September 2011 Keep Local Farms E-Newsletter

Keep Local Farms

Connecting New Englanders with
local dairy farm families.
September 2011

Summer is almost over, but we don't mind one bit! Autumn in New England is a great experience, and we're eager to get outside to enjoy the crisp air and local foliage.

Did you know that New England is home to more than 1,700 dairy farms? Learn how you can help Keep Local Farms by visiting the Get Involved tab of our website.

The Big E is the Place to Be!

If you've always wanted to take a tour of a dairy farm, look no further! From September 16th to October 2nd, visit The Barn at The Big E (right near the Milking Parlor) to watch our video about how milk gets from the farm to you. The video provides the opportunity to meet four New England dairy farmers and take a look behind the scenes of milk production.

Also, stop by the Big E Cheese Shop to support local cheesemakers by sampling and purchasing award-winning cheese from the 4th Annual Big E Gold Medal Cheese Competition. The competition was open to all New England commercial and artisanal cheesemakers, and featured a record of 110 entries from around the region.

Keep a look out for Keep Local Farms wristbands! These will be sold in the souvenir shop and at information kiosks throughout the park during the fair. The wristband is yours for a $1 contribution to Keep Local Farms.

Go Local!

If you're riding the Orange or Red line "T" in Boston anytime this month through October 17th, be sure to check out our first QR co-campaign with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) in support of local farms. When you scan the QR code on the poster with your Smartphone, you'll be directed to a website that provides information on your local famers' markets, a calendar of agricultural-related events, and you'll learn about the people behind the scenes of agriculture. If you enjoy supporting local farms, you'll surely find this a valuable resource. Not to worry if you're not riding the T or if you don't own a Smartphone. You can still find the information by visiting www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown.

Farmer Spotlight:

Tamma Duffy of Great Brook Farm at Great Brook State Park in Carlisle, Massachusetts

0.9451219512195121 Tamma Duffy, and her husband Mark, run Great Brook Farm in Carlisle, Massachusetts, and are avid supporters of buying local foods. With sales of ice cream, compost, cow manure, loam and cranberries, Great Brook Farm is a diversified dairy farm with a lot to offer. Not only is the farm one of the only working dairy farms to reside in a state park in the United States, it is also the only farm in the state with a robotic milking parlor! Tamma offers tours of her farm to the public, so be sure to visit and learn more about dairy farming. No time for a road trip? Watch a farm tour of Great Brook Farm with Tamma Duffy by visiting the Meet Local Farmers section of KeepLocalFarms.org.