In 2013, a Dutch scientist unveiled the world’s first laboratory-created hamburger, and since then the idea of producing meat, not from live animals but from carefully cultured tissues, has spread through the media like wildfire. Racing against population growth and climate change, researchers have dedicated their efforts to making sustainable protein. Meat Planet, by historian and University of California, Berkeley PhD Benjamin Wurgaft, explores the quest to generate meat in the lab—a substance sometimes called “cultured meat”—and asks what it means if this new creation might be the future of food. The free lecture will take place October 10 at 6 pm at 871 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston University College of General Studies, Room 505. To be sure you’ll have a seat, visit www.bu.edu/foodandwine
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s annual Harvest Festival, an iconic Berkshire event now in its 85th year, is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 12-13, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Garden located at 5 West Stockbridge Road, (intersection of Routes 102 and 183), Stockbridge, MA. This year’s Festival includes expansion to include five adjoining acres on the north side of the property purchased in the spring of 2019, bringing to 20 the total acreage planned for the Festival. The Harvest Festival has earned a reputation for being a quintessential family event celebrating the autumn harvest, when the Garden is transformed into a vibrant hub featuring continuous entertainment, children’s games, more than 100 regional artisan food and craft vendors and drop-in workshops. Tag sales featuring jewelry and accessories, repurposed, gently used household items and clothing, a plant and bulb sale, a hay maze and hayrides, pony rides, and a haunted house are among the annual activities that have become favorites over the years.
A new event added this year is archery, sponsored by Canyon Ranch. Admission to Harvest Festival is $7 for adults and children under 12 are admitted free. There is no charge for parking in the Garden’s lots. Harvest Festival admission wristbands can be pre-purchased at the Garden’s Visitor Center daily through October 9. New this year, the Garden offers an opportunity to Berkshire businesses to pre-purchase wristband bundles at a discounted price. Through September 20, bundles of 20 admission wristbands are available for $100 — a $40 savings on general admission with the benefit of no lines or waiting for Harvest Festival entry. There are no limits on the number of bundles businesses can purchase. When purchasing, mention BERKBIZ19 to redeem this offer.
Harvest Festival is generously sponsored by Meadow Farm Equipment, Canyon Ranch and the Red Lion Inn. All proceeds from Harvest Festival benefit the Garden’s education and Horticulture programs.
