Hi there!
Hope all is well with you and your farms.
As we approach the New Year, there are a few exciting Berkshire Grown happenings to mark on your calendars. Final dates and details will be announced in early January for our Winter Workshop series, so keep an eye out!
We are also preparing our farmer year-end survey for distribution in the New Year. The survey will include a variety of questions that help guide us in how we can best develop farmer-specific support to serve all of you as members. An addition to look out for will be a few questions related to the Berkshire Mobile Farmers Market. This past Fall proved to be a successful pilot season for the Berkshire Mobile Farmers Market, and as we plan for the coming season, we hope to hear from farmers interested in selling to the mobile farmers market, and we are asking for some specific information and feedback.
In this month's farmer newsletter:
- Berkshire Grown Winter Farmer Workshops;
- MA Healthy Soils Action Plan Challenge Grants;
- Livestock Farmer Resource Guide;
- Tufts program facilitating Climate-Smart Farming Discussion;
- Silvopasture Case Study Video Series;
- NOFA Mass Annual Winter Conference;
- Connecticut Farm Transition Grants Opportunity;
- Farm Succession School - Massachusetts;
- Berkshire County designated in USDA Primary Natural Disaster Areas from May freeze, July rain and flooding;
- Transition to Organic Partnership Program still seeking mentors and mentees;
- Berkshire Grown Regional Events Calendar website page;
Thanks!
Ian Brunell
Program Manager, Business Members
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Berkshire Grown Winter Farmer Workshops
We're excited to announce our Winter Farmer Workshop Series! Stay tuned for registration details. All workshops are remote, unless otherwise noted.
Incorporating Perennial Crops on Your Farm with the
Regenerative Design Group
January 25th, 2024, 1pm-3pm
Agroforestry crops and practices have the potential to help farmers manage the land they are farming in different ways, providing new opportunities to grow emerging crops that can be incorporated into existing markets, or help boost ecological and financial resiliency. Attendees will hear about potential perennial crops, their management, and how practices can be defined and funded through NRCS, MDAR or other sources.
Jono Neiger of Regenerative Design Group (RDG)
Seva Water; Nutwood Farm / Regenerative Design Group
Babette Wils; Bigfoot Food Forest
Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with Jono and the NOFA agroforestry cohort farmers to learn more about technical assistance opportunities available in the field to help design and implement perennial crops and agroforestry practices.
Regenerative Design Group is a worker-owned ecological design practice dedicated to working with farm owners to develop diverse agroecological and agroforestry systems that support the farm’s social, environmental, and economic goals.
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Snap/Hip-Best Practices and Solutions to Common Issues
With Zoey Sloate
February 27th, 2024, 6pm-7:30pm
Join Berkshire Grown and Zoey Sloate to learn best practices for incorporating SNAP into your business in a way that creates a welcoming space.
Attendees will come away with marketing best practices and models of inclusive language to explain SNAP, HIP, & coupons. Attendees will also learn additional tools to augment how you can accept SNAP: (1) accepting SNAP/HIP for a CSA, (2) accepting SNAP online, (3) common troubleshooting issues and solutions. There will also be time for questions and discussion. In advance of the workshop, Berkshire Grown will solicit a few points of interest and discussion topics from attendees to guide conversation topics.
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Labor Movement (Think Body!) with Cynthia Flores
April 10th, 2024, stay tuned for an exact time!
Labor-Movement believes that when you move well, you work well. Our mission is to help farmers, fishermen, landscapers, and industrial athletes to improve their movement health and wellness, increase efficiency and extend longevity in a season or career.
Movement Workshops address BETTER body mechanics and movement patterns related to farm tasks to increase productivity and help decrease workplace injuries. Time will be spent in an interactive atmosphere moving through basic movement patterns. Every attendee will leave with tips focused on ways to improve their overall movement patterning and work-related well-being. Time will be allotted for questions and some detailed discussion. Learn more about Cynthia’s mission at: https://www.labor-movement.com/
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Two-Part Grant Writing Workshop. How to read and interpret grant applications.
Stay tuned for dates and time!
Berkshire Grown will host a virtual two-part grant writing training for farmers and food producers looking to develop an understanding of how to read and interpret grant applications, and the basic story-telling and writing skills to submit successful grant applications. The first session will cover researching prospects, understanding the RFP process, how to write a compelling needs statement, effective outcomes and evaluations, and developing project budgets. At the end of the first session participants will be assigned homework to draft a response to a sample proposal question.
In the second session, participants will share their responses, and receive feedback on how to improve them, coming away with an outline for a boiler plate of usable text for grant applications.
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MA Healthy Soils Action Plan Challenge Grants
Due January 19th, info session on Tuesday, December 19th.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts recently completed a three-year study and plan called the Massachusetts Healthy Soils Action Plan (“HSAP”). The plan brings together in one document the science of soil health, its importance in sustaining healthy ecosystems, the current state of soil ecosystems here in Massachusetts, and finally, action steps that can be taken at all levels to recognize its importance and improve soil health.
As the next logical step of the HSAP, The State Commission for Conservation of Soil, Water & Related Resources, the Division of Conservation Services, and the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs are pleased to announce the availability of Challenge Grants for proposed projects that pick up on and begin to implement recommendations from the HSAP.
We invite interested public and private organizations, research institutions, and community groups to submit proposals for projects that promote and implement innovative solutions for improving soil health and sustainable land management practices, based on the recommendations of the HSAP. Through this initiative we intend to address critical environmental and agricultural challenges; promote sustainable food production; find ways to monitor and improve the soil’s health in forest and wetland communities, recreational and ornamental lands, impervious environments; and broadly enhance the soil organic carbon stocks in Massachusetts.
For a full RFR, see MA Commbuys page (There is a link to the RFR next to "file attachments)
The primary objectives of these healthy soils Challenge Grants are as follows:
a. Promote Soil Health: To support demonstration type projects that document, prioritize and implement practices aimed at improving soil health and fertility.
b. Sustainable Land Management: To encourage innovative approaches to sustainable land management that minimize environmental degradation, enhance biodiversity and/or restore degraded soil health.
c. Community Engagement: To foster community involvement and education in sustainable land practices and soil health improvement.
d. Refine Tools for Municipal Soil Mapping, Assessment + Planning: Update and distribute assessment and planning tools to enable municipalities, regional planning districts, and conservation organizations to visualize and integrate soil health into regular workflows.
RFR Information Zoom Meeting
EEA will have an on-line information session about this RFR on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at 2:30 pm. To register for the session and receive a link, please email the contact person below.
Thomas C. Anderson, Executive Secretary
Commission for Conservation of Soil, Water & Related Resources
Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge St., 10th
Boston, MA 02114
Cell (617) 519-4587
Office (617)626-1013
thomas.anderson@mass.gov
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Livestock Farmers’ Resource Guide
One of the efforts of the livestock working group, coordinated by Berkshire Grown and Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, is developing a resource guide for farmers. The resource guide can be found here: Livestock Resource Guide
This is a resource guide for livestock farmers that details processors, regional transportation, cold storage, and sales options. We are excited about the connections and collaborations that this tool may support.
This resource will continue to expand, so check back again if you find it useful - and let us know, at localmeatprocessingsp@gmail.com if there are other tabs or entries you'd like to see in this guide!
If you offer relevant services, or know of someone that does, and would like to be included in our resource lists, please fill out this entry form.
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Tufts Program Facilitating Climate-Smart Farming Discussion for Farmers |
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Free Video Series Highlights Examples of Silvopasture in the Northeast US
For those of you with interest in agroforestry systems, this new video series will highlight various case studies of silvopasture in practice throughout the Northeast US. See below for details, and a link to the episodes.
Silvopasture (grazing livestock with trees) systems are complex, dynamic and site specific. The practice is both rooted in indigenous land stewardship and its benefits are well documented by scientific literature. Adoption by farmers and land stewards of silvopasture is currently low, but growing in interest.
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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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Farm Succession School - Massachusetts
Pittsfield, MA, Beginning January 31st, 2024
This three-day winter course is an opportunity for senior generation farmers – with or without identified successors – to talk with peers, learn from advisors, and get support on the challenging process of farm succession and transfer planning. Farmers from across Massachusetts, of all farm sizes and enterprises, are welcome. Partners are encouraged to attend together. This course will help you get the conversation started, sort through possibilities, clarify your goals and next steps, connect with resources and support to keep the process going!
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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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Did You Know?
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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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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