Hi there!
Hope all is well with you and your farms.
To help us plan our Winter Workshops for 2024, the first item in this month's newsletter is a quick poll to gauge farmer interest in a few topics related to perennial crop systems and agroforestry-related practices that farmers could work into their existing productions. We're working on developing a workshop with Regenerative Design Group and would appreciate your feedback to guide the focus of the workshop. Our goal is to cover different practices and crops that could relate to a farmer's existing production and markets, and discuss potential opportunities for implementation and funding. See below for a quick poll - your feedback is greatly appreciated!
Our other Winter Workshop topics will include: SNAP/ HIP Best Practices and methods of implementation, grant writing skills for farmers, and body ergonomics and movement for wellness in farm labor! Stay tuned for details in our coming newsletters.
In this month's farmer newsletter:
- Poll for Berkshire Grown Workshop Content!
- Tufts program facilitating Climate-Smart Farming Discussion;
- NOFA Mass Annual Winter Conference;
- Connecticut Farm Transition Grants Opportunity;
- New England Farmer Micro-Grants Program Accepting Applications;
- Berkshire County designated in USDA Primary Natural Disaster Areas from May freeze, July rain and flooding;
- Berkshire Mobile Farmers Market Pilot;
- Land for Good / AFT Winter Workshop on Land Access;
- Free Baleage/ Forage and soil testing for livestock farmers;
- Berkshire Grown Regional Events Calendar Page;
- Transition to Organic Partnership Program still seeking mentors and mentees.
Thanks!
Ian Brunell
Program Manager, Business Members
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Which of the following Agroforestry-related topics are of most interest to you and your farm?
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Hardy Fruits / Nuts, Perennial Crops in general, practices supported by NRCS
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Alley Cropping with Perennials in Crop Production or Pasture Fields
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Crops for Multi-Functional Riparian Buffers, Hedgerows, or Windbreaks
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Understory Medicinals Production
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Tufts Program Facilitating Climate-Smart Farming Discussion for Farmers |
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NOFA Mass Annual Winter Conference
NOFA/Mass is holding their annual Winter Conference on January 13 2024 in Worcester from 9 AM - 6PM. This one-day event provides a place to learn, gather, and kindle relationships in community with farmers, local food enthusiasts, land care professionals, advocates, elders, young leaders, and everyone in between! With new climate challenges to tackle, we come together in the new year to share knowledge and celebrate the joys and accomplishments we’ve cultivated. Register here today!
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The Farm Transition Grant Program is a competitive matching grant program for Connecticut farmers and agricultural cooperatives to support the diversification of existing farm operations, transitioning to value-added agricultural production and sales, and other venues in which a majority of products sold are grown in the state.
Categories include New Farmer Micro Grants, Infrastructure Investment Grants, and Research and Development Grants, ranging from $5,000-$49,999.
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The New England Farmer Microgrants Program
Now Accepting Applications
Both grant opportunities will now be open to prior NEFMP awardees.
Applications for both funding opportunities close on November 21st.
The New England Farmer Microgrants Program is one of American Farmland Trust’s grant programs providing direct financial support to farmers. For farmers outside of New England, visit our Grantmaking page.
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USDA Designates 10 Massachusetts Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas from May Freeze, 7 Massachusetts Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas from July Rain and Flooding
This natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.
Triggering Disaster: Freeze occurring from 5/17/2023 – 5/18/2023
Application Deadline: March 11, 2024
Primary Counties Eligible: Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Worcester
Triggering Disaster: Rain and Flooding from 07/09/2023 – 07/16/2023
Application Deadline: 03/31/2024
Primary Counties Eligible: Berkshire, Bristol, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Norfolk, Worcester
For more information on Flooding Relief click here. For more information of Frost Loss Relief click here. |
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The Nuts-and-Bolts of Farm Leasing: Securing Access to Farmland in Berkshire County
December 5th, 5:00pm - 7:15pm
(Snow date: December 12th, 5:00pm - 7:15pm)
63 Flansburg Ave, Dalton, MA
Are you a Berkshire County farmer operating some or all of your business on leased land? Looking to finally get a handshake lease in writing? Are you a landowner (individual, non-profit, or public entity) who leases or hopes to lease your land to a farmer? Want to understand the different types of lease arrangements, what makes a strong lease, and who should be reviewing your lease?
Organized by American Farmland Trust and Land For Good, this in-person workshop will be a deep dive into everything you need to know about leasing farmland in Berkshire County. The workshop will feature speakers from Land For Good, Three Maples Market Garden, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Conservation Works, and The Legal Food Hub.
There will be time for Q&A followed by a mix/mingle—an opportunity for farmers and resource folks to connect and peruse the resource materials table.
This workshop series is part of the Land for Farmers project, supported by Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program grant #2021-49400-35642 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Many thanks to Berkshire Natural Resources for their additional financial support.
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Berkshire Mobile Farmers Market
Pilot Launch
The Berkshire Mobile Farmers Market Pilot Program launched in September for a 10 week Pilot Season to bring fresh, locally-grown food to areas in our community of low income and/or low access to fresh food. Shoppers will find a variety of seasonal produce at the market, as well as other food staples such as eggs, meat, dairy products, bread, maple syrup and honey. We are now four weeks into the pilot!
All products are locally sourced, and shoppers' payments are on a tiered/sliding scale to make shopping at the market affordable for all. A customer’s payment tier is based on their self-disclosed information – they can choose to pay either retail price, use SNAP/HIP, or pay nothing at all (using the market as a food pantry). We are striving to make shopping at the market a stigma-free, welcoming experience for all shoppers.
Berkshire Grown joined with Berkshire Bounty, the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, and the Southern Berkshires Rural Health Network as well as the Berkshire United Way and Community Health Programs in this collaboration. Each partner addresses a distinct aspect of food production, storage, purchase, and distribution.
For farmers selling to the Berkshire Mobile Farmers Market, they receive higher direct-to-consumer sales income, lower delivery costs, no marketing costs, and stronger social connections in the Berkshire community.
Interested in having the Berkshire Mobile Farmers Market sell your products? Contact Alyssa VanDurme alyssa@berkshiregrown.org.
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Did You Know?
That Berkshire Grown has a local and regional events calendar that lists various events, workshops, webinars, and the like? We try to keep tabs and share information about any farming and food related happenings that could be of interest to our farmer members.
Farmers are also welcome to submit an event to us to have it listed on the calendar. It is visited also by non-farmer members looking for food and agriculture-related happenings. |
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ACCEPTING FARMS NOW!
Join The Livestock Institue and its Education Committee in gathering data on regional livestock farms! TLI is offering FREE baleage and soil testing for livestock farms in MA, RI and CT.
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More information and fact sheets can be found at the TOPP website.
for more details if you're interested.
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Berkshire Grown's mission is to Keep Farmers Farming!
We support and promote local agriculture as a vital part of the Berkshire community by networking farmers and food buyers, promoting locally-grown food, and increasing community access to local food.
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