April 18, 2010

Dear Friends,

Cheryl King Fischer, Executive Director of the New England Grassroots
Environment Fund will speak on the local agriculture success story of
Hardwick, VT, Monday April 19th at 7PM. The talk will be held at the First
Congregational Church in Great Barrington, sponsored by Berkshire Grown.
BerkShares is pleased to be a co-sponsor of the event.

Hardwick and its neighboring towns in the Northeast corner of Vermont are
now home to a wide variety of both old-fashioned and cutting-edge food and
agriculture businesses. This spurt of local production has meant jobs for
local people and a building of the local economy in a sustainable manner.

Cheryl King Fischer is a longtime activist in Vermont who launched the
Grassroots Fund in 1996. Her husband Monty Fischer is director of the
Center for Agricultural Economy in Hardwick.

The event is free to the public, no reservations are necessary. For more
information call Berkshire Grown at (413) 528-0041.

The Berkshire region has its own network of thriving local farms producing
vegetables, meats, fruit, and cheeses for local markets. Your BerkShares
spent at these farms shows your support of a renewed local agricultural
economy. A list of BerkShares farms follows.

Best wishes,
BerkShares Team
P. O. Box 125
Great Barrington, MA 01230
www.berkshares.org

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Berkshire Organics,
813 Dalton Division Rd.
Dalton, MA 01226
413-442-0888
Contact person: Aleisha Gibbons
Contact e-Mail: info@berkshireorganics.com
http://www.berkshireorganics.com
Local and organic food store and delivery service to homes and businesses throughout Berkshire County.

Carmel's Chicken
152 Peru Road, Hinsdale, MA 01235
(413) 212-1334
Contact Person: Dan Carmel
Contact e-Mail: maplesprings0383@aol.com
We raise free-range chickens and sell them both wholesale and retail. Red meat is
also available.

Chubby Bunny Farm,
35 Cobble Road, Falls Village, CT 06031
(860) 824-4362
Contact Person: Dan Hayhurst
Contact e-mail: thayhurst@sbcglobal.net
http://www.chubbybunnyfarm.com
We're a family farm with a 150 member CSA in Falls Village, CT. Shares begin in June and end in November. U-pick includes flowers, herbs, peas, beans, strawberries, and cherry tomatoes. Also raise hogs, layers, and lambs and a crop of two apprentices annually. Pay in BerkShares and get a free dozen eggs! All
members are welcome to pay in BerkShares.

Equinox Farm
489 Bow Wow Road, Sheffield, MA 01257
(413) 229-2266
Contact Person: Ted Dobson

Indian Line Farm,
57 Jug End Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
(413) 528-8301
Contact Person: Elizabeth Keen
Contact e-Mail: alandliz@bcn.net
http://www.indianlinefarm.com
A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. Also selling at the Great Barrington Farmer's market.

Maiden Flower Farm,
304 North Plain Road, Housatonic, MA 01236
(413) 274-6628
Contact Person: Georgene Poliak & David Long
Contact e-Mail: dave@maidenflowerfarm.com
Lovingly raised chicken, eggs, beef, and pork. Our animals are fed 100% organic grain, grass, and other wholesome foodstuff.

Markristo Farm,
2891 Route 23
Hillsdale, NY 12529
518-325-4261
Contact Persons: Martin and Christa Stosiek
Contact e-Mail:growing@markristofarm.com
http://www.markristofarm.com/index.html
Organic vegetables, berries, and flowers.

Moon in the Pond Farm,
816 Barnum Street, Sheffield, MA 01257
(413) 229-3092
Contact Person: Dominic Palumbo
Contact e-Mail: dom@mooninthepond.com
http:// www.mooninthepond.com
Moon in the Pond Farm is a small scale, sustainable farm raising and selling meat, vegetables, fruit direct to consumers from the farm and at Sheffield Farmer's Market.

North Plain Farm,
205 North Plain Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
(413) 528-2092
Contact Person: Sean Stanton
Contact e-Mail: seanstanton@hotmail.com
A diversified farm raising pigs and chickens for meat and eggs in the process of setting up a small raw milk and cheese dairy. Products are sold at the Great Barrington Farmers Market and from theFarm.

Hilltop Orchard,
Rt. 295/508 Canaan Rd.
Richmond, MA 01254
(413) 698-3301
Contact Person: John Vittori
Contact e-Mail: mashman@berkshire.rr.com
http://www.hilltoporchards.com
Hilltop Orchards -- a historic apple orchard in the Berkshires and home to award-winning Furnace Brook Winery –invites you to visit and explore our 200 acre property. We grow 26 type of apples, including many rare heirloom varieties and some cultivated specially for our Johnny Mash hard cider and French style Cidre'.

Project Native
342 North Plain Road, Housatonic, MA 01236
(413) 274-3433
Contact Person: Raina or Karen
Contact e-Mail: projectnative@yahoo.com
http://www.projectnative.org
A non-profit perennial nursery and gardens. Offering 100% Berkshire Taconic Region Native Perennials of over 130 varieties.

Rawson Brook Farm
185 New Marlboro Road, Monterey, MA 01245
(413) 528-2138
Contact Person: Susan Sellew
Contact e-Mail: ssellew@verizon.net
Offering Monterey Chevre goat cheese.

River Valley Farm,
345 New Lenox Road, Lenox, MA, 01240
(413) 822-9621.
Contact person: Lisa Petricca
Contact e-Mail: petricca1@adelphia.net
http://www.raresheepwool.com
All natural grass fed lamb; gorgeous yarns and roving; spring perennials and fall chrysanthemums.

When Pigs Fly Farm,
222 Sandisfield Road, Sandisfield, MA 01255
(413) 258-3397
Contact Person: Sandra or Andy Snyder
Contact e-Mail: whenpigsflyfarm@earthlink.net
Organic produce, flowers, herbs, berries, chicken, and duck. Visit us at the farm, at the Farmers' Market of Sheffield, and at Otis Farm Market.