FY24) Northampton, MA
Northampton Public Schools is expanding their Freshampton food service program to include a comprehensive, experiential food system education program called Fresh Kids. FRESH grant funds are being used to hire a Farm to School Classroom Educator from School Sprouts Educational Gardens and work with Grow Food Northampton to provide field trips to their community farm. As part of FRESH Kids, Grow Food Northampton will also launch a new youth mentoring program for middle and high school students focused on organic farming next school year.
Provincetown Public Schools | $9,740 Provincetown, MA
Provincetown Public Schools has utilized MA FRESH funding to implement "Let's Grow," a project centered around the school garden and Sustainable CAPE's Farmer in the School Program, which is expanding education, awareness and exposure to the Cape's farm and fishing community through field trips, garden lessons, and food production for the cafeteria. The MA FRESH grant will culminate in a fall clambake and celebration in October.
Rainbow Child Development | $8,963 ($7,962 FY24) Worcester, MA
Rainbow Child Development is utilizing MA FRESH to implement a comprehensive Farm to School program for their preschool students, families and staff. Their program, in partnership with the Regional Environmental Council (REC) and UMass Nutrition Education, is bringing students out to gardens for hands-on lessons to learn how plants grow, cooking lessons, taste tests, and field trips to the REC farm and farmers market. MA FRESH has also provided Rainbow Child Development with the needed funds to provide professional development for preschool teachers, so they can expand much-needed after school programming and increase their familiarity with preschool-age appropriate farm to school education.
RFK Community Alliance/Dr. Franklin Perkins School | $38,544 ($12,150 FY24) Lancaster, MA
The Dr. Franklin Perkins School, a year-round day and residential, co-educational special education school, is transforming their outdoor gardens into outdoor classrooms and work spaces and adding indoor grow towers to facilitate winter production. This will support the food service department to continue increasing the use of fresh fruits and vegetables and engaging students in growing the food they will eat while expanding the project-based learning opportunities that support the social and emotional benefits of working outside and working with their hands.
Shaloh School Oholei Torah | $33,337 ($16,663 FY24) Boston, MA
Shaloh House is using MA FRESH funds to install an indoor "micro-farm" to provide fresh produce in the winter months and is building cold frames for their existing outdoor garden beds to extend the growing season and provide expanded opportunities for experiential learning. They are also adding kitchen equipment to meet the growing demand for the Kosher and Halal meals they prepare each day, now at 800 daily meals.
Somerville Public Schools | $32,000 Somerville, MA
Somerville Public Schools has been utilizing MA FRESH funds to reach nearly all of the students in the district through increased local food procurement of local strawberries, potatoes, seafood and dairy products, combined with hands on lessons in school gardens and field trips to Groundwork Somerville's South Street Farm. They are focused on solidifying classroom-cafeteria & garden learnings, developing more culturally relevant menu offerings celebrating the diversity of Somerville Public Schools' population, and educating addressing district policies and practices to best support wellness and food access.
South Shore YMCA | $7,803 Quincy/Hanover/Norwell, MA
The South Shore YMCA hosted a professional development training for 87 early education professionals, helping them feel comfortable in the garden and supporting them to bring farm-to-school lessons into their classrooms. On-site learning takes place at all of the South Shore YMCA early education locations and they are doing a remarkable job layering state and federal funding to further support the physical growing spaces and implementation of farm to school programming.
Springfield Public Schools | $8,950 ($12,724 FY24) Springfield, MA
Springfield Public Schools received funds to expand their school garden program and host a professional development training for educators. As the second largest district in Massachusetts, Springfield garden advocates have identified the need to develop more building-level support so that educators can feel empowered to bring students out to any of the more than 35 school gardens in the district. The additional gardens installed will provide greater access to outdoor growing spaces, bringing the number of school gardens to over 40.
Last Updated: April 24, 2025