Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Launches Market Match Drive

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Berkshire Agricultural Ventures has started its 2025 Market Match campaign to aid federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program users.
 
"It's a program that exists to support SNAP matching programs in our area farmers markets," communications and development manager Audrey Hackett said.
 
This financial assistance plays a role in bolstering food equity and ensuring that all community members have access to fresh, local, and nutrient-dense food.
 
Through the economic development and food access program, funding is provided to farmers markets to enhance the effectiveness of SNAP benefits throughout the Berkshire-Taconic region. The grants enable a $1-for-$1 SNAP match program, doubling the purchasing power of SNAP at participating farmers markets.
 
"When people who are SNAP users go to farmers markets they have a certain amount that they can spend on fresh local food. The national program called Market Match doubles that amount which is wonderful," Hackett said. "So if you go to the market with $30, now you, through your SNAP benefits, have $60 to spend and you can probably access more expensive products like dairy, meat, and cheese."
 
BAV launched the Market Match fund in 2022 to support and grow SNAP benefits and raise money year round. The donation drive started in April and this year's goal is $30,000.
 
This year is more important than ever because of federal cuts made to local programs and farmers.
 
"There have been significant federal cuts that have impacted local food programs that are important to our food-insecure friends and neighbors and to local farmers," Hackett said.
 
Last fall, the state run Healthy Incentives Program that helps SNAP users purchase produce from local farms wasn't fully funded and SNAP programs are threatened currently by the federal government. This also hurt farmers, who are experiencing a funding freeze from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
 
"The Market Match Fund makes sure that our local farmers markets remain food access points for people in our community who need access to fresh local food," Hacket said. "Through the Market Match Fund we're providing support for some volume of sales that will help farmers do what their purpose in life is to do which is to grow food."
 
BAV has helped more than 180 farmers and food producers throughout the county. The Market Match Fund has supported more than $602,000 in SNAP sales and $337,000 in SNAP-matched purchases for low-income shoppers.

Those who wish to donate can do so here.


Tags: Berkshire Agricultural Ventures,   farmers market,   food insecurity,   SNAP,   

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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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