Berkshire Botanical Garden's Harvest Festival Returns| 08:00AM / Monday, October 06, 2025 | |
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. —Berkshire Botanical Garden will hold its annual Harvest Festival, Oct. 11 and 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Every October, the Garden's 24-acre grounds undergo a transformation celebrating community, the natural world and the region's agricultural heritage. This year, the Garden will present an array of family-friendly activities, live music, a scarecrow design contest, a clothing and accessories sale, and a wide selection of regional artisan food and crafts vendors. Children's activities include pony rides, a haunted house, a hay maze and hay jump, face painting, hayrides, a petting zoo, square dancing, and more. A full lineup of live >> Read More |
State, Stockbridge Land Trust Conserves 300 Acres for Wildlife & Recreation| 03:07PM / Sunday, October 05, 2025 | |
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — The Department of Fish and Game and Division of Fisheries & Wildlife representatives joined local leaders, partners, and the public on Friday to celebrate the conservation of more than 308 acres of critical habitat for wildlife and outdoor recreation in the Berkshires. The new Rockdale Highlands Wildlife Management Area (WMA) protects biodiversity, boosts climate resilience and carbon sequestration, and creates new access to outdoor recreation for the community. "Protecting nature is essential to our wildlife and way of life. The Healey-Driscoll Administration is proud to support land conservation projects like this that >> Read More |
House Climate, Sustainability Committee Visits South BerkshireBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Wednesday, October 01, 2025 | |
State Rep. Leigh Davis of Great Barrington hosted the committee as it traveled through her district. GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The House Committee on Climate Action and Sustainability visited South County on Monday to hear about environmental efforts from organizations and businesses. Hosted by state Rep. Leigh Davis, of the 3rd Berkshire District, they began at April Hill Farm in South Egremont, traveled to Lake Mansfield Recreation Area and Taft Farms, and concluded at the former peaking power plant on Woodland Road and Woods Pond in Lee. "This is the first of many talks that we're looking to do across state, because the role of the >> Read More |
Great Spots to Catch a Fish in Berkshire CountyBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
10:03AM / Saturday, September 27, 2025 | |
Windsor Lake in North Adams is regularly stocked with trout. Summer may be winding down, but there is still plenty of time and great weather to catch some fish. Most major lakes, ponds, and rivers, including the Housatonic, are open to fishing year-round with catch limits; smaller rivers and brooks have catch limits of three after Sept. 11 and eight after April 1. Find a list of fishing seasons and limits here. Berkshire County has scenic places to sail this fall as well as stand on the edge and cast out. North Adams Affectionately known as Fish Pond, this small lake is stocked with rainbow trout, some brook and brown trout, and chain pickerel. Restrooms and dairy bar >> Read More |
'Fodder: Stories from the Fields' Brings Farm Stories to Life| 11:00AM / Sunday, September 14, 2025 | |
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — "Fodder: Stories from the Fields," an event celebrating the joys, challenges, and unexpected moments of agricultural life in the Berkshires, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 21, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The event will be held on April Hill, 62 Undermountain Road, South Egremont, with doors opening at 3:30 p.m. Moderated by local writer and former Moth StorySLAM winner Sheela Clary, the evening showcases the full spectrum of farming experiences. Attendees will hear stories from local farms. The event is sponsored and organized by five organizations working together to strengthen the Berkshire region's food system: Berkshire Agricultural
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Sandisfield Orchard Preparing for Apple SeasonBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
12:15PM / Saturday, September 06, 2025 | |
Sandisfield Orchard offers a dozen types of apples for the picking. SANDISFIELD, Mass. — Sandisfield Orchard is preparing for the apple-picking season, while working on expansions to support the farm for years to come. Owners Emily Melchoir and her husband, Calvin Rodman, have worked for the past three years to build up the orchard and its offerings. Even though the couple didn't have a background in farming, they leaped to buy the New Hartford Road property because they wanted it to stay a farm and not run the risk of someone developing the land. Since taking on the adventure with her husband and kids, Melchoir said the community has been a big >> Read More |
MDAR Commissioner Visits Berkshire Dairy FarmsBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
05:40PM / Tuesday, June 03, 2025 | |
SHEFFIELD, Mass. — State Agricultural Commissioner Ashley Randle visited three dairy farms in Western Massachusetts on Monday to recognize National Dairy Month. "It's an opportunity to learn about dairies, how they're diversifying ways that we can support them at the state level, and also to highlight the impacts of our investments at the state level," Randle said. Randle visited three farms, Pine Island Farm and Maple Shade Farm in Sheffield, and Luther Belden Farm in Hatfield. "So many of these farms have gone through the Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program and have protected their land in perpetuity," Randle said. "In the Berkshires,
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BNRC Protects 109 Acres Along Webster Road in Tyringham| 10:34AM / Tuesday, May 06, 2025 | |
LENOX, Mass. — Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) has purchased 109 acres along both sides of Webster Road in Tyringham for conservation, strengthening a conservation corridor adjacent to Beartown State Forest and near the Appalachian Trail. The acquisition, finalized on March 12, 2025, for $650,000, was made possible through funding from the Nion Robert Thieriot Foundation, Mass Audubon 30x30 Catalyst Fund, the Wyncote Foundation, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Land Acquisition for Forest Reserves Grant Program, and the support of private donors. This collaboration ensures important wildlife habitat remains intact and supports strategic land conservation >> Read More |
GE Plans for PCB Removal Gets OK| 03:46PM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | |
BOSTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved, with several conditions, the General Electric Company's Revised On-Site and Off-Site Transportation and Disposal Plan. GE's revised plan maximizes the use of rail and hydraulic pumping for the transport of sediments and soils in and along the Housatonic River that are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls. Approximately 75 percent to 80 percent of the material to be removed from the river will be transported hydraulically without the need for any trucks. Approximately 17 percent of the material can be transported by rail (combined with trucking). As little as approximately 5 percent of the material >> Read More |
Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Launches Market Match DriveBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
03:05PM / Thursday, April 10, 2025 | |
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Berkshire Agricultural Ventures has started its 2025 Market Match campaign to aid federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program users. "It's a program that exists to support SNAP matching programs in our area farmers markets," communications and development manager Audrey Hackett said. This financial assistance plays a role in bolstering food equity and ensuring that all community members have access to fresh, local, and nutrient-dense food. Through the economic development and food access program, funding is provided to farmers markets to enhance the effectiveness of SNAP benefits throughout the Berkshire-Taconic >> Read More |
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