Holiday Farmers' Markets

Support our local farmers and artisan producers who will be offering produce, cheese, eggs, meat, poultry, bread, pies and other baked goods, plus pickles and jams. Come meet (and show thanks) to the hardworking farmers and producers of our region on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, buy goodies for your holiday.

Saturday November 21st
Berkshire Grown's Holiday Farmers' Markets
will be in these two locations:
Williamstown at the Williams College Field House on Latham Street from
10 am - 2 pm

The Williamstown market will feature the following vendors: Appletree Hill Organic Farm, Baby Cakes, Berkshire Organics, Berle Farm, The Berry Patch, Chocolate Springs, Cricket Creek Farm, Elf Parlor, Gala Restaurant in partnership with Green River Farm, Hidden Pasture Farm, Jaeschke’s Orchard, The Market of Pittsfield, Mezze Catering, Mighty Food Farm, Peace Valley Farm, Side Hill FarmSleeping Dog Farm, Sol Flower Farm, Sweet Brook Farm, Wild Oats Community Market and several independent bakers and florists. Williams College Dining Services will be offering samples of their pumpkin, apple-cinnamon and maple gelato. Berkshire Grown, Berkshire Natural Resource Council and The Sustainable Food and Agriculture Program at Zilkha Center will be present, and the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation will present instruction for churning butter as a children’s activity.

Great Barrington at the old firehouse on Castle Street in Great Barrington
9 am - 1pm

The Great Barrington market will feature: 3-Corner Field Farm, allium restaurant + bar in partnership with Farm Girl Farm, Amy Cotler, Asia Luna, Berkshire Grown, Berkshire Mountain Bakery, Berkshire Orchids, Berkshire Organics, Blue Moon Shrooms, Cardinelle Jackson, Cedar Farm Flowers, Consider Bardwell Farm, Dutch Desserts, Farm Country Soup, Farm at Miller’s Crossing, Farm House Bakers, Garlic Headz, Klara’s Gourmet Cookies, Indian Line Farm, Leahey Farm, Lorna Herbals, Maiden Flower Farm, Markristo Farm, Maynard Farms, Moon in the Pond Farm, North Plain Farm, Pittsfield Rye, R&G Cheese, River Valley Farm, Stagecoach Tavern and Taft Farms.

Thanks so much to our generous co-sponsors: Mezze Restaurant Group, Slow Food Western Massachusetts, Williams Dining, and the Zilka Center for Environmental Initiatives.

Wheatleigh's Gingerbread House Competition and Silent Auction to benefit Share the Bounty

Join with Wheatleigh for its 6th annual afternoon of holiday fun and spirited competition!

Sunday December 6th, 2009, 3:00 - 5:00 pm at the Lenox Community Center, 65 Walker Street, Lenox, MA

Create a Gingerbread House for a good cause!

Call Wheatleigh 413-627-0610 for entry details.

Donations welcome, all proceeds go to benefit Share the Bounty, Berkshire Grown's project to support local farms and food pantries.

Thanksgiving Dinners

Café Reva
Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
238 Tyler St.
Pittsfield, MA

(413) 442-6161
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Cranwell Resort, Spa & Golf Club
Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet in the Mansion Ballroom
Thursday, November 26, 2009 from noon to 8 p.m.

For reservations, call (413) 637-1364, Ext. 0 or Ext. 605.

55 Lee Road, Lenox, MA
Tel: (413) 881-1663 | Fax: (413) 637-0571 | www.cranwell.com
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Gala Restaurant
Thanksgiving Dinner 11:30am-2:30pm
222 Adams Rd.
Williamstown, MA
413.458.9611

$39.95 Adult, $33.00 Seniors, $12.95 Children 6-12 yrs, FREE Children 5 and under.
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Gramercy Bistro
Thanksgiving Dinner
24 Marshall Street
North Adams, MA
413-663-5300

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Haven Café
Take out Thanksgiving
8 Franklin St.
Lenox, MA
413-637-8948

Please order by Sunday, November 22th.
All orders must be paid in full at time of order.
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The Interlaken Inn
Thanksgiving Buffet
74 Interlaken Rd.
Lakeville, CT

$29.95 for adults
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Perigree
Thanksgiving dinner
1575 Pleasant Street (Route 102)
South Lee, MA

413-528-5225
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The Red Lion Inn
Thanksgiving Dinner
30 Main St.
Stockbridge, MA

Served from Noon - 6:30 PM
$49 adults, $24.50 children 12 and under
Please call 413.298.1690 for reservations
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Rt 7 Grill
All you can eat buffet Thanksgiving
999 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA
413-528-3235

$30 per person - $15 per kid 12 & under
Noon -4
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Swiss Hutte
Thanksgiving Dinner
Route 23
Egremont, MA
(413) 528-6200

Served from 1pm to 6pm.
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La Terrazza
Thanksgiving dinner
51 Walker St.
Lenox, MA

$50.00 Per Person*
*Plus Tax & Gratuity*
Serving 12Noon-6PM
Reservations: 413-637-2532
www.gatewaysinn.com
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The Williams Inn
Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner
1090 Main St.
Williamstown, MA
Serving 12 noon to 4 p.m.

$29. per person * Children under 10 years $14.50
Children under 5 years variable
Plus Massachusetts 6.25% Meal Tax

RESERVATIONS A MUST - CALL 413-458-9371

18% gratuity added to parties of eight or more
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THE WILLIAMSVILLE INN
Festive All-Organic Thanksgiving Menu
The Williamsville Inn, 286 Great Barrington Road (Route 41)
West Stockbridge, MA

Thursday, November 26, 2009 1- 6 p.m. By advance reservation

3-course prix fix menu - $48 per person/ children under 10 half price
(beverages, tax & gratuity not included)
***Also available pre-ordered as take-out ***
**Early reservations are highly recommended**

For reservations, please call 413-274-6118
www.williamsvilleinn.com

Popular Courses for Farmers

MDAR is once again planning to offer two very popular courses for both aspiring and experienced farmers during the coming winter months:

1) Exploring Your Small Farm Dream (Explorer)

The Explorer Program is intended for those who are considering farming as a small and likely part-time business. Its purpose is to help pre-venture, aspiring farmers learn what it will take to start and manage their own profitable agricultural enterprise, and to decide whether this is a path they really want to/can take. Explorer makes use of four guided group sessions, an acclaimed workbook, Instructors experienced in starting ag businesses, and extensive supporting resources. The goal of Explorer is to help you decide whether starting an agricultural business is right for you and, based on that decision, to help you plan practical next steps. It was created to help you articulate the clear vision and goals you will need to guide a new agricultural venture. Explorer meets four times (6-9 PM) over a six week window, usually beginning in January or February.

2) Tilling the Soil of Opportunity (TTS)

This innovative, farmer friendly course focuses on existing agricultural businesses that will benefit from an organized look at their current operation in order to plan for growth and change. Over 240 Massachusetts agricultural enterprises have completed TTS.

The course Instructor guides participants through creation of a business plan to improve decision making on the owner/operator’s farm. MDAR has enhanced the 35 hours of group meetings with additional individualized technical assistance and confidential one-on-one financial planning. The Instructor visits every participant’s farm/ag enterprise at least once during the course.

• TTS is facilitated by a nationally certified and experienced Instructor, and is monitored by the Director of the MDAR Agricultural Business Training Program. Our local partner agencies and organizations contribute additional and ongoing regional resources for participants.

• Guest speakers are drawn from local farm businesses and service providers to personalize the key concepts of many sessions

• After the course ends, selected students receive additional individual technical assistance in topic areas most important to completing a working business plan. Basic costs for this service are included.

• The TTS business plan can simplify eligibility for federal, state and local assistance programs

• This course qualifies as a "Borrower Training Program" for the USDA Farm Service Agency, and can enhance efforts to secure funds from any lender

TTS meets 10 times (6-9 PM) on a once weekly basis over an 11 week window that begins in January.

***As usual, we locate Explorer and TTS courses according to demand in a region. We have tentative plans to offer a session of each in Amherst and a session of TTS in Southeastern Mass. The sooner you get information and register (see information below), the sooner we can get them scheduled!

3) NEW! In addition, we will be piloting one session (in Amherst) of a new offering for past Explorer graduates who are still working on taking the next steps but are not ready for TTS. We are calling this session Small Farm Planner. It will begin in December and will meet three times over three months, with extensive email interaction between. If you have completed Explorer – here in MA or elsewhere – and are familiar with the workbook for that course, please contact Rick Chandler (see below ASAP!

TO RECEIVE REGISTRATION INFORMATION OR TO TALK TO THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR CONTACT:

Rick Chandler

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources

101 University Drive, Suite C-4

Amherst, MA 01002

Email: rick.chandler@state.ma.us

Phone: 413-548-1905