News & Events
Winter is yielding!
Last year surpassed 2023 as the hottest year on record and, for the first time, the average global temperature surpassed 1.5° C (2.7° F) above pre-industrial levels. Yet we were blessed with a bona fide winter! December, January & February were all colder than average. Unusual, for sure.
Wednesday, February 26th peaked at 53 degrees. The last time temps surpassed 52 degrees was on December 30, 2024. We can expect to see fewer garden pests, vermin and invasives like woolly adelgid as a result of the sustained cold, but it may be a while before we see another winter like the one we just had.
For upcoming Ag Hall workshops & happenings, check the Workshops calendar here.
Agricultural Hall?
In 1818, the Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agriculture built the original Agricultural Hall on Dighton Street in Brighton. It served as the hub of the Brighton Fair and Cattle Show, one of the earliest and largest such fairs in the country. In 1829, "a 17-pound turnip, a 19-pound radish, and a bough on which pears hung like a cluster of grapes were among the outstanding exhibits of that year." In 1844 the building was moved to its present location at the corner of Chestnut Hill Avenue and Washington Street.
Dr. William P. Marchione &
The Bostonian Society
Agricultural Hall
245 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-388-7378 / e-mail Ag Hall
Open daily by appt. Calling ahead is always a good idea.
New Block
Cheesemaking classes disappeared in 2020, but we're determined to bring them back virtually or, preferably, in-person. Stay tuned...
In the meantime...
Cheesemaking
...Agricultural Hall has vegetable rennet and citric acid on hand for making fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, as well as simple farm cheeses.
Hard and cream cheeses are more complex and require special cultures, tools and aging regimens. Our first hard cheese cheesemaking class was held on 3/19/17, and it was fantastic! For over two hours Harold Lieberman made a Manchego, and for two hours we watched (and sometimes helped) the magic unfold as milk made it's leap toward immortality!
Harold returned in November to show us how to make Gouda. In the Spring of 2018, we began offering participants to use cheese presses to make a Manchego. Classes have been suspended since Spring 2020.
If there is a cheese you would like to learn how to make, or if you simply want to learn how to make any cheese, send me an email at Bill(at)AgHall.com.
Canning
Jamaica Plain is full of experienced canners, several of whom offer workshops from time to time. I'll send announcements or Tweet if I see one coming up. In the meantime, if you have canning needs (glassware and more), please give us a call. There aren't that many canning supplies at Ag Hall, but I may be able to find you coupons or order the products you need for less.
If you would like to stay in touch, click over to the 'Contact Us' page.