Integrating research and outreach education from UMass Amherst
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.
Amherst, MA—June 20, 2016. Governor Charlie Baker declared June 20–26, 2016 as “Massachusetts Pollinator Week.” In support of this declaration, a celebration was held at UMass Amherst’s Agricultural Learning Center (ALC), 911 North Pleasant Street, to open the first state apiary.
Peggi Clouston, Associate Professor, Environmental Conservation at UMass Amherst defines trailblazer. She makes a bold prediction: “Using much more wood in large-scale construction, with products like cross laminated timber (CLT), could help us to sequester enough carbon that we could actually turn climate change around.” Wow. And she has scientific data to back up this statement.
Hadley, MA – June 13, 2016 – UMass Hadley farm announces its newest arrival, “Bay State Legacy,” a Morgan filly named in memory of alumni and long-time supporter Susan B. Roberts, who passed away unexpectedly last year.
The Bay State Morgan line was established in 1951 when the U.S.
government disbanded its cavalry horses. The University of Massachusetts acquired 11 mares and 2 stallions, including stallion “US Panez”, from the U.S. Calvary remount station in Middlebury, VT.
MA Pollinator Week - Governor Baker will declare the week of June 20th MA Pollinator Week. Government officials will visit and learn more about the state apiary located at UMass Amherst Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the Agricultural Learning Center, 911 North Pleasant St. The declaration recognizes the impacts of pollinators on agriculture and encourages the public’s support of pollinators. The kick-off is on Monday June 20 at 10 am, and the event is open to the public.
"Make it Springfield started as an idea of how to revitalize vacant space," said Michael DiPasquale, an assistant professor in the University of Massachusetts Extension and Program Director of the UMass Design Center in Springfield. "We wanted to have a presence on the street. This is the first time we've had a chance to take over a storefront on the street. We are piloting some ideas here." (MassLive 6/1/16)
SPRINGFIELD — Amateur crafters and do-it-yourselfers will soon be able to "make it" in downtown Springfield.
The University of Massachusetts Design Center in Springfield, MassDevelopment and the Springfield Business Improvement District plan to open Make-It Springfield in a vacant storefront at 168 Worthington St. next month. (MassLive 5/20/16)
The UMass Design Center together with MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative [TDI] are hosting "Make-It Springfield", a temporary "pop-up" makerspace in downtown Springfield during June 2016.
The Springfield makerspace is the latest downtown revitalization project implemented by Michael DiPasquale, Director of the UMass Design Center, as part of CAFE's ongoing efforts to spur economic development and revitalization in the state's third largest city.
Katie Campbell-Nelson, UMass Extension Vegetable Program and Tom Waskiewicz, UMass Extension 4-H Youth Development Program, comment on this year’s asparagus crop. Campbell-Nelson says during the recent cold weather that farmers were irrigating their asparagus at night to keep it from freezing, but she expects there will be a bountiful supply in the next few weeks. Republican, 4/29/16
A winter of extreme warmth and cold, combined with recent roller-coaster conditions, could reduce this year’s apple crop, and will more than likely result in a much smaller peach crop, according to fruit growers looking out this week on snow-covered orchards. UMass tree fruit experts offer observations. Worcester Telegram and Gazette, 4/5/2016, WFCR/NEPR, 4/5/2016
Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment
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