Roots Rising

Roots Rising is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower youth and build community through food and farming. Our vision is to lift up teens as community changemakers and to strengthen the local food system through the transformational power of meaningful work. 

Roots Rising has two main initiatives: our Pittsfield Farmers Market and our Youth Crews. And we recently purchased a property to build out our very own Farm & Education Center.

Our Pittsfield Farmers Market was founded with the belief that everyone should have access to fresh, healthy food. It is the first teen-run market in the region and was the first year-round market in Berkshire County.

In our Youth Crews, we hire Pittsfield teens to work on farms, in food pantries and at our own farmers market. It’s more than just a job. It’s an opportunity for teens to engage in meaningful work- work that needs to be done and serves a larger social good. We believe meaningful work leaves youth feeling purposeful, capable and connected. 

After a two year land search, in February 2024 Roots Rising acquired a 6.5-acre parcel of land at 923 Barker Road in Pittsfield.   This space will serve as more than just a farm: it will be the heart of our operations, our home base. It is where we will nurture the next generation of food system changemakers, and where we will welcome the community to connect to the land, to grow food, and to learn alongside us.