Our Partners

About Berkshire Fieldwork Bootcamp Community Partnership

The Berkshire Fieldwork Bootcamp (BFB) partners with local individuals and organizations in order to make positive contributions within our community.

Interested in Partnering with BFB?

Curriculum Partnerships

Each year, BFB invites expressions of interest (EoI) from community organizations to partner with BFB on a 'community sustainability' project. Our curriculum is currently oriented to accommodate two forms of partnership:

'context seminars'

BFB introduces students to a broad-range of community sustainability initiatives in our daily discussion seminars. When possible, we like to expose students first hand to people and places where these sustainability efforts are being put into practice.

Local organizations are welcome to submit EoIs for hosting short visits (1 - 3 hours) to demonstrate a particular sustainability practices or to inform students' of common challenges in community-development. EoIs should introduce you organization and sustainability philosophy, as well as describe your facilities and operations.

We are especially interested to work with local businesses and other community organizations to develop the following modules:

Sustainable Farming & Agriculture

Milk, Dairy and Cheese Production

This module reviews the component organization of milk, dairy, and cheese farming and production. Students will review and compare the organization of farming and cheese production in the United States, France, Germany and China to understand different approaches to, and markets for, milk, cheese, and dairy products. Students will learn about how local and small-scale farms are able to earn profits in national and international contexts, as well about the role of other actors [e.g. cheese maturers (affineur), cheesemongers and grocers].

Seeking cooperation with dairy farmers and cheese makers of all sizes.

Milk farmers, structures and organizations for dairy and cheese production [at the farm or at the dairy or cheese house], refinement [e.g. the 'affineur'], and distribution.
Beers, Wines & Whiskeys - crop cultivation, crop refinement & processing
Crops [Permaculture]
- Learning about crops that grow well in different areas / regions
- Selecting crops that work well together
- Different needs for tending / watering / light and harvesting [easy to grow vs. difficult to grow]

Other businesses

local people helping others with disabilities

'one-day projects'

The capstone of our curriculum challenges students to design and implement a sustainability project in one day. In order to do this, BFB provides students with diagnostic lists of the facilities and resources of our partners, and asks each student to 'create' their proposed project concept.

Project concepts can be informed by the 'work requests' of each partner.

Infrastructure Partnerships

Infrastructure partnerships refer to the select number of BFB partners who provide accommodations and other educational facilities for bootcamp residents.

What does BFB bring to the table?

increased exposure

* BFB tours potential partner facilities and talks to your representatives about the partnership program.  If both parties wish to pursue the partnership, we return to photograph your facilities to showcase on our website.

an means of checking of another item on your 'to-do' list

a (modest) honorarium