In collaboration with Sowing Solutions Permaculture Design & Education and the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, UMass Permaculture presents a free and open to the public screening of the critically acclaimed documentary Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective. Explore the bright future of regenerative agriculture and communities with us; brief panel discussion to follow. Light refreshments will be served.

Come share seeds you have saved from your garden or purchased (optional), get seeds to plant in your garden, attend workshops on seed saving or plant breeding, and meet other people passionate about creating and maintaining a healthy local food system. If you don’t have seeds to share, please come learn about seed saving and get some to plant in your garden so you can share seeds next year.

Investigate a different vegetable family each week to insure all questions are answered about cultivating these important crop families for the home vegetable gardener. (A four week course starting 3/6/2017) $230 Berkshire Botanical Garden 5 West Stockbridge Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 For more information visit our website: berkshirebotanical.org Or Phone: 413-298-3926 Or Email: info@berkshirebotanical.org

This all-day, hands-on workshop is ideal for the beginning cheesemaker. Using fresh grass-fed pastured milk from Upinngil farm, Cliff Hatch, veteran farmer and cheese artisan, will guide you through the process of making a number of simple cheese such as Camembert, Chevre, Brie, and Blue cheese. Along the way, we’ll talk about the process and history of cheese making and how different cheeses are made. With your palette sharpened and techniques honed, you’ll be ready to make your own artisan cheese.

An in-depth lecture the on spring care of honeybee hives. Focus on managing spring hive population build-up, feeding, dividing, monitoring pests, protecting the hive, and, most importantly, learning approaches to prevent swarming. Berkshire Botanical Gardens Members $15; Nonmembers $20 Berkshire Botanical Garden 5 West Stockbridge Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 For more information visit our website: […]

This is an introductory level class on keeping and managing a small herd of dairy goats for milk, cheese, yogurt and educational purposes, on small acreage farms, or even a tiny backyard... Participants will experience "barn life", socialize with the herd, handle goat kids, milk, and learn the basics of keeping and breeding dairy goats. We'll cover different goat breeds, housing, fencing, nutrition, hoof trimming, worming, and breeding/birthing basics. Together we will make and sample fresh chèvre with greenhouse greens. Suggested donation: $25-$35. No one turned away. RSVP requested... 413-863-8696

Why Shop Local is the brainchild of Jasper Lapienski, a Northampton resident who has no affiliation with Serio’s Market other than as a customer. Jasper grew up in Amherst and has lived in Northampton since 2009. Jasper has been bringing our community together for a cause ever since, organizing for peace with the Northampton Committee to […]

Certified mindfulness instructor Leslie Smith Frank will offer an introduction to the practice of mindfulness and mindful eating. Mindfulness invites us to use all of our senses when we eat, which may change our relationship to what is on our plate. Sharing food they prepare themselves, participants will practice tuning in to taste, hunger, and fullness. By […]

The first one was so much fun they wanted to do it again! They host their second ever Winter Dinner on Tuesday, March 14 between 4pm and 7pm. In honor of National Pi Day, March 14, or 3.14, the menu will feature our homemade Chicken Pot Pie, mashed potatoes, and for dessert, your choice of Pie. Plates are $12 each and $8 for kids sized plates.

Learn how public policy is developed at the state level and how to impact decision making by elected officials. While this workshop will focus on food access, the skills learned will be applicable to any public policy issue. Free and open to the public Bishop Marshall Center at St. Michael’s Cathedral, 260 State St., Springfield […]

Learn the art and craft of making aged sharp cheeses using mesophilic cultures with veteran farmer and cheese artisan Clifford Hatch. Using grass-fed, pastured milk from his family farm, Cliff will take you on hands-on journey through all the stages of making favorites like Cheddar and lesser-known hard cheeses like Caerphilly, Dunlop, or Wensleydale.

What role do native plants and their pollinators play in the stability of our food and other agricultural systems? Join the New England Wild Flower Society for a day-long symposium to discuss the interactions between native plants, pollinators, and food crops. Learn how farmers are using native plants to increase their crop production, what programs […]

"Farming on the Fringe: Guerrilla Gardening on Marginal Acreage"
Sunday March 26th, 12:30-3:30 PM
Laughing Dog Farm, Gill, MA

This is a basic skills class for those who wish to grow (more of) their own high-quality, nutrient-dense food from marginal, "backyard" plots, containers, on rooftops, passive greenhouses, (or wherever) under a variety of real-life conditions. Inspired both by gleaning, "permaculture" priciples as well as the "guerrilla gardening" movement, (which teaches us to question "rules", glean everything, and sow everywhere), inspired grower Danny Botkin will share low-tech, "alternative" propagation and season extension tactics, including "low-till" bed management, permanent sheet mulch, and the use of high and low "tunnels" to harvest high-quality sustenance around the calendar, with little machinery, capital or fossil fuel. The class includes a talk on basic permaculture gardening, followed by a farm/greenhouse tour, a pipe bending demo (for making low tunnel "hoops"), Q and A, plus farm snacks. Suggested donation: $25-$35. No one turned away. Space limited, please RSVP: 413-863-8696

Help UMass revamp its shiitake growing system in Franklin Permaculture Garden! They will be inoculating oak and sugar maple logs with shiitake spawn. Small, take-home shiitake logs will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Feel free to stop in for any length of time during a session.

Greater Quabbin Food Alliance is bringing together food service directors from all sectors (schools, jail, hospital, higher ed, meals on wheels, nursing homes, early ed) from Franklin County/North Quabbin (and from beyond our region, but we are prioritizing those from our region) to support the procurement and use of locally grown food in institutional food services! GQFA will send out an invitation early next week so please be on the lookout and respond when you get it.