A healthy milestone: Granby farm hosts celebration of Massachusetts HIP program’s $100M in produce sales

‘A true taste of summer’: Franklin County farms’ tomatoes place at state competition

When the time came for the 41st annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest, Linda Rossi-Raymond of The Raymond Farm in Bernardston had her eye on the prize, but she wasn’t sure if she and her husband Ernie Raymond had enough competitors in their crops. For the first time in 25 years, the pair of lifelong farmers had […]

McGovern visits Red Apple Farm during 16th annual farm tour

PHILLIPSTON – U.S. Rep. James McGovern visited Red Apple Farm on Thursday as part of his 16th annual district-wide farm tour, which brought him to 10 farms across central and western Massachusetts. The Aug. 26 and 27 tour was intended to give McGovern an opportunity to hear about challenges facing local farmers and highlight agricultural […]

Athol School Committee approves three-year learning plan

ATHOL – The Athol-Royalston Regional School District is entering the new school year with a three-year strategic plan that will guide work across its four schools. The School Committee approved the plan at its Aug. 19 meeting, following a presentation by Superintendent Matthew Ehrenworth. Its four priorities are teaching and learning, belonging and partnership, engagement […]

Heywood Healthcare purchases South Main Street clinic site in Athol

ATHOL – Heywood Healthcare has purchased the property at 201 South Main St., the former home to North Quabbin Family Physicians. The clinic closed its doors early last year following the death of co-founder Dr. Donald Mruk in February 2025. Mruk had served the North Quabbin area for more than four decades. Heywood purchased the […]

Loving Local: Savoring every bite of sweet corn

The last days of summer during my childhood here in Hawley were golden, both literally and figuratively. The landscape was filled with the bright yellow of sunflowers and the duller yellow of hay. The sun seemed to shine every day as my friends and I swam and swam and swam. Corn was consumed every single […]