The Newton Farmer, April 2010
|
| Dear Farm Friends,
Spring is jumping up and down in front of me to get my attention: leaves demand to be raked, green things are poking up bravely from the dark soil, and the air outside feels softer and warmer. Spring is putting in an appearance on the farm, too, as Greg describes below, and several exciting events are coming, along with a broad roster of classes. I hope you can take part in some of these enticing activities. Your editor, |
Notes from Greg Maslowe, Farm Manager I know that spring is arriving—I can hear the peepers in the wetlands across the street, and the daffodils are putting on their annual show. I got a good section of the field spaded the other day, just ahead of another storm predicted to bring three to six inches of rain to an already soggy state. Let’s just hope that, while March didn’t go “out like a lamb,” things will settle down in April and we’ll have a nice, boring spring.
So what does spring bring besides the Red Sox and Little League (at least in our house)? Our greenhouse, which we expanded last year to accommodate growing more seedlings for our spring seedling sale, is already filling up. Leeks, onions, lettuce, spinach, chard, herbs, and even the first eggplant and tomatoes are off and running. In the field the garlic, planted last fall, is pushing through the mulch; the perennial herbs are starting to send out new sprouts; and we’ve been working hard to get the asparagus bed weeded, composted, and fertilized. Spring is also the time to prune, so I’ve been busy looking after all of our fruit. Did you know that in addition to the orchard along Nahanton Street (which contains four cherry trees, along with all the apples) Newton Community Farm has pears, Asian pears, filberts (hazelnuts), persimmons, mulberries, grapes, kiwis, walnuts, peach, aronia, goumis, strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries? Wow! I hope I didn’t forget anything! We have planted many of these simply to demonstrate what is possible in New England. How many of you would have thought you could grow kiwis in Newton? Other fruit trees and shrubs, however, we planted with the intent of eventually being able to sell the fruit. Planting fruit is a long-term commitment, but some of our work is starting to come to fruition. The farm, like everywhere else, also needs a spring cleaning. So we’re busy sprucing things up, remulching paths, putting away and pulling out—all the work that comes after a long winter’s rest. With all this to do, there’s no shortage of work. We’ve begun having volunteers come on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, and starting April 17 we’ll have volunteer hours on Saturdays as well. If you’d like to come to one of our volunteer sessions, you don’t need to call ahead, but please try to arrive by 9:00 a.m. so that we don’t have to stop in the middle of whatever we’re doing and get someone else oriented to the day’s tasks. When you come you’ll notice that we’ve moved the arbor that used to be at the entrance of the farm to our Learning Garden and are working to build a terraced garden and new “pullet shed” at the Winchester Street entrance. This project will not only make our entrance more beautiful but the “pullet shed” will serve as a welcome center, and the gardens will offer a demonstration of how you can integrate edible plants into “typical” landscape designs. We hope you like it, and we are looking forward to seeing you again on the farm. |
| Fundraiser at Chipotle Mexican Grill on April 22Eat a burrito, support the farm!
On Thursday evening, April 22, Chipotle Mexican Grill will host a fundraiser to celebrate the grand opening of their new restaurant in Newton. Five dollars will get you a burrito, a drink, and chips and salsa (a $10 value), and 100% of the evening’s proceeds will go to Newton Community Farm. Help us spread the word and invite your family, friends, and neighbors to come out to enjoy good food, have some fun, and support the farm. Thursday, April 22 For more on Chipotle’s philosophy on sustainable, local farming, healthful fresh food, and animals raised humanely, go to their Web site: www.chipotle.com. |
Biggest Ever Seedling Sale Sunday, May 1612 noon – 4 p.m. More than 10,000 vegetable and herb seedlings will be available at our Seedling Sale, twice as many as last year. We sprout and grow the seedlings on-site in our greenhouse, and they’re ready for transplanting to your garden. Come select some plants for your backyard, watch a gardening demonstration, or just enjoy an afternoon on the farm. Expert gardeners will be on hand to answer your questions. We’ll also have food and perennial flower plants available for purchase. Bring your own boxes for carrying. Cash or check only. Friends of the Farm are invited to attend our Presale Event at 11 a.m. Help publicize the event by printing the Seedling Sale flyer found on our Web site, posting it, and giving it to your friends. |
| Volunteers needed for May 16 Seedling SaleWe need help at the farm on Sunday, May 16, to make the Seedling Sale a success. It’s fun and you can meet other volunteers, learn about plants and seedlings, and enjoy helping people stocking their home gardens. We need volunteers for shifts of 2 to 4 hours or more, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. We’ll need workers to set up, restock seedlings from the greenhouse, sell food and veggies, clean up, and so on. We also need people to staff a Farm booth at the Newton Pride sale on Saturday, May 8. Volunteer hours will count towards your CSA volunteer requirements.
Contact Karen Doherty at karendoherty2010@gmail.com, the volunteer organizer for the event, to let us know your interest and available time. |
| Barn Phase II Funding ApprovedNewton Community Preservation Act funds have been approved to pay for the completion of the barn renovation. The project will convert the barn into community workshop space to support our expanding education and outreach programs and improve the lower barn to better serve the farm. Included in the plans are handicapped-accessible bathrooms, a demonstration kitchen, good lighting, a heating system, a restored barn floor, and driveway/site modifications. In the next few months an architect will be selected, and the design should be completed around the end of 2010. Construction will start early in 2011 and should be completed by December 2011. |
Classes We have an exciting list of spring classes to teach and inspire you. Read below for some details, and go to the link for more extensive information.
Our spring educational programming provides three- and four-part hands-on classes such as “Ready, Set, Grow!” and “Get Growing!” Our “Spring Farmers” early-release program for middle school students is on May 6, and we will have another one on June 17. Or come find out what permaculture is all about on May 7 and 8 and enjoy a whole new approach to gardening. We are also offering a beginner and intermediate gardening class in May as well as a delicious spring cooking class on May 20. And we’ll be hosting a Strawberry Solstice event on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 20. Enjoy any or many of these classes; there are offerings for all ages and all levels. In addition, please e-mail us with ideas and suggestions for future classes or special events that you would like to see at the farm. We’d love to hear from you! For our complete April and May schedule please see below. Apr 15: Growing in the Dark May 6: Spring Farmers (Early release program) |
| RecipesThe recipe section on our Web site is a treasure trove. If you like to cook or need cooking suggestions for a new vegetable that you encounter in your farm share, look in the recipe section.
I have been writing the recipe section of the newsletter since becoming editor at the start of the 2009 farm season. Each month I choose two or three recipes that feature vegetables in season at that time, post them on the recipe section on the Web site, and write a little about each recipe in the newsletter. I only post recipes that I have made and really like or that have been made by someone whose cooking I enjoy. So these recipes are all taste tested. And since I have lazy taste buds that need to be woken up, these recipes are full of herbs, spices, and plenty of flavor. April’s recipes feature steamed asparagus three ways: with a simple yogurt-chive sauce, with grated ginger and a splash of vinegar, and chilled with a more complex yogurt dressing. I hope you enjoy them. Susan Tornheim |
| Farm Wish List2 market umbrellas with stands
If you can help us with any of these items, please contact Greg Maslowe at 617-916-9655 or at greg@newtoncommunityfarm.org. We are a 501(c)3 organization. Your donations may be tax-deductible. Thank you for your support! |
Please contact us if you have any questions about this newsletter or ideas for future issues, or if you want to be added to our mailing list. Just e-mail Susan Tornheim at sftornheim@yahoo.com. For more information about the farm, e-mail Greg Maslowe at greg@newtoncommunityfarm.org or check out our Web page at newtoncommunityfarm.org (or click on the image at the top of the page).