Housatonic — Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Commissioner Ashley Randle made a visit to the Winter Farmers’ Market at the Housatonic Community Center on Saturday, February 21.
The market is organized by local nonprofit Berkshire Grown, an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting local farms throughout Berkshire County.
Randle, who has made multiple visits to Berkshire County to tour local farms over the past few years, is currently on a tour across the state of winter farmers’ markets.
Randle told The Berkshire Edge that, so far, she has travelled with department representatives to Cape Cod and central Massachusetts. “This tour has been a really great opportunity to meet with vendors and see the variety of products available, from maple syrup, honey, and fresh produce,” she said. “Many of these markets are very vibrant parts of the community. For some communities, they are critical food access points because it’s the only place people can access fresh produce, dairy goods, and meat. That is what we have been hearing a lot with customers at the markets.”
Randle said farmers have told her that the winter season extension indoor markets provide has been an important part of their economic viability.
Vendors at the market were eager to speak with Commissioner Randle during her visit, including Kelly Auer, co-owner of Justamere Tree Farm of Worthington.
Auer said she is very concerned about how climate change is affecting maple producers like herself. “We’re a very small farm, and climate change is huge,” she explained. “I really want to talk to her about the grants and funding to help support us. This cold winter has had an effect on us because the maple trees are super frozen, and the saps are not running yet.”
Auer said she has been “anxiously waiting” for the temperatures to be above freezing because of the short window for maple season. “The season has ended at the third week of March over the last few years,” she said. “We have been having a shorter window of time to make syrup. It all depends on what nature provides.”
“It’s hard for farmers right now, but we’re doing our best,” said Mary Berle, co-owner of Lila’s Mountain Farm of Great Barrington. “I spoke to the commissioner about how we’re all very worried and concerned about how the supply chains are all very fragile.”
Berkshire Grown Executive Director Margaret Moulton echoed Berle’s concerns regarding food supply chains. “The local feed supply is very strong, but it can seem overly expensive,” she said. “The costs spread out when it comes to caring for the land and supporting local farms.”
Randle told The Berkshire Edge that the state is aware of the challenges farmers across Massachusetts are facing. “In respect to climate change, we have a grant program at the department called the Smart Agriculture Program,” she said. “It’s really helping farmers become more resilient. There are a lot of challenges that farmers are facing, and climate change is something that they continually have to adapt to and find ways to become more resilient.”
Randle said that finding labor remains a major challenge for farmers across Massachusetts. “It’s a challenge, especially when we look for year-round labor for our livestock producers,” she said. “With the funding cuts at the federal level, it’s having an impact on grant programs as well as our partner organizations with their ability to support farms. But everyone’s really come together to find ways to be able to still respond to the needs of the farming community.”
“Farmers are all struggling,” acknowledged State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District), who accompanied Randall at the tour of the Winter Farmers’ Market. “They all have big affordability challenges, like all of us do,” Rep. Davis said. “Farmers are really on our front line, and we need to support them as much as we can. They’re the roots of our community, and they sustain us.”
For more information about the Housatonic Winter Farmers’ Market, as well as other winter markets throughout the region, visit Berkshire Grown’s website.
