|
Dear Friends,
What a painful month it's been for America's 42 million SNAP recipients, including at least 54,000 people in BAV's service area. As I write this, benefits are resuming after weeks of anxiety and delay, yet real harm has been done - to recipients, communities, and the nutrition assistance safety net.
Here in our local communities, we've seen amazing and heartwarming responses from food access organizations and local businesses, as well as many individual volunteers and donors. This has been a bright light in an otherwise deeply difficult time.
| | |
At BAV, our organization touches the lives of SNAP recipients through our Market Match Fund, a program that supports SNAP matching at Berkshire-area farmers markets. With the SNAP cutoff looming, we worked with our farmers market partners to implement an alternative for as long as the federal government remained closed.
We are proud and thankful that we were able to rapidly retool to offer $30 to SNAP recipients with any amount (even just one penny) left on their EBT card – mirroring the approach of Massachusetts' Department of Transitional Assistance, which administers SNAP and related programs. Our temporary measure worked. Two of our farmers market partners reported their strongest Market Match day of the year last weekend.
Local farmers also benefited from this temporary measure, as they do from SNAP matching through the Market Match Fund during "normal" times. Many local farmers rely on SNAP sales at farmers markets to make ends meet (and some rely on nutrition assistance as well, so they were doubly impacted by the disruption). The role of SNAP in boosting farms, farmers markets, and other food retailers is not always recognized – but it's enormously significant to the health of our local economies.
Which is to say – it's all connected. We're all connected. The big picture of our work at BAV is to create more resilient and equitable local communities and economies. We are honored to do this vital work, and grateful for the collaboration and caring of so many partners and donors.
Our heartfelt thanks to all who have supported BAV during this time and throughout the year. If you are moved to make a gift to help us serve farmers and strengthen our local food system, you can donate here.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
| | |
Audrey Hackett
Communications & Development Manager
| | Photo: Full Well Farm, photo by Stephanie Zollshan. | | WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR? | This month, the BAV team reflected on what we are grateful for in our work with farmers and the local food system. We are pleased to share our responses here. | | Front: Dan, Ben, Kallie, Rebecca. Back: Kristen, Audrey, Jake, Nina, Shannon. | | Jake: This year, I'm especially grateful for the incredible partners who help us support farmers and strengthen local food systems. In particular, I want to thank Massachusetts Farm to School, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Franklin County CDC, Cornell Cooperative Extension, UConn Extension, CISA, CADE, and American Farmland Trust. Building resilient local food systems takes tremendous time, resources, and collaboration - and BAV couldn't do what we do without these and other dedicated partners. | | Nina: I'm so grateful to have joined the kind and hardworking team at BAV, and to get to meet many of our thoughtful donors and the farmers, producers, processors, and more who are at the heart of the work we do. Being in food systems as a career is a real pleasure, and being able to think about food and the earth for work each day is awesome - I feel so fortunate! Every drive through the Berkshires as the seasons change is a gift, too! | | |
Rebecca: I'm grateful for the people who make this work possible - the farmers, food processors, and partners who keep showing up every day with creativity and grit. I'm also grateful for the way agriculture grounds us in the rhythms of the seasons and reminds us of our shared dependence on the land. It's humbling and hopeful work - I'm fortunate to be doing it alongside an incredible team of individuals at BAV.
| | Dan: I'm particularly grateful for Mumbet's Freedom Farm. Stewarded by many hands over five years, with Sunder Ashni as the consistent vision-builder, Mumbet's has transformed my understanding of what a farm can be - not just a place to grow food, but to steward community and collective learning. We attended anti-racism conversations there, and joined other farmers and food-system non-profits for a three-day training led by the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond. As Mumbet's completes their last season on this land, I'm grateful for the wonderful people I've met and all I've learned there, and look forward to seeing their next iteration! | | Kallie: I am grateful for the community that I have surrounding me in this work, and that I get to continue to grow and foster new learning through my work at BAV. I am grateful that my children get to see me supporting meaningful action in our community - and that I am able to model for them what a supportive and healthy working environment looks like. | | |
Ben: There are two groups of people that I'm very thankful for in 2025. First off is the team at BAV - they've supported me in so many ways this year, and I'd be lost without them! Second is all the farmers in our region that were part of our event panels or hosted workshops at their farms. By sharing their experiences and opening up their farms, they have helped so many others learn how agriculture can adapt and grow into the future.
| | Shannon: Thankful for the forces of grace and compassion that seem so much more important these days - for creative and committed colleagues, for friends and family still doing our best to live in the present, and for hardworking folks all over trying to leave things better than they found them. Thankful to learn new things and to meet new people every day. | | Kristen: As someone new to the BAV team and to the farming and ag community, I am grateful to work for an organization that welcomes me as my full self and that is doing incredibly meaningful, essential work in our community - supporting the farmers who feed and nourish our bodies and our economy. Like many others, I am raising a family here, and giving back to the place that is shaping who my daughters are is something I am especially grateful to participate in. | | |
Audrey: I am grateful for the land and the people who tend and steward it. I am grateful for the strength and caring of our local community - in action right now as we find ways to keep food flowing to households that need support. We live during difficult and profoundly divisive times. I am all the more grateful for the kindness, determination, and quiet courage I see around me. There are many heroes and many paths forward, if we know where to look.
| | Photos: Full Well Farm, photo by Stephanie Zollshan. Water Infrastructure Workshop at Sky High Farm, photo by Walter Hergt. MX Morningstar Farm, photo by Stephanie Zollshan. | | BAV & SQUARE ROOTS ON FAB 413 | | |
BAV Program Manager Jake Levin joined Square Roots Farm owner Michael Gallagher for a Berkshire farmer feature on the Fabulous 413 last month! Michael shared the story of this chicken, turkey, eggs, pork, and beef farm that he and his wife, Ashley Amsden, own and operate in Lanesborough, MA. Jake discussed BAV's efforts to strengthen local meat processing and expand opportunities for livestock farmers.
| | COMING UP THIS WEEKEND: NUT FEST! | |
This Sunday, Nov. 16, from 11am to 6pm, join BAV staff and area nut enthusiasts at Hudson Valley Nut Fest. Come celebrate the diversity and resilience of regional nut species, grown and foraged, at Rose Hill Farm in Red Hook, NY. With foundational support from BAV, this year's Nut Fest brings together consumers, producers, foragers, and community members. Suggested donation is $15; all proceeds will go to regional Indigenous groups. Learn more and view the event schedule here!
| | |
Executive Director Rebecca Busansky joined Roots Rising, Berkshire Grown, Greenagers, and Mumbet's Freedom Farm at April Hill Farm last month to share agricultural knowledge with the wonderful 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Class of 2026. Students learned the ins and outs of farming, how farmers are responding to an everchanging climate, and a bit about what it means to live off the land.
| | |
Climate Smart Agriculture Program Manager Ben Crockett and Outreach & Technical Assistance Manager Dan Carr were excited to be out in the field and in the classroom with local livestock farmers and service providers at Sky High Farm and Kinderhook Farm last month. During our October Grazing Workshops, we learned so much from our presenters Russ Wilson and Woody Lane. Participants gained new insights into everything from mineral needs to evaluating feed quality from nationally recognized grazing expert Woody Lane, and were immersed in planning frost-free water access for grazing animals during the winter, thanks to Russ Wilson and the Sky High Farm team. BAV is grateful to our presenters, host farms, and all who joined us!
Top photo: Russ Wilson leading BAV's Water Infrastructure Workshop, photo by Walter Hergt. Bottom photo: Woody Lane leading BAV's Grazing Nutrition Workshop.
| |
Local Food Systems Program Manager Jake Levin joined the Berkshire County Ag Commission Roundtable at Hancock Shaker Village earlier this month. Convened by Sarah Gardner and Pete Westover of Conservation Works in partnership with MDAR, the event brought together local ag commission members, farmers, and food- and ag-related organizations to discuss farmland protection, farmer challenges, and other issues.
| | HERITAGE GRAIN SHARE PICKUP | | |
From BAV's friends at Woven Roots Farm:
Woven Roots Farm is partnering with Pioneer Valley Heritage Grains to bring organic grains and fresh-milled flours from New England family farms directly into the home kitchens of food lovers in the Berkshires. Those interested have until December 1 to register for a local grain CSA share at Woven Roots in Tyringham, MA, on February 7, 2026. This will be a one-time, easy pickup. All products store for at least a year. Learn more and sign up!
| | FARMER EVENTS & RESOURCES | | |
Workshops/Events
Saturday, November 15, 10am-1pm
Native Pasture Making. Hands-on workshop for learning how to grow forage and support pollinators. Offered by NOFA/Mass. Held at Stonebridge Farm in Chesterfield, MA. Free.
Sunday, November 16, 11am-6pm
Hudson Valley Nut Fest! See details above.
Monday, November 17, 6-7pm
Spotted Lanternfly Management Workshop. Offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension. Learn more about farm management options for spotted lanternfly. Dutchess County Farm and Home Center, Millbrook, NY. Tickets are $5.
Tuesday, November 18, 12-6pm - sold out but wait list available
Growing Homes Convening. A day of learning, networking and problem-solving around housing security for farmers in the Hudson Valley region. Organized by Glynwood Center, Cold Spring, NY. Free.
Wednesday-Thursday, December 10-11
High Tunnel Production Conference. For high tunnel vegetable growers and agricultural service providers of all experience levels in the Northeast. Held in West Lebanon, NH; $120 for both days.
| |
Resources/Opportunities
Humane Farming Mentorship Program. Now accepting mentor and mentee applications for February 2026 mentorship session. Offered by Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), this program gives beginning and production farmers the skills and knowledge to achieve their humane farming goals with one-on-one support from a mentor.
On-farm Impacts of Climate Change - survey opportunity. The Northeast Climate Disaster Relief Network is seeking stories from farmers about how climate disasters have impacted their farms, as well as examples of climate resiliency practices they've implemented. These stories will be part of a report used to advocate for better disaster relief systems and more support for farmers.
Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program. Provides funds to farmers to explore innovative concepts in sustainable agriculture conducted through experiments, surveys, prototypes, on-farm demonstrations, or other research and education techniques. Application deadline is December 9.
Climate Smart Adaptation Strategies for Beginning Farmers. An online course from UConn Extension's Solid Ground Program to help beginning farmers understand best practices for their farms. Participants are then eligible to apply for Climate Smart Microgrants to purchase equipment/inputs for implementing climate smart farming practices. Next cohort start date is December 1.
2025 Local Food Count. Food and beverage establishments and organizations across New England are invited to participate in this regional effort to measure how much local food they buy and sell within the six-state region. Take the pledge to confirm your participation, then fill in the worksheet based on your type of business, organization, or institution.
| | We all have a stake in local agriculture! Farmers need our support more than ever - give today to be a part of BAV's vital work to serve farmers and strengthen our local food system. | | | | |
