Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Launches Market Match Drive

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
03:05PM / Thursday, April 10, 2025Print Story | Email Story

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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Great Barrington Public Theater Appoints Artistic Director

09:57AM / Monday, December 29, 2025

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Great Barrington Public Theater announced that Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha will now join Jim Frangione at the helm as Artistic Director of Great Barrington Public Theater.

"We at Great Barrington Public Theater are thrilled that Judy Braha will assume the role of Artistic Director alongside myself. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to help advance the interests of the theater as we move into the next phase of growth as the region's premiere developmental theater," Founder & Artistic Director Jim Frangione said. "Judy brings a tremendous amount of experience and value to our company and has, in just a few short years, grown and greatly enhanced GB Public Theater's signature program, Berkshires Voices, where playwrights develop their work, leading to public readings and in some cases workshops and full productions. I look forward to working more closely with Judy to select the next generation of plays to be presented under the GB Public banner. It's a "Bear" of a job! But we feel great about the direction of our theater."

Judy Braha joined the GB Public artistic leadership team in 2023 as the Associate Artistic Director after 2 years directing for the company. She has since then been collaborating with Founder and Artistic Director Jim Frangione on the selection of new work for readings and full productions in the summer season. Her impressive portfolio of credits and accomplishments strengthened Great Barrington Public's creative programming and offered new perspectives to the body of works and events produced each year.

Judy Braha has been a career director, actor, teacher and artist for social justice for over four decades with directorial credits in theaters and universities throughout New England. She led the M.F.A. Directing Program at Boston University's School of Theater, retiring in 2022 after 29 years of service at BU.

"Judy has the strength of commitment, leadership and passion for theater and how it affects communities that fit hand-in-glove with our founding mission and core beliefs," Founder and Producing Director Deann Halper Simmons explains. "Her artistic integrity, sense of stage esthetic and ability to make important choices that craft life from the script continues to be a great asset to our company and growth."

"Judy's distinguished artistic voice has significantly contributed to the exceptional growth of GB Public in recent years," Managing Director Serena Johnson added. "We are truly excited to have her stepping into this leadership role in the 2026 season."

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