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Driven by Neil’s unwavering passion to preserve local agriculture, in collaboration with co-founder Joel Millonzi, BAV was launched in 2016 as a non-profit. During this early time of the organization Neil assembled the founding Board of Directors and served as Chairman through 2018. Even when stepping away from that role, he always remained an active supporter and champion for BAV.
“Neil did years of research with Joel on how best to assist farmers. The concept that materialized, and is still followed today, is one of very low interest loans with no liens against the farm, combined with technical support. The technical support was critical, and it was important that a wide range of support be offered to best meet every farm’s unique needs,” said Board President Tom Gardner, “Neil realized that Berkshire farmers needed the same tools that other types of businesses receive. His goal was to concentrate the service in just a small region and to have staff whom farmers can really trust.”
Inspired by Neil’s vision, since BAV’s inception, the organization has provided over $1.4 million in loans to our agricultural community and more than $500,000 of technical assistance, something that Neil was extremely proud of.
Our passion at BAV is truly an outgrowth of Neil’s passion to make a difference and positively impact those in the farming community. He loved visiting farmers markets with Kathy, living with farmers in the community, and worked tirelessly to preserve the Berkshires for future generations.
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