The Newton Farmer
November 2021
Dear Farm friends,

As we begin to button up the Farm for the winter, we are tremendously grateful for all that we have been able to accomplish this year with your support. We made it through a summer with record rain and days of intense heat. We worked through the uncertainty that all of us face in this global pandemic as we ramped up our education programs and sold and donated produce. And we were able to offer many in-person programs, including summer classes for kids and several on-Farm events. Thank you for those who were able to volunteer at the Seedling Sale, our 15th anniversary party, the kids' fall party, and our Saturday field work hours. The difference between this year and last with more people on the Farm has been so heartwarming and motivating for us all.

Now as we begin to prepare the beds for winter by collecting the last harvests and planting cover crops, we thank the earth for all that it has given us. And we thank our amazing staff, board, volunteers, interns, and our community for making this little farm what it is today. We are tremendously appreciative of Greg Maslowe, NCF farm manager since the Farm began, for his tutelage, work ethic, and unmatched farming skills. Our Director of Education Matt Durham has hit the ground running with the wonderful programs he created this year and his plans for the future. Special thanks to our seasonal employees Assistant Grower Evan Seitz and Farm Stand Manager Caroline Whalen for their hard work, humor, and commitment. We are grateful to our dedicated summer field operations student interns and intern supervisor Mary Alice Koon and our volunteers Neal, Fiona, Yael, Laura, Nyssa, Rohan, and Ben who spent many hours on the Farm this year. And we are so appreciative of all you, our Farm friends, for the kindness and generosity you gave this year and always.
As one of the students in our farm education program stated, "Everything here is grown with emotion." And that is certainly true. While we begin the process of closing out this growing season, we are reminded of all the joy and fond memories created here this year. And we're excited to spend the next several months planning and gearing up for a terrific 2022 with you!

With gratitude,

Sue Bottino
Executive Director
Order Thanksgiving Harvest Bags
You might remember that last fall we offered a bag full of Thanksgiving side dish and dessert ingredients, all from local farms. It was so popular that we decided to bring it back this year. Read on to learn more and place your order today. Hurry because we have a limited number available, and last year we sold out. Make your meal delicious and support local farms!
Bags will have:
  • 1 lb. native Massachusetts heirloom cranberries
  • 5 lbs. organic white potatoes
  • 3 lbs. organic sweet potatoes
  • 2 lbs. organic yellow onions
  • 2 sugar pumpkins
  • 2 organic butternut squash
  • 3 lbs. apples
  • 1 lb. carrots
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 1/2 lb. greens
  • 1 bunch sage

Price: $74 each

Pickup is on Monday, November 22, between 3 and 5 pm, in the lowest level of the big red barn at the Farm.


Sorry, no substitutions are possible.
Enjoy the produce with your friends and family! If you're worried it's too much for your celebration, consider splitting a bag with a neighbor or you can set aside the potatoes, pumpkins, or squash to enjoy later.
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Grants Awarded
In early October, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) announced grant awards to help local farms implement climate-change mitigation strategies and solutions. Newton Community Farm (NCF) and the City of Newton are grant awardees of the Climate Smart Agriculture Program - Energy grant. MDAR will contribute 80% of the cost of a solar installation on the roof of the barn, which will provide 99% of the energy needed for the agricultural operation. The project is a grid-connected photovoltaic array of 30 panels (10.1 kW) with battery backup and is estimated to be the equivalent CO2 reduction of preserving 11 acres of forest. The total cost of the project is $61,675.
In addition, Newton Community Farm will receive grant funding through the Climate Smart Agriculture Program - Environment for new farm equipment and high-tunnel extensions, which cost $9,588. MDAR will be contributing 80% of the cost. This machinery and materials will enable NCF to improve soil health, labor efficiency, irrigation efficiency, pest management, and sustainability.

NCF is keenly aware of climate change and the effects it has on growing food for our community. These grants will increase resilience and enable NCF to provide a wide variety of first-hand environmental educational content in our programs.
Drop off Freedge Pantry Items at NCF
This Month
NCF has been a long-time provider of donated produce to the Newton Food Pantry, and we also have been delivering produce and eggs to the Newton Community Freedge in Nonantum since it opened in the spring. The Freedge operates on the policy "Take what you need. Leave what you can." For the month of November, NCF is a collection spot for community donations of shelf-stable dry goods and personal-hygiene products for the Freedge. Volunteers will deliver your items along with produce donations from the Farm. Note that because we have limited storage, please only drop off items for the dry- goods side of the Freedge. Staples that are always needed include rice, beans, pasta, pasta sauce, soups, flour, cooking oil, shelf-stable milk, new/unopened personal-care items including diapers, baby wipes, toilet paper, menstrual supplies, bar soap, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and laundry detergent. Read more about the Freedge on Newton Food Pantry's website.
Great Time Was Had at Kids' Fall Fun Party
We had a terrific time with families at our Kids' Fall Fun Party at the Farm on October 22. Around 50 people decorated pumpkins with natural materials, participated in a scavenger hunt full of seasonal observations, made teabags with fresh-picked herbs, watched an apple press demonstration, munched on apples, and learned about chickens.

Thanks to everyone who participated! We are grateful for our wonderful volunteers Paul, Dede, Deb, Jon, Rebekah, Kate, Yael, Claire, Nyssa, and Madelyn.

If you're interested in volunteering at future events at the Farm, please email matt@newtoncommunityfarm.org.
Thankful for Our New Truck
Thanks to two generous anonymous donors, NCF was able to purchase a used pickup truck for moving produce around on the Farm and for running errands. This 2007 Nissan Frontier has been essential for transporting vegetables and fruit to and from the farm stand and for a variety of other Farm tasks, both on and off the Farm.

We are truly touched by the thoughtfulness of these community members who learned of our need and were willing and able to help. If you are interested in fulfilling a specific farm need, you can always check our wish list or reach out to sue@newtoncommunityfarm.org to discuss.
A Book Is Like a Garden...
...carried in the pocket. ~ Chinese proverb
Michael W. Twitty’s The Cooking Gene is an essential read for anyone interested in challenging themselves to reconsider the way we think about our cultural and familial connections to food and agriculture. The 2018 James Beard Award-winning book tells the story of Twitty’s ancestors through the foods they encountered and how those foods have informed the culinary identity of today’s American food scene. The Cooking Gene takes readers on a journey through time and across the South, from the farms and fields where Twitty's enslaved ancestors toiled, to the spaces where he now works and addresses fundamental questions about the interconnectedness of race, place, food, and identity. Along the way he takes the time to show us a history of Southern food culture that presents a clear and honest picture of our past and a glimpse into the power that food and storytelling hold in securing a more just future.

Matt Durham is NCF's director of education, and he came across this book while visiting The Legacy Museum at the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama.
Let's learn more about each other and discover new reads through book recommendations around our common interests in farming, gardening, the environment, food, and good health. Send your review and a note to describe yourself to sue@newtoncommunityfarm.org.
Farm Stand Last Day This Year Nov. 20
For a few more weeks, you'll find us in the little red shed packed with produce on the Winchester Street side of the Farm.

Farm-stand hours are:
  • Thursdays and Fridays, 1:30–6 pm
  • Saturdays, 9:30 am–1 pm

Check our website to see what we have available each week.

We'll be open for the season through Saturday, November 20.

Don't forget to bring your reusable bags!
Newton Community Farm is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, EIN #20-2482452. If you would prefer to donate by mail, please send a check payable to Newton Community Farm at the address below. Don't forget to ask your employer if matching funds are available.
NEWTON COMMUNITY FARM
303 Nahanton Street
Newton, MA 02459
617-916-9655