The Richmond Land Trust annually co-hosts a very unusual picnic in early fall, and one that consists solely of home-baked pies! Free and open only to townspeople, the pie social asks participants to bring a home-baked pie, with the long table displaying as many as 40, from rhubarb to chocolate cream. The event rotates to different properties to showcase Richmond's many bucolic landscapes and most years has been blessed with a gorgeous autumn day. It has also been a picnic in a tent in a chilling rain.

 

Another tradition at the pie-nic is the presentation of Richmond's annual citizenship award, the Charles and Mary Kusik Citizenship Award, established in 1992 and named after a couple whose  many contributions to the town of Richmond have had an enduring impact on the quality of life in Richmond.

 

After a hair-raising escape from Estonia, the couple settled on West Road in Richmond where the former diplomat became a chicken farmer. When a cement factory threatened the town’s northern line, Charles pioneered zoning in Richmond, one of the first Berkshire towns to take that step. He founded the Richmond Civic Association, served for years as chair of the Planning Board and created rules for developers that helped preserve the town’s rural nature.

 

Mary was active in the Community Health Association and is credited with launching the town calendar that has been distributed free for many years. The award is cosponsored by the Richmond Land Trust, the Richmond Civic Association and the Richmond Historical Society.