Food & Agriculture

Berkshire Blueprint 2.0

Food and agriculture consist of the growing, distributing, processing, and consumption of food. In the Berkshires, this includes the clustering of farms, value-added farm products, restaurants, food services for major institutions, and food vendors. The businesses range from large fruit and vegetable producers to farm-to-table restaurants, specialty retail shops, large and small grocery stores, canning and food processors, and product distribution firms. Other local industries are closely associated, depend on, and converge with the economic activity of the Food and Agriculture industry in the Berkshires.

Action Steps

Expand food processing and distribution capacity to grow markets
Build best-in-class food and farm-to-table training centers
Spark the next generation of entrepreneurs and social innovation in the farm/food business
Build the Berkshire brand as a destination for food, culinary, and farm-to-table authenticity

Economic Impact

The Food and Agriculture cluster employs over 8,900 people in the Berkshires, with a sold market value of goods exceeding $22 million annually. With strong growth in retail and dining operations, as well as the expansion of existing and emergence of new farming operations, this cluster has been a positive driver in cross-cluster convergence; overlapping with hospitality and tourism, and healthcare to name two examples.