What We Do

Our Mission

Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom (MAC) is a small non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization that has been working since 1984 to provide agricultural education training and resources for Massachusetts educators to ensure that agriculture education remains vital in Massachusetts' classrooms today. MAC has developed a strong network of educators and is recognized as a leader in promoting agricultural awareness and education. By promoting agricultural literacy, MAC works daily to create a new generation that better understands and appreciates the importance of agriculture. All programs support our mission "to foster an awareness and learning in all areas related to the food and agriculture industries and the economic and social importance of agriculture to the state, nation and the world."

MAC reaches more than 13,000 teachers and farm educators annually through our educational initiatives that help teachers and other educators take agriculture into the classroom by supporting curriculum connections using agricultural examples and lessons. Since 1994, MAC has awarded 250 mini-grant in an amount totaling more than $200,000 to educators across the Commonwealth. Since 1996, MAC has conducted more than 200 "Seasonal Workshops on the Farms" across the state and an additional twelve conferences with multiple sessions of concurrent workshops related to agriculture, garden-based education and natural resource conservation. Additional education resources include a seasonal newsletter for educators with each issue offering a four page classroom resource; an active website, the Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar, a Teacher of the Year Award, and educational manuals including a manual for developing Community Partnerships to Develop the School Garden.