Dear Friends,

The new year is the traditional time for reflection and goal setting. It also happens to be my work anniversary at BAV. It's been almost three years since I put down my knives to come work for BAV to focus on developing our Local Meat Processing Support Program. Having worked as a meat processor in the Berkshire-Taconic region for over a decade, I was very excited to step away from the butcher block to help BAV improve regional meat processing in order to make livestock farming more viable. 

We have accomplished a lot in nearly three years, yet so much more remains to be done. Changing complicated systems like our region's meat value chain is slow work that requires incremental change, tons of capital, creativity, cooperation, and a lot of dedication. 

The initial focus of our program was on providing existing processors with in-depth, one-on-one technical assistance (TA). Over the last three years, we have supported a total of 18 processors, including four processors who have gone under USDA inspection with our support. Our TA has equipped local processors with stronger business and financial management skills, creating more resiliency within their operations.

An additional focus has been on value chain coordination and infrastructure development support. This has been guided by our 10-member Livestock Working Group (LWG), which BAV convened in partnership with Berkshire Grown. Meeting bimonthly from April 2022 through the end of 2024, the group identified four major areas of need and opportunity. Our core accomplishments and highlights are featured in the box below this letter.

Currently, we are focusing on sheep production, including fiber and hide production, to see how we might be able to better support those fragile and interlocking systems. We are also looking for opportunities to support the development of new sales avenues, such as via co-branding, aggregation, and farm-to-institution sales. 

That's a lot of good work in three years, with much more ahead! Thanks to all the livestock farmers, meat processors, regional colleagues, and community supporters for making this work possible.

Best,

Jake Levin

Program Manager, Local Meat Processing Support Program

LOCAL MEAT PROGRAM: RESOURCES & HIGHLIGHTS

• This winter and spring, we are presenting a series of workshops for livestock farmers on topics including marketing, meat costing and pricing meat literacy, and live animal carcass evaluation training. 
• We have developed a Livestock Farming Resource Directory, essentially a yellowpages for livestock farmers in the Berkshire-Taconic region.
• In partnership with AgriForaging Food Safety, we launched a no-cost Food Safety Hotline for farmers and meat processors, as well as a comprehensive food safety and regulation primer for livestock farmers, Understanding State and Federal Meat Processing Regulations.
• We have created a Basic Guide to Meat for farmers and consumers.
• In partnerhsip with Good Roots, we have developed a Cost of Production Calculator, allowing farmers to easily establish their baseline cost of production.
• We worked closely with the Food Works Group to conduct a Cold Storage and Value Added Processing Needs and Viability study. Last summer, we released a interim report on our findings. We are currently working with four different value added processors to expand their value added production capacity.
• We manage a listserv and a bimonthly newsletter on all things related to meat production in the region called the Meat Up.

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: RAVEN & BOAR

Growing up in NYC, Ruby Duke didn’t set out to become a pig farmer. But pigs were in her future when she and her husband relocated to Chatham, NY, in 2009. Wanting to find better ways to feed their family, they began growing their own produce and raising a few animals. Soon, they focused on pigs. Raven & Boar was born.

Caring for a porcine herd was a far cry from Ruby’s former life as a high-end furniture maker in Brooklyn. Yet she discovered she had a knack for raising beautiful, healthy animals that area farm-to-table restaurants wanted on their menus. One secret was feeding the animals whey from a local cheesemaker—making use of a “waste” product that nourished the pigs. 

Farming is often a family affair, and several years ago, Ruby and her husband separated. When he exited the business, she was faced with a big question. “I had to make a decision. Do I want to stay farming—and could I do it myself?” 

Ruby turned to BAV for help. “I knew I needed to do an intense business deep dive,” she said. BAV staff and trusted consultants worked with Ruby and her close colleague, Allison Hester, on several technical assistance projects to analyze her finances and develop a new business plan. “BAV supported me in an amazing way with multiple rounds of technical assistance,” Ruby said.

BAV WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS!

We are excited to announce the appointment of three new members to our Board of Directors. Please take a moment to read their brief bios below.

Meg Bantle is a sixth-generation farmer and the co-founder of Full Well Farm in Adams, a queer- and woman-owned no-till vegetable and cut flower farm. Bantle brings a commitment to food justice with a focus on providing access to fresh, local produce to the northern Berkshire community. Full Well Farm has been a BAV partner over the past several years.

Mimi Beaven, a native of the United Kingdom, brings a farming background and a love of the natural world, food, and community, as well as their intersections. In 2012, she and her husband founded Little Ghent Farm/Made In Ghent, restoring 75 acres in Columbia County, NY, to productive farmland and raising laying hens, meat chickens, ducks, and pigs. The business, now closed, also developed a 20C-certified farm kitchen and store, rental accommodation, and workshop program. Beaven has been an active volunteer with area nonprofits and schools.

Glenn Bergman is a food industry leader and former executive director of Philabundance, a $55 million nonprofit food bank in Philadelphia. He also served as general manager of Weavers Way Co-operative Market, a Philadelphia co-operative food market, among other positions in the food sector. From 2020 to 2023, Bergman was interim executive director of BAV, expanding the organization’s board, staff, and client relationships.

BAV IN THE NEWS

If you haven't picked up the latest edition of Edible Berkshires, do so today! The Winter 2024-25 issue includes an in-depth story by Elisa Spungen Bildner that looks closely at the effects of climate change on farmers in our region. Elisa's article includes thoughtful perspectives from Ben Crockett, BAV's Climate Smart Ag Program Manager, as well as other farmers, climate experts, and local food advocates.

A hopeful quote from Elisa: “And there’s plenty farmers can do, as well as what we, consumers, can do, to mitigate the effects of climate change and support food producers."

OUT & ABOUT

Ben Crockett and Rebecca Busansky attended the MA Food System Forum last month, presented by the MA Food System Collaborative. The forum brought together farmers, advocates, legislators, and community members to connect about the past, present, and future of the Massachusetts food system.

Rebecca Busansky attended the MA Farm Bureau Federation's Annual Meeting where State Senator Jo Comerford (pictured) spoke at dinner about recent and upcoming legislation and how advocates for farming, food security, and the food system can be most powerful. Comerford posted on Facebook: "We need budget and policy solutions to stem the loss of farmland and help farms close budget deficits."

Ben Crockett attended the 2024 New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference, which covered every major vegetable, berry, and tree-fruit crop grown by New England producers. The conference brought together growers, extension specialists, researchers, advocates, and other industry experts.

Jake Levin was invited to speak about how to effectively implement HACCP (Hazardous Analysis and Critical Control Points) plans as part of UConn Extension's 3-day HACCP for Meat and Poultry Processors training.

FARMER EVENTS & RESOURCES

Resources

A Guide for Employers: What to Do if Immigration Comes to Your Workplace. This helpful 2017 resource from the National Employment Law Project and National Immigration Law Center has been updated and reissued. The guide provides practical advice for addressing immigration-related actions in the workplace.

2-Minute Producer Survey from the Northeast Grass-Fed Beef Initiative. For farmers who practice regenerative cattle grazing in the Northeastern US and are interested in sending some cattle hides to a value-added market. NGBI is working with partners to establish processes to sort, store, and transport leather hides from regeneratively-raised cattle to companies that make leather products and care about responsible sourcing. Learn more and take the survey!

January-February Events

Saturday, 1/25, 10am-4:30pm

Farmer 2 Farmer Conference: Meriden Public Library, Meriden, CT. Organized by the New CT Farmer Alliance (NCTFA). Geared to help new farmers connect with peers, share knowledge, problem-solve collectively, and learn to advocate. No cost to attend. Register here!

Wednesday, 1/29, 9am-3pm

UConn Solid Ground Farm Manager Summit: Chrysalis Center 255 Homestead Ave., Hartford, CT. This summit helps farmer managers strengthen their management skills and gain fresh ideas for the growing season. Cost: $40. Register here!

Wednesdays, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, & 2/26, 12-1pm

Legal Food Hub’s 2025 Winter Webinar Series: Join the Legal Food Hub on Zoom each Wednesday from 1/29 to 2/26 for a free webinar that covers a different legal topic related to your food or farm business. Topics include farm employment law, succession planning, food safety basics, and more. Learn more and register!

Saturday, 2/1

NOFA/Mass Annual Winter Conference: UMass, Amherst, MA. This year's theme is "Rooted in Abundance." Learn more and register!

Monday, 2/10, 9am start

Meat Costing and Pricing: Berkshire South Community Center, Great Barrington, MA. An all-day workshop presented by BAV for farmers engaged in marketing meat products. Instructors are Grace Debbeler of Good Roots and Matt LeRoux of Cornell Extension. Attendance is free and priority is given to livestock farmers in BAV's service region. See flyer here and register by emailing jake@berkshireagventures.org.

Wednesdays, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, & 3/5

UConn Extension’s “The Business of Farming” Course: A hybrid course designed to develop and strengthen the business and technical skills for beginning farmers with up to 3 years of experience. The course is virtual (through Blackboard) and in-person, and the cost is $50. Sign up here for Cohort 2 (Feb.-March).

Tuesday, 2/18, 9:30am-3:30pm

MDAR’s 2nd Annual Agricultural Resource Fair: Smith Tech & Agricultural High School, 80 Locust St, Northampton. "One-stop-shopping" for grants, technical assistance, land stewardship, labor, marketing, financial planning, food access, environmental justice, and more. Details coming soon.

SUPPORT BAV!

We all have a stake in local agriculture. Please consider supporting BAV's work with local farmers, food producers, and our community. Thank you!