Photos by Don Perdue (L) and Ciana Barnaba (R)

Happy Spring!

As the days begin to grow longer and the earth softens, there are many signs Spring is here. Lambing is underway, hoop houses are quickly filling up, and the maple sap is flowing! 

We’ve all heard the saying that March “comes in like a lion and out like a lamb”, but there’s no idiom for extreme rainfall and flooding in May, drought in June, or severe winds in July. In other words, extreme weather is an increasingly serious and unpredictable challenge for all our region's farmers. With warmer weather right around the corner Berkshire Ag Ventures has been assessing how we can better support our regions farmers adapt to the impacts of severe-weather. 

Today, BAV is pleased to announce the latest addition to our offerings, the Climate Smart Agricultural Program.

Navigating how to safeguard farmland in the face of climate change can be daunting. Through our Climate Smart Agricultural program, BAV will assist farms by means of technical assistance, financial support, outreach, and education, in implementing climate smart practices and tools that will increase farms' resilience to extreme weather. 

Climate Smart Agriculture is a production approach that realizes agriculture’s potential as a natural climate solution while adapting to the current and future impacts of climate change. Read more about Climate Smart Ag here.

As part of BAV’s Climate Smart Ag program we are launching a climate-risk assessment tool that assists farmers with developing a risk management plan. You can find this assessment sheet on our website. 

Interested in supporting your local farmers to adapt to the impacts of climate change? Join BAV in our mission, by making a gift to the Climate Smart Ag Program today.

Crop Crops: Insights from the 2023 Northeast Cover Crops Council Annual Conference

In mid-February farmers, researchers, extension professionals and an array of service providers convened from around the Northeastern U.S. in Portland, ME to discuss the latest insights on cover crop management and how cover crops can be deployed effectively and profitably on a range of farms.

Photo by Ciana Barnaba

Some tips and takeaways from the conference:

• Dr. Adam Davis, Department head of crop sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shared how cover crops can contribute a great deal to improving a farm’s resiliency to extreme weather events that have increased due to climate change. Although incorporating cover crops into any farm system comes with its challenges, most growers Dr. Davis has worked with have seen improved crop yields and reductions in overhead costs and catastrophic risk after 3 to 5 years of consistent use of cover crops.
• Having difficulty selecting the right cover crop, or knowing when you should plant a cover crop to meet your goals? There are a number of great decision making tools available: Start out with NECCC’s ‘Cover Crop Explorer’ and ‘Species Selection Tool’ to select the right plants, improve farm viability with SARE’s ‘Managing Cover Crops Profitably’, and advance your winter cover cropping strategy with Cornell’s ‘Winter Cover Crop Planting Scheduler’.
• Dr. Stuart Grandy from the University of New Hampshire shared his lab’s compelling research on utilization and management of mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) as a source of plant-available Nitrogen during dry periods. By developing a healthy MAOM soil, through practices like cover cropping and reduced tillage, all growers can increase available nitrogen to plants and reduce their reliance on inorganic nitrogen fertilizers and irrigation.

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures can assist you in reviewing your farm's soil health and cover cropping practices, and also offers guided Climate Risk Assessments for your whole farm.

Reach out to Ben Crockett, BAV’s Climate Smart Agriculture Program Manager, for more information and to request a Climate Risk Assessment.

Improve Your Farm's Climate Resiliency with Inflation Reduction Act Funding

Last year the United States passed the landmark federal law titled ‘Inflation Reduction Act of 2022’, and an important component of that law includes $391 billion to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to energy production. 

As part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) climate change funding, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is deploying a portion of these funds to agricultural producers and forest landowners nationwide through voluntary conservation programs to encourage and support adoption of climate-smart practices.

How to Apply 

NRCS accepts producer applications for its conservation programs year-round, but producers interested in EQIP or CSP should apply by their state’s ranking dates to be considered for funding in the current cycle.

Upcoming Events & Info Sessions 

Use the orange links below to register for each session.

• Advanced Grazing Skills Workshop
• Join University of Maine Livestock Extension Specialist Colt Knight to learn about the latest in grazing tech and livestock management!
• This all day workshop is Thursday, March 30th at Chaseholm Farm in Pine Plains, NY. 

• Gould Farm is seeking volunteers! 
• Join the virtual info-session to learn more about applying to Gould Farm’s year-long volunteer program. Volunteers work on our farm, garden, bakery, kitchen, residential, and forestry teams alongside adults who are working to recover their mental well-being.
• This session will be hosted Wednesday, April 5, 2023 12:00pm

• Grazing School at Gould Farm: Best Practices for Pasture Management
• Join Berkshire Grown, BAV, and presenter Sarah Flack for this all-day workshop. You'll learn basics of how to set up a new grazing system, and how to troubleshoot and improve an existing one. Topics will include how to use the “Graziers Toolbox” including varied stock densities, trampling and different regrowth periods, pre & post grazing heights to use livestock to improve the pastures as well as fertility inputs, soil testing and reseeding strategies. Advance registration is required.
• Thursday, April 13th 9:00am-4:00pm.

• Planning for the Future of your Farmland
• Want to learn how to plan for, protect, lease, finance, or pass on your farm? Join your fellow Berkshire farmers and farming organizations for this special workshop! Planning for the Future of Your Farmland, will be offered twice this spring (2023), and is being organized by American Farmland Trust and Land for Good. Advance registration is required. 
• Dalton, MA: Tuesday, April 25th, 5:30-7:30pm, at The Stationery Factory
• Adams, MA: Tuesday, May 2nd, 5:30-7:30, at The Bounti-Fare Restaurant

A Special Thank You 

Thank you to all of our generous donors.

And a special thank you to those who have contributed to our March campaign "Double SNAP for a Greater Impact" which supports our Match Match Fund program.

There is still time to support this program! Join in today and make locally produced food consistently affordable for low-income families, boost sales for farmers and help build a stronger regional economy.

Please join us in building the future of local food in our community.