SHEFFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Green Drinks will host an event discussing the relationship between glyphosate and soil health on Wednesday, April 9.

 

The event will feature Rubén Parrilla, a soil scientist with the Massachusetts Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass).

 

The event will be a hybrid event, taking place online via Zoom and in person at Race Brook Lodge, located at 864 S Undermountain Rd, in Sheffield. The in-person social gathering will begin around 5:15 PM, with the presentation and Zoom meeting starting at 6:00 PM.

 

The presentation will explore the effects of glyphosate on soil health, microbial communities, water permeability, and ecological impacts, with a focus on the research of Dr. Don Huber. It will also discuss potential health implications for wildlife and humans, application method differences, and alternative land management approaches.

 

More information and RSVP details can be found at https://tinyurl.com/April2025-Berks-Green-Drinks.

 

Rubén Parilla is the Soil Technical Coordinator and Education Director for NOFA/Mass and is trained in microscopic soil microbial identification through the Soil Food Web School. He is a Certified Lab Tech and studied Environmental Design at the University of Puerto Rico. He has experience in the environmental laboratory industry and has been performing soil carbon proxy testing, soil health assessments, soil chemical analysis, and soil microbiological evaluations for NOFA/Mass. He leads monthly farmer learning calls, provides workshops, and networks with farmers and individuals in the agricultural industry. He is a fluent and native Spanish speaker and is fully English/Spanish bilingual.

 

The April Berkshire Green Drinks event is co-sponsored by Race Brook Lodge.

 

Berkshire Green Drinks is a monthly gathering that is free and open to the public. A guest speaker presents on an environmentally related topic for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 6:00 PM, followed by a discussion and Q&A. Berkshire Green Drinks is sponsored and organized by the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). This month's Berkshire Green Drinks event is co-sponsored by Hot Plate Brewing Co.