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Extension in Western Massachusetts

About Western Massachusetts

The western region of Massachusetts is composed of Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The largest city in the region is Springfield, located in Hampden County, along the Interstate 91 corridor on the Connecticut River.

Raising Green Beef: How Cattle, Dairy Farmers are Becoming Environmentally Friendly

September 21, 2019

Article on environmentally-friendly dairy farming practices quotes Extension Professor Masoud Hashemi, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, on the historical move from use of nitrogen-fixing legumes to the application of artificial fertilizers and the resulting danger of contamination of water bodies and underground sources of water. (Daily Hampshire Gazette, 9/21/19)

Clem Clay Named Director of UMass Extension Agriculture Program

September 23, 2019

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has named Clem Clay as director of the UMass Extension Agriculture Program, a 110-year old educational outreach program that serves farmers, landscape and turf professionals, fruit growers, arborists, nursery owners, flower growers, service providers, public agencies, non-profit organizations and businesses.

State Officials Tour South Deerfield Research Farm

August 5, 2019

On August 2, members of the state’s Food Policy Council visited the UMass Crop and Animal Research and Education Center in South Deerfield following a regular meeting of the Council held on the UMass Amherst campus. Agriculture Commissioner John Lebeaux, chair of the Council, Representative Daniel Donahue, 16th Worcester, and other state officials toured five project sites at the farm and heard from faculty, extension staff and graduate students on their work.

Fresh Paint Springfield Paints Springfield Fresh

June 25, 2019

This June, nine new brightly-painted murals have begun creating a dynamic outdoor art gallery in downtown Springfield. One of the murals “Victory” was organized by UMass Extension Assistant professor Michael DiPasquale as a way to activate vacant and “leftover” spaces in the city. Professor DiPasquale has been working on similar initiatives in Springfield for almost 10 years as part of his research related to the revitalization of America’s “Legacy Cities”, the country’s once thriving manufacturing centers.

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