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4/17/08- Cover Story on Special Earth Day Issue – The Advocate Weekly
By JUDITH FAIRWEATHER
Terry Moore, owner of The Old Mill restaurant in South Egremont, tries to teach his staff about the “carbon footprint of food.”
“Why are we buying lettuce from California when we can buy it in season in the Berkshires?” Moore said to a group of farmers, chefs, food purchasers and business owners at Berkshire Grown’s farm-to-table networking event held April 7 at Pittsfield Brew Works, a member restaurant.
Since 1985, the group, a grassroots, member-supported nonprofit organization, has made its mission the support of local farms, including helping those farmers get their products to table, be it through farmers markets, restaurants or large organizations like Williams College, Canyon Ranch or Fairview Hospital.
“Our role is to promote local farms, educate people to why we are doing this and create an awareness of the value of local food, which then builds this movement,” director Barbara Zheutlin said.
Purchasing local food, she said, supports the local economy, preserves open space and gives the consumer high quality food that is as fresh as it can be.
The organization serves as a conduit to get farmers’ goods to purchasers. Members include farmers, restaurants, markets and institutions. Every month during the nongrowing season, she said, farmers and chefs get together to brainstorm ways to support each other.
When the growing season gets under way, there is little time for farmers to work on marketing themselves, so Berkshire Grown helps to promote them in different ways.
“In June, we hold a restaurant week where members can get a three-course meal featuring local foods for $25,” Zheutlin said. Some people, she added, join Berkshire Grown so they can participate.
Food tasting event
A buyers’ guide of member farms, including local farmers markets, is published each year. The guide also includes a partial list of the restaurants and markets that use and carry locally grown food. The 2008 directory listed 76 member farms and 74 restaurants and markets. It is available at local venues like visitors’ centers and on its Web site, berkshiregrown.org.
Mid-September, the group holds its largest event of the year, called Beautiful Bountiful Berkshires. Traditionally held at Eastover, this will be the food-tasting event’s 10th year. Chefs from such places as Castle Street Cafe, the Red Lion Inn, Seven Hills Inn and Williams College prepare an item with foods from local farms.
Berkshire Grown members can purchase two tickets for less than members of the public. “Close to 400 tickets are sold each year. It always sells out,” Zheutlin said.
Not a native herself, Zheutlin came from Los Angeles to the Berkshires to house-sit for relatives in 1995.
“I just found the environment and landscape exotic,” she said of her decision to relocate.
“When I had an opportunity to support and maintain small farms I was very drawn to that,” she said, becoming involved first with a program called Share the Bounty, in which people buy shares in Community Sponsored Agriculture farms and then the food produced by that “share” is donated to local food pantries. Zheutlin integrated that program into Berkshire Grown after becoming director about a year ago.
Berkshire Grown helps farmers learn how to deal with restaurants and how to better market themselves. Judy Leab, owner of Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock, said, “If it hadn’t been for Berkshire Grown, we never would have thought of going to a chef to see if he wants to use our products. Berkshire Grown helped us to make that leap.”
She explained that previously, the farm was just trying to sell its products to the food purchasers, rather than approaching the chefs themselves. Ioka now has products like maple syrup and strawberries in such major local restaurants as the Red Lion Inn, Wheatleigh, Cranwell, Kripalu and Williams College, among other places, she said.
‘Supporting the economy’
Mark Thompson, Williams’ executive chef, said the buy local initiative at the college really got going about three years ago, when Bob Volpi became Food Services director. The program started with Peace Valley Farm in Williamstown, but now in addition to Ioka also includes Cricket Creek Farm, also in Williamstown, and High Lawn Farm in Lee, among others.
There are numerous reasons why Thompson believes buying local whenever possible is best.
“We’re supporting the economy around here. We may be paying a little more for it now, but with rising transportation costs, it will offset what we’re paying,” he said.
Leab was in complete agreement that buying local has a direct impact on the economy of the Berkshires. “Farmers tend to spend their money in their community. The dollar typically stays (here),” she said
In addition to the benefit to the local economy, said Chef Thompson, there is a major difference in quality. “The beef is grass-fed. There are no antibiotics, no hormones. And with the local produce, you can see the difference. It’s like night and day,” he said. “We’re getting heirloom tomatoes from Bill (Stinson, owner of Peace Valley Farm). They melt in your mouth.”
Dave Joyner, food purchasing manager for Canyon Ranch in Lenox, has been purchasing local food for his company for the past seven years for the same reasons. The Ranch uses milk from Highlawn Farm, cheese from Berkshire Blue and a lot of greens from Equinox Farm, he said, citing just a few examples of the growers he goes to for products.
“You’re supporting local people, and it’s a lot fresher,” he said.
Even Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington purchases local food. Roger Knysh, director of Nutrition and Food Services for the hospital, agreed that purchasing local foods supports the local economy while benefiting Fairview by making high quality food available.
“By working with Berkshire Grown, we are signaling to the marketplace that Fairview hospital wants food produced in a way that protects public health and supports our local community,” he said. “We believe that we have modeled strong leadership for a healthy community and ecosystem, and Fairview hospital is proud to contribute this not only to our patients, staff and community but to support Berkshire Grown, who seeks to bring this philosophy of quality to our community as well.”
‘All interdependent’
But Berkshire Grown does not just benefit farms and large institutions like Williams College, Canyon Ranch or Fairview Hospital. It also serves to help small businesses as well.
Aleisha Gibbons has created a brand-new business, Berkshire Organics (berkshireorganics.com), in which she will make up and deliver baskets of organic goods to purchasers. Gibbons joined Berkshire Grown in March.
“Berkshire Grown is a valuable resource for a new business like Berkshire Organics because they help to connect local farms and businesses. I joined Berkshire Grown because they share a similar vision (with me) of bringing local food to Berkshire County residents,” she said.
“They also offer events that bring the local community together to support the farming community. Their Web site is a great tool that centralizes information.”
In addition to supporting local farms and businesses, Berkshire Grown also works to educate people, which is a priority for Zheutlin.
“Many people don’t know where food comes from — many people think it comes from the supermarket. We’re all interdependent, and we need to know that. Urbanization has undercut that,” she said.
James Guiden, catering chef at Williams College, believes strongly in the need for education as well.
“Education is the key. We need to educate vendors, educate us, educate farmers and educate our clientele,” he said about Williams’ commitment to buying local whenever possible and why that commitment is so important.
The college uses a plethora of products, from handmade cheeses Guiden purchases from Cricket Creek Farm to milk from High Lawn Farm used by Gladys Williams to make gelato, an Italian cousin to ice cream, but in the way that filet mignon is a cousin to cube steak. Williams’ gelato created an explosion of flavor in the mouth, melting away with a smooth creaminess that has never been matched by any ice cream this reporter has ever tried. She uses local fruits in season, as well.
The local products the college uses are far too numerous to list. But the symbiotic relationship goes beyond food purchasing. Thompson explained that Flying Pigs Farm in Shushan, N.Y., comes to the college to pick up their massive vats of used fryolator oil. This oil is then used as bio-diesel fuel for their truck. If the farm didn’t take the oil, the college would have to pay to have it recycled. Thus, this is a win-win situation for everyone.
That is in effect the primary message of Berkshire Grown — that buying local is a win-win situation. When local farms are supported, the local economy is strengthened. When farms stay in business, open space is preserved and fresh, high quality food is available to consumers.
Every resident of the county has the power to influence the preservation of farms and open space. When eating in a restaurant, diners can ask if local foods are used, and if so, from where. Shoppers can ask their local stores to purchase more local foods or can choose to shop at farmers markets, putting the profit in the hands of the farmer and eliminating the middleman.
“I firmly believe Berkshire County is a gift from the gods,” said Moore of The Old Mill Restaurant.
Buying local will help to keep it that way: By buying local, you help your neighbor. By buying local, you help your community. By buying local, you help yourself.
The complete list of Berkshire Grown member farms, restaurants, shops and farmers markets can be found at berkshiregrown.org.
By JUDITH FAIRWEATHER
Terry Moore, owner of The Old Mill restaurant in South Egremont, tries to teach his staff about the “carbon footprint of food.”
“Why are we buying lettuce from California when we can buy it in season in the Berkshires?” Moore said to a group of farmers, chefs, food purchasers and business owners at Berkshire Grown’s farm-to-table networking event held April 7 at Pittsfield Brew Works, a member restaurant.
Since 1985, the group, a grassroots, member-supported nonprofit organization, has made its mission the support of local farms, including helping those farmers get their products to table, be it through farmers markets, restaurants or large organizations like Williams College, Canyon Ranch or Fairview Hospital.
“Our role is to promote local farms, educate people to why we are doing this and create an awareness of the value of local food, which then builds this movement,” director Barbara Zheutlin said.
Purchasing local food, she said, supports the local economy, preserves open space and gives the consumer high quality food that is as fresh as it can be.
The organization serves as a conduit to get farmers’ goods to purchasers. Members include farmers, restaurants, markets and institutions. Every month during the nongrowing season, she said, farmers and chefs get together to brainstorm ways to support each other.
When the growing season gets under way, there is little time for farmers to work on marketing themselves, so Berkshire Grown helps to promote them in different ways.
“In June, we hold a restaurant week where members can get a three-course meal featuring local foods for $25,” Zheutlin said. Some people, she added, join Berkshire Grown so they can participate.
Food tasting event
A buyers’ guide of member farms, including local farmers markets, is published each year. The guide also includes a partial list of the restaurants and markets that use and carry locally grown food. The 2008 directory listed 76 member farms and 74 restaurants and markets. It is available at local venues like visitors’ centers and on its Web site, berkshiregrown.org.
Mid-September, the group holds its largest event of the year, called Beautiful Bountiful Berkshires. Traditionally held at Eastover, this will be the food-tasting event’s 10th year. Chefs from such places as Castle Street Cafe, the Red Lion Inn, Seven Hills Inn and Williams College prepare an item with foods from local farms.
Berkshire Grown members can purchase two tickets for less than members of the public. “Close to 400 tickets are sold each year. It always sells out,” Zheutlin said.
Not a native herself, Zheutlin came from Los Angeles to the Berkshires to house-sit for relatives in 1995.
“I just found the environment and landscape exotic,” she said of her decision to relocate.
“When I had an opportunity to support and maintain small farms I was very drawn to that,” she said, becoming involved first with a program called Share the Bounty, in which people buy shares in Community Sponsored Agriculture farms and then the food produced by that “share” is donated to local food pantries. Zheutlin integrated that program into Berkshire Grown after becoming director about a year ago.
Berkshire Grown helps farmers learn how to deal with restaurants and how to better market themselves. Judy Leab, owner of Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock, said, “If it hadn’t been for Berkshire Grown, we never would have thought of going to a chef to see if he wants to use our products. Berkshire Grown helped us to make that leap.”
She explained that previously, the farm was just trying to sell its products to the food purchasers, rather than approaching the chefs themselves. Ioka now has products like maple syrup and strawberries in such major local restaurants as the Red Lion Inn, Wheatleigh, Cranwell, Kripalu and Williams College, among other places, she said.
‘Supporting the economy’
Mark Thompson, Williams’ executive chef, said the buy local initiative at the college really got going about three years ago, when Bob Volpi became Food Services director. The program started with Peace Valley Farm in Williamstown, but now in addition to Ioka also includes Cricket Creek Farm, also in Williamstown, and High Lawn Farm in Lee, among others.
There are numerous reasons why Thompson believes buying local whenever possible is best.
“We’re supporting the economy around here. We may be paying a little more for it now, but with rising transportation costs, it will offset what we’re paying,” he said.
Leab was in complete agreement that buying local has a direct impact on the economy of the Berkshires. “Farmers tend to spend their money in their community. The dollar typically stays (here),” she said
In addition to the benefit to the local economy, said Chef Thompson, there is a major difference in quality. “The beef is grass-fed. There are no antibiotics, no hormones. And with the local produce, you can see the difference. It’s like night and day,” he said. “We’re getting heirloom tomatoes from Bill (Stinson, owner of Peace Valley Farm). They melt in your mouth.”
Dave Joyner, food purchasing manager for Canyon Ranch in Lenox, has been purchasing local food for his company for the past seven years for the same reasons. The Ranch uses milk from Highlawn Farm, cheese from Berkshire Blue and a lot of greens from Equinox Farm, he said, citing just a few examples of the growers he goes to for products.
“You’re supporting local people, and it’s a lot fresher,” he said.
Even Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington purchases local food. Roger Knysh, director of Nutrition and Food Services for the hospital, agreed that purchasing local foods supports the local economy while benefiting Fairview by making high quality food available.
“By working with Berkshire Grown, we are signaling to the marketplace that Fairview hospital wants food produced in a way that protects public health and supports our local community,” he said. “We believe that we have modeled strong leadership for a healthy community and ecosystem, and Fairview hospital is proud to contribute this not only to our patients, staff and community but to support Berkshire Grown, who seeks to bring this philosophy of quality to our community as well.”
‘All interdependent’
But Berkshire Grown does not just benefit farms and large institutions like Williams College, Canyon Ranch or Fairview Hospital. It also serves to help small businesses as well.
Aleisha Gibbons has created a brand-new business, Berkshire Organics (berkshireorganics.com), in which she will make up and deliver baskets of organic goods to purchasers. Gibbons joined Berkshire Grown in March.
“Berkshire Grown is a valuable resource for a new business like Berkshire Organics because they help to connect local farms and businesses. I joined Berkshire Grown because they share a similar vision (with me) of bringing local food to Berkshire County residents,” she said.
“They also offer events that bring the local community together to support the farming community. Their Web site is a great tool that centralizes information.”
In addition to supporting local farms and businesses, Berkshire Grown also works to educate people, which is a priority for Zheutlin.
“Many people don’t know where food comes from — many people think it comes from the supermarket. We’re all interdependent, and we need to know that. Urbanization has undercut that,” she said.
James Guiden, catering chef at Williams College, believes strongly in the need for education as well.
“Education is the key. We need to educate vendors, educate us, educate farmers and educate our clientele,” he said about Williams’ commitment to buying local whenever possible and why that commitment is so important.
The college uses a plethora of products, from handmade cheeses Guiden purchases from Cricket Creek Farm to milk from High Lawn Farm used by Gladys Williams to make gelato, an Italian cousin to ice cream, but in the way that filet mignon is a cousin to cube steak. Williams’ gelato created an explosion of flavor in the mouth, melting away with a smooth creaminess that has never been matched by any ice cream this reporter has ever tried. She uses local fruits in season, as well.
The local products the college uses are far too numerous to list. But the symbiotic relationship goes beyond food purchasing. Thompson explained that Flying Pigs Farm in Shushan, N.Y., comes to the college to pick up their massive vats of used fryolator oil. This oil is then used as bio-diesel fuel for their truck. If the farm didn’t take the oil, the college would have to pay to have it recycled. Thus, this is a win-win situation for everyone.
That is in effect the primary message of Berkshire Grown — that buying local is a win-win situation. When local farms are supported, the local economy is strengthened. When farms stay in business, open space is preserved and fresh, high quality food is available to consumers.
Every resident of the county has the power to influence the preservation of farms and open space. When eating in a restaurant, diners can ask if local foods are used, and if so, from where. Shoppers can ask their local stores to purchase more local foods or can choose to shop at farmers markets, putting the profit in the hands of the farmer and eliminating the middleman.
“I firmly believe Berkshire County is a gift from the gods,” said Moore of The Old Mill Restaurant.
Buying local will help to keep it that way: By buying local, you help your neighbor. By buying local, you help your community. By buying local, you help yourself.
The complete list of Berkshire Grown member farms, restaurants, shops and farmers markets can be found at berkshiregrown.org.
Grown Up- Group has been bringing the farm to the table for more than 30 years
