Despite record setting rains this spring (22 inches in two months!) Newton Angino Community Farm is up and running. Our Farm Stand and CSA distributions began on June 24th, and we'll soon be present at the California Street farmers' market on Fridays. The rain tended to make life difficult on the farm: the tomatoes hated the soggy ground; the trencher we rented got stuck in the mud many times while we tried to put in our irrigation system (no kidding, we installed irrigation during the wettest spring in Massachusetts history!); we still haven't been able to till a substantial portion of the field; and the weeds are growing like crazy. But with a bit of perseverance, we've made it through and have produce to sell.

We are in the process of buying a walking tractor for the farm. This is a two-wheeled tractor that you walk behind that can run various implements just like a larger, riding tractor. We are purchasing a diesel tractor so that we can operate the tractor on biodiesel distilled from recycled cooking oil. I'm very excited about this--both about having my own tractor and about running it on fryolator oil, as it's called. Not only will our tractor help move us away from our dependence on crude oil, but it will also smell quite nice! Perhaps we should have a competition to come up with a name for the tractor.

The next time you visit the farm, you might notice something different about the greenhouse: it will be black! We'll be putting a shade cloth over the greenhouse in the next week or so. This cloth allows a fixed percentage of sunlight to pass through and blocks out the rest (kind of like sunscreen for the greenhouse). With temperatures starting to climb outside, the greenhouse can get downright sweltering. I've been in it when the temperature has been approaching 110 degrees and we're not even into August yet! So the shade cloth will help protect the seedlings in the greenhouse from being cooked. It will also help keep those of us who have to work in the greenhouse from getting cooked.

There's still lots to do on the farm, so stop by sometime to lend a hand. We're getting the weeds under control, but we'll still need to be vigilant about hoeing the beds. And we still have some planting to do as the lower end of the field dries out and can be tilled. We've had wonderful volunteer support over the last few weeks, and I'd like to continue the momentum through the summer.

Enjoy the beautiful weather, and the fresh, nutritious produce from the farm. And enjoy a couple of hours helping out. I like to think that volunteering here is enjoyable. There's always interesting conversations, and a sense of satisfaction at being part of a beautiful, communal project.

-Greg

NewtonCommunityFarm.org

The Newton Angino Community Farm farm stand opened for business the end of June. It is currently open Tuesdays from 3-6pm and Saturdays from 10am-1pm. We will try to open the farm stand on other days as well, time and available produce permitting. Just look for the "Farm Stand Open" sign on Winchester Street when driving by to see if we are open.

Currently we are harvesting spinach, lettuce, radishes and chard, with carrots and zucchini to follow soon.

We look forward to seeing you at the farm stand!

Come help start our very own Children's Garden! On Tuesday, July 18th, from 5 to 6:30 pm, we will be digging a new bed just for kids where they can plant, water, pick, and watch their own vegetables and flowers grow. Parents and children are welcome.

For more information, e-mail Liz Gleason at Elizabeth.J.Gleason@williams .edu

Sam Fogel has graciously offered to be the volunteer coordinator for the farm. To find out more about volunteering, or to set up a time to come to the farm, call Sam at 617-969-9039 (home) or 617-923-0976 (work).

Sam is an environmental scientist involved in hazardous waste remediation using specialized bacteria to biodegrade chlorinated solvents such as TCE. He and his wife, Margaret, operate a small company located in Watertown.

Sam's main interest lies in promoting local and sustainable agriculture. He specializes in growing dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees and determining which type of tree grows best in sandy soils and without much pesticide application. The North Star Pie Cherry is one of his favorites.

The educational programming at the farm is underway. Brimmer and May, which bought a share, brought about 30 12- and 13-year-old kids. After Greg gave them a tour of the farm with a little of the history, they got to work mulching paths, filling the asparagus trenches, transplanting seedlings, thinning and weeding seedlings in the greenhouse, and laying out beds in the field. In addition, the Nahanton Camp summer campers will be visiting each session this summer.

The Bowen School initiative is moving forward. Bowen teachers will be working over the summer to develop curriculum links for outdoor learning at the Bowen School and for when the Bowen kids come to the farm. We expect that the visits from Bowen's kindergarten, first and second graders will begin in the fall.

Our summer intern, Liz Gleason, is hard at work visiting other local farms to gain a better understanding of their educational programming. Her research will inform our overall educational plan. In addition, Liz is working on plans for a children's garden where younger kids can get their hands dirty, as well as a scavenger hunt that kids can use to explore the farm. Both of these projects will ensure that visits to the farm are fun and filled with learning.

To learn more about or participate in our educational programming, e-mail Elyse Rosemblum at erosenblum@icscore.org.

Inside the farmhouse, we are moving ahead with making it livable for Greg and his family by the fall. Work will start in earnest on July 11 and 12 with two workdays to strip all the wallpaper and clean the ceilings. We also have some demolition work in the kitchen and need to remove the old appliances. Please contact me if you can volunteer to help that week (it counts towards your CSA hours).

Starting the following week, a contractor will be in the house replacing most windows and removing lead paint; that work will continue until the middle of August, when we will back in to complete the kitchen, and paint walls and ceilings.

I would also like to hear from someone who is interested in early July in documenting with photographs the house interior before we begin work.

-Peter (617-630-0923)

In addition to the volunteer opportunities list above (farming, building maintenance, and educational programming), we also need volunteers to help us with our website, on-line and printed newsletters, graphic design, public relations, fundraising, and grant writing. If you have these skills, or are just interested in lending a hand, please contact our new volunteer coordinator, Sam Fogel, at 617-969-9039 (home) or 617-923-0976 (work).