|
Dear Friends,
Nineteen years ago this spring, I landed on the dairy farm of Maurizio and Figurella Cavalli in the small mountain town of Campora, Italy. I stayed and worked with them for just a few weeks, but the impression the Cavellis made has led me to a life in farming. The way they cared for their farm and animals was the beginning of my deep appreciation for the work of small dairy farmers.
| |
Fast forward to 2015 when my wife, Marleen, and I moved to Falls Village, CT. One of the first families we met were the Kinsellas of Birch Mill Farm. The Kinsella farm reminded me in many ways of the Cavelli farm: three generations working together, an unwavering love for the animals they raise, and a deep connection to the land and community they steward. Since starting our own farm in Falls Village, Beavertides Farm, Marleen and I have been very much intertwined with the Kinsellas, buying most of our hay for our sheep and beef cattle from them, and often calling on them to help with breeding our Jersey milking cows. As a small farmer, I am very much dependent on local dairy farms.
I believe strongly that our local agricultural economy hinges on the success of our local dairy farmers. The vast majority of the land kept open for agriculture is stewarded by dairy farmers; locally owned feed stores like Agway wouldn’t exist without our local dairy farmers; and much of the hay, straw, and compost used by other small farmers across the region is bought from dairy farmers.
Yet dairy farms in our region have been on the decline. Over the last half-century, New England has lost more than 10,000 dairy farms. Berkshire County has lost half of its dairy farms in the past 25 years. In Connecticut, dairy farms declined nearly 60% in recent decades. As dairy farms close, we not only lose local milk production but also the preservation of open spaces and a large piece of our agricultural economy.
| |
So I am heartened to be part of an effort to create a better future for dairy farms and all farms in our region. Last fall with the support of the Northeast Dairy Innovation Center, BAV created the Berkshire-Taconic Dairy Cohort, a group of eight dairy farms: four from Berkshire County, three from New York’s Hudson Valley, and one from Litchfield County. We will be meeting regularly as a cohort and in one-on-one consultations to strengthen business planning, technical skills, succession planning, and more. I believe that farmers learn best from other farmers, and this peer group encompasses very different backgrounds and approaches. As we discuss common issues and new ideas, the conversation has been lively and wide-ranging. Our two-year project is off to a great start, and I look forward to sharing more insights and stories in the months ahead.
Stretching across two decades and two continents, I feel so much gratitude for our dairy farmers and their role in our local landscape.
Best,
Dan Carr
Outreach & Technical Assistance Manager
Photos: Dan showing folks around Beavertides Farm; Dan milking one of the family's Jersey cows.
| |
LOCAL FOOD ACCESS: HEART & SOIL COLLECTIVE | |
|
BAV recently completed a multi-year USDA Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant and wanted to share a few of the successes.
The goal of the LFPP grant was to expand local food access and year-round sales for local farmers through home distribution strategies.
BAV partnered with Berkshire County nonprofit Heart & Soil Collective, whose mission is to connect people to land where their food grows, making fresh local food and hands-on agriculture experiences accessible to all. Their programs help meet community needs for food access, support small farms, and provide opportunities for people to feel nourished in mind, body, and soul.
| |
BAV and Heart & Soil Collective worked to expand Heart & Soil’s Community Produce and Community Winter Soup programs. Produce for both of these programs is purchased directly from Berkshire County farms, delivered fresh, and used to make hearty soups delivered directly to homes at no cost to participants. Support and technical assistance provided through LFPP helped Heart & Soil expand delivery from 20 to 115 homes across 11 Berkshire County towns! This translates into 265 gallons of soup and 1,675 pounds of fresh produce delivered! BAV is proud of Heart & Soil’s successes and the meaningful impact they are having on our Berkshire community.
On March 15, Heart & Soil Collective is launching ‘Locally Grown To Local Homes,’ an online campaign to raise funds to continue this critical work of providing free, fresh produce and soup to homes across Berkshire County. We invite you to join their campaign this week!
Story by Ciana Barnaba; photos courtesy of Heart & Soil Collective.
| |
|
BAV is so grateful to get a boost from two community programs during March: Berkshire Co-op's Round Up program (Great Barrington), and Wild Oats Market's Every Penny Counts (Williamstown). Visit these cooperatively owned grocery stores to find fresh, locally grown and produced food—and don't forget to say "yes" when they ask if you want to round up for BAV!
| |
|
"What structural changes do we need to see in our local food system?" Watch the video from last month's wide-ranging Salisbury Forum discussion touching on post-pandemic food system changes (or not), racial justice, farming and immigration, and the role of consumers in supporting local food. BAV's Rebecca Busansky moderated the panel, which featured livestock farmer and BAV staff member Dan Carr of Beavertides Farm, farmer and BAV Board member Amanda Freund of Freund Farm/CowPots, and chef Peter Platt of The Old Inn on the Green. Quote of the evening, courtesy of Amanda: "You vote with your dollars!" The discussion followed a screening of Ruth Reichl's 2023 documentary, Food and Country. Learn more and watch the video here.
| |
"The first agricultural awakening..." BAV's Ben Crockett joined Berkshire County farmer Missy Leab and the Fabulous 413 team at Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock, MA, for a fabulous tour of their maple syrup operation! It's sap season, and the sap is definitely flowing at Ioka. They have 15,700 taps this year (up from 13 when they started in 1992!). Ben and Missy talked about maple sugar production in Massachusetts, climate impacts, agroforestry, farm succession planning, and more. Listen to the full segment here and head over to Ioka Valley for a pancake breakfast at their farm's "Calf-A"!
| |
COMING UP: MARKET MATCH FUNDRAISER! | |
|
Have you seen the first signs of spring? Maybe it's bluebirds, or redwing blackbirds...
Farmers are getting busy, and BAV is preparing the ground to launch our 2025 Market Match Fund, our economic development and food access program! We will unveil our public Market Match Fund campaign on April 1, giving our community an opportunity to support SNAP matching at our local farmers markets.
Now in its fourth season, the Market Match Fund has helped support $337,000 in SNAP matches and $602,000 in SNAP sales for farmers across 13 Berkshire-area farmers markets! This means more community access to fresh, local food and more revenue for local farmers. Plus, this program helps keep our farmers markets vibrant community hubs and food access points.
Details about this year's fundraiser coming soon!
| |
|
Rebecca Busansky and Audrey Hackett had a great time meeting new farmers and talking with fellow ag service providers at last month's MDAR Ag Resources Fair in Northampton, MA. Lots of wonderful resources and connections in Western MA! We were happy to co-table with our Berkshire Grown colleague Alyssa VanDurme.
| |
|
Ben Crockett had the opportunity to facilitate a conversation with Billy Gridley, Executive Director of Aton Forest and Ecological Field Station, at the Norfolk Hub. The conversation ranged from the global impacts of climate change on ecology and economics to the history of and changes to our local farms and forests. Thanks to the Norfolk Hub for including BAV in their ongoing community conversations around climate change!
| |
|
BAV's Local Meat Processing Support Program hosted a Meat Cost of Production and Pricing Workshop with subject experts Grace Debbeler of Good Roots and Matt LeRoux of Cornell Cooperative Extensions at Berkshire South Regional Community Center last month. It was the second workshop in BAV's Winter-Spring Meat Workshop Series. A three-part workshop on Meat Literacy is happening this month, and our final workshop on Live Animal Carcass Evaluation is coming up in May.
| |
Berkshire County Farmers: Join BAV and partners on April 16 in Pittsfield, MA, to learn more about farm to school opportunities. See details below. | |
FARMER EVENTS & RESOURCES | |
|
Highlighted Events
March 20 & April 1, 5-7pm | Millerton, NY; Zoom
Bridging the Gap: A Land Access Education Series for Landowners and Landseekers, organized by Rock Steady Farm, Dutchess Land Conservancy, and Columbia Land Conservancy. This series of gatherings aims to educate and connect Columbia and Dutchess County landowners with beginning QTPOC (queer, trans people of color) landworkers. The March 20 event is in-person at Millerton Moviehouse; the April 1 event is held over Zoom.
April 8, 5-6:30pm | Zoom
Soil Health Outcomes in Clover Living Mulch Trials: Join Momentum Ag to hear about the results of nearly 50 on-farm trials investigating clover living mulch. The head of Cornell’s Soil Health Testing Lab will join the call to field farmer questions about the tests and scoring metrics.
April 9, 5:30-7:30pm | Adams, MA
Planning for the Future of Your Farm: For Berkshire County farmers who want to learn how to plan for, protect, lease, finance, or pass on their farm. Organized by Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Land For Good, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, and American Farmland Trust. Held at Bounti-Fare Restaurant, 200 Howland Ave., Adams, MA. FREE local dinner and refreshments provided. Capped at 40 farmers; advance registration required. Reach out to Jamie Pottern (413-240-4621 or jpottern@farmland.org) with any questions.
April 15 (3pm) & April 16 (9:30am) | New Hartford & Guilford, CT
UConn Extension Climate Mitigation Field Days hosted by Gresczyk Farm in New Hartford, CT, and Bishop's Orchards in Guilford, CT. Discussion of irrigation management, climate mitigation strategies for different crops, agency programs, and crop insurance. Details and registration here.
Federal Funding Cuts - Story Collection Efforts & Resources
Are you a farmer or ag service provider impacted by federal funding cuts? Below is a short list of regionally relevant efforts to collect and share farmer stories and testimonials, as well as other timely information and resources.
| |
We all have a stake in local agriculture. Farmers, food producers, and our rural communities need our support more than ever. Please consider supporting BAV's work to strengthen our local food systems. Thank you! | | | | |
