iBerkshires.com Columnist SectionSue Bush
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Zheutlin Named Executive Director Of Berkshire Grown12:00AM / Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Berkshire Grown, an organization that promotes local agriculture as a vital part of a healthy Berkshire economy, named Barbara Zheutlin as its new executive director, to begin officially on February 5th.
Zheutlin replaces Danielle Mullen, who has been Berkshire Grown’s executive director since April 2004. Mullen is resigning so she can spend more time with her new baby.
“Danielle has been instrumental in strengthening Berkshire Grown†said Laurily Epstein, chairwoman of the Berkshire Grown board of trustees. “She has gotten the organization on its feet financially and has been a strong and committed director. We’re sorry to lose her. We wish Danielle, her husband, and their new daughter Eliza all good luck and happiness.â€
Berkshire Grown has promoted local agriculture by supporting farmers’ markets and member-supported farms (CSAs). The organization’s Business-to-Business initiative helped link farmers and producers with local chefs through its annual professional directory. Berkshire Grown’s new initiative is forging relationships between local farms and the county’s public schools.
Zheutlin has been a member of the Berkshire Grown board since April 2006. She is also a co-founder of Share the Bounty, an organization that raises funds to purchase shares in local farms that are donated to food pantries. Last year, Berkshire Grown became the fiscal agent for Share the Bounty. As Berkshire Grown’s new director, Zheutlin will continue to oversee Share the Bounty.
A graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz, Zheutlin subsequently earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. For the past 9 years, she has done research at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge. From November 1999 to 2002, Zheutlin was also a development associate at The Orion Society in Great Barrington. A native of California, she moved to the Berkshires with her companion Jonathan Hankin in 1995.
“As a southern Californian who spent much of her life in an urban environment, I am enthralled by the rural landscape,†said Zheutlin. “In fact, it’s the beauty of the Berkshires that lured me here in the first place.
“But today, the importance of small farms far exceeds their visual charm. At a time of energy shortages, when our food production is becoming increasingly industrialized and vulnerable to disruption, we must encourage our community to support local farmers. If we want to maintain our rural landscape, some of it must produce food we can eat. This is a cause I’m committed to. We must bring our farms to our schools, to our food pantries, and to our tables.†|
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