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May 2007
Dear Farm Friends,
Welcome to the May 2007
Community Farm newsletter. This month read about the plantings going on right
now and improvements on the farm. We update you about our fundraising efforts
and about volunteering at the farm. It's almost time for you to join in the
action, so get out your boots and sweatshirts and be ready to dig in!
Your editors,
Carol Rose and Gil Rosen
| News
from Greg Maslowe, Farm Manager
 Greetings
from the farm where things are starting to pop, as we farmers say. The
winter rye, planted to protect the soil over the winter, is taking off.
Every time I have a few days without rain I try to spade under as much
rye as I can. And crop planting is well under way already. I have
transplanted pac choi, kale, and collards and seeded spinach and argula,
as well as dill, cilantro, and carrots. The first planting of peas is
growing well, with the second planting not far behind.
May will see us building a farm stand at the Winchester Street entrance
to the farm. The farm stand will open in early June, but next year might
open even earlier. Late this fall I’ll be planting spinach, arugula,
cilantro, and scallions for early harvest next spring. These
overwintered crops, combined with the maturing asparagus planting,
perenial spring onions left here by the Anginos, and a new planting of
rhubarb will hopefully mean that we’ll have a good selection of
produce for sale next May.
I’ve been busy seeding tomatoes in the greenhouse. Unfortunately, I
got a bad cold that turned into a sinus infection in April, and while I
was bed-bound the greenhouse got too hot, burning up the first planting
of tomatoes. A fellow farmer in Belmont
offered to give me some of her extra tomato seedlings, but then a family
of wood chucks raided her greenhouse one evening a week ago and ate all
her tomato plants! So I’m searching for other farmers with extra
tomatoes in order to still have an early crop of tomatoes.
On the last Sunday in April, 30 people came to the farm for the Newton
Serves work day. They spread compost, mulched paths, and made a dent in
the large pile of stone that’s been sitting in the path by the barn
since last spring. Thank you to everyone who was here to help get the
farm ready for the growing season.
I hired an assistant farm manager for this season. Tom Libby lives in
Wellesley, and comes to us with lots of experience. Tom worked at
ReVision House in Dorchester, a shelter for abused women and girls that
teaches them to grow food, and at Waltham Fields Community Farm. He has
also taught carpentry here in Newton and
will be leading the effort to get our farm stand built.
Finally, we will be hard at work this month planting permaculture beds
around the periphery of the field. These beds are modeled on forests,
with a canopy of fruit trees (pears and asian pears), an understory of
fruiting shrubs (blue berries, black berries, and raspberries), and an
herbaceous lay of strawberries. These plantings will start producing
fruit in two to three years that will be available at the farm stand.
They will also create a beautiful perimeter around the field and play a
role in the educational work of the farm. So stick around! Over the next
few years you'll get to watch the beauty of the farm grow, and very soon
can enjoy the fruits, as well as the veggies, of our labor!
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Changes to the
Winchester Street Entrance and the rest of the site
Thanks to Jon Bransfield of Bransfield Tree Company we had an excavator
donated for a day, with Jon himself as operator. We filled and regraded
the entry path, installed the foundation for a new farm stand, and
created a new area for dumping compost materials. Steve Tocci from the
city’s public works department arranged for the delivery of old
granite curbing to stabilize the bank. A 6x10 ft. post and beam farm
stand will be built at the entrance to be operational by mid June.
Bransfield Tree Company is a full service organic tree company and a
whole lot more. Click on the URL to find out more about Bransfield.
http://bransfieldtree.com
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| News
from Sam Fogel, Volunteer Coordinator
The Newton Community Farm was high on the
list of Newtonserves 2007 projects held on April 29. We anticipated 12
to 15 volunteers but wound up with 25, ages ranged from 12 to 70+.
The twenty five enthusiastic volunteers worked from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30
building paths between planting beds. The process consisted of one team
measuring, staking and putting up string to outline the main North-South
path which is 6 foot wide. Two secondary East-West paths of 30 inches
wide were prepared in the same manner. A second team gathered and cut
cardboard to the proper width. A third team laid the cardboard down on
the path and a fourth team delivered shredded wood bark via garden carts
to cover and complete the paths. The weather was overcast but
everyone’s spirit was high, and a great job was done by all. One
high-energy Newton South student helped move
a cubic yard of rocks from near the barn to the entrance way near
Winchester Street. The outpouring of energy, and dedication toward
public participation was outstanding.
CSA workers and volunteers will begin receiving assignment opportunities
from Tom Libby (our assistant farmer) and
myself toward the end of the week of May 11th. Tom and I will coordinate
volunteer’s farm-related activities based on Tom’s work schedule.
Until otherwise stated, continue to contact me at sam@fogel.com.
We will shortly clarify what days of the week and the times for training
and work.
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| Fundraising
Committee Update
As a young non-profit organization, we are fortunate to be able to
generate income from crop sales. However, as we move forward with
ambitious plans to beautify the farm, expand educational programming,
stabilize our historic barn, and transform it into an indoor meeting and
learning place, charitable contributions from farm supporters will
continue to be vital to our success. Right now, we are looking for
volunteers to join our fundraising committee. If you are interested in
helping out with this important task, please contact Jon Regosin at
(617) 244-0736 or berkowitz.regosin@verizon.net.
Also please be on the lookout for our Spring Appeal letter. Our spring
and fall appeals are an important part of our fundraising efforts. We
hope that you will consider making a tax-deductible contribution when
you receive our mailing later this month.
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| Farm
Wish List
This month's wish list includes:
- 100' or longer garden hoses
- bench grinder
- website programmer
If you can help us with these, please contact Greg Maslowe at
617/916-9655 or newtoncommunityfarm@comcast.net.
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Please contact us if you have any questions about this newsletter,
ideas for future issues or if you want to be added to our mailing list.
Just email Carol and Gil at carolgil@mac.com.
For more information about the Farm, check out our web page:
newtoncommunityfarm.org
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