Thursday, May 7 - Doors Open: 5:30; Event is 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Free (please reserve a space ONLY if you are definitely attending)
A reception will follow the panel.
Guthrie Center, 2 Van Deusenville Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
Email and phone: membership@berkshirecommunitylandtrust.org, 413 429 1176
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Please join the Berkshire Community Land Trust for a panel with local leaders, asking the question what do we gain by working together, and what do we lose if we don’t? Moderator Katy Sparks will lead a panel of diverse non-profit experts in the fields of farming and food production, food access, housing, local business support, and environmental advocacy in a discussion about how to make life in the Berkshires sustainable for everyone. What are we doing now? What can we do better? What do we need more of? What do we need less of?
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Speakers Brittany Ebeling (Berkshire Environmental Action Team), Jim Harwood (Community Development Corporation of the Southern Berkshires), Dennis Iodice (BerkShares), and Margaret Moulton (Berkshire Grown) will share their work and thoughts.
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The panel will be preceded by a brief annual meeting of the Berkshire Community Land Trust. A reception will close the evening. Everyone is welcome; you need not be a member to attend, but please do make a reservation.
Katy Sparks is an award-winning chef and culinary and food systems consultant who lives and works in the southern Berkshires after spending over 25 years in New York City. She is certified in Executive Leadership and is passionate about helping our local food businesses and food makers grow and thrive. She enjoys the abundant and diverse cultural scene in our region alongside her husband and energetic “doodle”.
Panelists:
Brittany Ebeling is the Executive Director of Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). Brittany has worked as an advocate on climate justice issues, collective land ownership models, and sustainable food systems. She has an undergraduate degree in International Economics and Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s in Urban Policy from Sciences Po Paris. Brittany lives in Sheffield, Massachusetts, where she co-owns Little Bean Farm and Pantry, where she and her partner Ben grow unique heirloom dry beans.
Jim Harwood is the president of the board of Community Development South Berkshire. Trained as an architect, he relocated to the Berkshires with his family in 2007 and started his own practice. He was drawn to the region by its wealth of Natural and cultural resources. He has worked with CDC SB for 15+ years, helping to build community and drive economic development in the Berkshires one apartment at a time.
Dennis Iodice is Business Manager at Berkshire Mountain Bakery, Board President of BerkShares, and a Board Director of the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire. He moved to the Berkshires with his family from Oakland, CA, ten years ago, and is the manager of the Great Barrington Farmers Market.
Margaret Moulton is the Executive Director of Berkshire Grown where she works to create a thriving local agricultural economy by expanding direct market opportunities for local farmers, raising awareness and understanding of the issues challenging our local food system, and making fresh local food available to all members of the community, especially families facing food insecurity. Margaret is also visual artist, gardener, and educator. She holds a BA in Philosophy, and an MFA in Photography. She volunteered at Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, which led her to follow her passion to support small local farmers.
