Holiday Farmers' Market December 15

Great Barrington and Williamstown, Mass.—The last Berkshire Grown Holiday Farmers’ Markets of the season will showcase the Berkshire winter bounty of squashes and root vegetables, such as delicata, honey nut and butternut squashes, onions, and beets, as well as meat, cheese, apples, jams, chutneys, cordials, wine, cider, maple syrup, and honey. In addition, the markets will feature gifts made by local artisans, including jewelry, hand-woven scarves, handbags, screen-printed t-shirts, wooden bowls, cutting boards and knife holders, linens, soaps, lotions, candles, dried flower arrangements, and wreaths. The Berkshire Grown Holiday Farmers’ Markets take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 14 at Monument Valley Middle School, 313 Monument Valley Road in Great Barrington and Sunday, December 15, at Williams College Towne Field House, 82 Latham Street in Williamstown. Admission is free.

“I am thrilled that Berkshire Grown is extending the season for local farmers by hosting the Berkshire Grown Holiday Farmers Markets. At the farmers’ markets, each of us makes a difference because when we buy directly from a farmer we strengthen the local economy. What a delicious way to improve the local economy!” said Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown. “And I feel so grateful to the local farmers who make it possible for us at this cold time of year to buy locally grown vegetables and locally raised meat, as well as a wide variety of excellent cheeses and gift items produced here in the Berkshires. The Berkshire Grown Holiday Markets are such festive events because there’s music, food, and friends.”

Food Adventures, a collaboration between The Nutrition Center and The Berkshire Co-op Market, will be on hand at the Great Barrington market doing five-minute hands-on cooking projects with kids, and 8th graders from Monument Valley Regional Middle School will lead crafts activities, such as potato stamp holiday postcards.  Jisela Vasquez, an artist who works at Wild Oats Co-op Market, will lead face painting, seasonal arts and crafts, and a farmers’ market treasure hunt for kids at the Williamstown market.

Major sponsors of the Holiday Farmers’ Markets include the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and Williams College. Berkshire Grown received funding from MDAR to promote Massachusetts Grown…and Fresher! at the markets. As part of Williams College’s ongoing commitment to sustainable food and local agriculture, the college is again co-sponsoring the markets by donating the Williamstown venue, as well as providing funding toward the event. The Williams College Sustainable Food and Agriculture Program and The Zilka Center for Environmental Initiatives are supporting the markets as a community partnership to further incorporate the principles of sustainability into the fabric of campus life. For more information on the college’s ongoing commitment to sustainable food, visit http://sustainability.williams.edu.

In addition, Berkshire Grown is grateful for generous support from the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce, Green Pastures Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Berkshire Co-op Market, Berkshire Organics, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Inn at Sweet Water Farm, Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Sweet Brook Farm, and Wild Oats Market.

Berkshire Grown supports and promotes local agriculture as a vital part of the Berkshire community, economy, and landscape. The non-profit organization’s mission is to “Keep farmers farming!” Berkshire Grown is the “go-to” network linking farmers and the Berkshire community. Through events, workshops, promotions, advocacy, and education highlighting locally grown and produced food, Berkshire Grown helps to create a thriving local food economy. For more information or to become a member, see berkshiregrown.org or call 413.528.0041.

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Calendar Listings:

Saturday, December 14: Berkshire Grown Holiday Farmers’ Market featuring locally grown and produced foods, including fruits and vegetables, cheese, eggs, meat, poultry, bread, pies, pickles, jams, and more, plus live music and children’s activities from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monument Valley Middle School, 313 Monument Valley Road in Great Barrington. Admission is free. berkshiregrown.org

Sunday, December 15: Berkshire Grown Holiday Farmers’ Market featuring locally grown and produced foods, including fruits and vegetables, cheese, eggs, meat, poultry, bread, pies, pickles, jams, and more, plus live music and children’s activities from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Williams College Towne Field House, 82 Latham Street, Williamstown. Admission is free. berkshiregrown.org

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For building locations on the Williams campus, please consult the map outside the driveway entrance to the Security Office located in Hopkins Hall on Main Street (Rte. 2), next to the Thompson Memorial Chapel, or call the Office of Communications (413) 597-4277. The map can also be found on the web at www.williams.edu/map

To visit the college on the Internet: www.williams.edu Williams College can also be found on Facebook: www.facebook.com/williamscollege and Twitter: twitter.com/williamscollege

Published December 5, 2013