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Dear Friends,
As the weather cools and we turn the corner to fall, BAV is looking back and looking ahead.
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We had a busy summer of farm visits, workshops, and events. It has been so great to walk the land with our farmers and see - up close and in person - the work they are doing and how BAV can both learn from and support them. Some of the farms and food businesses we were lucky enough to visit this summer include: Ayrhill Farm, Dodd/Joshua Farm, Hawthorne Valley Farm, Thistle Pass Farm, Samascott Orchard, Red Shirt Farm, Howling Flats Farm, Smokedown Farm, Fort Hill Farm, NW Connecticut Food Hub, Branchwater Farm, Berkshire House of Corrections Farm, Solidarity Farm & Garden (pictured at left), Harrier Fields Farm, Kalenauskas Farm, Dogwood Farm, Home Farm, The Berry Patch, De Hoek Farm, and Peat Meadow Farm.
As we move into harvest season, we are excited to share our 2024-25 Community Impact Report! This newly published report gathers together highlights of our services, programs, and impact over the past year. We are proud of our work in the local food system - and energized to create more impact in the months ahead.
Coming up soon, BAV is pleased to present and co-present a slate of fall events - see details below. We are also looking forward to 1Berkshire's Trendsetter Awards Ceremony. BAV is honored to be nominated, alongside other great local organizations, for the category of Nonprofit Collaborator.
As always, if you are moved to support BAV, we could not be more grateful for the community generosity that makes our work possible.
Warmly,
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Rebecca Busansky
Executive Director
| | Photo: Dahlias growing at Solidarity Farm & Garden, a program of BRIDGE | | NEW COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT! | | |
IT'S HERE! BAV is thrilled to share our hot-off-the-press 2024-25 Community Impact Report. We are grateful to work closely with farmers and partners across our region, and honored to highlight how we're making a difference, together, in our local food system.
This year's report offers a snapshot of our core services, strategic program impacts, an update on BAV's equity work, spotlight stories of clients and projects, recent "by the numbers," and more! Please click here or on the cover image to download the full report. Questions, comments? Let us know what you think!
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Kristen Moriarty hired as BAV's new Development Director
We are delighted to announce the hiring of Kristen Moriarty as BAV's new Development Director. Kristen is an experienced leader in the nonprofit world and has a background as a fundraiser, database manager, writer, actor, teaching artist, and programs manager. She was previously Senior Manager of Individual Giving at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. With storytelling and relationships at the core, Kristen is thrilled to use her passion for people and building connections to strengthen the fabric of the community she calls home. Feel free to reach out to Kristen and say hello!
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Maryann Tebben named Dean at Culinary Institute of America
BAV Board President Dr. Maryann Tebben was recently named Dean of the School of Food Studies and Liberal Arts at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA. In her new role, she is responsible for curriculum, instruction, and program development for food studies and liberal arts as well as the college's Global Cuisines and Cultures study abroad program. Maryann was previously a professor of French and the director of the Center for Food and Resilience at Bard College-Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, MA. Congratulations, Maryann!
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Fodder: Stories from the Field - Sunday, September 21, 4-6pm
BAV is delighted to be co-presenting Fodder: Stories from the Field, a lively afternoon of farming stories - straight from the field! Join us at Greenagers/April Hill. Tickets are $15; farmers attend free! Space is limited and registration is required. See you there!
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Climate Anxiety Workshop - Monday, September 22, 10am-1pm
Farmers and land stewards are invited to join BAV and guest expert Maud Powell of Oregon State University for a workshop focused on climate-related anxiety and healthy strategies to cope. Workshop is free; registration is required.
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SAVE THE DATES - 2025 Grazing Workshops - October 13 & 18
BAV is pleased to present our 2025 Grazing Workshops in partnership with local farms and regional/national experts:
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Monday, October 13, 8:30am-4:30pm: (Frost- Free) Water Infrastructure for Grazing Operations
Join BAV and the team at Sky High Farm to learn more about water infrastructure for year-round grazing operations. Features a tour of Sky High Farm's frost-free water infrastructure accompanied by in-depth presentations from Russ Wilson from Wilson Land & Cattle Company, who consulted on the project. ($25 per attendee)
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Saturday, October 18, 8:30am-4:30pm: Grazing Nutrition
BAV will host nationally known expert Woody Lane to present on pasture management, sheep and beef cattle nutrition, and grazing at Kinderhook Farm. For more than 20 years, Woody has taught dozens of practical courses on forage management and livestock nutrition across North America, and will join us in the Berkshire-Taconic region for a deep dive on managing animal nutrition in grazing systems. ($25 per attendee)
Please email Ben Crockett for further details and to be notified when registration opens!
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Saturday, October 13, 5-7pm: Farmer Gathering
Open to ALL area farmers - an October gathering at the beautiful Stissing Center in Pine Plains, NY. Join other local farmers to reconnect after a busy growing season. Light refreshments available for free; cash bar hosted by the Stissing Center. (free event)
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BAV was delighted have a table and a speaking slot at Sheffield Farmers Market last month. This vibrant community market, now 25 years old, was the final stop on Mass. Ag Commissioner Ashley Randle's tour of Berkshire County farms, organized by Berkshire Grown. Rebecca Busansky joined a lineup of speakers who highlighted the critical importance of SNAP/HIP and the impact of farmers markets as food access points and community hubs. BAV has supported Sheffield Farmers Market with Market Match Fund grants and bridge financing. Our thanks to Julie Hannum and other market committee members for hosting us, and for growing an amazing market!
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Rebecca Busansky recently joined with Heart & Soil Collective to tour the aquaponics program at the Berkshire County House of Corrections. This program produces 1,200 heads of lettuce each week - in symbiosis with tilapia - for the correctional facility's dining hall and distribution to local nonprofits. Attendees also toured the outdoor farm and beehives maintained by beekeeper Amy Musante. The whole operation, taken care of by inmates, was impressive to see!
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Shannon Smith attended a field day last month at Home Farm in Clermont, NY, focused on the potential for upland rice production in the Hudson Valley. Home Farm was recently awarded a SARE Farmer Grant to study the suitability of different dryland rice cultivars for New York. Led by Craig Jon Marcklinger, the field day was a collaboration between Home Farm, Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest New York, and Scenic Hudson.
| | FARMER EVENTS & RESOURCES | | |
Workshops/Events
See also BAV workshops/events highlighted above.
Saturday, September 13, 10am-1pm
Intuitive Approaches to Agroforestry. Workshop organized by NOFA/Mass and MDAR at Firefly Farm in Sunderland, MA. $20-$40; register here.
Friday, September 26, 9:30am-6pm
Agroforestry Crawl - three farms in one day! Join CISA for an all-day Agroforestry Crawl visiting three innovative western MA farms with agroforestry systems on their land: The Long Game Orchard, Firefly Farm, Carr's Ciderhouse and Preservation Orchard. Free; register here.
Saturday, September 27, 10am-1pm
Building Fertile Ground: Biochar, Soil Health, and Agroforestry in Action. Join CISA at Big River Chestnuts in South Deerfield, MA, to learn about biochar and how it supports soil health and climate resilience. Free; register here.
Monday, September 29, 10am-2:30pm
Driving Efficiency in Dairy & Exploring the Irish Experience. Workshop organized by Wolfe's Neck featuring in-depth presentation and discussion led by dairy expert Dr. Padraig French from Cork County, Ireland. Rock Stream, NY. Free; register here.
Tuesday, October 7, 4-6pm
Soil Health and Cover Crop Field Day. Join Cornell Cooperative Extension's Harvest New York and partners at Kelder's Farm in Kerhonkson, NY, for a tour and discussion of 16 small plots of various cover crops. Free; register here.
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Resources/Opportunities
Free Consultations for Beginning Farmers in CT. Provided by UConn's Solid Ground Program, funded by USDA. For commercial farmers and farm businesses only. Details and sign-up here.
Piloting Rewards for Ecosystem Services (PRES) Program. Offered by American Farmland Trust, this program pays livestock farmers to adopt ecologically beneficial practices such as conservation crop rotation, cover crops, tree/shrub establishment, nutrient management, and many more. Apply through September 26; details and application here.
Pollinator Steward Certification Program. Through UMass Amherst, lectures on foundations in pollination ecology to learn how to create and manage pollinator habitats. Register through September 30 for fall 2025 session. Cost is $249; register here.
NSAC Sign-on Letter in Support of SARE Program for farmers and ranchers to the USDA. The letter is intended to show how popular the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program is among farmers and ranchers, and asks for the full release of funding for the program. The sign-on letter is here.
| | We ALL have a stake in local agriculture. Farmers need our support more than ever. Give today and be a part of BAV's vital work. | | | | |
