CISA's October 2023 enewsletter

Making Food Fun: this Saturday in Westfield!

Saturday, October 14, 10am-12pm

Westfield Bank Pavilion, Stanley Park, Westfield

Free!

Join CISA and local farms to celebrate the harvest season with apples, pumpkins, and flowers. This family event is free, open to the public, and happening rain or shine!

Kids of all ages are welcome to get creative and make their own flower bouquets with Rooted Flowers of Agawam.
Decorate a pumpkin from Ray’s Family Farm in Southwick.
Find your favorite apple variety with a scientific taste test featuring apples from Kosinski Farms of Westfield.
Take a sip of autumn with yummy apple cider from Bashista Orchards of Southampton.
Nibble on sweet treats from Blossoming Acres made from local apples and pumpkins.
Parents: learn more about local food served in Westfield Schools with Westfield Eats or pick up information on the Healthy Incentives Program.

It’s going to be a great morning and we hope to see you there!

Welcome, fall! Here's what's in season and where to find it

Fall favorites

this month, look for apples, pumpkins, hardy greens of all sorts, and a whole lot more!

We can help you find nearby farmers' markets, restaurants sourcing the tastiest local food, specific crops, local meat for braising, and anything else your heart desires! Find it all here.

Fun on the farm

This is also a wonderful month to go out and enjoy a crisp fall day on a farm. Corn mazes, pick-your-own pumpkins, hayrides: you name it, you can find it here!

October Events to benefit CISA’s Growing Resilience Campaign

CISA’s Growing Resilience Day at Mike’s Maze October 21, 10 am – 4 pm

23 South Main Street, Sunderland

If you haven’t visited Mike’s Maze this year, here’s a perfect opportunity! Explore the 8-acre corn maze, savor an apple cider donut, and drop by the CISA table between 11 am and 3 pm to connect with CISA staff and enter to win a free t-shirt!

Mycoterra Farm Tour

Thursday, October 26, 5-6:30pm

75 Stillwater Road, South Deerfield

Do you have a passion for locally grown mushrooms? Come learn about the incredible process for growing and cultivating mushrooms at Mycoterra Farm! Julia Coffey, owner of Mycoterra Farm, will share insights about running a mushroom farm that produces 3,000 pounds of mushrooms every year.

This event is being offered on a sliding scale. When you donate $25 or more to CISA’s Growing Resilience campaign, you’ll receive a free kit to grow your own mushrooms at home! Register and save your spot here.

Get to know our Local Heroes

Two great ways to stay abreast of what's happening on local farms: CISA's Valley Bounty column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and CISA's segments on "The Fabulous 413" on New England Public Media.

Holyoke Farmers’ Market and La Finca Arecibena Torres Family Farm: Holyoke Farmers’ Market market manager Alexis Diaz De Jesus as well as Benito and Damaris Torres of La Finca Arecibena at Torres Family Farm talk about the entrepreneurial spirit of the market and the people behind it, who are bringing good food, good fun, and food access to their multilingual community. Listen!

Rooted Flowers: Rooted Flowers in Agawam is a local flower farm fueled by a passion for harmony between nature, land, and family. Since 2019, owner-operator Becky Sadlowski and her family have rejuvenated the property into a blossoming cut flower nursery from fallow farmland. Read all about them!

Open: AmeriCorps Service Member Position with TerraCorps

Join CISA as our 2023-24 TerraCorps Member! Community Engagement Coordinators (CEC) build the long-term capacity of their Service Sites by developing and leading culturally inclusive programming, events, and volunteer opportunities that provide broad social and environmental benefits to underrepresented beneficiaries. Member projects address inequities in public health, economic opportunity, education, land accessibility, and environmental sustainability. Through engaging diverse peoples and collaborating with community partners, CECs build bridges that reinforce the connection between land and a sustainable social, economic, and environmental future for all people.

More information and application materials are here.