a FREE publication of 1 Welcome 3 Farm Product Seasonality Calendar 4 Farm Festivals 5 Map of the Pioneer Valley 6 Local Hero Farms by Town 51 Pick-Your-Own Fruit Farms 52 Local Hero Landscape & Garden Centers 54 Local Hero Retailers by Town 61 CSA Farms in the Valley 62 Local Hero Restaurants by Town 72 Local Hero Specialty Producers 78 Local Hero Wholesalers & Distributors 80 Local Hero Dining Services 84 Farmers’ Markets 86 Index of Farms Many Hands Farm Corps, Amherst 87 Index of Landscape & Garden Centers CISA photo Cover: Kitchen Garden Farm, Sunderland 87 Index of Retailers & Distributors Kitchen Garden Farm photos 87 Index of Restaurants 87 Index of Specialty Producers 87 Index of Dining Services Design: Sirius Design | Advertising and editorial support: Monica Green Printed on recycled paper This publication is based on work generously supported by CISA’s members, donors, and sponsors, as well as the Massachusetts One Sugarloaf Street Department of Agricultural Resources and the statewide initiative South Deerfield, MA 01373 Massachusetts grown…and fresher! .™ 413-665-7100 buylocalfood.org [email protected] CISA is an equal opportunity employer. C & IenSgaAges thse ctomrmeunnity g tto hbuield tnhe sloc afl faoodr ecmonomsy. From the far m… .. to the grocery store .. to the restaurant plate .. and to your table! Read on and visit buylocalfood.org to find local food and farms. Top to bottom: AC’s Main Street Market, Springfield CISA photo; Paul and Elizabeth’s Restaurant, Northampton Jason Threlfall photo; CISA’s Annual Meeting Jason Threlfall photo 1 Old Friends Farm, Amherst Old Friends Farm photo What CISA does Connects more people to local farms ... and healthy communities CISA ’s Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown ® public awareness CISA works with partners to ensure that locally grown campaign is the longest-running and most comprehensive food is available to more residents of our region, in all “buy local” program in the United States. of the places that we live, work, learn, shop, and eat. CISA programs help farmers sell their products and help Through research and feasibility analyses, business and buyers find local, whether they’re feeding a family, serving marketing support, and participation in the Pioneer Valley a cafeteria full of kids, or filling grocery store shelves. Grows Investment Fund, CISA supports new efforts to Grows healthy farms … fill gaps in the local food system. CISA’s Local Hero program helps strengthen the financial This year, CISA is a core partner on the statewide Healthy viability of more than 274 local farms. CISA also advances Incentives Program, which offers an instant rebate on fruits successful and sustainable farm business practices through and vegetables purchased using SNAP at participating workshops, networking, and mentoring opportunities farmers’ markets, farm stands, CSAs, and mobile markets. for farmers and food businesses. Through this program, our tax dollars do double duty— CISA works with partners to ensure that getting more fruits and vegetables to low income families, locally grown food is available to more and bolstering the bottom lines of local farmers. And CISA’s Senior FarmShare program will provide 420 residents of our region, in all of the places low-income seniors with shares of fresh, locally grown that we live, work, learn, shop, and eat. produce at the height of the growing season. Amherst Winter Farmers’ Market Elizabeth Solaka photo JOIN US! Visit buylocalfood.org to: Find what you’re looking for! Search for local food and farms using our online database. Sign up for CISA’s email newsletter to get the latest local food and farm news. Become a Community Member and support our important work! Connect with us: facebook.com/buylocalfood.org @cisa_localhero @CISAstaff 2 FARM PRODUCT SEASONALITY CALENDAR To find crops with limited availability you may need to join a CSA, find a farmer who grows greenhouse crops, visit a winter farmers’ market, or urge your grocery store to find a local supplier. Please remember that availability depends on many factors, including crop varieties and weather, and may vary from year to year. 3 Farm Festivals Each season brings opportunities to celebrate local food and explore local agriculture. Visit buylocalfood.org/events for a complete list of this year’s farm festivals, workshops, and more. Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up in 2017: SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 27–28 43rd Annual Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair Farm tour at Warm Colors Apiary, South Deerfield Cummington Fairgrounds, Cummington Jessica Wisniewski photo Fiber and woolcraft vendors, sheep shearing demonstrations, fiber and woolcraft workshops for adults and children, and lots of delicious food. masheepwool.org SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16–17 Kitchen Garden Farm’s Chilifest SATURDAY, JUNE 3 Mike’s Maze, Sunderland WGBY Asparagus Festival Join thousands of spicy-food lovers for a great line-up of bands, Hadley Town Common fabulous food, and local-ingredient beers. Sample exotic hot Farmers’ market, family activities, music, asparagus lunch, peppers grown on the farm in Sunderland, a chili cook-off, and craft beer tasting, and more! wgby.org/asparagus a hot sauce competition. kitchengardenfarm.com/chilifest SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JUNE 24–25 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Lavender Festival Annual Honey Festival Johnson Hill Farm, Buckland Warm Colors Apiary, South Deerfield Relaxing, self-guided tours of the farm, local artisans and Talk with local beekeepers, walk the busy bee nature trail, crafters vending their products, workshops and demonstrations and sample this season’s honey, Green River Ambrosia’s throughout the weekend. lavenderland.net mead, and honey ice cream from Flayvors of Cook Farm. warmcolorsapiary.com SUNDAY, AUGUST 13 THROUGH THANKSGIVING SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23–24 Art in the Orchard 19th Annual North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival Park Hill Orchard, Easthampton Forster’s Farm, Orange A free, self-guided exhibition of large outdoor sculptures The ‘Festival that Stinks’ has more than 100 local food, art, set among the working orchards and fruit gardens. agriculture, and community vendors, great music on two parkhillorchard.com solar-powered stages, and only three bags of trash for 10,000 people. garlicandarts.org SATURDAY & SUNDAY, AUGUST 26–27 Tomato Weekend FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3–5 Red Fire Farm, Granby 23rd Annual Franklin County CiderDays Sample many varieties of heirloom, red and cherry tomatoes, A community celebration of all things apple in Franklin County. plus other local fare. Guest chefs, cooking demos, music, wild Orchard tours, cidermaking and tastings, workshops, and edible walks, activities for kids, and more. redfirefarm.com much more. ciderdays.org SATURDAY & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4–5 The Fiber Festival of New England Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield Demonstrations, shopping, fleece sale, workshops, fashion show, and local vendors. fiberfestival.org 4 Map of the Pioneer Valley The Pioneer Valley is brimming with Local Hero farms and FRANKLIN COUNTY businesses using agricultural products. Find details about them HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HAMPDEN COUNTY on the following pages, or check the index organized by business name on pages 86 –87. Use the Guide to explore the Valley, get to know our many farms, and put more local food on your family’s table! Find it! Search online for local food and farms at buylocalfood.org/farmguide 5 Lakeside PYO Strawberries, Hadley LOCAL HERO FARM LISTINGS BY TOWN CISA photo AGAWAM historic, diversified family farm on APR Book & Plow Farm land in the center of Amherst. We offer 425 South East Street, Amherst Granny’s Place CSA vegetable shares, horse-drawn 413-610-1381 • bookandplowfarm.com 844 Main Street, Agawam wagon/sleigh rides, horseback riding Book & Plow Farm is now a department 413-335-7611 or 413-335-7610 lessons and boarding, Nigerian dwarf of Amherst College. Our mission is grannysplaceagawam.com goats, alpaca fiber, and farm stays. threefold: engage students in collaborative Family farm selling flowers, perennials, Re-localize with us! and productive farm labor; provide quality annuals, hanging baskets, vegetable plants, Amherst Farm Winery produce to our college community; and fresh vegetables and fruits, pumpkins, offer people space on campus to connect 529 Belchertown Road, Amherst as well as Halloween needs, Christmas with food, land, and each other. Our 413-253-1400 • amherstfarmwinery.com trees, wreaths, logs, and kissing balls. produce is available at Valentine Hall Visit the winery to taste more than 10 Eggs and honey are available year-round! through Dining Services and through a locally made fruit and grape wines. CSA shares are available. Visit us Thursdays weekly CSA share in the fall. at PeoplesBank in Holyoke, Friday mornings Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and at the East Longmeadow Senior Center. Monday noon –5pm. Brookfield Farm 24 Hulst Road, Amherst Amherst Nurseries AMHERST 413-253-7991 • brookfieldfarm.org 199 Belchertown Road (Route 9), CSA shares include vegetables, fruit, herbs, American Agro AGD Amherst • 413-549-8873 and flowers. A $580 share feeds two 515 Sunderland Road, Amherst amherstnurseries.com adults plus kids. You can purchase split 413-230-3166 Offering everything from flowering trees shares. We offer 25 weeks of mix-and- facebook.com/AmericanAgroAGD and shrubs to shade trees, perennials, match distribution plus the option to buy Locally owned and operated garden and a wide variety of fruit-bearing trees. more organic vegetables at wholesale center, offering the world’s best unique We grow most of what we sell, with an prices, and pasture-raised beef and micro-gardens with a new nutrition system emphasis on sustainable practices. pork. Season runs June–Thanksgiving. discovered by scientists at UMass. Micro- Landscape design consultation services Call or visit website for details. gardens are sold with herbs, vegetables, available. Please call for hours. and flowers. Planters are sold with split Deepening Roots Farm root nutrient cartridges that allow you Atkins Farms Amherst • 413-537-9915 1150 West Street, Amherst to grow quality plants year-round for deepeningroots.org less cost.