Marlborough's Mass. Agriculture in the Classroom Gets $34,525

MARLBOROUGH, MA—A Marlborough organization was one of the recipients of $350,000 in grants from the state given to those that focus on specialty crops in Massachusetts.

The Baker-Polito Administration announced the awarding of approximately $350,000 in Specialty Crop Block Grants to 15 organizations across the Commonwealth. The block grants, which are funded through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), seek to support and promote specialty agricultural products through different strategies, such as a new website dedicated to marketing locally grown produce. According to the USDA, specialty crops are “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).”

Mass. Agriculture in the Classroom in Marlborough was awarded $34,525 for a project that creates a model with the Auburn Public Schools that expands access to and consumption of specialty crops required in the National School Lunch Program. The project is to address the needs of the whole child through social and emotional Learning by teaming up with educators and school nutrition professionals.

“The Massachusetts agricultural industry remains a vital component to local, regional, and state economies, and contained within its core is the harvesting and producing of specialty crops that are bought and sold around the world,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Matthew Beaton in a statement.

Specialty crops include cranberries, honey, maple, and herbs. This year’s grants, which total $342,330.36 for the 15 Massachusetts organizations, are authorized by the United States Farm Bill, and range from $10,000 to $64,000.

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