Berkshire Grown supports and promotes local agriculture as a vital part of the Berkshire community, economy and landscape. We do this by advocating for farmers, supporting good agricultural practices, fostering education and outreach, increasing food accessibility for the community, farm-to-table networking, promoting locally grown and produced food. Our goal is to keep farmers farming!

 Celebrate Share the Bounty 

Thanks to Frank Lowenstein, Climate Adaptation Strategy Leader for the Nature Conservancy, who spoke on "Climate Change and Local Agriculture" July 21st  to celebrate Share the Bounty's 10th anniversary. And thanks to farmers from Cricket Creek Farm, Indian Line Farm, Leahey Farm, Three Maples Garden, and Woven Roots Farm for joining us, special thanks to Stonover Farm for hosting, and to the Berkshire Co-op Market, the Marketplace Cafe, and Windy Hill Farm for donating refreshments.    

Two journalists tell the story of Share the Bounty: 

"Some people get their best ideas in the shower or on long walks. For Jonathan Hankin inspiration came from a humble box of vegetables..."  writes Sarah Todd of RURAL INTELLIGENCE  about Share the Bounty. Her article sheds light on the project's tremendous regional impact. 

Photo taken at Berkshire Food Project, a participant in Share the Bounty,  by Caroline Alexander for BerkshireFoodJournal 

 "Grow Your Mind, Grow Your Food" Days  

 Get to know your farmers!

Work alongside Greenagers  on a farm

Learn skills  

Free lunch provided by the Co-op

Sign up at the Co-op

August 15th, 2012 from 10 - 3 pm at Woven Roots Farm in Tyringham, MA  

Woven Roots has become a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm and is one of the few farms in our area that has developed four-season growing practices. Farmers Jen and Pete Salinetti will guide the group.  

 & Woven Roots is a partner in Share the Bounty.

August 20th at Community Cooperative Farm in Sheffield, a cooperatively owned CSA that is in its third full year of operation.  & Community Cooperative Farm is a partner in Share the Bounty for the second year. 

Sign up for the co-op farm programs at 42 Bridge Street in Great Barrington.  For more info contact Jenny Schwartz at jschwartz(at)berkshire(dot)coop or 413.528.9697 ext. 33.

NOFA SUMMER CONFERENCE   

AUGUST 10-12, 2012    UMASS AMHERST   

  Over 200 Workshops on Organic Gardening, Farming, Food Politics, Permaculture, Homesteading, Landscaping, Alternative Energy, Livestock, Cooking, and more! Hundreds of Vendors and Exhibitors. Live Entertainment. Children's and Teen Conference. Country Fair and Farmer's Market.  Spend the weekend or come for the day.  Activities for all ages. Read about workshops here 

You can register at the Conference 

Email: [email protected] 

Farmers Markets are open!  

                                               Support your local farmer!

 VISIT A FARMERS' MARKET THIS WEEK! 

 "Since 2000, the number of farmers markets has grown more than 170%, from 2,863 markets in 2000 to more than 7,800 in 2012. Behind this growth is the support of dedicated volunteers who sustain and support their local markets."

Read how "Farmers Markets Grow Economies and Jobs"  

MORE FARMERS' MARKETS  click on MAP-O-LICIOUS 

What We're Reading

is a review of Weighing In: Obesity, Food Justice and the Limits of Capitalism by Julie Guthman 

"... Julie Guthman ably dissects America's attitudes toward our number one public health menace, obesity.

"Be prepared, however, to have your cherished obesity assumptions sliced and diced...."      Read Winne's review 

 Publisher's description of the book: "Weighing In takes on the "obesity epidemic," challenging many widely held assumptions about its causes and consequences. Julie Guthman examines fatness and its relationship to health outcomes to ask if our efforts to prevent "obesity" are sensible, efficacious, or ethical.  

She also focuses the lens of obesity on the broader food system to understand why we produce cheap, over-processed food, as well as why we eat it. Guthman takes issue with the currently touted remedy to obesity-promoting food that is local, organic, and farm fresh. While such fare may be tastier and grown in more ecologically sustainable ways, this approach can also reinforce class and race inequalities and neglect other possible explanations for the rise in obesity, including environmental toxins. Arguing that ours is a political economy of bulimia-one that promotes consumption while also insisting upon thinness-Guthman offers a complex analysis of our entire economic system.

The Carrot Project is pleased to announce that their Massachusetts and Greater Berkshire Agriculture  loan funds now accept applications on a monthly basis. The application deadline is the 1st business day of each month.  

Their programs are open to local farm, forestry and fishery businesses, with any type of local agricultural product. In addition, their Greater Berkshire Agricultural Fund also accepts applications from off-farm businesses involved in processing, storage, distribution and sales of local & regional agricultural products. Please check their website for updates as they add new program offerings frequently. 

More information

  Or contact Benneth Phelps at: [email protected] or 617.674.2371  

Quick Bites

DISCOVER THE:  

Berkshire Grown Online Farmers' Market

a 24 hour Farmers' Market! 

Self-propelled by Berkshire Grown members, the page will benefit those of you who choose to participate in it. Farmers and food producers can post what they have available, and chefs and community members can comment or contact suppliers directly with requests for product or more information.   

Thanks for the photo to Nicole Calero, taken at Hawthorne Valley Farm   

Berkshire Grown offers this as a networking service and bears no responsibility for transactions.

MASSACHUSETTS GROWN...and FRESHER!  

 If you are traveling through Massachusetts check out this map, support our local farmers throughout the state!