The Future of Food is Local

Dear Friend, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures understands our local livestock farmers have been facing a number of challenges within the livestock supply chain.

To Recap*

The consolidation of corporate livestock processing facilities (i.e. Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef) have stacked the odds against the needs of small-to medium-scale local livestock producers.  Most livestock processing facilities are at capacity. This means rigid schedules for processing dates, which doesn’t allow for unforeseen circumstances on the farmers end.    Due to growing product demand by consumers and limited access to USDA inspected facilities, farmers must book processing dates for their livestock years in advance. (Fact: USDA inspected facilities allow farmers to sell across state lines and to retail locations. Custom (non-USDA) processing facilities only allow meat products to be sold off farm.)

*This is a simplified overview. BAV would like to state there are additional challenges our livestock farmers face. BAV has researched and identified other avenues for support that are in early stages of development. Please continue to follow and support our Local Meat Processing Support Program as we evolve.

To address the challenges Berkshire-Taconic livestock farmers face, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures commissioned a report by Kitchen Table Consultants (KTC) to identify recommendations to expand and improve access to meat processing services for the region’s livestock farmers. Based on recommendation #1 of the final report, Berkshire Agriculture Ventures has established the Local Meat Processing Support Program. The goal of the Local Meat Processing Support Program is to support the improvement, efficiency and upgrade of existing meat processing facilities. By working with existing facilities, farmers will see immediate improvements in regional capacity and services. Processing facilities will see increased revenue and improved operations, which will improve their profits, product quality, product safety, worker safety and sustainability.

Local Impact  By providing a solution to the most vexing problem faced by our region’s livestock farmers, the Local Meat Processing Support Program’s goal is to make local livestock farmers more profitable so that they grow their operations. This leads to greater access to local food, expansion of the region’s agricultural economy, and less dependency on large corporations who currently control the majority of US meat production and have proven to be very vulnerable to any system disruptions. Increasing the capacity to process livestock, now and in the future, is an issue of food sovereignty. A strengthened supply chain can happen if we invest in improving operations of existing local meat processors, processing services for producers, more access and better pricing of local meats for consumers.  All of which helps grow the resiliency of our regional agricultural economy and offers real competition against the national industrial consolidation of meat processing as it stands today.

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures short term (12 month) goal is to raise and deploy $150,000 to an identified regional meat processing facility. BAV has raised over $65,000 for the project. But we need your help to reach our goal. Any amount $10, $50, $200 will bring us closer to ensuring successful farmers and a resilient local food economy.   Click the button below to make your tax-deductible donation today.

Support Local Farmers

Interested in learning more?  Your interest and support of this program will ensure the success. You can read more and donate to the Local Meat Processing Support Fund on our website. Reach out to us at [email protected]. Whether you’re a farmer, processor, or community member we want to hear from you!

Special Thanks to Our Supporters Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, The Feigenbaum Foundation, Jane & Jack Fitzpatrick Trust, Josephine & Louise Crane Foundation, Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation, The Prospect Hill Foundation, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, The Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation, The Thompson Family Foundation, The Whitehead Foundation, and the numerous individuals who have contributed to us over the past four years.

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[email protected] | www.berkshireagventures.org