News & Events mid- September 2012
Join Berkshire Grown here!
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!
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Reserve your place: $65 for Berkshire Grown members
$75 a ticket if not a Berkshire Grown member
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Harvest Supper Live Auction:
 "Got Culture" Cheese making class for 4 at Berkshire Cheese with Ira Grable maker of Berkshire Blue
+ Pre -Theater Wine Dinner for 4 at The Red Lion Inn + Theater Tix
Firefly hosts: Apple Pie Baking class for 6 + a three course dinner following class
Rt. 7 Grill: five course local beer and food tasting for 6 people
watercolor by Stephanie Anderson
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Dates, Places, contact info here! Berkshire Grown member-hosted workshops will present hands-on  demonstrations. Variety of workshops, times, teachers, more here! Join us Saturday October 13th, 11 - 1 Great Barrington Farmers' Market for the second annual fun and delicious ***Preserve Swap***
Registration is required for the classes. Please contact participating workshop host locations directly to register for specific events, contact information is here!
Upcoming workshops, more information here:
Thursday September 20 4-6 pm: Tomato Sauce, Soup and Pie Filling at Wild Oats Market, Williamstown, MA
Saturday September 22, 9 - 3 pm: A Food Preservation Party, Many Hands Organic Farm, Barre, MA
Sunday September 23, 4 pm: Pickling for Beginners at The Meat Market,Great Barrington, MA
Sunday September 30, 1:30 - 3:30 and
Wednesday October 3, 10:30 - 12:30 Tomatoes 101 At the Kitchen Table Cooking School, Hillsdale, NY
Friday October 5, Apple Preserving for Kids, hosted by the Berkshire Co-op Market
Thursday October 18, 7 - 9 pm Fresh goat cheese & Lacto fermentation, Adamah Farm at Isabella Freedman, Fall Village, CT
Friday October 26, 12 - 3 pm Apple Tasting and Cooking with Amy Cotler, West Stockbridge, MA
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MASSACHUSETTS FARM TO SCHOOL here
Visit the wonderful website for Farm to School activities, news and resources in Massachusetts here!
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What we are reading
Organic Food - a "healthy" debate?
In grist.org: "Organic food might not be more nutritious, but you should eat it anyway"
By Twilight Greenaway
 "By now you've probably seen the headlines proclaiming that organic foods are no more nutritious than conventional ones. And, if you spring for the organic option at the store, you've probably assumed there's hard evidence of the health benefits - so what gives?
"Well, the headlines are all based on a Stanford University meta-analysis that combined data from 237 studies. But just because this mega-study has made such a big media splash doesn't mean it tells the whole story.... read more here
"We eat by the grace of Nature, not by the grace of Monsanto"
by Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez
"Organic, schmorganic," fumes New York Times columnist Roger Cohen sarcastically in an article entitled "The Organic Fable."
He bases his sweeping dismissal of the organic foods movement on a new Stanford University study claiming that "fruits and vegetables labeled organic are, on average, no more nutritious than their cheaper conventional counterparts."
"...For the entire history of homo sapiens, we have always eaten organic. It's only been in the last 50-odd years, post World War II, that wartime chemicals and technologies have found new uses in agriculture." Read more here
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Farmers Markets are open only a little bit longer!
Support your local farmer!
VISIT A FARMERS' MARKET THIS WEEK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Sign up for news and event updates from these farmers markets, each sends out news updates:
Berkshire Community Market
Great Barrington Farmers' Market
The Sheffield Farmers' Market (through September 21st)
West Stockbridge Farmers Market
MORE FARMERS' MARKETS click on MAP-O-LICIOUS
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What We're Reading
"The Organic Food Lie"
by Dr. Jonny Bowden in the Huffington Post, here.
"The media reporting of a new Stanford study purporting to show that organic food has no substantial benefit over conventionally grown food is a wonderful example of how to reduce a complex issue into a moronic sound bite. Google the study and you'll find at least a dozen entries beginning with "Organic Food No Better for You."
"The study -- or rather, the media reporting on it -- has generated quite a bit of buzz. More here.
"The "conclusion" that organic foods and non-organic foods are no different because both have the same amount of vitamin C is like saying omega-3s and sugar are no different because both are worthless when it comes to growing hair.
"Grass-fed meat and organic, raw milk may not have any more vitamin B-12 than their non-organic, commercial, factory farmed counterparts.
"But what they don't have is antibiotics, steroids and hormones -- and that's the reason I buy them." Read the whole article here. Photo by Jason Houston
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SAVE THE DATE:
Harvest Festival 2012
78th Annual Berkshire Harvest Festival
 Saturday and Sunday October 6th and 7th 10:00am-5:00pm On the grounds of the Berkshire Botanical Garden At the junction of Routes 183 and 102 in Stockbridge New! Free parking. Admission $5 adults Free children under 12. Live music, crafts, food, silent auction, plant sale,
gigantic tag sales, farmers market, fall fun for kids! For information, Producer Amy Cotler acotler@berkshirebotanical.org photo thanks to freshcotler.com Click here for more 413 232 7174 |
Gina Hyams and The Meat Market will host a chili contest to celebrate publication of Gina's new book/kit:
Do you like chili? Enter the Chili Cook-off!
 "Chili Cook-off in a Box: Everything You Need to Host a Chili Cook-off" Sunday, October 7 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm The Meat Market (389 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington)
to benefit Share the Bounty.
More details here.
Share the Bounty = Berkshire Grown's win - win project:
Helps local farms + food pantries.
See and hear more about Share the Bounty here & here!
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Quick Bites
DISCOVER THE:
Berkshire Grown Online Farmers' Market
a 24 hour Farmers' Market!
 Berkshire Grown has created a Facebook page
called Berkshire Grown Online Farmers' Marketplace - a central place for Berkshire Grown members to congregate and talk supply and demand.
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.
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MASSACHUSETTS GROWN...and FRESHER!
If you are traveling through Massachusetts check out this map, support our local farmers throughout the state!
CHECK OUT MAP-O-LICIOUS FOR FRESH
LOCAL EGGS, CHEESE, MEAT & MORE
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GREAT BARRINGTON FARMERS MARKET
Apple Cook Off Saturday September 29 at 12 noon.
BRING YOUR APPLE RECIPE BY 11:30
for JUDGING @ NOON
 BRING YOUR BEST RECIPE MADE WITH LOCAL APPLES.
BE CREATIVE....INVENT A NEW DISH...USE YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S SECRET RECIPE.
THERE WILL BE TWO AGE GROUPS 5-17 AND 18-99
THERE WILL BE PRIZES FOR
BEST IN SHOW
MOST CREATIVE &
INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS
RULES, RULES, RULES
There is only two rules..use LOCAL apples and they must be the MAIN INGREDIENT in your creation. Bring your recipe with your name, where you got your apples to the judging table by 11:30
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Have you liked Berkshire Grown on
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Farm tour of Ronnybrook Farm, winner of the 2012 Locavore Award at the Columbia County Fair
Berkshire Co-op Market Farm Tour of Ronnybrook September 23rd at 10:30 in Ancramdale.
sign up at the Berkshire Co-op
Nominees for the award included: Berkshire Grown members Alicia Gibbons of Berkshire Organics, Joan Sussman, Julie Scott of Local Goods and Gifts
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Edible Education: Season 2
October 3rd, 7 pm at the Lecture Center
at Bard College at Simon's Rock
 Michael Pollan: streamed from UC Berkeley
Co-hosted by Berkshire Co-op Market, Bard College at Simon's Rock and Berkshire Grown 
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 Stay In touch!
Berkshire Grown's e-newsletter comes out monthly. Please send information to barbara@berkshiregrown.org, thanks! Join Berkshire Grown here.
Barbara Zheutlin, Director
Sheryl Lechner, Outreach Coordinator
413-528-0041 |
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