Dear Friends,

All of us at BAV are still energized by last month’s wonderful Farming in a Changing Climate event! Our thanks to all who took part, especially our terrific speakers: Sarah Chase of Chaseholm Farm, Sarah Monteiro of Greenagers, Lauren Piotrowski of Roots Rising, and New England soil health specialist Sara Kelemen.

We filled the barn at the beautiful April Hill Farm (thanks, Greenagers!) with farmers, community members, and ag-related partners to learn more about the local impact of climate change. What we heard was sobering, sometimes surprising, threaded with hope, and full of the awesome power of resilience and community. We captured a few highlights from the evening to share with you. Please take a moment to watch! 

Video highlights:

Sara Kelemen | Sarah Monteiro | Lauren Piotrowski | Sarah Chase

Every day, BAV works to help local farmers overcome climate challenges and other urgent issues by providing loans, grants, and other essential tools and resources. Over the past year, for example, our Climate Smart Agriculture Program has worked with 20 local farms to perform climate-risk assessments and implement climate resiliency plans to help our farmers adapt to new climate realities.

As a small-but-mighty community nonprofit, BAV relies on community support to serve our farmers and strengthen our local food system. We cannot do this work alone. This fall, we invite you to make a gift to BAV and help make a difference to our farmers! Thank you.

Warmly,

Rebecca Busansky

Executive Director

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Food, Inc. 2 Screening | October 27

Join BAV Board President Maryann Tebben and BAV Outreach Manager Dan Carr for a special screening by Berkshire International Film Festival Environmental Film Focus of Food, Inc. 2 at The Triplex in Great Barrington, MA, on Sunday, October 27, at 3pm. Food, Inc. 2 is a 2023 documentary that revisits our food system to focus on innovative farmers and food producers working toward a healthier future.

A Call to Farms | November 13-14

Join BAV Executive Director Rebecca Busansky and other expert speakers addressing the transformative impact of slow money on small organic farms and local food enterprises around the country. Learn how low-to-no interest loans are helping to heal local food systems and build healthy local food economies.

ThinkFOOD Conference | November 16

The Center for Food Studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock presents its 11th annual ThinkFOOD conference on Saturday, November 16, from 9am to 3:30pm. ThinkFOOD will give you new perspectives on food as part of a healthy community and world. The conference offers interactive sessions with practical takeaways and new ideas from experts in the Berkshires and beyond. Marion Nestle, award-winning author and professor emerita of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, will give the keynote address.

Tickets are $25 for access to all sessions, $15 for half day, or $10 for keynote only; lunch tickets are $12. Discount tickets available; please email for details. Learn more here!

Kudos to BAV’s Board President Maryann Tebben for organizing ThinkFOOD. BAV is proud to be a sponsor!

BAV’s Dan Carr, Jake Levin, and Rebecca Busansky recently toured Sky High Farm in Pine Plains, NY, to learn more about the organization’s work and explore potential collaborations. Sky High Farm is a nonprofit that addresses food security and nutrition by improving NY residents’ access to fresh, nutritious food.

BAV’s Ben Crockett, along with our partners from other state and nonprofit agricultural organizations, met with MA Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer last month to discuss climate impacts and opportunities for western MA farmers. The group also toured Big River Chestnuts, a diversified agroforestry farm focused on chestnuts and small fruits in Sunderland, MA.

BAV's Ben Crockett and Dan Carr had the chance to celebrate our partnership with Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy to deliver the "Building Resiliency" climate-smart agriculture program. Hosted at Maple Bank Farm in Roxbury, CT, the event was an opportunity to highlight farmer recipients of climate risk assessments conducted by BAV as well as the first round of grant awards to Northwest CT farms to implement climate-smart agricultural practices.

Photo by Wendy Carlson

This fall, we invite you to join us by making a gift to BAV to support our local farmers and food businesses. We know that our farmers face many challenges, and we also know that their work and success is essential for the health of our food system, community, and economy. BAV is well positioned to make a meaningful difference in 2025 and beyond, and community involvement and support are key to our farmers’ success. Together, we can empower local farmers — your support makes all the difference. Thank you!

FARMER EVENTS & RESOURCES

Upcoming Events

Monday-Thursday, Oct. 21-24

NAMSC (North American Maple Syrup Council) Annual Meeting: Hosted by the Maine Maple Producers Association in Portland, MA; maple producers nationwide are invited to attend the 65th Anniversary of NAMSC.

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 12-2pm

NYSERDA’s Agriculture Energy Audit Program: A lunch-and-learn to discover NYSERDA’s Agriculture Energy Audit Program and the REAP Technical Assistance Program. Open to all NY agricultural producers and greenhouse growers. 

Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 16-17, 1-5pm both days

Permaculture Climate Response: “Powerful tools to cope with the climate,” a special event with Eric Toensmeier and Bonita Eloise Ford, offered by the Permaculture Association of the Northeast.

Upcoming Deadlines

Free Soil Health Testing: The New England Soil Health Survey is open until November 1! American Farmland Trust can offer farms of all kinds in CT, MA, NH, and VT access to free soil health testing services if they complete a social science survey. Interested farmers should complete the online survey and email Kevin Antoszewski with questions. 

Grants for Livestock Farmers: The Brighter Future Fund’s New England Regenerative Livestock Farming Grants provide up to $10,000 in funds to livestock farmers in select counties in CT, MA, NH, and VT for the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices that improve soil health, water quality, and pollinator habitat. Applications for the 2025 grant cycle will be accepted until November 29. Email Kristen Irvin with questions.

Compost Tea Equipment Mobile Unit (scroll to bottom): CT RC&D is working with CT NOFA to offer an educational Compost Tea Equipment Mobile Unit to five farms interested in the practice for the 2025 growing season. Applications for this new mobile unit will be accepted until November 30.

Other Opportunities

Climate Smart Equipment Hubs: CT RC&D is now accepting applications from CT farms interested in becoming Climate Smart Equipment Sharing Hub Users. These hubs enable climate smart practices through the cooperative use of equipment.

Cornell Small Farms Program: Upcoming Nov-Dec courses cover topics such as berry production, poultry production, stress reduction, and more. Courses combine reading, discussion, and webinars. Pricing is tiered based on income.