By Neil Turitz

Buying local is an investment in the future of our food system. Berkshire Grown’s mission is to work toward a thriving, equitable local food system where farmers can access affordable farmland to grow food to feed all community members. In other words, to keep farmers farming. We are sharing their list of local farm stores here; it’s from their “2024 Guide to Local Food & Farms,” which is full of great resources. Check it out at berkshiregrown.org.

Farm Spotlight: Indian Line Great Barrington
(above, photo by Ben Garver)
indianlinefarm.com
Do you belong to a CSA? Well, you have Robyn Van En to thank for it. The founder of Indian Line Farm was the first in the nation to offer them, back in 1986. “It was this very unique way for a farmer to sell directly to consumers,” said current Indian Line owner Elizabeth Keen. “In 1986, they were beginning to understand that the small farms that we have are truly disappearing.” Van En died in 1997, and Keen and her husband Al Thorp took over the farm, despite the fact that they were both in their twenties and terribly inexperienced. Van En’s family was terrified that someone would buy the property and turn it into a second home. “They knew that Robyn would be rolling over in her grave,” Keen said, and since she and Thorp saw an opportunity, they took it. Twenty-seven years later, their CSA boasts more than 250 families, whom they consider the backbone of their operation. Their mission—to grow high-quality, nutritious vegetables, herbs, and flowers for the community—goes hand in hand with their efforts at sustainability. “We try to grow food on any given bed for two years and then give it a break for a year,” Keen said. “I’m a very big proponent of cover cropping,” she said of the practice of growing plants not to harvest but to improve the soil and improve biodiversity, among other benefits. “I wouldn’t be a farmer if it weren’t for the way we do it here,” she continued. “The connection with the people, the connection with my neighbors, this level of appreciation, that’s a big part of it for me.”

NORTH

328North
328north.com
Studio @greylockWORKS
508 State Rd North Adams, MA

Ayrhill Farms
On Facebook
45 Henry Wood Rd. Cheshire, MA
413-743-1474

Berle Farm
berlefarm.com
319 Beechwood Rd. Hoosick, NY
518-686-3249

Colonial Alpacas
colonialalpacas.com
341 Luce Rd. Williamstown, MA
413-597-1604

Cricket Creek Farm
cricketcreekfarm.com
1255 Oblong Rd. Williamstown, MA
413-458-5888

East Mountain Farm
SNAP
eastmountainfarm.com
582 Henderson Rd. Williamstown, MA
413-281-7291

Elderberry Springs
elderberrysprings.com
806 Taconic Trail Petersburgh, NY
518-659-1411

Elmartin Farm
elmartinfarm.com
594 Windsor Rd. Cheshire, MA
413-388-3990 or 413-281-4320

Full Well Farm
HIP SNAP
fullwellfarm.com
313 East Rd. Adams, MA
413-441-1638

Jennings Brook Farm
farmfresh.org
83 Beach Hill Rd. New Ashford, MA
413-458-8438

Laughing Earth
laughingearth.farm
3842 NY 2 Cropseyville, NY
518-821-8449

Many Forks Farm
HIP SNAP
manyforksfarm.com
1360 River Rd. Clarksburg, MA
413-281-1814

Mountain Girl Farm
HIP SNAP
mountaingirlfarm.com
1360 Church St. North Adams, MA
413-663-9761

Sweet Brook Farm & Sweet Brook Beef Company
sweetbrookfarms.com
207 Woodcock Rd. Williamstown, MA
413-217-0092

The Goat Project
thegoatproject.net
1107 Pleasant Valley Rd. Bennington, VT
802-442-1107

Farm Spotlight: Caretaker Farm Williamstown
caretakerfarm.org
Some farms will just hand you your CSA produce in a box—but Caretaker Farm makes you work for it. Well, some of it, at least. Since 1991, Caretaker’s mission has been more than just providing food. “What we’re trying to do is connect people to the land that grows their produce,” said Don Zasada, who owns and manages the farm alongside his wife, Bridget Spann. Caretaker Farm harvests 80% of the produce for its members—and there are hundreds of them—but requires them to harvest the rest on their own. Additionally, each season, every adult member must volunteer two hours in some capacity. “We’re constantly looking for ways in which they can become part of the systems of the farm,” Zasada explained. “It helps us labor wise, but more importantly, they get to understand some of these systems that are involved in creating their food.” There are also seasonal celebrations and gatherings, and a pizza night once a month at the farm’s small homestead bakery. All are designed to integrate the members with the farm, so they have a sense of proprietorship over it. “When people feel that it’s their farm, that it’s not simply a place where they’re going to get food, but also that they have a relationship with the land, it means more.” Zasada said. “Also, once you get a little older, it’s hard to meet people, so I think the farm allows a medium for them to connect in a different way.”

CENTRAL

Bartlett’s Orchard
bartlettsorchard.com
575 Swamp Rd. Richmond, MA
413-698-2559

Bittersweet Farm
On Facebook
973 Barker Rd. Pittsfield, MA
413-499-0200

Brattle Farm
brattlefarm.com
600 Williams St. Pittsfield, MA
413-822-1516

Cloverhill Farm
81 State Rd. (Rt. 41) Richmond, MA
413-448-8744

Elzires Acre Goat Milk Soap
GetGoatSoap.com
111 Wheeler Rd. Princeton, MA
978-660-6673

Flynn Farm
610 Tamarack Rd. Pittsfield, MA
413-329-7482

Forthill Farm
325 Fort Hill Ave. Pittsfield, MA
413-822-3342

Gray Raven Farm
grayravenfarm.net
6 Johnny Cake Hill Rd. Middlefield, MA
413-822-0603

High Lawn Farm
highlawnfarm.com
535 Summer St. Lee, MA
413-243-0672

Hilltop Orchard & Furnace Brook Winery
hilltoporchards.com
508 Canaan Rd. Richmond, MA

Holiday Brook Farm
holidaybrookfarm.com
100 Holiday Cottage Rd. Dalton, MA
413-684-0444

Ioka Valley Farm
iokavalleyfarm.com
3475 Rt. 43 Hancock, MA
413-738-5915

Jaeschke’s Orchard
HIP SNAP
On Facebook
736 Crane Ave. Pittsfield, MA
413-443-7180

Justamere Tree Farm
justameretreefarm.com
248 Patterson Rd. Worthington, MA
413-238-5902

Kinderhook Creek Farm
5168 So. Stephentown Rd.
Corner of Rensselaer County Rte. 27 and Goold Rd.,
3.5 miles from US Rte. 20
Stephentown, NY
518-733-5137

Lakeview Orchard
HIP SNAP
lakevieworchard.com
94 Old Cheshire Rd. Lanesborough, MA
413-448-6009

Lion’s Tooth Farm
HIP SNAP
lionstoothfarm.com
1288 Old Route 9 Windsor, MA
413-464-2863

Natural Roots Farm
HIP SNAP
naturalroots.com
888 Shelburne Falls Rd. Conway, MA
413-369-4269

Red Hawk Farm
[email protected]
1031 State Rd. Richmond, MA

Red Shirt Farm
SNAP HIP
redshirtfarm.com
60 Williamstown Rd. Lanesborough, MA
413-822-9250

Rock and Root Farm
[email protected]
735 N Main St. Lanesborough, MA
978-877-7924

Samascott’s Garden Market
samascott.com
65 Chatham St. Kinderhook, NY
518-758-9292

Second Drop Farm
On Instagram
551 North Main St. Lanesborough, MA
413-822-0355

Square Roots Farm
SNAP
squarerootsfarm.org
95 Old Cheshire Rd. Lanesborough, MA
413-446-1446

Sweet Birch Herbals & Full Moon Ghee Farm Stand
Sweetbirchherbals.com
Fullmoonghee.com
686 Creamery Rd. Ashfield, MA
413-695-5968

The Berry Patch
theberrypatch.net
15589 State Route 22 Stephentown, NY
518-733-1234

Three Maples Market Garden
threemaplesmarketgarden.com
98 State Line Rd. W. Stockbridge, MA
413-329-8601

Whitney’s Farm Market and Garden Center
whitneysfarm.com
1775 South State Rd. Cheshire, MA 01225
413-442-4749

Woodlife Farm Market
woodlifefarmmarket.com
36 Old Rte 20 New Lebanon, NY 12125
877-899-2232

YundWell Pastured Poultry
YundWell.com
1715 County Route 5 Canaan, NY
518-929-5394

Farm Spotlight: Dancing Greens Great Barrington
dancing-greens.com
One of the Berkshires’ newest farms was conceived in Rome, Italy, of all places, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s where co-founders Jamie Nadler and Madison Warren met, while on a master’s program. They hatched a plan of having a farm of their own—eventually. “We came up with this idea based on the Italian model of connecting people with food more concretely,” said Nadler. “It was five years, 10 years in the future, this really large dream.” A few months later, though, opportunity knocked when Nadler’s family bought a piece of land near Great Barrington, and the pair took a half-acre chunk of it to bring a sliver of that dream to life. Now in its second year, Dancing Greens practices no-till, chemical-free farming and grows produce, herbs, and flowers. Nadler and Warren also host farm dinners—they call them shindigs. “At first it was just like, Jamie’s going to grow food, I’ll cook that food, we’ll invite people over, and we’ll get them really excited about food and farming,” Warren said, adding with a laugh, “There’s something beautiful about not knowing what you don’t know.” Starting a farm was indeed a lot more complicated than they’d anticipated, but once they got things rolling, it came together. Their hope is to get people excited about good food in a joyful way and “work with like-minded partners to cross-pollinate.” Speaking of partners, they do workshops most Sundays during the summer, collaborating with guests on topics like flower arranging, yoga, and nature photography. And those shindigs? The last one of this season is on August 17—and they tend to sell out.

SOUTH

Beavertides Farm
beavertidesfarm.com
44 Cobble Rd. Falls Village, CT

Blueberry Hill Farm
On Facebook
358 East St. Mount Washington, MA
413-528-1479

Chaseholm Farm & Creamery
chaseholmfarm.com
115 Chase Rd. Pine Plains, NY
518-339-2071

Common Hands Farm
commonhandscsa.com
2187 County Rt 11 Hillsdale, NY 12529

Dandelion Hill Farm
SNAP
dandelionhillfarms.com
204 Hulett Hill Rd. Sheffield, MA
413-429-7898

Et Cetera Farm
936 County Route 21 Hillsdale, NY
518-672-4250

Fern Farm
tinyurl.com/fernfarm
6 Cross Rd. Mount Washington, MA
[email protected]

Gaetano’s Organic Farm
SNAP
453 Main St. Becket, MA
413-329-3862

Grimaldi Farm
grimaldifarmstore.com
22 Old Talerico Rd. Ghent, NY
518-929-3420

Hawk Dance Farm
hawkdancefarm.com
362 Rodman Rd. Hillsdale, NY
518-325-1430

Hawthorne Valley Farm
SNAP
hawthornevalleyfarm.org
327 County Route 21C Ghent, NY
518-672-7500

Little Apple Farm and Cidery
littleapplecidery.com
178 Orchard Lane Hillsdale, NY
917-287-6339

Mountain Falls Farm
mountainfallsfarm.com
1800 South Undermountain Rd. Sheffield, MA
203-558-2707 or 203-972-1130 by appointment.

MX Morningstar Farm
SNAP
mxmorningstarfarm.com
5956 NY-9H Hudson, NY
518-918-7774

North Plain Farm
SNAP
northplainfarm.com
342 N. Plain Rd. Great Barrington, MA
413-429-6598

Ridgway Farm
ridgwayfarm.com
142 Town St. West Cornwall, CT
860-672-5775

Riiska Brook Orchard
riiskabrookorchard.com
101 New Hartford Road* Sandisfield, MA 01255
*GPS users: follow Route 57 until you reach New Hartford Road.
413-258-4761

Seekonk Tree Farm
seekonktreefarm.com
49 Seekonk Rd. Great Barrington, MA
413-528-6002

Sky View Farm
[email protected]
203 Galvin Farm Trail Sheffield, MA
413-717-5722

Still Point Community Farm
Susan & Bruce Thompson
103 Amenia Union Rd. Amenia, NY
845-789-1062

Taft Farms
HIP SNAP
taftfarmsgb.com
119 Park Street North Great Barrington, MA
413-528-1515

The Farm at Miller’s Crossing
SNAP
farmatmillerscrossing.com
The Barn at Miller’s Crossing
170 Route 217 Hudson, NY
518-851-2331

The Farm New Marlborough
TheFarmNM.com
343 New Marlborough Southfield Rd. New Marlborough, MA
413-446-1096

Turner Farms Maple Syrup
turnerfarmsmaplesyrup.com
25 Phillips Rd. S. Egremont, MA
413-528-5710

Windy Hill Farm
windyhillfarminc.com
686 Stockbridge Rd. Great Barrington, MA
413-298-3217

Woven Roots Farm & Education Center
SNAP
wovenrootsfarm.com
OPENING SOON!
12 McCarty Rd. Tyringham, MA
413-243-6122

Woven Stars Farm
wovenstarsfarm.com
52 Winter Hill Road Ghent, NY
508-254-0833

Farm Spotlight: Hawthorne Valley Columbia County, New York
hawthornevalley.org
From humble beginnings often come the greatest successes. Hawthorne Valley Farm started as a small nonprofit in 1972. Several decades later, it’s an impressive operation, with 700 acres in Columbia County and more than 200 employees. “The goal behind it was to create a place where children could come and have a practical experience on a farm,” said the farm’s director of operations, Spencer Fenniman. That mission continues today, as the farm works closely with Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School, which is part of the same nonprofit organization, and operates several summer camps for kids of all ages, but it has also grown beyond any expectations. “We are now a diversified farm,” Fenniman explained. They use biodynamic practices, which can be thought of as “organic plus.” “We grow vegetables on about 20 acres for sale, direct to consumer through CSAs, as well as in our own retail outlet and markets. We have a dairy herd that we manage on about 600 acres with about 60 cows. We sell beef, and we process all that dairy into yogurt, cheese, and raw milk, which is for sale only on the farm.” There’s also a certified organic bakery, and a line of organic and other natural foods. But the central mission is still education. “It’s really important that farms open their doors to the public,” Fenniman said. “Most farmers have genuine care for their farms, their animals, and their land, so I think highlighting that to people—showing them the reality of what farming is—is a good thing, and we try to tailor some of our farming experiences for children. “Right now, with summer camp in session, I feel like every day I see at least two children walking around with chickens,” he said with a laugh. “I’m not sure if the chickens were out, or if they just picked them up and are walking around with them.”

Stands are seasonal, so please check websites or call.
HIP Healthy Incentives Program
SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program