BerkShares Local Currency

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BerkShares Local Currency

Local Currency for the Berkshire Region. Obtain BerkShares at any branch of Lee Bank or Pittsfield Cooperative Bank's Great Barrington branch.

Spend BerkShares at hundreds of participating businesses across the region. Learn more at our website.

09/28/2026

Welcome, Katy!

We are thrilled to announce that Katy Sparks has been appointed to a 3-year term on the BerkShares Board of Directors!

Katy is an award-winning chef, executive leadership coach, and culinary consultant with more than 18 years of experience helping businesses in the food and hospitality industry develop, launch, and grow.

She has also served as a columnist for BerkShares’ Business of the Month stories since late 2024, where she has gained extensive on-the-ground insights and built strong relationships across the BerkShares business community.

“A perennial theme that comes out of my speaking with business owners that accept BerkShares is how lucky they feel to be a part of a community that is so mutually supportive and that cares about each other’s success.”

As a board member, Katy looks forward to drawing on her experience to help guide strategic initiatives and expand the public’s awareness of the BerkShares mission.

Outside of work, Katy enjoys gastronomic explorations in major cities, particularly New York City, and can often be found walking close to home with her husband and energetic doodle and sharing locally sourced meals with family and friends.

We can’t wait to have Katy join the team and contribute to our vision of a thriving local economy in the Berkshire region!

09/24/2026

We're looking forward to this Thursday's Business Person of the Year event honoring Will Conklin, and we would like to express our gratitude to the sponsors who make this special evening possible!
A heartfelt Thank You to Presenting Sponsor The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, Event Sponsors Acrisure, Adams Community Bank, BeaconBank, BerkShares Local Currency, Berkshire Money Management, Catamount Mountain Resort, Domaney's Liquors & Fine Wines, Fairview Hospital BHS, Fancy Feast Supper Club, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Heartwood Kitchens & Millwork, Lee Bank, NBT Bank and Wheeler & Taylor Insurance, and to Business Leaders Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Herringtons Lumber, Smith Watson & Co., and Ward's Nursery & Garden Center.

09/23/2026

Berkshire Mountain Inn is our September BUSINESS OF THE MONTH!

In December 2025, Reilly DeBow and her husband, Currie, took ownership of the former Wainwright Inn on Great Barrington’s Main Street, now the Berkshire Mountain Inn.

As longtime visitors to the Berkshires, BerkShares weren’t yet on their radar. But as residents, it wasn’t long before BerkShares jumped upon the scene:

“It happened when we were still in the process of moving in. We were having an estate sale for the items we weren’t going to keep, and someone paid me in BerkShares. I was like, ‘what is this?’ because I hadn’t known about them. Once they explained the program to me, I thought it was so cool and I felt like I wanted to tell everyone about it.”

Indeed, Reilly told everyone about it: 200K+ people have watched her viral TikTok video about BerkShares, and the rest is history.

The Berkshire Mountain Inn is now welcoming guests into their 7 newly decorated guest rooms, and yes, you can pay for your stay the local way with BerkShares!

We caught up with Reilly to learn more about her transition into the Berkshires’ hospitality scene and what’s in store for the Inn. Read the story on our website at the link below, or find it in The Berkshire Edge next week!

https://berkshares.org/berkshire-mountain-inn-september-2026/

09/09/2026

As we continue to mourn the loss of Wendell Berry, we are reminded of how his words shape our own work here at BerkShares.

In his 1988 essay “The Work of a Local Culture,” Berry tells us that a good community is a good local economy.

We have long looked to this idea as a driving principle of our local currency for the Berkshire region. With BerkShares, community and economy go hand-in-hand as we implement our innovative vision for local economic development that prioritizes place-based, community-rooted institutions.

In Berry’s memory, we encourage you to reflect on what we can accomplish at the local level to build a “good community,” and consider how the choices we make every day can help bring that vision to life.

08/26/2026

Bistro Box is our August Business of the Month!

Don’t be fooled— Bistro Box is “not your average shack food.” If the countless 5-star reviews don’t convince you, then maybe the crowds of customers lined up in even the crummiest weather will.

Co-Owners/Co-Chefs Nick and Birdie Joseph graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and brought their talents back to the Berkshires when they opened Bistro Box in 2010. Since then, they’ve cemented their legacy with one of the Berkshires’ most beloved eateries.

We caught up with Nick and Birdie to learn more about their story, how they keep their ingredients local, and what it means to be a member of the BerkShares community. Read the full story here: https://berkshares.org/bistro-box-august-2026/

08/19/2026

What makes a healthy local economy worth fighting for?

Nick Keene and Jenny Rubin’s story illustrates the meaning behind a strong local economy.

As owners of The Barn in Egremont from 2013 – 2025, they devoted themselves to creating a space where community members could be themselves and find connection, and when the community needed that space the most, they went to heroic lengths to keep it alive.

At every turn, their decision making was rooted in what they believed The Barn could provide for their community, even when it meant personal or financial sacrifice.

Their story reminds us that a healthy local economy is about incubating the type of community-first, values-driven mindset in people who are willing to step up to meet the community’s needs where the traditional economy falls flat.

08/15/2026

Nothing like a little local love in the tip jar 💙

Spotted at The Wee Chickpea - Falafel & Fine Catering

08/12/2026

Local Currency 🤝 Local Food

BerkShares is YOUR local currency for the Berkshires. Get your BerkShares at any branch of Lee Bank or the GB branch of Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, then spend them like cash at hundreds of small local businesses. (Including more than 30 local farms!)

Learn more at BerkShares.org

07/29/2026

Have you ever dreamt of printing your own money? In the Berkshires, this dream has been alive for nearly 20 years!

You may recognize BerkShares as our local currency for the Berkshire region; but how were BerkShares made to begin with?

Swipe to take a flash back to the work that went into designing, printing, and distributing BerkShares👉

07/22/2026

What’s a farm to do with their BerkShares? Keep them in the community, of course!

At Indian Line Farm (Elizabeth Keen), you can use BerkShares to buy local AND feel confident that your money will continue circulating locally. Indian Line Farm uses the BerkShares they receive to pay monthly dues to the Berkshire Community Land Trust!

Address

P. O. Box 125
Great Barrington, MA
01230

Telephone

+14135288130

Website

http://www.berkshares.org/

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