Valley Bounty: Pesto
Jeremy Barker Plotkin has run Simple Gifts Farm on a 30-acre Amherst property with Dave Tepfer since 2006. The pair and their crew grow ten[...]
Valley Bounty: Ginger
Old Friends Farm has been a ginger-growing innovator in the region.
Casey Steinberg, who co-owns the Amherst business with Missy Bahret, explained that their experimentation with[...]
Valley Bounty: Hops
2019 was a great season for growing hops on Four Star Farms in Northfield. “Our yields were really good and the quality was exceptional,” Liz[...]
Valley Bounty: Lumber
Each winter, David Fisher sets out to harvest trees. “I just love being in the woods,” he explained during a recent conversation. “It’s a lot[...]
Valley Bounty: Flour
There aren’t many farmers who grow and mill their own grain in western Massachusetts. But Clifford Hatch isn’t your average grower. “He’s always been an[...]
Valley Bounty: Chicken Stock
You may be cursing the cold, but many farmers in the Valley are grateful for winter. “It’s relaxing,” Katie Bodzinski told me during a recent[...]
Valley Bounty: Wool
Cold and snow have blanketed the Valley. But locally-produced fiber can keep you warm during these wintery weeks. “Wool has innate properties for shedding water[...]
Valley Bounty: Shrub
We’re on the other side of the Winter Solstice and New Year’s, but we still have months ahead of us before the snow melts for[...]
Valley Bounty: Beef Pot Roast
For farmers who raise livestock, winter brings a shift in the rhythm of their work. I recently spoke with Mary Montague, who owns Bridgmont Farm[...]
Valley Bounty: Popcorn
Aaron Stevens harvested his popcorn fields at the end of November. “The corn grew really well, and the kernels looked really good,” he explained during[...]
Valley Bounty: Christmas trees
Now that we’ve hit December, local Christmas tree farms are welcoming families in the search for their new living room centerpiece. You might imagine that[...]
Valley Bounty: Thanksgiving Ravioli
Rochelle Bellin always enjoys gathering with her family on Thanksgiving. But, Bellin explained during a recent conversation, “the exciting part for me is when we[...]
