Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar
The 2012 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar is a collaboration between the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources , MAC and the Massachusetts Farm to School Project. It was been created to educate consumers about the rich diversity of agriculture in the state, while also providing a daily reminder of agriculture.
Each month of the calendar features one full-size photograph portraying a local farm or farm product in season. Photos were submitted by amateur photographers from across the state for our 2012 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Photo Contest. The Calendar was unveiled on September 22 at Massachusetts Day in the Massachusetts Building at the Big E in West Springfield. Winners were notified and honored in a ceremony on that day. The winning photographs are posted below.
The goals of the calendar are 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 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. Eight non-profit agricultural commodity organizations each sponsored a page in the calendar. They are the: Massachusetts Agricultural Fairs Association; Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association; Massachusetts Dairy Promotions Council; Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation; Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association; Massachusetts Fruit Growers Association; Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, and the Massachusetts State Grange.
The proceeds from these sponsorships and calendar sales benefit Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom. You may purchase a Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar by sending $10 To Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom at P.O. Box 345 Seekonk, MA 02771. There is a discount for orders of 5 or more calendars at $5 each. Print and mail and order form.
Winning Photos from 2012 Calendar Photo Contest
The following winning photographs from the 2012 Calendar Photo Contest are featured in the 2012 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar.
Featured Photograph for each Calendar Month
January |
February |
March |
 |
 |
 |
Alpacas in the Snow at Island Alpaca Company Farm on Martha’s Vineyard |
Canning Jars at the Mind Barn in Dudley |
Sugar Shack Gal at Strawbale Cafe at Hanging Mountain Farm in Westhampton |
Barbara Ronchetti of Vineyard Haven |
Monica Elefterion of Dudley |
Tom Adams of Williamsburg |
April |
May |
June |
 |
 |
 |
Mare and Foal at Green Gate Farm in New Braintree |
Purple Dahlia in Montague |
Cows in Line to be Milked at Baker Farm in Swansea |
Leonora Giguere, Leicester |
Mary Melonis of Montague |
Shelley Baker, Swansea |
July |
August |
September |
 |
 |
 |
Picking Blueberries at Kenburn Orchard in Shelburne |
Hot Peppers at the Hutchins Farm Booth at the Belmont Farmer's Market |
Stephanie Giguere at Blossoming Acres in Southwick |
Larry Flaccus of Shelburne |
Becky Prior of Watertown |
Leonora Giguere, Leicester |
October |
November |
December |
 |
 |
 |
Evening Set at Soule Fields at Plato's Harvest Organic Farm in Middleboro |
“Cranberry Being Harvester at the Cranberry Harvest Festival at A. D. Makepeace in Wareham. |
Christmas Tree Field in Winter at Kip's Christmas Tree Farm in New Braintree |
Sasha Purpur a of Middleboro |
Jerry Horbert, Uxbridge |
Susie Mulliken, New Braintree |
Honorable Mention Photograph for each Calendar Month
February |
April |
May |
 |
 |
 |
Piglet saying hello from Chestnut Farm in Hardwick. |
Installing queen into hive with workers surrounding cage at Carraig Farm in Ashby |
Our Golden Rooster at Plato's Harvest Organic Farm in Middleboro |
Robin Cohen of Arlington |
Tamara Leclerc, Ashby |
Sasha Purpura, Middleboro |
June |
August |
September |
 |
 |
 |
Boys playing in the field at Plato's Harvest Organic Farm in Middleboro |
Triticale from Four Star Farms in Northfield |
Apples from Nashoba Valley Orchards in Bolton |
Sasha Purpura of Middleboro |
Gene L'Etoile, Northfield |
Richard Antinarelli of Dedham |
October |
November |
|
 |
 |
|
Pumpkins from Langwater Farms in North Easton |
Thanksgiving Turkey from Plato's Harvest Organic Farm in Middleboro |
|
Richard Antinarelli of Dedham |
Sasha Purpura of Middleboro |
Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Photo Contest
Amateur photographers who enjoy capturing local rural scenes, farm animals and fresh produce are invited to enter the Massachusetts Agriculture Photo Contest sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. Winning photos will be featured in the 2013 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar.
Twelve photos will be selected, one for each month. Photos will be selected that depict the diversity of agriculture, horticulture, and natural resources on the commonwealth’s farms throughout the year.
Winning photographers will be credited in the calendar, will be invited to attend a winner’s ceremony at the Eastern States Exposition (The Big E) in Springfield in September and tickets to the fair, and will receive copies of the calendar.
The Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar will also feature facts and figures about Bay State agriculture, horticulture and conservation, as well as other educational resources.
Deadline for submissions is June 1, 2012. For details and an entry form,Photo Contest Rules and regulations: orcontact Rick LeBlanc at Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, 617-626-1759 or send an e-mail to him.
Print and Entry Form at: www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/docs/photo-contest-entry-form.pdf
Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Photo Contest Rules
All photos must depict an aspect of Massachusetts agriculture or horticulture. Photos must have been taken in Massachusetts within the past three years. Entrants must be a resident of Massachusetts. Professional photographers are not eligible to enter. Photos must be taken by the entrant.
All entries must be photographic prints no smaller than 5 x 7 inches and no larger than 8 x10 inches. Slides and digital photos must be submitted as prints. Original negative or slide should be available upon request; digital photos should be available on CD, diskette or via e-mail. Photos must not be framed or mounted. Photographers may submit no more than five photos.
Type or neatly print the following information on an index card or paper, and attach with tape to the back of the photo: entrant name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, where the photo was taken, month and year photo was taken. Please do not write on the back of the photo, staple or use paper clips, as this will damage the photograph.
Winning photos will become the property of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Winning photos will be published in the 2013 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar, and may be used on the sponsoring organizations’ websites and consumer publications. Neither the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, nor Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. will be held responsible for lost submissions.
Employees of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. are not eligible to enter the contest.
Send entries to: Photo Contest, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114. Photo's must be submitted by June 1, 2012. Winning photos will be featured on MDAR's home page (www.mass.gov/agr) during the corresponding month.
