Note from Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown: The Berkshires are much loved for the pastoral beauty of the region. This gorgeous landscape attracts visitors and development, producing a rich culture, while simultaneously raising the cost of land. The high cost of land is one of the many challenges facing farms, the farms that are at the heart of the beauty of the Berkshires. So a challenge to all who treasure the Berkshires is how to sustain the old and new farms of the region that make the Berkshires extraordinary. In this series you will “get to know your local farmers,” the individuals who grow the food you eat and care for the land you see.
Southfield — At the end of a road that winds through Campbell Falls State Park sits the cheerful, 1.5-acre, USDA-certified organic Berkshire Bounty Farm. When owner Steve Cunningham began farming the land nine years ago, the vista was that of a barren field. Today, one is immediately struck by the farm’s artistically functional character, outfitted with upcycled pipes, metal troughs, and granite edging given to Steve by an artist friend who moved to Brazil. The small-scale farm produces over a hundred varieties of vegetables, herbs, berries, and flowers.
Before starting Berkshire Bounty Farm, Steve spent five weeks working for a 32-acre CSA called Coleshill Organics in Swindon, UK. After becoming better acquainted with Steve’s vision, Coleshill pointed Steve in the direction of veteran small-scale farmer Charles Dowding, based in Somerset, UK. “People quote him there,” Steve said. “Dowding is the Eliot Coleman of the UK.” Dowding inspired Steve to pursue a farm of a similar scale, and after three visits to Dowding’s productive, 2-acre farm, Steve returned to the U.S. and spent his first year hardscaping his 1.5 acres.
Steve uses a technique called no-till farming, which he describes as a process which seeks to “disturb the soil as infrequently as possible.” Steve explained that while tilling is a necessary procedure to establish a fertile bed, it is more sustainable to refrain from tilling the soil each year. By not tilling, Steve is able to preserve the environment of soil-dwellers and effectively stymie weed growth with new layers of mulch each year.
Now in his ninth year, Steve has just completed his last bed. He is now focused on optimizing his irrigation systems and on vertical gardening, adhering to Dowding’s philosophy of intense, diverse cropping. Steve admits that humans aren’t the farm’s only eager feasters. “The voles have been devastating,” Steve said. Last summer, Steve watched in horror as individual spaghetti squash plants were pulled underground and his snap-peas were beheaded by a family of voles. Deer, voles, sow thistle, and other weeds and pests will be perennial nuisances. However, Berkshire Bounty’s successful operations far outweigh its common agricultural issues. At the local Gedney Farm Farmer’s Market, Steve’s bounty sells out quickly on a regular basis.
For those who would like to start a farm of their own, Steve offers sound advice: “Start small, and work on someone else’s farm.” To learn more and to keep up to date with Berkshire Bounty, watch their (see below) and follow their Facebook page.
