gmail - august 2013 newton farmer · 8/6/2016 · 6/21/2016 gmail - august 2013 newton farmer ......

6/21/2016 Gmail - August 2013 Newton Farmer

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=39145d013f&view=pt&q=%22newton%20farmer%22&qs=true&search=query&msg=1403b3e0c3d91708&siml=1403b3… 1/9

Jenn Martin <[email protected]>

August 2013 Newton Farmer

Newton Community Farm <[email protected]> Thu, Aug 1, 2013 at 2:57 PMReplyTo: Newton Community Farm <replycde08695eaf5f4dbb17b[email protected]>To: [email protected]

We have been alternating between bouts of humid heat and downpours of rain. Butthat makes us really appreciate the lovely dry days in between and the farm producethat has grown despite adverse conditions. Stay cool and dry!

Susan Tornheim Newsletter Editor

From the FarmerAs I sat down to write my newsletter article thismonth I wanted to share with you a bit of why Ifind farming such a wonderful job. While I find thework itself great—physically, mentally, andspiritually challenging and rewarding—it’s thepeople with whom I work, my fellow farmers, whoreally make this a great profession.

This past May a number of local farmersconvened at Drumlin Farm to explore the question“Why farm?” The discussion was part of theEMass CRAFT series for 2013 (EMass CRAFT isa long acronym for the Eastern MassachusettsCollaborative Regional Alliance for FarmerTraining). We hadn’t had this discussion in manyyears, and it was fun to go and listen to whatpeople had to say.

Farming is consistently ranked as one of the mostdangerous jobs in the U.S. It is also one of thelowest paying. Farmers work long hours; often gofor weeks if not months without a day off; and work in all conditions—blazing heat,freezing cold, rain, hail, snow. It is a physically demanding, often mentally and



emotionally stressful job. Why would anyone choose to do it? Around here most

people get into farming through apprenticeships, and you find out pretty quickly if it’s

really what you want to do with your life. Farming is too hard, too low paying—pretty

much “too” much of everything—to choose as your career unless you absolutely love

it.

What I have found this means is that the community of farmers is made up of folks

who are, for the most part, fulfilled by their vocations. They enjoy what they do, even

if it is exhausting, stressful, and at times relentless. Farmers today are people who

have chosen their lives deliberately, and the result is that they are, overwhelmingly,

fun to be around and generous with their time and resources. I couldn’t have learned

to farm without the time and knowledge freely offered by so many farmers in our

area. And I doubt I’d keep at it without the support of the community.

Who would have thought that within the largely urban area of metro Boston there

would be such a large and active community of farmers? Organizations like EMass

CRAFT enable us to meet on a regular basis. We get to know each other. We go to

each other’s farms. We text, talk, and email questions, comments, and concerns. We

share resources. And in the process of sharing our difficulties and successes we

become friends. I am struck over and over again by what an amazing community this

is. In one sense we’re all in competition with one another, and to be sure, there has

been some friction over the years. But in general people in the farming community

are among the most generous people I’ve ever met: sharing ideas, information,

inspiration—whatever you need to make it through the season, be it spare fertilizer,

extra seeds or transplants, or a borrowed tractor when yours is broken.

It’s a profound thing to be surrounded by people who are happy, who like to go to

work because they love what they do. This seemed like a deep realization when I first

consciously recognized that one of the defining characteristics of the farming

community was how happy and content people are with their lives despite all the

difficulties. Now that I put it in writing it seems a bit trite. Nevertheless, there’s

something to it. I haven’t ever been a part of a work community quite like the

community of farmers. It’s a great group of people, and a group to whom I owe a

great deal. This is what I wanted to share: not how special we all are, but a public

declaration of gratitude. I wanted to share my thankfulness for my fellow farmers and

the community that we have created.

Greg Maslowe

Farm Manager

Dinner on the Farm

Thanks to



everyone whocame to Dinner onthe Farm. Despitethe hightemperatures we allhad fun. The foodwas prepared byJon Orren, a boardmember andculinary artsteacher at NewtonSouth High School.The food wasdelicious, and Jonhas promised toshare the recipes.The Dixie

Butterhounds kept things cool with their lovely music. There were a dozen highschool students from South who helped Jon prepare, serve, and clean up the food aswell as many other hands that helped to lighten the load. Special thanks to SusanMadden, Marysol MasseMakimura, Nadja Young, Amy Silberstein, Sheryl Kalis, RuthLederman, Will Beuscher, Robin Maltz, Bernice Cramer, and Ann Downes. Thanksalso go to Iggy’s Bread of the World for their generous donation to Dinner on theFarm and to Vino Divino for their assistance. This year’s dinner was very popular; wesold 101 tickets and still had a waiting list. We look forward to doing it all again nextyear.

Looking Ahead Plans are underway for our Fall Festival, which isbeing held on Sunday, September 29, from 11:00 to3:00 p.m. Helpers are needed, of course, including avolunteer or two to sew and cut the muslin for theprayer flags for the festival. If you are interested involunteering your time, either in planning or at theevent, please email Mara [email protected].

Also coming up are Dinner at Lumière Restaurant onTuesday, October 15, and Halloween on the Farm onFriday, October 25.

Mara Gorden Administrator

EducationWow, that was one toasty July! Despite the heat we have continued to welcome ourFarm Sprouts. This past month we have talked about the parts of the plant that weeat, collected peas to share with our families, and learned about the important workof both the worm and the bee. We have enjoyed Katrin joining us with her guitar andlearning some new songs, as well as exploring the corn maze. We have been busy!

At the height of the heat wave the students participating in our SAY Farmers programwere good sports. Despite the scorching heat the students finished weeding, cleaned



up the teepee in the learning garden, and

planted seeds in the greenhouse. There was

even a rescue mission of some tomatillo

plants. We learned that tomatillo plants are

wonderful at self seeding but that this can be a

problem when space is limited. When Greg

said the tomatillos needed to be pulled up to

prevent future self seeding, a rescue mission

was launched. The result: a win win for

everyone! The tomatillo plants were potted

and taken triumphantly home by the SAY

Farmers. They get to enjoy the tomatillos, and

Greg has less to worry about.

Feeding the chickens and collecting eggs were

daily highlights as was preparing snack. As

always the golden raspberries were a huge hit

and by the end of the week were hard to come

by. For me though, one of the highlights of the

week was listening to the students discuss

with each other issues facing our food system:

Are there any advantages to GMO crops? Would you buy local nonorganic produce

compared to organic produce from California? Is there more that can be done to

make fresh, organic produce accessible to all? As always, I was blown away by their

level of knowledge but also by their insightfulness and appreciation of the complexity

of the issues.

August sees the start of our Farmer in Training program. This popular summer

program for students entering grades 3 through 5 is being led this year by Rebecca

Leung. Rebecca is a Wellesley graduate who has developed a passion for food and

farming. She has experience managing the onsite farm at Wellesley as well as

working with youngsters in their school garden in California.

Farmer in Training (students entering grades3–5) Monday–Friday, offered 8/5–8/30; 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Spend time outdoors with your peers andthe staff of Newton Community Farmexploring plant and animal life throughinteractive learning.

We have the occasional spot open in our Farm

Sprouts program. To inquire please contact

Education Coordinator Alison Wilson directly at

[email protected].

Work has begun on our fall programming, details

of which will be in our September newsletter.

Alison Wilson



Barn Interior RenovationWe have nearly completed emptying the barn for the construction project. A storagetrailer near the chicken coop will temporarily house the materials and farming toolsthat are usually kept in the barn. In early August the contractor will install a temporaryfence around the barn so they can work without endangering the public. We haveordered an outdoor produce cooler to preserve harvested vegetables, and we will beputting up a temporary tent for CSA distribution.

This step of the barn renovationwill prepare the interior for publicuse for community education,workshops, and events. Fundedthrough Newton’s CommunityPreservation Act process, theproject will install bathrooms;heating; electrical, lighting, andfire alarm systems; refinish themain floor; and providehandicapped access to the mainbarn level.

The farm’s Board is planning toraise funds to complete the project next year with a demonstration kitchen, a farmmanager’s office, a sprinkler system, and additional workshop space in a screenedporch, to be installed after the current project is completed.

Peter Barrer NCF Board President

Food for Thought: Trends in Urban AgricultureMany cities, including Boston,are exploring ways to increasefood production in urban areasthrough projects such as rooftopgardens, vertical farms, andcommunity gardens. Similar tothe goals of Newton CommunityFarm, these projects provideaccess to locally grown andfresh food; offer opportunitiesfor residents to connect morewith their food source andnature; and preserve attractiveand beneficial green space inthe community. They can alsohelp improve food security,decrease storm water runoff, and filter pollutants.



Boston already has several

functioning rooftop gardens,

thanks to organizations like

Green City Growers, which has

helped many businesses and

organizations create gardens

and farms. Their clients include

numerous restaurants that grow

some of their food onsite.

Boston’s future also includes a

fullscale 40,000+ squarefoot

farm on the roof of the Boston

Design Center. A local

company, Higher Ground Farm,

is actively working to raise the

funds and establish the foundation for this new farm, which will sell food to the local

community. Another organization, City Growers, has a track record of developing

community farms in vacant lots in the city’s neighborhoods. In addition to growing

food that is sold to neighborhood grocery stores and restaurants, this venture

produces local, green jobs on its farms.

Another trend worth noting is experimentation with vertical farming, typically placed in

multistory buildings and warehouses. Vertical farms use fluorescent lights and

controlled temperatures to grow crops that are stacked, sometimes several stories

high. In Chicago, workers turned a dilapidated threestory meatprocessing factory

into a working, USDA approved farm space called The Plant. The building is home to

an experimental vertical farm, an emerging aquaponic farm (plants and fish grown

together in water), and multiple small businesses in the sustainable food industry

(such as a beer brewery and a bakery). Plan to take a tour if you visit Chicago.

Another variation on vertical farms is “pinkhouses,” which attempt to lower the energy

bill by giving plants only the wavelengths of light they need the most (blue and red).

This is just the beginning. In 30 years, food production might be much more common

in our urban settings. It will be interesting to see whether this emerging movement

becomes the norm.

Dede Vittori

Our Garden City

I have lived in Newton for over 20 years and sometimes wonder why they call this the

Garden City. I don’t know about you, but we have one of the few vegetable gardens

in the neighborhood. Certainly there are plenty of rhododendrons, azaleas,

evergreens, and flowerpots, but vegetable gardens? I think it’s time we take it upon

ourselves to make this our “Garden City.” Find your old gloves and a trowel and start

(or finish) your fall plantings. This is a great time to plant your fall crop. You can plant

beans, beets, broccoli, brussels spouts, carrots, kale, lettuce, spinach and many

other crops to enjoy through the late fall. In fact, some crops such as kale, spinach,

and brussels sprouts love the cold and taste much better after a light frost.

This is the time of year that our beautiful green yard and plantings turn from green to

brown. It is easy to become discouraged with all of the garden pests that continue to

attack us. A large family of turkeys has decided that 4:30 is a great time to visit our

garden. Every day around that time they come for an afternoon snack. My anger has



turned to acceptance. They really do not eat that much, and turkeys can and will eatmany of the pests in your yard, such as grubs. I must admit I did try putting out somefox urine, hoping to deter them. No such luck; they continue to meander into ourgarden, not caring if we are in the garden at the time. Oh well, we do need to acceptwhat nature gives us. Focus on things anew. Open up those seed packages and startplanting!

About 20 years ago I plantedsome pumpkins next to a hedgein our yard. They started to growover the hedge, and I thoughtwhat the heck, let them go. Well,they grew over the hedge, andwe had pumpkins in the hedge,on the hedge, and on thesidewalk. It has become a mustdo for the neighborhood, and weare now the official “pumpkinhouse.” Have fun with yourplantings and give your neighborssome “eye candy.” I hope you willjoin me on this garden quest. Ifyou have other thoughts or ideas,please email me at [email protected]. This is the present state of what could bea few 100pound pumpkins.

Happy gardening, Barney Keezell

The Joys of BasilAside from the goodness that is pesto, basil is oneof my favorite herbs to cook with, though I’m oftenhard pressed to keep up with the bounty in themidst of summer. Come winter, I know I’ll belonging for the taste of fresh basil―dried justdoesn’t do it for me. Basil actually freezesextremely well, as do parsley and cilantro. Thesecret is a little olive oil.

To Freeze Basil Strip the leaves from your basil.Wash and dry well. (A salad spinner works nicelyfor this.) Coarsely shred the leaves. You can use afood processor, but just pulse gently, or tear withyour hands. Mix with just enough olive oil to coat the edges ofthe torn leaves (it doesn’t take a lot). Freeze insmall containers or an icecube tray. When frozen,take the basil “cubes” out and store in a freezerbag.

All winter long, you can make fresh pesto or use the basil cubes to season sauces,soups, and stews!



Lisa Janice Cohen

RecipesThis dish was served at the recent Dinner on the Farm and was absolutely delicious.

Jon Orren, a farm board member who was the chef, provided the recipe with the

following note:

This recipe comes from a wonderful book called Wild Flavors written by my friend andlocal chef Didi Emmons. Wild Flavors documents Didi’s time spent with farmer EvaSommaripa whose farm, Eva’s Garden, in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, supplies

organic greens, exotic herbs, and edible flowers to many of Boston’s best

restaurants. Equal parts cookbook and gardeners’ bible, Wild Flavors offers recipes,growing tips, and nutritional information for virtually all the crops Eva grows.

Green Gazpacho

6 servings

1 cup almonds or pumpkin seeds, toasted

4 garlic cloves

1/3 cup extravirgin olive oil

2–3 Tb. red wine vinegar

6 cups loosely packed chopped sorrel

1 cup loosely packed chopped dill, basil, parsley, or mint

1 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro

1 small onion, chopped, or 1 cup chopped chives

1/2 ripe honeydew melon, cubed

4 cups loosely packed spinach

2 slices wholegrain bread, torn into pieces

1 tsp. salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1. Pulverize the almonds in a blender or food processor. Add the garlic, olive oil, and

vinegar and puree the mixture. Add the sorrel, dill, cilantro, and onion, along with 1

cup water. Puree the mixture until it is mostly smooth. Pour most of the soup into a

large bowl, leaving a cup or so behind.

2. Add the honeydew to the blender or food processor, along with the spinach, bread,

and another cup of water. Pour the honeydew puree into the rest of the soup and mix

well.

3. If the mixture seems too thick, thin with water to the desired consistency; this is a

rather thick gazpacho. Season with the salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: To toast the nuts or seeds, roast in a 350degree oven on a rimmed baking

sheet for 10 minutes, until they begin to turn golden brown.

Farm Stand and Farmers' MarketThe farm stand on Winchester Street is open Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 7 and

on Saturdays from 10 to 2. To find out what produce will be sold each week, check

the farm Web site or Facebook page.



Visit NCF’s produce stand at the Friday Newton Farmers’ Market from noon to 5 p.m.at 295 California St., American Legion Post 440, in the parking lot. The market startson Friday, July 5, and continues every week into the fall.

VolunteersVolunteer hours are Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 9 to noon. Timeworking on the farm counts for CSA work hours.

Please contact us if you have any questions about this newsletter or ideas for futureissues, or if you want to be added to our mailing list. Just email Susan Tornheim [email protected]. For more information about the farm, email our farm manager,Greg, at [email protected] or check out our Web page atnewtoncommunityfarm.org (or click on the image at the top of the page).

updates on class listings, events, NCF news, and more!

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Newton Community Farm 303 Nahanton Street Newton, Massachusetts 02459 US

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gmail - august 2013 newton farmer · 8/6/2016 · 6/21/2016 gmail - august 2013 newton farmer ......

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