2010 Massachusetts agriculture calendar

Cover of the 2010 Massachusetts Agriculture calendar.  
Photo by Erick Brown.

It's not too early to start looking for the perfect stocking stuffer, and "Celebrating the Seasons of Massachusetts Agriculture," a gorgeous full-color calendar showcasing the work of local photographers and farmers, makes a great gift.

Each year, the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture (DAR) sponsors a photo contest.  Amateur photographers from around the state submit photos of local farms or farm products in season, and compete for spots in the annual print and online calendars.

According to Mass Agriculture in the Classroom, one of the agencies responsible for publishing this annual gem, "The goal of the calendar is to serve as an educational tool for teachers, legislators and the general public, while at the same time to create an attractive color calendar that is a daily reminder of Massachusetts agriculture. The calendar offers agriculture education information for teachers including web sites and educational tips on each page. Nine non-profit agricultural commodity organizations sponsored individual calendar pages. The calendar also includes local agriculture facts, conservation facts, agriculture and horticulture related events and websites, as well as a chart showing the seasons of local crops."

Winners of the 2009 Agriculture Calendar Photo Contest were announced at The Big E, the state's oldest agricultural fair, at the end of September, and the calendar is now available for purchase.

Order yours now by sending a check for $10, payable to Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, to:

Calendar
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom 
P. O. Box 345
Seekonk, MA 02771

Be sure to include your name and address so the calendar can be shipped to you.  For orders of 10 or more, calendars are also available wholesale for $5 each.

The calendar is published by Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom in cooperation with DAR and the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.