It's here! 
Berkshire Grown's 
2020 Guide to Local Food & Farms
 
Now more than ever, connections to local food and farms hold our community together. In the Berkshires, we have a well-established, supportive network of farmers, chefs, and people who love to eat locally-grown food. Berkshire Grown's Guide to Local Food and Farms is the region's best guide to farms, farmers markets, and restaurants offering local foods. Use this Guide to find farm stands, CSA farms, pick-your-own farms and orchards, as well as locally sourced value-added products like charcuterie, preserves, and fermented foods.

Connect to the Guide here  to see  descriptions of Berkshire farms, farmers markets, restaurants and local food businesses, with addresses and a detailed map. Or, pick up a printed copy at your local grocery store or farm stand. Keep the Guide handy and use it frequently!



Berkshire Grown in the News:
 
Berkshire Trade & Commerce commentary

Many farmers, in the Berkshires and across the country, have adapted quickly in response to Covid-19. To save their businesses, farmers developed home delivery systems, online sales platforms, and collaborative purchase and delivery networks. It's impressive how quickly these small farmers whose passion is to grow crops turned 180 degrees and developed online shopping sites and home delivery networks. The world changed around them, and they responded immediately with creative solutions to get their crops to the community. Berkshire Grown also adjusted overnight. Read the Sounding Board commentary by Berkshire Grown Executive Director Margaret Moulton in the June issue of Berkshire Trade & Commerce here . 


Open now - Berkshire farmers markets, local farm stands and more!

Hanna Jensen, The Sweetish Baker

Don't let the pandemic get you down. Grab your mask and your wallet and head out to support our local food economy by shopping at the many farm stands local Berkshire food purveyors. Here are a few to sample:

New additions to the food landscape:
Berle Farm Store 319 Beechwood Rd Hoosick, NY
The Sweetish Baker , GRAND OPENING Saturday, May 23. 258
Stockbridge Rd, Great Barrington, MA
MX   Morningstar Farm Store , 5956 NY-9H, Hudson, NY
 
Old Favorites:
Cricket Creek Farm Store, 1255 Oblong Rd., Williamstown, MA 01267  
Mill River Farm Stand , 282 Brewer Hill Rd, Mill River, MA 01244
North Plain Farm Store , 342 North Plain Rd, Housatonic, MA 01230
 
Coming this summer:
High Lawn Farm Farmstead Creamery Shop, Lee, MA
Square Roots Farm Stand, Lanesborough , MA

And don't forget to explore all the Berkshire Farmers Markets all across the county!  Use our Guide to Local Food & Farms for detailed info, or check out the Berkshire Farmers Markets website for an easy overview map.


Shop Local Now!

Visit Berkshire Grown's resource page 

Find Farms and Food Producers offering Home Delivery, Farm Stands, CSAs, Online Ordering, and Retail Outlets stocking local goods.
 
Visit  berkshiregrown.org   for more information aboutprograms, services, guide to find food and farms, news,
and upcoming events.

Shout-Out to our Award-winning Berkshire Farmers!
 
Berkshire Grown and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), both advocates for farming and agriculture, have provided guidance for the Local Farmer Award program since its inception in 2015. Funded and managed by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, these grants help farmers expand their businesses, compete in the marketplace, and continue providing the health and environmental benefits of local farming.
Read more about the program here and look through this list of 23 Berkshire Farmers who received $2,500 each this year. Congratulations!

❖ Abode Farm CSA Efficiently Storing and Handling Storage Crops
❖ Ayrhill Farms, Inc. Round Bale Handling Improvement
❖ Bigfoot Farm Insect Netting for Pest Exclusion
❖ Brattle Farm Intensive Rotational Grazing
❖ Caretaker Farm Manual Cultivation Assistance
❖ Cheval Farmstead Dairy & Provisions Milk Chiller
❖ Colfax Farm Caterpillar Tunnel Construction
❖ Dandelion Hill Farm Certified Raw Goat Milk Dairy
❖ Full Well Farm Direct Seeding Improvement
❖ Gaetanos Organic Farm Walk-In Cooler
❖ Graylight Farm, LLC. Improving Drainage in Pig Pastures
❖ Indian Line Farm Upgrades in Wash/Pack Room for Winter Production
❖ Joshua's Farm Galvanized Bulk Container for GMO-Free Feed
❖ M and A Farm Bulk Grain Bin
❖ Mill River Farm Animal Feed Wagon with Auger
❖ Moon in the Pond Farm/ Farm Education Inc. Coolbot for Walk-In Refrigeration
❖ MX Morningstar Farm Food-Safe Root Crop Washer
❖ North Plain Farm Egg Production Space Improvements
❖ Off the Shelf Farm Auger for Mobile Grain Bin
❖ Square Roots Farm Chicken Crates
❖ Sub Edge Farm Flame Weeding System
❖ Woven Roots Farm, Inc. Greenhouse Vacuum Seeder
❖ Woven Stars Farm Mobile Bulk Grain Bin to Expand Pastured Pork



What We Are Reading:
Small Farms in N.Y. Are Experiencing a Surprising Boom. Here's Why.

When the restaurants closed, factory farms lost their customers. Local produce is suddenly in demand.

By: Charity Robey, New York  Times, May 8, 2020

One Wednesday in early March, Abra Morawiec realized something seismic was happening at her farm stand. The month had been pretty quiet at the Feisty Acres table in the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan. But that day, at the very start of social distancing, she had sold out of everything by 2 p.m.  Read the article here .

Photo: Abra Morawiec of Feisty Acres, a small farm on Long Island, selling at the Greenmarket in Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza. Credit...Andrew Seng for The New York Times

Support Berkshire Grown, local food, and our farmers.

Stay in Touch
Berkshire Grown's e-newsletter comes out monthly. 
Please send information to  [email protected] .

Margaret Moulton, Executive Director
Andrea Caluori, Program Manager
Jess Camp, Program Manager
Sharon Hulett-Shepherd, Membership and Office Manager
Join Berkshire Grown here .