Locally Grown To Local Homes:
Join in to pay farmers and provide free, fresh produce and soup to Berkshire homes!
Heart & Soil Collective addresses local food access across Berkshire County by paying small farms, getting fresh food to local homes for free, and empowering communities to connect with the land.
We envision a world where everyone is healthy, connected, and identified with the land where their food grows.
But the challenges are many. Small farms face increasing expenses for transportation, equipment, and packaging. Federal funding for farms and nonprofits has an uncertain future. On top of all that are problems of labor shortages and climate change.
At the same time, nearly 14% of our county’s population are single seniors, living alone. And there are over 50 families with children receiving care through Pediatric Palliative Care Hospice of the Berkshires. It’s impossible for many of these community members to shop at farmers markets and purchase fresh, local foods. Families and seniors lose out on healthy delicious meals. And the farmers lose opportunities to sell their goods.
We found ways to address all these challenges. Heart & Soil Collective is a Berkshire County nonprofit that feeds people, supports small farms and connects the community through agriculture.
We purchase produce directly from small farms and deliver at no cost to local homes. Since 2020 our Community Produce and Soup Programs have expanded to serve seniors and families across the Berkshires reaching a total of 219 homes/ 416 individuals, paying our Partner Farms $45,500, cooking and delivering 600 gallons of soup and delivering 3,529 bags of free, fresh, locally grown produce. USDA funding allowed us to expand this work even more in 2023 and 2024.
Now is the time to purchase more food from farms and feed more neighbors. But USDA grant funds have ended. Future Federal funding is up in the air. Now, it’s up to you.
This campaign is your opportunity to sustain and grow our programs throughout Berkshire County. Let’s come together to connect people with local food!
When you join our Locally Grown To Local Homes campaign you provide free, fresh produce and soup to seniors and families in need AND you support local farmers so they can continue working the land and growing nutritious foods.
What are you waiting for? Join the community of good folks making it all happen right here!
Here's where Campaign Funds will go:
- 70% goes to paying our Partner Farms for fresh produce they grow locally
- 15% pays staff to deliver produce, cook BIG batches of soup and covers rental fees for commercial kitchen use
- 10% creates jobs through two paid Summer Internships with Heart & Soil Collective where interns pack and deliver produce, maintain community gardens & help with farm tours
- 5% Covers expenses for delivery bags, soup cartons and labels so produce & soup arrive fresh to local homes
- 100% provides free, fresh food to seniors & families in your community!
At Heart & Soil Collective, we rely on volunteers. That can be a challenge when schedules or availability change. But because we partner with such a large network of local farms, organizations, and businesses, as well as our amazing volunteers, our programming can sustain these challenges.
Climate change is a challenge that impacts each growing season for our Partner Farms, but there isn’t much (aside from a natural disaster) that will stop our Community Produce and Soup Programs from succeeding when you join in!
Each year our tree of community connections grows new branches and deeper roots. Join in now to be part of this year's growth!
Other ways you can join in :
- Share this campaign on your social media!
- Email this campaign to your friends who love projects like Locally Grown To Local Homes.
- Send us a testimonial about your connections to local farms & food (We’d love to hear from you!).
- Invite your friends to join our email list
- Wish us luck!
‘Collective’ is an important part of our name. Thank you for joining our collective work to pay farmers and feed the Berkshires!
Perks
Contribute $30 and receive digital recipes for three of Heart & Soil Collective program participant’s favorite soups from our Community Soup Program. You can enjoy our favorite soups made with locally grown produce at home- yum!
Pledge $60 and join a soup-cooking session with Heart & Soil Collective's staff and Board members! Together we will cook soup made with ingredients purchased from Berkshire County farms for our Community Soup Program, no experience necessary- and joy is guaranteed!
Plus 3 digital soup recipes.
*Cooking takes place in Pittsfield September through December.
Love to get your hands in the soil? With a contribution of $100 come join us for a few hours to plant veggies, herbs, berries and pollinator plants in Community Gardens across Berkshire County. Help feed the community and take home some seedlings for your home garden!
Plus 3 digital soup recipes and 3 seedlings.
*Garden planting will take place between late May and July 2025
Join our campaign at $300 and invite up to four friends to take part in a tour of one of our amazing Partner Farms. Meet local farmers, learn about their growing practices, and see 'behind the scenes' of how your food is being grown. Your tour will include a class on painting with beet juice and instructions to recreate the activity at home!
Plus 3 digital soup recipes for up to 5 people and painting with beet juice activity & instructions.
*Farm Tour will be during the summer months in Berkshire County at one of our amazing Partner Farms.
Want organically grown fresh herbs at your fingertips? Contribute at the $600 level and join our team to make your own delicious herb container garden with certified organic herbs from our Partner Farm Windy Ridge Farm. Container gardens are perfect for small spaces, porches and windowsills- and this item makes a great gift for those people who already have it all!
Container garden includes pot, soil, 3-5 herbs, plus 3 digital soup recipes, and a copy of our Local Produce Guide Book.
*Container garden construction will take place between June and August in Berkshire County.
Want help turning your home garden into a pollinator paradise or your own locally grown veggie oasis? Join with $800 and Heart & Soil Collective’s team will come assess your space to help you develop a plan to reach your gardening dreams!
Plus your choice of 5 pollinator plants or veggie starts, 3 digital soup recipes and a copy of our Local Produce Guide Book.
*Home consultations will be an hour and can take place between May and July across Berkshire County and neighboring areas.
With a contribution of $1000 you and your guest will be invited to join Heart & Soil Collective's team and other level donors for a five-course Farm-To-Table meal, made using ingredients grown locally right here in the beautiful Berkshires.
Plus 3 digital soup recipes, a copy of our Local Produce Guide Book and a set of 5 veggie cards.
*Farm-To-Table Dinner will take place in Pittsfield, MA
With a contribution of $2500+ you and your group of up to 8 people can join Heart & Soil Collective’s team in the kitchen for a private cooking class using produce purchased from our Partner Farms to cook and eat a meal together. Locally grown produce is nutrient dense, seasonally available and oh so delicious. Not sure how to prepare garlic scapes or looking for more ways to cook kale? This is the reward for you!
Includes 3 digital soup recipes for each member of your group, 8 copies of our Local Produce Guide Book and our Partner Farm guide on where to source the very best fresh, local produce.
*Cooking classes will take place in a certified kitchen in Pittsfield MA and can be scheduled between May and October when local produce is most available.
Love all our rewards and can’t choose just one? Join at the $5000+ level and you can have it all! With your contribution you and up to 11 guests will join Heart & Soil Collective’s team for a private farm tour to see where your food is grown locally then join us in the kitchen with one of our Chefs to cook with locally grown ingredients & enjoy a delightful, nutritious farm-to-table meal together!
Includes 3 digital soup recipes for each member of your group, 12 copies of our Local Produce Guide Book and our Partner Farm guide on where to source the very best fresh, local produce.
*Farm Tour will be scheduled between June and October at one of our Partner Farms. Cooking classes and farm-to-table meal will take place in a certified kitchen in Pittsfield MA and can be scheduled between May and October when local produce is most available.
Highlights
See all activity89Activity
Contribute $30 and receive digital recipes for three of Heart & Soil Collective program participant’s favorite soups from our Community Soup Program. You can enjoy our favorite soups made with locally grown produce at home- yum!
Pledge $60 and join a soup-cooking session with Heart & Soil Collective's staff and Board members! Together we will cook soup made with ingredients purchased from Berkshire County farms for our Community Soup Program, no experience necessary- and joy is guaranteed!
Plus 3 digital soup recipes.
*Cooking takes place in Pittsfield September through December.
Love to get your hands in the soil? With a contribution of $100 come join us for a few hours to plant veggies, herbs, berries and pollinator plants in Community Gardens across Berkshire County. Help feed the community and take home some seedlings for your home garden!
Plus 3 digital soup recipes and 3 seedlings.
*Garden planting will take place between late May and July 2025
Join our campaign at $300 and invite up to four friends to take part in a tour of one of our amazing Partner Farms. Meet local farmers, learn about their growing practices, and see 'behind the scenes' of how your food is being grown. Your tour will include a class on painting with beet juice and instructions to recreate the activity at home!
Plus 3 digital soup recipes for up to 5 people and painting with beet juice activity & instructions.
*Farm Tour will be during the summer months in Berkshire County at one of our amazing Partner Farms.
Want organically grown fresh herbs at your fingertips? Contribute at the $600 level and join our team to make your own delicious herb container garden with certified organic herbs from our Partner Farm Windy Ridge Farm. Container gardens are perfect for small spaces, porches and windowsills- and this item makes a great gift for those people who already have it all!
Container garden includes pot, soil, 3-5 herbs, plus 3 digital soup recipes, and a copy of our Local Produce Guide Book.
*Container garden construction will take place between June and August in Berkshire County.
Want help turning your home garden into a pollinator paradise or your own locally grown veggie oasis? Join with $800 and Heart & Soil Collective’s team will come assess your space to help you develop a plan to reach your gardening dreams!
Plus your choice of 5 pollinator plants or veggie starts, 3 digital soup recipes and a copy of our Local Produce Guide Book.
*Home consultations will be an hour and can take place between May and July across Berkshire County and neighboring areas.
With a contribution of $1000 you and your guest will be invited to join Heart & Soil Collective's team and other level donors for a five-course Farm-To-Table meal, made using ingredients grown locally right here in the beautiful Berkshires.
Plus 3 digital soup recipes, a copy of our Local Produce Guide Book and a set of 5 veggie cards.
*Farm-To-Table Dinner will take place in Pittsfield, MA
With a contribution of $2500+ you and your group of up to 8 people can join Heart & Soil Collective’s team in the kitchen for a private cooking class using produce purchased from our Partner Farms to cook and eat a meal together. Locally grown produce is nutrient dense, seasonally available and oh so delicious. Not sure how to prepare garlic scapes or looking for more ways to cook kale? This is the reward for you!
Includes 3 digital soup recipes for each member of your group, 8 copies of our Local Produce Guide Book and our Partner Farm guide on where to source the very best fresh, local produce.
*Cooking classes will take place in a certified kitchen in Pittsfield MA and can be scheduled between May and October when local produce is most available.
Love all our rewards and can’t choose just one? Join at the $5000+ level and you can have it all! With your contribution you and up to 11 guests will join Heart & Soil Collective’s team for a private farm tour to see where your food is grown locally then join us in the kitchen with one of our Chefs to cook with locally grown ingredients & enjoy a delightful, nutritious farm-to-table meal together!
Includes 3 digital soup recipes for each member of your group, 12 copies of our Local Produce Guide Book and our Partner Farm guide on where to source the very best fresh, local produce.
*Farm Tour will be scheduled between June and October at one of our Partner Farms. Cooking classes and farm-to-table meal will take place in a certified kitchen in Pittsfield MA and can be scheduled between May and October when local produce is most available.
