Community Rallies to Replace Windy Ridge Farm's Greenhouse

Windy Ridge had been a regular vendor at the Pittsfield farmers' market and donates produce to Christian Center and Berkshire dream Center. 

HAWLEY, Mass. — The community has stepped up to help Windy Ridge Farm after an early March windstorm destroyed its greenhouse — more than $20,000 was raised in just a matter of weeks.

"Our community absolutely showed up for us, which was just a really incredible feeling," owner and founder Julia Lemieux said.

"We've been farming in the same area and at the same farmers' markets for about 13 years so I consider a lot of our customers our friends at this point because they've been buying plants from us for over a decade. So it was really touching to see like how quickly everybody just got behind it."

The family farm is a longtime vendor at the Downtown Pittsfield Farmer's market and Lemieux has managed a community garden program in Pittsfield that serves two of the lowest income neighborhoods in the city since 2014.

On March 8, a severe windstorm demolished a secondary greenhouse that is usually a heated home for Lemieux's organic plants. She said this happened during a critical time of the year because it is before the farm's selling season.

Replacing the greenhouse is estimated to cost about $14,000 and labor to rebuild is around $7,000  Hesitating at first, the farm owner created a GoFundMe and raised about $14,000 in just one day. 

"That was really helpful and it's just taking the financial stress off of the whole situation," she said.

"Like most farms, our cash flow is very tight this time of year because we've already purchased all of our seeds and our soil and raw materials, we've already bought everything but we haven't sold anything yet, so this is a time of year when our farm accounts are very, very lean, so it was definitely not something that we could cover on our own financially."

Included in the donations was a $1,000 match from Berkshire Agricultural Ventures. The fundraiser is almost at its goal of $21,000 at just over $20,500.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.