The Meat Up August 2024

Local Meat Processing Support Program at Berkshire Agricultural

Farmers walk up a hill in a pasture in the grazing workshop hosted by Berkshire Ag Ventures and Berkshire Grown.

IN THIS ISSUE



1. Program Updates
2. Upcoming events
3. Resources + Opportunities
4. Job Opportunities

Program Updates

Sarah Flack, grazing specialist, holds up a handful of soil dug from the pasture at Kinderhook Farm in Valatie, NY.

Grazing Workshop Gathers Farmers from Across the Northeast

July 15 -- The Berkshire-Taconic Grazing Workshop, led by renowned grazing specialist Sarah Flack, was a two-day tour to five farms in the region, to learn about sustainable grazing techniques and witness different approaches to climate-smart grazing. Over 40 people attended from all over the Northeast -- two participants traveled from as far away as Boston!

The first night of the tour, The Farm New Marlborough hosted a dinner for beginning farmers and ranchers to connect, with delicious food prepared by Maggie Arian.

The workshop was organized by Berkshire Agricultural Ventures and Berkshire Grown with support from National Grazing Lands Coalition.

A big thank you to everyone involved, especially to the farmers who hosted - Natana Roots and Matthew MacMahon at Gould Farm, at Tom Brazie at The Farm New Marlborough, Sarah Chase at Chaseholm Farm, Laura Kline at Kinderhook Farm, and Mike Scannell at Harrier Fields Farm.

Berkshire-Taconic Value-Added Meat Processing Needs Study Report Published

In August 2023, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures engaged Food Works Group to explore the need for increased USDA-certified, value-added meat processing capacity and cold storage in the Berkshire-Taconic Region, as well as how best to meet that demand for livestock producers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.

The report includes key findings and recommendations, operators ready for expansion, a regional map of meat processing services, and next steps.

Upcoming Events

AUGUST

8/9 Integrated Parasite Management and FAMACHA© Certification Accord, NY

8/16 Summer Pasture Walk Greenville, NY

8/19 Broiler Field Day at Laughing Earth Farm Cropseyville, NY

8/29 NMPAN Live - Quality Control for the Small Plant w/ Trevor Morones Webinar

SEPTEMBER

9/12 Backyard Chickens 101 Webinar

NOVEMBER

11/1-2 Cornell Sheep and Goat Symposium Ithaca, NY

Job Opportunities

Livestock work

LIVESTOCK FARM HAND Glynwood Center | Cold Spring, NY

Full Time $25-28/hr

MANAGER/OWNER/PARTNER/ASSISTANT Tamarack VT Sheep Farm

Full Time 35,568 - 50k

Meat processing work

BUTCHER AND GROCER The Meat Hook Brooklyn, NY

Full Time $20/hr

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures acknowledges that we live and work on the unceded land of the Mohican, Munsee Lenape, and other Indigenous peoples. We recognize that the United States was built on stolen land and that all systems in this country are built on the stolen labor of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other people of color. 

You can read BAV's full statement on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging here.