Berkshire Grown Indoor Winter Farmers Market Season Begins

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — In Great Barrington, the first in the season of six indoor Winter Farmers Markets will take place on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the Housy Dome (Housatonic Community Center).
 
Starting in December the five remaining indoor markets will run every third Saturday through April 19, 2025. The Housy Dome is located at 1064 Main Street in Housatonic and is included on the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority BRTA route #21.
 
In North County, the Winter Farmers Market will take place at Greylock WORKS in North Adams on Sunday, Nov. 24 and Sunday, Dec. 22, from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Berkshire Grown is once again partnering with host Greylock WORKS to offer a mini maker market within the Winter Farmers Market, featuring a carefully curated gathering of local artisans.
 
Local musicians will play live original music at both market locations.
 
"We look forward to bringing back some of the extras that add sparkle to these wonderful winter farmers markets, including live music and the local artisan crafts at both markets," said Executive Director Margaret Moulton. "Raising our SNAP match to $30, thanks to BAV's Market Match program, is another highlight of the upcoming season."
 
Berkshire Grown's Winter Farmers Markets host farmers and producers from Berkshire County and the surrounding region, proving that the season to buy locally-grown food never ends for farmers and food producers in the Berkshires. Shop for locally-grown food, including fresh greens, winter squash, root crops, apples, meats, cheeses, honey, maple syrup, baked goods, prepared foods, and more. Meet the artisans whose creativity, craftsmanship, and traditions are inspired by the Berkshire landscapes and farms.
 
Admission to the Winter Farmers Markets is free and food access is an integral part of the markets. Shoppers using SNAP will receive a match up to $30, and the HIP incentive reimburses shoppers who spend SNAP funds on fresh fruits and vegetables. SNAP and HIP can be processed at the market manager's station, as well as at several farmers' booths.
 
Berkshire Grown abides by current local health regulations regarding COVID-19. Masks are welcomed but not required, and shoppers are encouraged to stay home if they feel ill.
 
The market is made possible through sponsors: Berkshire Money Management, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, Berkshire Food Co-op, Ed Herrington, Inc., Fairview Hospital, Rolling Rock Salt, Vitality Chiropractic, 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance, Inc., 328North: Farm + Flower + Food, Adams Community Bank, Blue Spark Capital Advisors, Fiber Connect, Guido's Fresh Marketplace, Lee Bank, Marty's Local, State Food +Drink, Blue Q, Housatonic Real Estate, Mercantile One / Sett, Mungy, Prairie Whale, Ward's, Wheeler & Taylor, Wild Oats Market and Williams College Zilkha Center for the Environment.
 
SNAP matching at the Winter Farmers Markets is funded by Berkshire Agricultural Ventures' Market Match program. Berkshire Grown also thanks the Town of Great Barrington and Greylock WORKS for hosting the Winter Farmers Markets, and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for their ongoing support.
 

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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said. 

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