With its rolling landscape and fertile soil — necessary for supporting cattle and other livestock, as well as its many farms and orchards — Berkshire County is well-known for its rich agricultural history. Unfortunately, with the continued loss of farmland, many Berkshire children have little or no connection with the few remaining farms.
In an effort to sow the seeds for future agricultural and environmental awareness, the Southern Berkshire YMCA and Project Native are collaborating in an organic heritage vegetable and native wildflower garden.
Project Native is a local nonprofit nursery dedicated to growing Native Berkshire plant species with the help of local youth and is a part of the Railroad Street Youth Project of Great Barrington. The site of this community garden will be the playground of the Housatonic Elementary School.
The Southern Berkshire YMCA and Project Native hopes to foster cooperation between the community members and children, encourage the participation of children and adolescents ages 5 through 14, from not only Housatonic but from all of South Berkshire County. Participation in the project is free of charge and is part of an after-school program that runs Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.
Although the majority of the effort for this project will take place next spring and summer, the initial work of uprooting the sod and turning-in the compost has already begun with the help of students already enrolled in the program this fall.
Windy Hill Farm in Great Barrington donated “about 10 bags of organic compost†to the project, stated Genevieve Sanzone, manager of Windy Hill’s perennials department. “The owners [of Windy Hill] are very generous and make many donations throughout the year. The [community] garden hasn’t had much done to it yet — just prep work this year — in the spring, when they begin planting, there’s a good chance we'll donate plants.â€
Throughout next spring and summer, those enrolled in the program will be able to grow their own food, eventually cook their own snacks, and do art projects with the garden’s bounty. In a playground that has been plagued in the past by vandalism, the Southern Berkshire YMCA, Project Native, and the Housatonic Elementary School hope that this garden will give the community and its children a sense of ownership and pride.
While many local organizations and businesses have already contributed support through donations, time, and/or money — including Ward's Nursery in Great Barrington, Holiday Farm in Dalton, Windy Hill Farm in Great Barrington, the Housatonic Elementary School’s PTO, the Railroad Street Youth Project, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, and The Nature Conservancy — the program is still in great need of further contributions.
Items needed include shovels, buckets, watering cans, trowels, a wheelbarrow, and chicken wire and stakes for a fence. Also, monetary donations to the Southern Berkshire YMCA and/or Project Native would go towards the purchase of organic seed, vegetable starts, and native wildflowers.
If you are interested in contributing in any way, including registering your child to work in the garden, please contact Sarah Cohen, Southern Berkshire YMCA site coordinator of their after-school program, at 528-9622, ext. 4. To learn more about Project Native, contact Raina Weber, project manager, at 528-2475, ext. 1.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Winter Storm Warning Issued for Berkshires
Another snowstorm is expected to move through the region overnight on Friday, bringing 5 to 8 inches of snow. This is updated from Thursday's winter weather advisory.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has posted a winter storm warning for all of Berkshire County and parts of eastern New York State beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday at 1 p.m.
The region could see heavy to moderate snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overnight, tapering off Saturday morning to flurries.
Drivers should exercise caution on Friday night and Saturday morning, as travel conditions may be hazardous.
Saturday night should be clear and calm, but warming temperatures means freezing rain Sunday night and rain through Monday with highs in the 40s. The forecast isn't much better through the week as temperatures dip back into the teens with New Year's Eve looking cloudy and frigid.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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