Farmers Talk to Berkshire Grown
In this podcast series Berkshire Grown hears from farmers both in and beyond the Berkshires to learn about the different ways farmers are farming and getting their products to market. These 30 minute interviews let farmers share their own experiences out in the field, in the barn and marketing their farm’s products.
These podcasts are a part of Berkshire Grown’s Technical Assistance program to connect farmers with other farmers in order to learn from each other.
Lee Hennessey – Moxie Ridge Farm & Creamery – Argyle, New York
Moxie Ridge Farm & Creamery is a small, diversified farm on 46 acres with a commitment to heritage and traditional foods. The farm offers terroir-driven goat cheeses, whey-fed pork and milk-finished chicken. In this podcast, Lee talks about his experiences in grant-writing to support the farm’s operations, marketing successes and the launch of Moxie Box in response to the pandemic crisis.
Brian Cole – Big Foot Farm – Williamstown, MA
Big Foot Farm is a small, diversified vegetable farm located in Northern Berkshire County with most of the labor done by hand and without herbicides and pesticides. Brian speaks to the importance of community engagement and relationship building at the farmer’s market, his new online sales approach in response to COVID-19 and the benefit of leasing land for emerging farmers that don’t have access to inherited land or the ability to purchase.
Abby Ferla – Foxtrot Farm – Ashfield, MA
Foxtrot Farm is a certified organic 2 acre farm in the hilltowns of western Massachusetts with a focus on growing foods that walk the line between medicine and food. Foxtrot Farm implements no-till farming systems and avoids the use of fossil fuels. In this conversation, Abby talks about the launch of their new Resilient & Healing Foods CSA program, food justice and activist farming perspective and the importance of Instagram as a marketing tool for the farm.
Technical Assistance-Online Sales Platforms for Farmers
Heyer Performance created this document outlining the main capabilities and limitations of four e-commerce-enabled web platforms: Shopify, SquareSpace, Wix, and Weebly. Each of these platforms meet the following criteria: Speedy and easy setup and basic function and approachable pricing. Click here to view the comparison and research on the four online sales platforms.
Many thanks to Heyer Performance for the creation of this valuable resource for farmers! For more information about Heyer Performance and their work, please visit heyerperformanceinc.com.