Grant Supports Memoir Writing Workshop at Monterey Library

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MONTEREY, Mass. — The Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area has awarded a $2,500 grant to The Friends of Monterey Public Library to host a memoir writing workshop facilitated by professional storyteller and teaching artist Mary Jo Maichack.
 
The four-part workshop, titled Presenting the Past: Berkshire Memoirs of Work, will be held at the library on Thursdays—January 23, 30, February 6, and 13—from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The sessions are free and open to adults of all writing levels, with no registration required. Participants are encouraged to arrive early for the 10:30 a.m. start time.
 
Attendees may join one or more sessions, with the program culminating in a month-long exhibit of participants' writings on the theme of work, aligning with Housatonic Heritage's annual focus. The Friends of the Library will provide in-kind contributions matching the grant amount.
 
"Mary Jo led a memoir writing workshop this fall that was well-attended and well-loved," said library director Mark Makuc. "Now we are able to help sponsor a record of personal work experience by more Berkshire residents."
 
Maichack, who has delivered more than 5,000 storytelling and singing programs over 35 years, expressed gratitude for the support.
 
"I believe in building on the positive and am fulfilled when I hear about people's lives," she said.
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Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Appoints Three New Board Members

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. 
 
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