Newton Farmer September 2019

The Newton Farmer

September 2019

The work of farming is always changing, bringing some sorrows but mostly joys. This year at Newton Community Farm, the weather has been good, the harvested produce is beautiful and abundant (and delicious), and we’ve had our most successful summer camp season to date! And preparations are well underway to bring you our annual family-fun Fall Festival on Sunday, September 22.

We do have some sad news. As you may have heard, we lost the majority of our chickens to a predator in mid-August. Our beautiful flock was an important part of our experiential learning program, and all who visited the farm were delighted with the chickens' amazing plumage and comical expressions. We heard from many of you, and we thank you for your kind words about this loss.

To help prevent future problems, we are planning improvements to the area around the coop, including the fence, and we look forward to welcoming another flock in the spring. If you would like to support this project, please go to our Spring for the Chickens campaign to make a donation. Because the best time to do this work is this fall, please donate today so we can complete the project as soon as possible. Thank you for your support.

A Message from Our Board President

Labor Day has passed, and the cooler evenings remind us that fall is around the corner. Along with the usual change of seasons that happens every year, we have some other big transitions here at NCF. Just about a year ago, we welcomed Karyn Novakowski as our first-ever executive director, and the Farm has had a wonderful year with Karyn leading the team. She has supported our staff, made our organization stronger, enhanced the farm’s splendor with her breathtaking photos, and provided a consistent friendly face for all who visit the Farm. Despite these successes, Karyn has decided that, while she loves the Farm and her work here, she needs more time to spend with her young children and parents. While we are sorry to see Karyn go, we are grateful for all her valuable work. It is clear that she is leaving the Farm better than she found it.

We are fortunate to announce that we have a fantastic person to step into this role--- Sue Bottino is now our interim executive director. For the last year, Sue has been a star member of our Board, supporting our fundraising, marketing, events, and sustainability work. She comes with experience as an environmental economist and nonprofit leader, and we are so glad that we are able to fill this position with someone who already is intimately familiar with so many aspects of our operations. She is already hard at work, so if you stop by the Farm, she would love to meet you.

Our whole staff and board join me in saying thank you to Karyn, and welcome to Sue. We are lucky to have you both in this community.

Stephanie Cogen, President

NCF Board of Directors

Join Us for an Afternoon of Fun

for the Whole Family

Our annual Fall Festival is coming up on Sunday, September 22, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.!

Come to the Farm for a day of fun, food, and music. In celebration of autumn, you and your kids can decorate pumpkins, go on a scavenger hunt, have your faces painted, or decorate a scarecrow!

Enjoy the sounds of the High Strung Strummers and Music Together while you nosh on apples, cider donuts, and more! And new this year – Sweet Tomatoes will be here with their delicious pizza! Bring your water bottle for free water fill-ups!

You won’t want to miss:

Story Time (11:15, 12:15, and 1:15)

Music Together (11:30)

High Strung Strummers (12:30 and 1:30)

Admission to the Fall Festival is FREE, as well as many of the activities!! Food and activity tickets will be available for purchase .

Our Best-Ever Camp Season

It's hard to believe that our Farm Explorers, Little Diggers, and Farmers in Training camp programs have come to an end for summer 2019! A HUGE thank you to Melissa, Flannery, Charley, Zack, Susanna, and Maya, our fantastic summer education team, who made this wonderful summer possible for 120 campers. Each group of campers investigated the Farm, engaged with the Learning Garden, overcame fears, learned new things, and joined our Farm community. We have enjoyed watching them grow, hearing them shriek with delight, and joining them on a journey of exploration . . . all while learning to be kind, be respectful, be curious, and have fun!

Summer Sprouts and Farm Babies have also finished for the summer, but they will start up again on September 7 with songs, stories, games, and crafts. We hope to see many of the kids back at the Farm this month .

Informative Historic Newton Farm Tour

Newton Community Farm teamed up with Historic Newton to offer The Fields of Green: Walking Tour, held on August 6 at the Farm. Clara Silverstein, community engagement director at Historic Newton, educated 25 people on the agricultural history of Newton and Newton Community Farm. Did you know that our site has been farmed continuously for over 300 years? Clara spoke about farming in this area, including the influence of Italian immigration to Newton.

Folks enjoyed the post-walk snack, chilled Cucumber Herb Soup, prepared by our Director of Education Reva Haselkorn in the historic barn. They had plenty of questions about produce, programs, and chickens and ended this fun and informative evening with a better understanding of the history of farming in our area.

Staff Spotlight: Gabrielle Weiler

If you’ve come to the farm stand, chances are you’ve met Gabrielle Weiler, our produce monger. Gabrielle joined our team last summer, and she’s happy to be back again this year. It is her first foray into retail after working on a variety of farms as a field hand over the years. She loves being on the Farm and often comes to work early to have lunch with other staff members and enjoy the peaceful environment. She also loves the weekly help she receives from summer campers setting up and staffing the stand.

Gabrielle grew up in Allston and now resides in the orchard area of Stow, MA, with her family and the “best dog in the world,” Maggie (no offense to Farmer Greg’s dog Boyd). One of her favorite parts of her job is getting to know our regular customers, making new friends, and swapping recipes. So stop by and say “hi” to Gabrielle!

The farm stand is currently open Tuesday–Friday, 1:30–6:00 p.m., and Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Check our website for any updates, unexpected closures, and our fall schedule. Please remember to bring your reusable shopping bags!

Volunteer Spotlight:

The Goodfriend Family

Sometimes the name just fits! That’s how we feel about the Goodfriend family. Dina and Steve and their kids CJ, Jared, Adrianne, and James have been good friends of the Farm since the early days. They live right down the street, so CJ, Jared, and James “grew up on the Farm,” according to their mom, spending many summers as campers and field workers.

Dina loves that her kids have benefitted from the role models they found at the Farm, learning lessons that reinforced their family’s values, and broadening their picture of the world. We are all proud that CJ has recently applied to the Peace Corps! And Dina has been an important part of Dinner on the Farm, helping us make sure the event is always beautiful.

Interested in volunteering at the Farm? Visit our website for more details .

Purchase Reusable Bags

and Donate to the Farm

We’re excited to share that Newton Community Farm is a recipient of the Stop & Shop Giving Tag Program. Buy a $2.50 reusable Community Bag at any Stop & Shop store, and direct a $1 donation to the Farm by using the attached Giving Tag. Go green and pick up some bags today!

Upcoming Events & Programs

Fall Registration is Open !

Click on the links to register!

For Adults and Families

Fall Cookbook Potluck Dinner

Sunday, September 8, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Share dinner with friends in our historic barn, inspired by the food of Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen.

Fall Festival

A fun-filled afternoon for the whole family! No registration needed!

Sunday, September 22, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Ready, Set, Grow! Fall Harvest & Season Extension

Sunday, October 6, 2:00–4:00 p.m.

Learn how to get the most out of your garden even as the days grow shorter and colder.

Seasonal Handmade Pasta Class

Thursday, October 10, 7:00–9:00 p.m.

Tentative menu: Butternut Squash Ravioli in Sage Brown Butter, Pappardelle with Kale Pesto & Radishes

Free! Concert and Picnic Evening

Wednesday, October 16, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Bring a picnic dinner and a blanket, enjoy the music, connect with old friends, and make new ones. "Carry in, carry out, please." No registration needed!

Halloween on the Farm

Friday, November 1, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

$10 per child

For Children

Farm Tuesdays (ages 7 – 11)

This program meets weekly on early-release Tuesday afternoons. Kids will harvest from the Learning Garden, care for our chickens, and help prepare the garden for the colder weather. Rain or shine, we’ll spend most of the afternoon outdoors learning about the Farm, working in the garden, playing games, and making snacks. Sign up for either or both of our sessions!

Back to School Mini-Session Three–week session meets Tuesdays, 1:30–3:00 p.m., September 10, 17, 24

Fall Session Five–week session meets Tuesdays, 1:30–3:00 p.m., October 29–November 26

Farm Babies (under age 2.5 years with an adult)

It’s never too early to connect your kids to the Farm! In this program for tots, we’ll engage in interactive farm-themed story time, movement, and songs followed by time to socialize with others and free play for the kids. This program will take place outdoors when weather allows and in the barn as needed.

Farm Sprouts (ages 2.5 – 5 with an adult)

This program for toddlers with an adult caregiver fosters curiosity through experiential learning. Build a healthy foundation for a lifelong relationship with real food and the natural world. Enjoy outdoor exploration of the Learning Garden, animal encounters, story time, songs, and craft projects. Class will meet on the colorful mat near the Learning Garden or in the barn in bad weather.