Stopping to admire the brassica at MX Morningstar Farm in Columbia County, NY. | |
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Dear Friends,
Shannon here. Some of y'all know that I do some good driving in my work as BAV’s Director of Lending & Finance. Coming across the Hudson Valley through our four-county service area, I see so many beautiful hills and fields, smothered in fog in the morning and sweet-tart colored sunsets in the evening. I stop at MX Morningstar for spigarello whenever I can. I do a lot of thinking.
Sometimes I ponder how “yield” — a word used to measure a rate of agricultural production — came to be the same word that measures the rate of return on a financial investment. In both meanings, “yield” is used to compare the outcome of how existing resources are used versus how they could be used. Yet financial yields are abstract, while agricultural yields measure things we can walk on, smell, pick up, or taste — things we all rely on physically, culturally, and spiritually.
I think about “yields” every time I review our loan portfolio. Since 2017, BAV has provided over $2.1 million of flexible, low-cost loans in our service area. We do not make a profit on our loans; rather, we focus on how capital can enable a more resilient food system. We support projects like equipment and infrastructure upgrades, working capital to diversify revenues, and new processing capacity for poultry and livestock farmers.
We steward a resource that is more like a road or river, less like a mutual fund represented by a bouncing line-graph.
In this month’s newsletter, we highlight Kat and Peter Laznicka, owners of Reed Farm. Kat and Peter represent a new generation of smart and committed ag entrepreneurs. We are so happy to be standing beside them with our lending and meat processing assistance programs. Can’t wait for you to hear what they are up to.
Warm Regards,
Shannon Smith
Director of Lending & Finance
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CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: REED FARM | |
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Meet Peter Laznicka and Kat Chang Laznicka, husband-and-wife owners of Reed Farm in Sunderland. Their small farm and processing facility is poised to become the only USDA-inspected poultry processor in Massachusetts — thanks to smart planning and support from community partners like BAV and state and federal funding.
Peter and Kat sat down (virtually) with BAV last week, joined by their bouncy four-month-old border collie Toby. (Pro tip from Kat: don’t adopt a puppy during your busiest season!) They explained that they have been working toward USDA inspection since they founded Reed Farm in 2019 as a small-scale poultry farm and state-inspected poultry processing facility. “We try to plan as far into the future as we can — as well as plan for what could go wrong,” Kat said.
BAV has been a key partner on their journey. Over the past two years, BAV has provided business assistance, food safety planning support, and financial support. BAV is currently underwriting a loan to help Peter and Kat purchase critical infrastructure to support expanded cold storage. The loan is BAV’s first via the federal Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP), which provides grants to nonprofit lenders like BAV to help fund meat and poultry processing to strengthen the U.S. food supply chain.
“I don’t think we would have been able to do this without BAV’s help,” Kat said. “There are so many things I didn’t anticipate when I became a farmer — especially all the business stuff that I didn’t have the background on. Everyone we’ve worked with at BAV is wonderful. They really understand our needs and why we do what we do.”
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Photo by Stephanie Craig Photography | |
BAV was the subject of a terrific profile in the Lakeville Journal last month, “Berkshire Ag Ventures nurtures farms into next generation.” The story touches on many aspects of BAV’s work, and gets to the heart of our passion and mission: to support local farmers. Our thanks to the Journal and reporter Sadie Leite for this piece! | |
SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 18 | |
BAV is excited to announce our Second Annual Climate Week Event, coming up on Wednesday, September 18, from 5pm to 7pm. We will be gathering at Greenagers' beautiful April Hill Farm for an exploration of how farmers across our region are adapting to climate change. Join us for climate learning and a celebration of our resilient local farmers! Details coming soon. | |
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OUT & ABOUT
BAV has been busy this month. Here are a few highlights of what our team has been up to — out on the road and in the field.
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With farmers market season in full swing, Market Match Fund Program Manager Ciana Barnaba has been out visiting all the markets BAV helps support. Ciana recently visited the Williamstown and North Adams Farmers Markets — we love connecting with the market managers and farmers we work with and seeing the Market Match Fund in action!
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Program Manager Jake Levin recently attended the Southern Meat Summit in Boone, North Carolina, to connect with other meat system workers and agricultural service providers, and to learn more about how other regions are approaching strengthening meat processing systems and livestock farming viability.
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BAV Board Member Don Perdue joined Development Director Bonnie Stevens and Program Manager Dan Carr at the annual Farmer's Table dinner, which brings together farmers and community members from Litchfield County, CT for a dialogue about local food and agriculture. This year’s dinner was held at Angevine Farm in Warren, CT.
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BAV was thrilled to read this week’s historic news that $2 billion in financial assistance has been paid out to 43,000 eligible farmers who have experienced discrimination in farm loan programs and have not had the same access to federal resources and support. The assistance will help many farmers continue farming or enhance their operations, will allow some to begin farming, or, in some cases, will help to ease lost income.
The funds come through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP), which aims to provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination prior to January 2021. This program is part of the USDA’s work to make USDA programs more accessible, equitable, and inclusive for all who want to participate in agriculture. Learn more at www.usda.gov/equity.
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FARMER EVENTS & RESOURCES | |
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AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
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Farm Aid Festival 2024: All-day music festival raising money to promote and support a family farm system of agriculture. Held in Saratoga Springs, NY. Saturday, Sept. 21.
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LOOK UP (BUT KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD) | |
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Later this month, BAV will be “up in the air” as we go live with our first billboard. Designed to increase awareness of BAV and highlight the importance of supporting our local farmers, the billboard features a thought-provoking photograph by BAV Board member and talented photographer Don Perdue.
Look for it when you’re out and about in the Berkshires!
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SUPPORT OUR WORK!

BAV empowers local farmers and food businesses with your support! Please consider donating today.
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Our deepest thanks and appreciation to our donor community and all those who support local farmers. | | | | |
