Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Appoints Three New Board Members
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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Berkshire Agricultural Ventures announced the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors.
Farmer and local agricultural leader Meg Bantle, community volunteer and farm business co-founder Mimi Beaven, and former BAV interim executive director Glenn Bergman were elected at the Board’s Annual Meeting in December 2024.
"We are thrilled to welcome these new members to our Board. BAV continues to work hard to expand its Board to reflect the community and geography we serve. These individuals bring new skills and experiences that will enhance the effectiveness of our work in the Berkshire-Taconic region," BAV Board President Maryann Tebben said.
Meg Bantle is a sixth-generation farmer and the co-founder of Full Well Farm in Adams, MA, a queer- and woman-owned no-till vegetable and cut flower farm. Bantle brings a commitment to food justice with a focus on providing access to fresh, local produce to the northern Berkshire community. Full Well Farm has been a BAV partner over the past several years.
Mimi Beaven, a native of the United Kingdom, brings a farming background and a love of the natural world, food, and community, as well as their intersections. In 2012, she and her husband founded Little Ghent Farm/Made In Ghent, restoring 75 acres in Columbia County, NY, to productive farmland and raising laying hens, meat chickens, ducks, and pigs. The business, now closed, also developed a 20C-certified farm kitchen and store, rental accommodation, and workshop program. Beaven has been an active volunteer with area nonprofits and schools.
Glenn Bergman is a food industry leader and former executive director of Philabundance, a $55 million nonprofit food bank in Philadelphia. He also served as general manager of Weavers Way Co-operative Market, a Philadelphia co-operative food market, among other positions in the food sector. From 2020 to 2023, Bergman was interim executive director of BAV, expanding the organization’s Board, staff, and client relationships.
"We are grateful to Meg, Mimi, and Glenn for their willingness to contribute their time and talents to BAV. Our Board and staff look forward to working with them as BAV enters its ninth year as a nonprofit serving local farmers and food producers and seeking to make a real difference in the local food system," BAV Executive Director Rebecca Busansky said.
