GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass — Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV) announced their new Interim Director, Glenn Bergman. 

 

A native of Philadelphia, Penn. Glenn has been a long-term, part-time resident of Stockbridge and currently shares his time between his homes in Philly and Great Barrington. He has a long history of working with nonprofit organizations. For five years he was the Executive Director for Philabundance, the largest hunger-relief organization in the Philadelphia area. Prior to this, he was the General Manager for Weavers Way Co-op for eleven years. 

 

"I'm thrilled to be assisting the staff and board with the transition of our next chapter, BAV is truly a gem of an organization," Bergman said. 

 

The board also welcomed Great Barrington native Ciana Barnaba to the role of Executive Assistant. In Ciana's role, she manages the BAV office, internal and external communications, and a lot of the behind-the-scenes work BAV runs on. She came to us from GrowNYC where she managed over a dozen Greenmarkets throughout the New York City area. 

 

BAV's board is also welcomed two new board members, Amanda Freund and Erik Rasmussen. 

 

An experienced farmer, Amanda Freund, of East Canaan, Conn., joined the Board in December 2020. She and her family own and operate the prominent, multi-generational dairy farm, Freund Farm & Market. She brings years of farming knowledge and will be assisting with the review and development of new projects. The Freund Farm is known for its dairy, "CowPots" product, great food, plants, and vegetables.

 

 Agricultural economist, Erik Rasmussen, of Stockbridge, also joined our Board this past December. Rasmussen joins after a long career in dairy marketing and related economic matters for the USDA. Previous to that, he was the Executive Director of the New York State Legislative Commission on Dairy Industry Development. He brings important skills that will aid BAV in deepening its understanding of agricultural economics. 

 

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV) is a 501(c)3 IRS tax-exempt, nonprofit based in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. BAV's mission is dedicated to supporting farm and food business development and viability by offering access to technical assistance and nimble financing including low-interest loans, grants, and other professional resources. BAV brings together collaborative financing programs for farmers and food makers in the region of New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut by using donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses.