Dear Friends,

During a month when urgent climate issues are on many people’s minds, I am writing to highlight local climate challenges, sources of inspiration, and BAV’s new offering to help farmers cultivate climate resiliency.

Extreme weather impacts

For the second year in a row, local fruit growers were hit hard by wild temperature swings early in the growing season. I’ve heard some reports of complete crop losses in the Hudson Valley, with more variability in the Northwest Hills of Connecticut and Berkshire County. Back-to-back crop failures are more than discouraging; they are a threat to farm viability. Meanwhile, we are seeing increasing localization of extreme rain events, with “microbursts” hitting a few square miles and leaving other areas untouched. These and many other challenges highlight the need for BAV and partners to support farmers in navigating extreme weather impacts that can undermine local farms and livelihoods. 

An inspiring example

I had the pleasure of joining nut growers from across the country in Amherst last month for the Northern Nut Growers Association (NNGA) annual conference. It was inspiring to witness a wide cross-section of dedicated individuals designing new pathways to farm viability through nuts. From chestnuts to acorns, the promise of reconnecting ourselves and our food systems with locally grown nuts stands out as a path to more resilient farms and communities. If you’re looking for joy and hope this fall, visit your local nut farm, hear from the farmers directly, and enjoy some chestnuts roasting on an open fire — even before the holiday season!

Cultivating climate resiliency

What do farmers need now to build resilience in the face of climate change? Thanks to a stakeholder review we recently completed, BAV is answering that question with a new service offering grounded in local farmers’ needs and priorities. Our Climate Resiliency Coaching, part of our Climate Smart Agriculture Program, will support farmers in developing climate adaptation plans customized to their operations while additionally providing small grants and project management assistance to implement farmer-identified priority climate risk mitigation strategies. Launching in early 2027, this new wraparound service will integrate with BAV’s existing lending and technical assistance programs to help move farmers from concern to action.

Film screening

For compelling stories around farmers and climate change, join BAV for the BIFF Environmental Film Focus screening of Fork in the Road on Sunday, October 4, at 3pm at the Triplex in Great Barrington. This film’s focus on the struggles and resilience of small-scale farmers and communities within our current food system resonates with BAV’s work at the intersection of climate and agriculture. BAV will be introducing the film, and I’ll be in conversation with a local farmer on a panel following the screening. We hope to see you there!

In all these ways, and many others, BAV continues to work beside farmers to help them navigate climate challenges, lift up inspiring stories of adaptation, and understand how every farm’s resiliency contributes to the resiliency of our local food systems. Thank you for being part of our work.

Best,

Ben Crockett

Climate Smart Agriculture Program Manager

Your support for BAV makes Climate Resiliency Coaching and other programs and services for local farmers possible. Please consider making a gift today.

PRIORITY DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 15

Farmers in the Berkshire-Taconic region — apply today to build practical, farm-specific business and financial planning skills in BAV’s new cohort-based Farm Business Accelerator program. Learn more at the links below.

🚜 Program overview: Check out our webpage for full details.

📅 Info session: Wednesday, September 30, 12-1pm over Zoom. Register here! Interested farmers may also view the recording of our previous info session to hear more about this program from BAV staff.

🧑‍🌾 Application: Apply here! Priority deadline is September 15; final deadline is October 15.

ℹ️ For more information: Read our FAQs or email Program Lead Rose Cherneff.

JOIN US FOR FARMER STORYTELLING!

We are excited for Fodder: Stories from the Fields, coming up Sunday, September 27, 3-5pm at Greenagers. Farmers across the region will take the stage to draw the audience into the fascinating, humorous, and sometimes shocking work of being a farmer in the Northeast. See full details below!

Photo: Farmer Amanda Freund tells a dramatic story at last year’s inaugural Fodder event

ENVIRONMENTAL FILM SCREENING

BAV is pleased to partner with Berkshire International Film Festival’s Environmental Film Focus for a special screening of Fork in the Road on Sunday, October 4, from 3 to 5pm at the Triplex in Great Barrington. A panel and light refreshments will follow.

This award-winning documentary, co-produced by Lisa Holmes (a BAV supporter!) and Vivian Sorenson, highlights how small-scale farmers and other innovators are working to heal the land and improve our food system in the face of climate change, economic inequality, and other factors.

IN THE NEWS

We are pleased to share recent coverage in the Berkshire Eagle highlighting the work of a coalition of local and state partners, including BAV, to preserve 242 acres of Blue Hill Farm and help transition the next generation of farmers onto secure farmland. Special congratulations to farmers Pat and Kelly McNiff, now in residence!

Success stories in preserving precious Berkshire farmland (editorial)

Link | PDF

“Meanwhile, sustaining farms is uniquely hard in Massachusetts, where land value is particularly high. That makes it harder for new farmers to acquire land and more tempting to sell off farmland to deep-pocketed buyers with denser development in mind. All the more reason to be grateful that the mission of preservation has dutiful allies including municipal land trusts like the one in New Marlborough as well as BNRC, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures and other partners who teamed up to make the Blue Hill Farm deal possible.”

A new generation of farmers takes root on conserved New Marlborough land

Link | PDF

“Along with the two families, The Trustees of Reservations, the New Marlborough Land Trust, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, Mass Audubon’s 30x30 Catalyst Fund, and the Nion Robert Thieriot Foundation all worked together to make it possible.”

Photo: Talia Lissauer / The Berkshire Eagle

FARMER EVENTS & RESOURCES

Workshops & Events

Tuesday, September 15, 8:30am-4pm

Advanced Grazing Workshop at Churchtown Dairy with Greg Judy, multi-species grazing expert of Green Pastures Farms. Hudson, NY. Tickets are $75; sliding scale available. Includes organic lunch. 

Wednesday, September 16, 6:30-7:30pm (online)

Soil Health in Organic Systems, monthly soil health call with NOFA/Mass focused on on-farm processes and practices.

Thursday, September 17, 1-2pm (online)

Tax 101 - An Introduction to Income Taxes for Farmers, presented by NY FarmNet. This webinar focuses on good recordkeeping and what information your tax preparer will need to file your taxes effectively.

Wednesday, September 30, 12-1pm (online)

Interactive info session for BAV’s Farm Business Accelerator. See program details in this newsletter.

Various dates through October

NY Soil Health Field Days. 15+ field days across NY state featuring farmer-led tours and hands-on demos. Find upcoming dates and locations and registration details here.

Wednesday-Thursday, October 28-29

NY State Buyer & Supplier Mixer. This convening is designed to strengthen relationships between institutional buyers and New York’s farmers, producers, processors, distributors, and aggregators. $25 for emerging partners and community members. Syracuse, NY.

Thursday, October 29, 12-3pm

Meat Literacy: Pork. Butchering demo by the Meat Hook’s butcher with BAV’s Jake Levin leading a discussion on basic anatomy, yield testing, quality assessment, retail cut options, and cooking methods. Hudson, NY. Free; register here.

Thursday, October 29, at 7pm through Sunday, November 1, at 2pm

Keystone Project Training for forest landowners and community leaders interested in making a conservation difference. Offered by UMass and MassWoods. Training takes place at Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA. Apply by September 18.

Wednesday, November 4, 1-2pm (online)

Tax 102 - Tax Planning and Strategies for Farmers, presented by NY FarmNet. This webinar focuses on tax concepts and strategies that can improve tax outcomes for the current year and the tax years ahead.

Thursday, November 5, 12-3pm

Meat Literacy: Beef. Butchering demo by the Meat Hook’s butcher with BAV’s Jake Levin leading a discussion on basic anatomy, yield testing, quality assessment, retail cut options, and cooking methods. Hudson, NY. Free; register here.

Friday-Saturday, November 5-6

New York State Agritourism Conference. Presented by Cornell Cooperative Extension to help farms build and strengthen successful visitor experiences. Held in Geneva, NY; $125 for both days.

Friday, November 20, 12-3pm

Growing Homes 2026 Convening: Laying the Groundwork for Farmer Housing. A discussion for stakeholders in agriculture, housing, and land conservation. Poughkeepsie, NY. Free.

Programs & Grant Opportunities

NWCD 2026 Cover Crop Challenge. Farms in NW Connecticut can apply to receive cover crop seeds to plant by the end of September. Project is enabled by Northwest Conservation District, CT Resource Conservation & Development, USDA-NRCS, and BAV, with funding from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. 

BAV’s Farm Business Accelerator Program. Business education, 1:1 technical assistance, and implementation funds for a cohort of farmers in Berkshire, Columbia, Dutchess, and Litchfield counties. See program details in this newsletter. Priority deadline September 15; final deadline October 15. Apply here.

Connecticut Agricultural Composting Program. Will support up to 15 CT farmers in gaining the knowledge and tools to develop a successful on-farm composting system. Program runs from fall 2026 through winter 2027. Apply by September 30.

Wolfe Neck’s Center Northeast Farmers Fund. Funding to support projects related to expanded regenerative production and market opportunities, with a focus on small and mid-sized farms transitioning toward regenerative or sustainable production. Application open October 1-14.

Funding for Conservation Practices, Business Development & Marketing and Continuing Ed. CISA is partnering with Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to help farms access funding through the USDA’s Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) program. Aavailable through Winter 2028. Webinar coming soon. Learn more here.

Resources for Weather-Related Losses

Massachusetts - Disaster Relief Funds for 2023 and 2024 Losses

NOW OPEN: The Natural Disaster Recovery II (NDRII) Program for Agriculture provides financial assistance to aid MA agricultural operations that suffered weather-related losses in 2023 and 2024 to rebuild and recover. Crop, infrastructure, timber, and other losses totaling more than $2,500 may be eligible. Applications are open until September 30.

Connecticut - Disaster Relief Funds for 2023 and 2024 Losses

OPENING SOON: CT Farm Recovery & Support Block Grant Program was recently announced to assist agricultural producers impacted by eligible weather events in 2023 and 2024. Provides financial assistance to help CT farms recover from documented losses and restore operations. Application portal is still being finalized. First round applications anticipated fall of 2026, with payments in late fall 2026.

New York - Disaster Damage Portal for 2026 Losses

NOW OPEN: New York State Disaster Damage Portal for reporting agricultural damages related to extreme weather. Now gathering information for frost and freeze events from 4/19/26 through 4/21/26. Note that Columbia and Dutchess counties are among the NY counties eligible for emergency farm loans through the FSA for these frost and freeze events.

Your gift to BAV supports local farmers, expands local food access, and creates a more vibrant and viable local food system. During a time of challenge and change in our world, thank you for making a difference!

CONNECT WITH US!

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