This blog grew thanks to many.

Neponset Health Centers Apple Crunch with apples donated by Boston Area Gleaners, Inc.

Our blog started in 2012 to create a virtual town common where individuals and groups supporting Food Day can showcase their efforts.  The variety of content, creativity in expression, and colorful images show commitment across the Commonwealth that inspires.

The most popular blog posts of 2013.

• 1 A Food Forest Grows in Boston?
• 2 Green City Growers Disrupts Local Food Industry in Boston
• 3 Dancing Our Way to Food Day!
• 4 KickinKitchen.TV, a Hip New Cooking TV Series and Interactive Website for Tweens and Teens!
• 5 “Connected Food” Event in Cambridge, MA

How did they find us?

The top referring sites in 2013 were:

1. facebook.com
2. twitter.com
3. boston.com
4. learningcirclepreschool.org
5. mass.gov

Special thanks to Sarah Cadorette, the Food Day Organizer who managed our Social Media efforts in 2013.

Tea Leaves of Innovation in South Boston

The “Foodie” events are Mass Innovation Nights’ most popular monthly Product Launch Parties events for the wide variety of new products including consumables, unique service providers, new technologies and fresh new takes on traditions.  One of the featured products at the August 14th event is Tea Cuvée, a premium cold brewed tea produced in South Boston.  It contains no sweetener that’s packaged in an elegant, slender wine bottle with a black label that gives this non-alcoholic beverage a distinctive look.

There are two current offerings from Tea Cuvée

Moonlight: A light and fragrant tea made with the finest white tealeaves. These leaves are so precious that they are freshly picked at moonlight so as not to spoil their delicate properties. This tea has beautiful floral aromas with hints of apricot and jasmine.  Moonlight pairs well with crisp fruits, fresh cheeses, and light desserts.

Amber: A richer, more full-bodied tea made with a lightly roasted oolong.  This unique flavor combines the savory and fragrant elements of rosemary with fresh and luscious orange zest.  Amber pairs beautifully with aged cheeses and grilled meats.

Tea Cuvée is an interesting example at the crossroads of Food Day’s support of healthy, affordable and sustainable products and  Massachusetts vibrant innovation communities.

Other participants in the Mass Innovation Nights #MINFoodie5 event include Bosco Mocha Syrup, Cuppow BNTO, Dancing Deer Bakery Company, Drizly, Foodie Journey, Graba-bite, Kitchensurfing, Olio Taibi, Pour-n-pack, Salsa Mayoral, Salt Traders, Strega Prime, Taste Trekkers, The Slab

Harvard Square Eateries Come Together to Support Food Day

The Harvard Square Business Association, in conjunction with the folks from Yelp Boston, are thrilled to announce that they will be participating in the 2^nd Annual Food Day, with not one, but two exciting culinary events!

The 20 – Mile Food Day Challenge on October 24^th will showcase restaurants that are featuring special dishes using ingredients sourced within a 20 mile radius of Harvard Square, and in some cases, slightly beyond.  Participating restaurants include the following, with more to be added soon!  Please check harvardsquare.com for updates.

Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe	Harvest	Russell House Tavern
Clover	Hong Kong	Sandrines
Grafton Street	the red house	UpStairs on the Square
Grendel’s Den	Rialto

Not sure which of these eateries to visit on Food Day?  We have the solution!  That evening, from 5:30 – 6:30 (or until food lasts), please join us on Brattle Plaza (in front of Crema Café – 27 Brattle Street) for A Free Tasting Event!  Representatives from the restaurants listed below will be on hand distributing tasty tidbits from their sustainable and creative Food Day menus.  Be sure to get there early – with restaurants like these, food will go quickly!  Fresh off his rousing set at this year’s Harvard Square Oktoberfest, local singer/songwriter, Patrick Mulroy will be serenading attendees.

Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe	Rialto
Grafton Street	Russell House Tavern
Grendel’s Den	Sandrines
the red house	UpStairs on the Square

The Harvard Square Business Association is proud to participate in Food Day, a celebration of and moving toward more healthy, affordable and sustainable food.  The HSBA wishes to thank Yelp Boston for conceiving the 20 Mile Food Challenge Event.

Participating restaurants in Harvard Square are being added often.  Please check harvardsquare.com for more information about this event and other events in Harvard Square.

FoodDayMA and Innovation

 It’s fitting that one of our state’s unique contributions to Food Day’s mission to advance healthy, affordable, and sustainable food is innovation.  That’s innovation in many forms – technology, nutrition, growing seasons, peculiar foods and activism.  Every August Mass Innovation Nights hosts its annual “Foodie Event” to celebrate food-related innovation.  This year’s event takes place on August 8th in Woburn, MA.

One of our favorite past participant food-related innovators that reflects Food Day’s mission is Freight Farms.  They are are high-volume crop production units made from upcycled shipping containers that allow users to manage their harvest cycle through real time digital monitoring and harvest support services.  Freight Farms use advanced growing technology and human-centered design to help communities create flourishing local food economies in any environment.  Sustainable design allows high yield agriculture to empower community growth.

Freight Farms’ first venture in Worcester has lead to an interesting alliance with Clark University and student initiatives in the community.

Innovators participating in Mass Innovation Nights “Foodie Event” on August 8th include ApotheCaring Wellness Tea, Bell Tower Mobile Market, Biena Roasted Chickpeas, Bittersweet Boston Gluten Free Desserts , EarthHook shopping cart attachment, Mill River Winery’s 2012 Wines, Of Course Ready-to-Make Meals™, ONCEMADE Beer from Pintley, Pipe Dream Cupcakes, Root Cellar Preserves, Stump Chunks fire starter, T’ART Tart In a Bag , ThriveSpot Mobile Websites for Restaurants , UReserv online restaurant reservations.  RSVP for this free event.  We’ll be promoting Food Day there.

Take a minute to comment with a shout-out to your favorite food-related innovators in Massachusetts and what they’re doing.

In deep.

Welcome to our new “site”.  We’ve built it to serve everyone across Massachusetts who supports Food Day, a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food.

We’re looking for guest bloggers to share what they’re doing throughout the year and on Food Day October 24th.   It’s easy, send an email to fooddayma@gmail.com and we’ll welcome you with guest blogger access!

You can use the links on the right site of the site to search the national list of Food Day events and a link to list your event so that it’s searchable by City, Town, or Zip Code.  Your input is important, your patience is invaluable.

@timstansky