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.

Can American Elms Return to Our Towns? The Research Continues.

October 25, 2021

“If we think about it, there’s a reason so many of our New England communities have an Elm Street... there once were elms everywhere,” states Richard (Rick) Harper, extension associate professor and urban forester, as he trims weeds among the research elm specimens at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Though once commonplace, mature elm trees, with their iconic vase-shaped branches, are now found mostly in archival photographs.

Massachusetts Fruit Growers Gather at Clarkdale Fruit Farm in Deerfield

July 15, 2021

The Massachusetts Fruit Growers Association (MFGA) held its annual summer meeting on July 14 at Clarkdale Fruit Farm, Deerfield. Several extension fruit educators from the University of Massachusetts were on hand to share research on issues ranging from insects and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to seasonal diseases that affect growers across the Commonwealth.

My Turn: ‘Preserve This Incredible Resource And Piece Of History In Sunderland’

April 20, 2021

Brian Kane, Massachusetts Arborists Association professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation, writes about the need to preserve a historic tree in Sunderland – the largest tree in Massachusetts — that’s at risk from a North Main Street reconstruction project. (Greenfield Recorder, 4/18/21) 
 

Helping Growers Care for the Apple Crop – They’re Working on an App for That

October 29, 2020

Dan Cooley, Stockbridge School, and UMass Extension fruit tree specialist Jon Clements have received about $430,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a smartphone app that will let apple growers more quickly and accurately measure and thin fruit. (Environmental News Network, 10/28/20; News Office release)

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