Northshore Magazine

Northshore March 2020

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 44 MARCH 2020 L I V E + P L AY CONTACT northeastharvest.com When people think of our local farms they often think of corn, tomatoes, strawberries, pumpkins, and many other kinds of other fruits and vegetables that we see throughout our short growing season. What many don't think of are the eight dairy farms that call Essex and Middlesex counties home. Just as children and adults need to know where their fruits and vegetables come from, it is equally important to know where milk and other products supplied by animals originate. Ted Dunajski, owner of Dunajski Dairy Farm in Peabody, thinks the fact that the program offers state-funded grants that give people the opportunity to try milk for free at select events is important. "It exposes people to the benefits of milk and why they should be drinking it," he says. "Once they try our milk, the first question people ask is, where can they get it?" Dairy farming has been a part of Massachu- setts agriculture ever since settlers brought cows to Plymouth in 1624. It is essential to the vitality of our farms and is part of our cultural tradition. With the help of the New England Dairy Board, Northeast Harvest now has a mechanical milking cow named Nellie that is designed to educate the community about the importance of dairy cows and how they bring us milk. It is housed in the Cattle Barn at the Topsfield Fairgrounds, but can be rented for farm events to extend the learning experience of teaching kids where milk comes from. "Whether it is milk from local dairies, which is available on store shelves the same day it is produced, or fruits and vegetables harvested daily from the hundreds of farms in the region during the growing season, we are very fortunate to have so many fresh products to enjoy," says O'Brien. "Our job at Northeast Harvest is to encourage people to take advan- tage of locally grown foods and reap the many benefits they have to offer." HIP offers extra money to people enrolled in the program to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables exclusively at participating farmers' markets, mobile markets, farm stands or Community Supported Agriculture farm share programs. PHOTOGRAPHS, LEFT TO RIGHT BY ELISE SINAGRA, BY SHUTTERSTOCK

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