Great Mountain Forest (GMF) is hosting its first annual Nature Writing Retreat at the historic Yale Camp in Falls Village, CT.

“Shopping with us keeps farms alive and operating – buying from local farms is beneficial to everyone,” Donna Staron said recently.

Many of us are eager to get outside in the dirt and plant the flowers, trees, and shrubs that we will be enjoying for seasons to come.

Upon my first visit to the Bruno Farms Custom Feeds operation in Ghent, NY, it didn’t take long for the realization to dawn that this was a science project gone full bloom. As it turns out, creating solid nutritional support for animals is also a bit of an art.

But she’s definitely not just sitting back, and those ‘few’ animals have led to a host of things happening with them at the family’s Clover Brooke Farm near Hyde Park, NY. 

“Floral & Field was created to support farmers and florists, particularly along the East Coast, who want to better understand the standards, systems, and relationships involved in selling and sourcing wholesale flowers,” says Alisa Bolduc, founder of Floral & Field, a farmer and wholesale consulting business.

We caught up with Berkshire Agricultural Ventures to find out more about their mission and offerings for food producers across the region. Read on to learn all about what makes BAV such a crucial support for the community’s farmers and the local food system as a whole.

Although Ben Shute didn’t grow up on a farm, he’s been immersed in the profession for his entire career. He first began working for other farmers while he was in college, and many of the farms that he apprenticed at were farms that functioned via community supported agriculture (CSA), which is a direct marketing model in which a community of consumers supports a farm via a weekly share of the farm’s harvest. 

If you’re an apple lover like me, then you know that there are few things better in this world than a nice, fresh hard cider. Autumn has always been my favorite season for many reasons – and apple picking is certainly one of them! We are lucky to live in a region that is bountiful with apple orchards and farms. Many of these farms also have on-site cideries where they use their estate-grown apples to ferment ciders, wines, and other delicious beverages. Next time you find yourself planning an apple-picking excursion, don’t miss out on stopping into the cideries at one of the orchards that I’ve rounded up below. 

Hudson Valley Jane, a cannabis farm and micro-dispensary, is dedicated to bringing farm-to-main street cannabis to Hudson Valley communities. The farm itself is located off of Route 82 in Ancram, NY, and the Hudson Valley Jane dispensary will open its doors on Main Street in Beacon, NY, on June 7. 

Increasingly, more farmers and agriculturalists are turning to social media platforms to build connections with their consumers, share their experiences and stories, and even to educate people about where their food is coming from and how it’s grown. Social media has provided an opportunity for farmers to market their products and services and also bridge the gap between rural communities and urban consumers. 

Sky High Farm is not your average Upstate New York farm. A registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, since its inception, Sky High Farm has donated 100% of the vegetables and protein grown and raised on the farm to food access partners throughout New York state.