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Dear Friends,
Welcome to high summer! It’s hot, the grass is stretching tall, and our farmers are busier than ever.
We are especially focused this month on our livestock and dairy farmers. As a livestock farmer myself, I know how important thoughtful land stewardship and animal husbandry are to maintaining a thriving farm. So I am excited to note that BAV has a grazing workshop coming up next Monday and Tuesday with Sarah Flack, one of the foremost experts in the art and science of good grazing. In addition, we are now accepting applications from dairy farmers to join our Berkshire-Taconic Dairy Cohort, a two-year technical assistance project focused on strengthening participants’ farm businesses and accessing grants.
I am also pleased that we are spotlighting Sarah and Rory Chase from Chaseholm Farm and Chaseholm Farm Creamery. BAV has had the good fortune to support both of them in strengthening their operations, and Sarah is an important thought partner in our Livestock Working Group.
As always, we encourage you to reach out to learn more about BAV’s services and programs, whether you are a farmer, community member, or potential partner. We look forward to hearing from you!
Cheers,
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Dan Carr
Outreach & Technical Assistance Manager
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HIGHLIGHTED OPPORTUNITIES | |
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Berkshire-Taconic Grazing Tour – REGISTER TODAY!
BAV in partnership with Berkshire Grown is hosting a two-day Berkshire-Taconic Grazing Tour on July 15 and 16 with grazing expert Sarah Flack. Farmers will visit six area farms in order to learn about grazing planning, forage identification, monitoring soil health, calculating available dry matter per paddock, and much more. The goal of the grazing tour is to educate grazing land managers and new graziers about sustainable grazing techniques, to demonstrate different approaches to climate-smart grazing, and to identify opportunities to improve grazing practices. We invite you to learn more and register!
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Berkshire-Taconic Dairy Cohort – APPLY TODAY!
This new project is bringing together a core group of dairy farmers (five to eight) to collaborate on the issues you face in the dairy industry and business opportunities available to overcome those challenges. The goal is to support and sustain dairy farmers and the dairy economy in the Berkshire-Taconic region.
Learn more and apply here! Application deadline is July 17.
Questions? Contact Dan Carr at ‪413-258-1039‬ or dan@berkshireagventures.org.
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BAV is hiring!
BAV seeks a creative, dependable and well-organized person to be our Development and Communications Associate. This position will support the growth and efficiency of our organization by framing and promoting the impact of our work; driving connectivity among BAV, our stakeholders, and community at large; and supporting our donor activity and relationships.
Please read the full job description and apply today!
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Need help with business planning or marketing for your farm or food business?
BAV has business technical assistance available for Berkshire-Taconic farmers. We have funding available to help farmers and food businesses work with consultants to create business and marketing plans including bookkeeping support, creating financial analysis tools to better track which enterprises are most profitable (and which are not), marketing plans, and website optimization.
Click here to get in touch with us, or contact Dan Carr at 413-258-1039 or dan@berkshireagventures.org.
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COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT
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SPOTLIGHT: CHASEHOLM FARM & CHASEHOLM FARM CREAMERY
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At Chaseholm Farm and Chaseholm Farm Creamery, two siblings are reinventing the beautiful family farm they grew up on — with help from customers, other farmers, and partners like BAV.
Third-generation farmers Sarah and Rory Chase spent their childhood on these gently rolling 350 acres in the Hudson Valley. Both siblings left for college and returned to keep the family farming tradition alive, while also transforming the farm’s methods and products. Today, Sarah manages the farm’s dairy herd and their grazing lands, while Rory uses the fresh milk from the cows to make small-batch artisanal cheese. The farm has been certified organic and 100% grass-fed since 2017. It specializes in fresh dairy and beef, sold through the Farm Store, area farmers markets, and the farm’s CSA.
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 |  | BAV has been privileged to work with Sarah and Rory to support the viability and innovation of their operations. Sarah brings her wealth of expertise to BAV’s Livestock Working Group and has utilized BAV’s technical assistance for strategic planning and “enterprise analysis” (a form of comprehensive business analysis) on the farm. “Our CSA came from BAV’s strategic planning support. It’s made a huge impact on our bottom line,” she said. Last year, Rory worked closely with BAV Outreach & Technical Assistance Manager Dan Carr and BAV’s contracted consultants to craft a winning grant application to support new equipment for the creamery, cutting down on “backbreaking” labor and boosting productivity by more than 100%. With new equipment and a pending creamery expansion, the project will also increase the amount of milk bought in from farm partners, widening the economic impact. “We couldn’t have done it without BAV’s help,” Rory said of securing the total grant award of $525,000.
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Ben Crockett and BAV’s CT partners — including Northwest Conservation District, CT Northwest Conservation District, CT RC&D, and NRCS-CT — hosted an Agroforestry & Soil Health Field Day at Adamah Farm in Falls Village, CT, showcasing how agroforestry practices can be implemented on farms. A tour of Adamah Farm followed, including a visit to chestnut trees BAV and partners helped to plant three years ago!
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Jake Levin, Shannon Smith, Rebecca Busansky, BAV Board Chair Maryann Tebben, and BAV Loan Advisory Committee Member Chris Berry from Greylock Federal Credit Union recently visited Peter and Kat Chang Laznicka of Reed Farm, a small-scale poultry processing facility and pastured poultry farm in Sunderland, MA. BAV has been working with Peter and Kat on becoming the first USDA-inspected poultry facility in the state.
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Ciana Barnaba served as a panelist at the 1Berkshire Leadership Program at Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock, MA, to talk about BAV’s important role in sustaining and uplifting agriculture as a critical economic industry in Berkshire County.
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Rebecca Busansky recently attended Berkshire Natural Resources Council’s celebration of the transfer of Many Forks Farm in Clarksburg, MA. Pictured here, longtime farmer Sharon Wyrrick recently sold the farm business to farmer Molly Comstock with the help of many local agriculture service providers, including BAV.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & RESOURCES | |
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Farm-Pass: Farm Transfer Planning Assistance Program: MDAR program providing direct assistance to help MA farm owners with identified successors pass their farm on to the next generation. No cost opportunity. Application deadline for the first round is July 15.

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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. | | | | |
