Dear Friends,

Our farmers, food systems, and rural communities are under threat. 

Like many of you, we are hearing more every day about the impact of this uncertain and volatile time on farmers and farmer-serving organizations. With critical funding frozen or in question, vital projects in our region are vulnerable to being stalled or, worse, not started at all.

In the face of these chilling effects, we here at BAV remain 100% committed to supporting our farmers and strengthening our food systems using all the tools available to us. We do this work in the context of an unwavering commitment to equity and racial justice, a dedication to strengthening our rural communities and economies, and a firm resolve to support our farmers through the climate crisis.

That’s why we need you, our community, more than ever. With your help, BAV will continue to:



• Provide low-interest, high-impact loans to farmers and food producers ($2.1 million in lending over the past eight years);
• Work with farmers and food producers to strengthen their businesses and our local economy through financial planning, grant-writing assistance, and more;
• Fund SNAP matching at local farmers markets to expand food access for low-income community members and foster economic development for farmers ($337,000 in SNAP matching grants to farmers markets since 2022);
• Strengthen our food systems for the benefit of all.

BAV has supported more than 180 farmers and food businesses since 2017, and we have the capacity and tenacity to continue this work for many years to come.

If you have donated to BAV in the past, thank you! Please consider supporting us on a monthly basis for extra impact. If you have not yet donated to BAV, we invite you to step forward to make a powerful difference for our farmers and community.

Your support and solidarity truly mean the world to us.

Warmly,

Rebecca Busansky

Executive Director

Photo: Taking the long view on Lila's Mountain Farm in Great Barrington, MA. Photo by Jake Levin.

UPCOMING EVENTS - COME SEE US!

BAV's team will be taking part in several exciting area ag events next week. If you're able to attend, please take a moment to say hi! Networking and making connections are more important than ever.

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 9:30am-3:30pm

BAV will be co-tabling with Berkshire Grown at the MDAR Agricultural Resource Fair for Western MA farmers and farmer-serving organizations. Come visit us and a range of state agencies and ag service providers at Smith Vocational HS in Northampton. As part of the day, MDAR will be helping farms get authorized for SNAP!

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 5-7pm

BAV's Ben Crockett will be speaking at The Norfolk Hub's Conversation about Resilience and Adaptation, addressing how local Berkshire and Connecticut organizations are working to foster a more sustainable bioregion. $10, registration is required.

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 5-7pm

The Farmer's Table is hosting its annual Farmer’s Night Out at South Farms in Morris, CT, to provide area farmers with an evening of connecting with their peers. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes and representatives from the CT Department of Agriculture will be in attendance. BAV's Dan Carr and Rebecca Busansky will share details about 2025 technical assistance opportunities and other valuable resources. Please RSVP here to secure your attendance. Spaces for this event are limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

LISTEN UP!

Check out NEPM's Fabulous 413 podcast from Jan. 27 to hear BAV's Outreach & Technical Assistance Manager Dan Carr discuss the crucial importance of dairy farmers to our rural economy and local land preservation. Dan was part of a lively interview with Bob Kilmer of Twin Rivers Farm in Ashley Falls, MA, that offered an inside-the-barn look at the daily operations of a thriving dairy farm. Dan explained how BAV is supporting dairy farmers and the dairy economy through our Berkshire-Taconic Dairy Cohort program, a two-year project launched last fall. Our thanks to the show's truly fabulous host Kaliis Smith and producer Tony Dunne for this opportunity to "talk dairy." Listen to the full segment here!

BAV's Rebecca Busansky and Ben Crockett had the pleasure of talking with podcaster Jen Ross, aka The Agri-tourist, about food and farming. Jen asked some great questions, prompting Ben and Rebecca to reflect in depth on farming challenges, preserving rural communities, local impacts of the climate crisis, federal funding freezes, how BAV supports local farmers, and more. Listen to the full podcast here!

WE'VE MOVED! (ACROSS THE STREET)

Why did the chicken cross the road? We have no idea. But BAV's home offices have moved across the street in Great Barrington to the beautifully renovated Mahaiwe Block. We are now located at 4 Castle Street, Suite 215, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Please update your contact records, and if you're in the area, reach out and stop by!

OUT & ABOUT

BAV staff and Board had a wonderful opportunity earlier this month to contribute to "Transforming Our Food System," a film screening and panel discussion organized by the Salisbury Forum. Ruth Reichl's documentary Food and Country was screened, followed by a lively panel discussion on the local food economy moderated by BAV's Executive Director Rebecca Busansky. Panelists included BAV Outreach & Technical Assistance Manager Dan Carr, owner of Beavertides Farm in Falls Village, CT; BAV Board member Amanda Freund, third-generation farmer at Freund's Farm in East Canaan, CT, and manager of the farm's CowPots business; and Peter Platt, chef and owner of The Old Inn on the Green in New Marlborough, MA. Our thanks to the organizers and to all those who took part in the terrific discussion!

Ben Crockett had the privilege to travel to Colombia during January with his classmates from Cornell's LeadNY, a training program for leaders in the agriculture and food sectors. While in Colombia, Ben took part in a service learning project through Techo, touring coffee, chocolate, sugar cane, avocado, pork, and grass-based dairy farms. Learning about how farms and food systems in Colombia operate has provided him with new insights regarding transportation infrastructure, market access, and crop production that he plans to incorporate into his work at BAV.

Interested in LeadNY? Cornell's LeadNY program is now accepting applications for its next class of leaders in the food, agriculture, and natural resources sectors of the Northeast. LeadNY is a pioneering training program for mid-career professionals to improve leadership skills, self-awareness, issues analysis, critical thinking, and civic engagement. Applications are due March 15; learn more and apply here. NOTE: BAV's Ben Crockett would be happy to talk to interested applicants about his experiences in the program.

Jake Levin recently visited with Mary Berle and toured her beautiful farm, Lila's Mountain Farm, a third-generation, woman-owned sheep and flower farm in Great Barrington, MA. They discussed needs and opportunities for strengthening our regional fiber and meat value chains, and Jake enjoyed learning more about the farm's operations. Nourished on the farm's own grass, Berle's sheep provide meat and wool, and their rich manure is used to grow flowers.

Rebecca Busansky and Kallie Robertson recently attended NOFA/Mass's winter conference, Rooted in Abundance. It was great to see partners and collaborators across the local food system and learn more about the connections between soil health and food system resilience.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Join us in March for a free series of Meat Literacy Workshops geared to area livestock producers. Led by Jake Levin, BAV's Local Meat Processing Support Program Manager and a former butcher. See details below.

FARMER EVENTS & RESOURCES

Immigration Issues - Resources for Farms and Other Employers

A Guide for Employers: What To Do If Immigration Comes to Your Workplace. This helpful resource from the National Employment Law Project and National Immigration Law Center provides practical advice for addressing immigration-related actions in the workplace.

Prepare for Immigration Enforcement at Your Farm. Helpful guidance and resources compiled by Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development.

Upcoming Events, Workshops, and Courses

See also highlighted February items above.

March 1, full-day, in-person

CT NOFA Winter Conference at Eastern Connecticut State University in Windham, CT. Featuring the Bill Duesing Organic Living on the Earth Award, CT NOFA's meeting, and a keynote address, as well as workshops on farming, seed saving, organic land care, community food security, social justice issues, and more.

Beginning March 5

2025 Online Climate Smart Adaptation Strategies for Beginning Farmers Course from UConn Extension. Online course designed for new and beginning farmers in Connecticut who have 1-10 years of farming experience. Participants will learn about the impact of climate change on Connecticut agriculture and discover a range of adaptation strategies. The price of the course is $60, with a $30 refund after completion. Register here for the spring cohort starting 3/5/2025 and finishing 4/23/2025.

March 6, 13, & 20, 10am-1pm

Meat Literacy Workshops for livestock producers, led by BAV's Jake Levin and held at Berkshire South Community Center in Great Barrington, MA. See flyer above for details.

March 11 & 20, April 1, 5-7pm

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 landowners in Columbia County and Dutchess County about the land access needs of beginning QTPOC (queer, trans people of color) landworkers, and the importance of providing spaces to farm for communities that have been historically marginalized and under-funded within the agricultural system.

March 12, 6:30-7:30pm

Let’s Talk Ticks: What Every Livestock Producer Needs to Know. CCE Columbia and Greene is hosting an in-person watch party at the Agroforestry Resource Center in Acra, NY. Gather with livestock producers and farmers for an in-person webinar on ticks. Free admission.

SUPPORT BAV!

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!