In celebration of National Nutrition Month, project leader Pat Bebo of the University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education Program invited Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Scott Soares to visit Fall River on March 18, 2011 to learn more about the nutrition and activity work in that community. Representatives of school and community programs were joined by UMass-Amherst College of Natural Sciences Dean Steve Goodwin, Fall River Mayor William Flanagan and representatives of two local farms to talk about efforts to improve the food environment for the City and other efforts to address Fall River's 28% obesity rate. Clearly impressed with the wide range of strategies, Commissioner Soares suggested ways of strengthening the connections between the regional agricultural providers and the neighborhood markets as well as the many programs that operate in the City, including the three farmers' markets, one at Kennedy Park, one at Ruggles Park and one on Old Second Street. Click here for the Herald News article about the meeting. Click here for the video of the meeting. For more information, contact project leader Pat Bebo at 508-675-7315

(Top row, left) Commissioner Scott Soares, Pat Bebo, Nancy McCloskey, Jessica Hill, Joseph Armenti, Principal Kristen Farias, Sue Smith and Marcia Picard gather in the Tansey School computer room for the presentation. (Top row, center) University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education Program project leader Pat Bebo begins the presentation by describing the work of her staff in the Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton Schools. (Top row, right) Sue Smith of Noquochoke Orchards in Dartmouth, Tansey School Principal Kristen Farias, and Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julie Kelly listen as WIC educator Lisa Alves describes what her team have been doing to promote locally-grown foods at the farmers' markets. (Second row, left) Fall River School food service supervisor Nancy McCloskey describes the free school breakfast, lunch and fruit snack programs as Whitsons Food Service director Jessica Hill listens. (Second row, right) Principal Farias listens as Julie Kelly describes the work of Mass In Motion in creating the Look Who's Cooking cable television program. (Third row, left) Community Development Recreation Program Director Jamison Souza describes both the Summer Olympics program and the Fitness Challenge as CD-Rec Director Grace Gerling and Steve Hancock of Northstar Farms listen. (Third row, center) Commissioner Soares listens as School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard describes her work with nutrition and fitness improvements within the schools. (Third row, right) Sue Guiducci of the Dartmouth Agricultural Commission listens as Sarah Cogswell of SEMAP talks about the potential for establishing a winter farmers' market in Fall River. (Bottom row, left) UMass Dean Steve Goodwin shares some of his thoughts with Mayor Flanagan as Tansey Assistant Principal Melissa Homol listens. (Bottom row, center) Whitsons Food Service district manager Joseph Armenti describes his company's efforts to work with local farmers to purchase food for the schools. (Bottom row, right) Lisa Alves and Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator Perry Long listen as Mayor Flanagan talks about some of the economic development ideas that the group could explore following the meeting.