As a child in Jamaica, Glenroy Buchanan could step out into the yard and pick papaya, bananas, and avocados from the trees. Even if you didn’t have these things in your own yard, he says, you knew someone in the community who did, and was willing to share.  Buchanan emphasizes that he didn’t grow up on a farm, but rather in a community with a strong tradition of food self-sufficiency and cooperation.

Today, Buchanan’s life revolves around making fresh locally grown food widely available. In 1988 he approached a Hadley farmer about farm workers growing vegetables for themselves on unused land.  The farmer was receptive, and when other farms followed, the Pioneer Valley / New England Growers Co-op  was born.  Today the Co-op includes growers who have the skills and knowledge to grow food but lack the land.  They grow food for their own consumption and for sale at farmers’ markets.  In exchange, landowners receive a share of the crop and benefit from assistance with the harvest and sale of their own crops.

Buchanan sells his own vegetables at the Holyoke Farmers’ Market and in Mason Square, a market he helped launch to serve one of the most racially diverse communities in Springfield. He worked with Hampden Bank to establish farmers’ markets in West Springfield, Wilbraham, and Indian Orchard, serving as the market manager for all of these, as well as a fourth in Three Rivers.

Buchanan circulates to farmers markets in six different urban communities every week. In one there is a large Polish and Portuguese population; in another, many of the families originally came from Italy. “In all these places, people appreciate food that is well-grown, fresh, and reasonably priced.”  CISA recognizes Glenroy Buchanan for his leadership in promoting diversity of crops grown in the Valley and for ensuring access to fresh food for underserved communities.

In colonial days, safe water was often hard to come by.  Cider, a fermented apple juice with alcohol content in the four to eight percent range, was the main beverage served at meals. During Prohibition cider making died off – surviving on a very small scale in a few regions of the country.

Western Massachusetts was one such region.  In 1972, two California winemakers, Judith and Terry Maloney, moved to Franklin County.  Impressed by the hard cider shared by neighbors, the Maloneys experimented with different apple varieties and cellaring techniques. In 1984, they launched their effort commercially, becoming the first U.S. winery to specialize in hard cider. Ten years later, the Maloneys planned a small event to celebrate the apple harvest. Franklin County’s CiderDays is now a two-day festival that draws thousands of enthusiastic participants from all over New England, as well as many other states, Europe, and Australia.

Organized by a devoted group of volunteers with the support of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, CiderDays activities take place in orchards from Colrain to Deerfield, New Salem to Charlemont. Workshops on cider apple selection and home-brewing compliment heritage apple tastings.  Participating orchards are open to visitors; at one, kids can learn how cider is made by operating a child-friendly cider mill.  Two ticketed events sell out: the “Cider Salon” offers an opportunity to taste several dozen ciders brought by brewers from all over the U.S. and Europe, and the “Harvest Supper” features seasonal cuisine, apples and cider.

Terry Maloney was missed at CiderDays’ in 2010; he died earlier that year. He leaves a rich legacy, though. Terry and Judith are widely credited with having taken cider from the cellar of history, helping to put it back on the table in this country.  CISA recognizes the CiderDays volunteer committee for connecting people to local farms while raising the profile of cider production in our region, and honors Terry and Judith Maloney’s pivotal role in reawakening interest in brewing and enjoying cider made from local apples.

Organic grains, raw milk, farmstead cheeses, pick-your-own berries, and seasonal vegetables – many components of a healthy, balanced diet are produced on Upinngil Farm’s 120 acres and can be purchased every day of the week at the farm’s on-site store in Gill.

Clifford Hatch started the farm with his wife Patricia Crosby in 1988.  Hatch’s family’s farming roots in the Valley go back to the early 17^thcentury.  His parents were primarily dairy farmers. In the 1960s, when the federal government tightened milk pasteurization regulations, they anticipated challenges ahead for small farms and discouraged Clifford from a life in agriculture.

Diversification has been essential to Upinngil’s success. Strawberries, raspberries, and grapes have been consistently important crops. The dairy operation started because of Hatch’s interest in making cheese, but the popularity of the farm’s raw milk has driven its expansion. Upinngil also grows more than twenty-five acres of wheat, rye, and buckwheat for sale at the farm store and to local businesses, raises grass-fed beef and free-range chickens, and grows a variety of vegetables.

Hatch says that the sustainable, environmentally-sound farming practices utilized at Upinngil Farm are completely in line with his parents’ teachings about farming. Direct sales are another essential element of the farm’s success, allowing the farm to be competitive and derive the true value of their crops.  The variety and high quality of Upinngil’s products have made the farm a regular destination for many loyal customers, some of whom travel to Gill from Boston every week or two to fill their trunks.

Hatch’s daughter, Sorrel, and son, Rhys, are integral to Upinngil’s operations.  Sorrel graduated from Cornell University and runs the farm’s licensed kitchen.  Rhys, who holds a degree in literary arts from Brown, recently finished a post-and-beam barn for the expanding dairy operation. Upinngil’s next generation is introducing new perspectives, interests, and skills, but they share their father’s commitment to provide the community with locally grown food from carefully stewarded land. CISA recognizes Upinngil Farm for providing a viable model of a multi-generational, polycultural farm that emphasizes diversity of products and direct sales to customers.