Make it a local Thanksgiving!
Photo by Eizabeth Solaka
Make Thanksgiving a true harvest celebration with a local bird, local mashed potatoes, local apple pie -- all the traditional dishes feature ingredients that are still widely available locally!
 
Find a local turkey here.
Clarkdale Cider Run is this Sunday!
It's not too late to join us for the third annual Clarkdale Fruit Farms 12K Cider Run, happening this Sunday, November 12th at Clarkdale Fruit Farms in Deerfield! Come celebrate the fall, drink some freshly pressed sweet cider, and support CISA on a scenic course that includes some rolling hills and one tough climb. Save $5 by enrolling online by Friday, November 10th!
 
Sign up here.
Earn HIP all winter long
Northampton Winter Farmers' Market, Elizabeth Solaka photo
HIP continues through the winter at winter farmers' markets and farm stands -- get the details and keep earning HIP!  
 
Find details on our website. 

Follow the brand-new HIP in Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties Facebook page for regular updates and resources.
 
Farmworker arrests
Photo by Elias Polcheira
It has been reported that, on Tuesday, three farmworkers were detained by ICE on their way home to Springfield from work on a Hatfield farm. We rely on many undocumented people to work on farms to grow our food. At CISA, we believe that they deserve our respect and that they have a right to legal protections and a pathway to citizenship.

Read CISA's letter to the editor here.

Read the Daily Hampshire Gazette's coverage here.

Read about the Pioneer Valley Workers Center response here.
Farmers' market news -- switching over to winter!
Amherst Winter Farmers' Market,
Elizabeth Solaka photo
We're starting to see the switch from summer farmers' markets to winter markets, with some special markets in advance of Thanksgiving. Some highlights:
  • November 11: Northampton Saturday Farmers' Market's last day and the first winter market for the Farmers' Market in Forest Park in Springfield.
  • November 14: Northampton Tuesday Market has been extended a week!
  • November 18: Amherst Farmers' Market's last day, plus special pre-Thanksgiving markets for the Farmers' Market at Forest Park, the Greenfield Winter Farmers' Market, and the Westfield Farmers' Market.
  • November 25: the first Northampton Winter Farmers' Market, in a new location at the Senior Center on Conz Street.
  • December 2: the Amherst Winter Farmers' Market is also moving, to the Hampshire Mall!
  • December 13: the Springfield Technical Community College Farmers' Market's last day.
Get details about all the markets in CISA's searchable guide,
PVGrows Presents: Collaboration for a Thriving Food System
Photo by Will Szal
Save the Date! The 2018 Pioneer Valley Grows Forum is coming on January 10th to the Top of Our City Conference Center at Springfield Technical Community College. The forum will be a day of learning about the challenges of ongoing food systems projects in the Valley. 
 
More details (and registration coming soon!) here.
Support CISA today!

Many Hands Farm Corps,
Leslie Lynn Lucio photo
Every dollar you spend on locally grown food supports your neighbors and keeps the local economy strong. You can also help CISA ensure that farms stay viable - with a donation to CISA today! Our mission is to strengthen farms and we need your support to make that happen.
 
 Donate now.
Local Hero Profile: Atkins Farms

Atkins Farms
Owner Pauline Lannon has seen Atkins Farms Country Market grow from a 40'x50' farm stand in 1962 to the full-service grocery store it is today. But even with the opening of their second location in North Amherst, Atkins's commitment to selling fresh local produce and making prepared foods from scratch is as strong as ever.
 
Read the full profile here.
Workshops and networking opportunities

Farmers, we've got some excellent learning and networking opportunities coming up this fall and winter! Upcoming events include a workshop on customer behavior at farmers' markets and our annual Meet and Greet -- join us!

Details here.
Quick Links

Check out our press page for news stories about local farms and local agriculture, along with our weekly interview series on WRSI, monthly column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and more!
Go to press page

Farm tours, film screenings, workshops, special local meals -- there's always something happening in the Valley!
Go to events listing

Job opportunities, land, equipment.
Go to classifieds
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