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April 2007

Dear Farm Friends,

Welcome to the April 2007 Community Farm newsletter. Though the weather is hardly spring-like, remember that planting starts soon and we have a great farm season ahead. Highlights this issue include:

• Our monthly update from our manager Greg Maslowe.
• Notes from the March 27 planning meeting.
• Information about our new fundraising program.
• A history of the Farm site by Ted Chapman.
• Reminders about the last two Spring Nature Walks.
• Lisa Cohen has started a "recipe" wiki for the Farm: see the details below.

Your editors,
Carol Rose and Gil Rosen

News from Greg Maslowe, Farm Manager April is an exciting time at the farm. The greenhouse is starting to fill up, the field is starting to green up, and the farmer is getting out from behind the computer and starting to stretch his muscles. Onions and leeks have sprouted and are growing in the greenhouse, as are collards, kale and a new green for this year: senposai. Senposai is a Japanese green with a flavor similar to collards, but more tender. In addition, it is very cold hardy which makes it a great choice for early and late in the season. I'll be starting the summer crops in the greenhouse this month as well: tomatoes and basil first, then peppers, beets and cucumbers. I'll also be growing watermelon for the farm stand. By mid-April, weather permitting, I'll be working the field and planting carrots, spinach, arugula and peas for harvesting in early June. Another newcomer to the farm this year—garlic, planted last fall—is just beginning to poke through the heavy layer of straw covering it. Every week I'll be planting something in the greenhouse, in the field, or both. So if you're getting anxious for fresh, local vegetables don't worry—you won't have to wait too much longer.

Report on the Strategic Planning Meeting The Newton Community Farm held a public meeting March 27th at the main branch of the Newton Library. The purpose of the gathering was to get feedback on the Farm, explain its vision, and discuss this year's plans. About 30 people attended, including members of the CSA. Greg Maslowe, farm manager, began with a slide show overview of the farm, including the physical plant, its operations and mission. He talked about plans for increasing the education program with local schools, and other possibilities for educational, recreational, and community outreach on the farm. The meeting segued into a question and answer period, which included many useful suggestions for outreach and programming. The meeting was positive and useful for everyone present.

Fundraising Update Last year, when we were renovating our farmhouse, National Lumber stepped in to offer us heavy discounts on paints and other building supplies. As we move forward with ambitious plans to expand programming and transform our barn into an educational center with indoor learning space, support from Newton businesses will be more important than ever. With this in mind we are launching a “Friends of the Farm” program specially designed for Newton businesses. By making a tax-deductible contribution, Newton businesses will support the growth and stability of our new community farm. Business supporters will also receive recognition in our print and email newsletters, on signage displayed at our on-site farm stand, and at our booth at the city's farmers markets. If you own a business, or know of a business that would like to support the farm, please contact Jon Regosin at 617-244-0736 or berkowitz.regosin@verizon.net.

History of the Newton Angino Community Farm This is the first installment of a series of articles, presented in our monthly Newsletter, describing the history of the Newton Angino Community Farm. These segments are extracted from A Cultural Landscape Report written by NCF board member Ted Chapman. The earliest recorded ownership of the Angino Farm site was 1676 in the name of Samuel Truesdale. The 1700 Jackson map described 120 acres which extended to what is now Winchester Street. He built a house at approximately the current site at Winchester Street’s intersection with Nahanton Street; the later was constructed between 1700 and 1750 to connect Dedham Street with the Kendrick Bridge of the Charles River to Needham. The land abutting the farm to the west was owned by John Kendrick (1605-1686) who bought 250 acres in 1658 along the Charles River extending from Newton Highlands to what is now the Angino Farm, the Jewish Community Center and Nahanton Park. Their homestead was near the river close to the site of Kendrick’s Bridge. A drive way through the Kendrick property became Nahanton Street when the town surveyed it in 1711. Since then Nahanton Street has been the western boundary of the farm. The map at the right is part of Jackson’s Map (1700-1750), courtesy of the Newton Historical Society.

Reminder! Two More Signs of Spring Nature Walks Newton Community Farm is part of an ecologically diverse mosaic of open space, not duplicated elsewhere in the city. A number of species, including the american woodcock, eastern ribbon snake, blue-spotted salamander, and eastern newt occur at few, if any other, locations in Newton. From the farm, one could hike for several miles through largely uninterrupted open space associated with the Charles River in Newton, Needham, and West Roxbury. Please join us on a series of nature walks as we explore the area surrounding the farm this spring. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------- Vernal Pool Explorations – We will meet at the farm, walk along the Charles River Path and explore several vernal pools. Vernal pools, or small ponds lacking fish, provide important breeding habitat for a number of amphibians, and support a unique and diverse array of invertebrates such as fairy shrimp and predaceous diving beetles. We will dip net in some pools and are likely to observe spotted salamander egg masses. Note: This excursion includes a fairly lengthy walk along the Charles River. We can arrange to meet people at Saw Mill Brook Parkway who would like to skip the longer hike, but participate in the vernal pool investigations. Contact Jon Regosin to arrange this. Date: Sunday April 22 Time: 9:45 AM Location: Meet at the Winchester Street entrance to Newton Community Farm Weather Dependent! Please RSVP to Jon Regosin at 617-244-0736 or berkowitz.regosin@verizon.net ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------- Spring Bird Walk - Nahanton Park – Sponsored by the Newton Conservators! The mix of woodlands, wetlands and meadows adjacent to the Charles River makes Nahanton Park a wonderful place to observe the spring bird migration. Date: Sunday, May 13 Time: 8-10 AM Location: Meet at the upper parking area by entering the park at the Winchester Street entrance. Bring binoculars if you have them. Beginners and birders of all levels welcome. Weather Dependent! Please RSVP to Cris Criscitiello at 617-244-6397

The Farm now has its own WIKI! What's a Wiki? It's an online collaborative tool for sharing information. If you've ever used 'wikipedia' (www.wikipedia.org) then you've seen a wiki in action. I've set up this wiki an online repository for recipes and other information to share among members of the farm. The wiki is here: http://newtonfarm.pbwiki.com/. It is a public site which means anyone can visit and view the site. Please don't put any private information on it that you don't want to be seen on the web, for example, your name, phone number, email address, etc. In order to edit or add pages, you need to use this password: angino. Don't panic! It's easy to use. If you can use a word processor, you can use a wiki. If you have any question, please email Lisa Cohen directly at ljcblue@gmail.com

Farm Wish List This month's wish list include -a Palm Pilot with Microsoft Excel -a portable electric or propane space heater If you can help us with these, please contact Greg Maslowe at 617/916-9655 or newtoncommunityfarm@comcast.net.

Newton Angino Community Farm   A CSA project serving the Newton community through produce sales, educational programming, special events, open space & historic preservation