The Newton Farmer
April 2022
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Dear Farm Friends,
Before coming to Newton Community Farm, I taught in a school garden in New Orleans, Louisiana. Seasons in the Gulf South look and feel vastly different from the way they do up here, and it has been interesting for me to experience these changes again for the first time in a while after having spent my childhood in Southern New England. In some way it makes me feel like a kid again to rediscover these changes and adjust to the growing calendar that I grew up experiencing.
Phenology is the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals that occur as the climate shifts—migrations, leaves changing color, and hibernations are good examples. Recording the timing of these events helps us understand how human-driven climate change affects the natural cycles of the earth and better prepares us for present and future crises. For instance, a plant we rely on for food that flowers unnaturally early due to rising temperatures might need a particular insect for pollination, but that insect hasn’t emerged yet from overwintering and that plant can longer reproduce. Knowing how patterns of that plant flowering and insect emerging are changing can help us take better informed actions to adjust to impacts of the climate crisis.
While this is a more contemporary example, Indigenous people have been carrying this knowledge for centuries and continue through today with groups like the Northeast Indigenous Climate Resistance Network. I find that observing and recording seasonal changes is a constant theme in working with young people in environmental education. As we move forward with our growing, I look forward to noticing these changes alongside the many visitors to the Farm and seeing what natural transformations pique our interests.
Best,
Matt Durham
Director of Education
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Save the Date for our Spring Seedling Sale |
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We're growing 27,000 seedlings for our annual Spring Seedling Sale. We'll have all your favorites, plus some new varieties this year. The sale will be in person at the Farm on May 14–15, from noon to 3 pm. In addition to seedlings, we will also have Vermont Compost Company soil and soil amendments available in limited supply and NCF T-shirts for sale. And we are thrilled that our local volunteer garden gurus Barney Keezell and Brian Rogan will be back to answer all your garden-related questions.
All seedlings will be $6 per unit that they are started in, either a 6-pack, 4-pack, or pot depending on the type of plant. So, for example, a 6-pack of lettuce or a 4-pack of tomatoes or a potted perennial herb are all $6 each.
We will have more than 90 plant varieties available this year. For more information on specific varieties, click here.
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Beets
Bok Choi
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Napa Cabbage
Calendula
Cantaloupe
Cauliflower
Centaurea
Chamomile
Chard
Cilantro
Corn
Cosmos
Cucumbers
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Cutting Celery
Dill
Eggplant
Fennel
Husk Cherry
Kale
Lavender
Lettuce
Marigold
Mint
Mustard
Nasturtium
Oregano
Parsley
Peppers
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Rosemary
Sage
Scallions
Spinach
Squash
Strawflower
Sunflower
Tarragon
Thyme
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Turnips
Lemon Verbena
Watermelon
Zinnia
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Did you know that if you receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, you can use your card to pay for seedlings that you use to grow food for your household? To see which seedlings are eligible for SNAP, visit our plant list.
We're looking for business sponsors for this event in exchange for an excellent opportunity to promote your company and your support of the Farm to our community. To learn more about sponsorships, please check out our Business Sponsorship Program.
Thank you to our sponsors!
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Registration is open on our website for spring and summer education programs for kids. Preregistration is required. Scholarships of up to 75% of a program fee may be available.
Our classes are small, so sign up before we fill up!
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Wednesdays, 1:30–3:30 pm, ongoing through June for ages 5–12 (Class sessions are prorated so register anytime. See our website for more details.)
Plant seeds in the Learning Garden, uncover the hidden world beneath our feet, conduct experiments with plants, and spend time with the chickens.
April 19–22, 9–11:30 am for ages 5–12, $200
Young gardeners will help prepare our Learning Garden, plant seeds and seedlings, and observe creatures emerging from their winter rest.
Make Your Own Herb Garden in partnership with the JCC, Sunday, May 22, 10–11 am, $20/person, includes all materials. Participants will tour the Farm and take part in a workshop to construct an herb planter that will be a welcome addition to your porch, deck, or wherever you might have space for a few herbs to brighten your home.
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July 5–September 2, mornings, 9–11:30 am for ages 5–8, or afternoons 1:30–4 pm for ages 8–12, $250 per week (We offer flexibility with the age groupings, so please let us know if you would like to keep siblings or other peers together and we will try to accommodate requests.)
Calling all future farmers, scientists, chefs, naturalists, and gardeners! Join us to discover boundless connections between our food, each other, and the natural world. We will explore a different garden-based theme each week on topics like life cycles, the food system, and garden creatures, as well as learning gardening skills. We'll create a garden snack during each class to enjoy. We hold classes in our Learning Garden as well as the larger farm, giving kids valuable time in a natural space that they can call their own.
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A Message from the NCF Board of Directors |
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Paul Holt and I are proud to serve as co-presidents of the NCF Board of Directors in 2022. NCF's mission, programs, and people are compelling, inspirational, and fun. NCF keeps progressing thanks to our very strong community including our talented employees, generous volunteers and donors, stalwart supporters and customers, supportive city institutions, and a deeply-committed governing board. As we head into our 17th growing season, the following people will be steering the Farm forward in partnership with NCF's staff. We hope to see you on the Farm soon and welcome any thoughts you want to share about your experiences.
Dede Vittori, NCF Co-President
Current Board Members:
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Paul Holt, Co-President
Dede Vittori, Co-President and Clerk
Barbara Seal, Treasurer
Laura Bishop
Claire Caine
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Linda Chafets
Marietta Joseph
Robin Maltz
Lisa Harries Schumann
Mindy Sieber
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A Book Is Like a Garden... |
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...carried in the pocket. ~ Chinese proverb |
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Vegetable Gardening Wisdom by Kelly Smith Trimble is a lovely little book filled with tips, recipes, quotes, terrific illustrations, and inspiration. It is divided by season, and there are notes on everything from what plants grow best in close proximity to each other, enriching your soil, picking plant varieties, pollinators, pests, seeds, storage, harvesting, reducing food waste, scientific facts, and much more. While some of the advice may be familiar, it's very likely you'll learn something new while thumbing through these quick, colorful pages. Did you know that after being picked, green beans respire (release carbon dioxide) faster than any other vegetable so you should wrap them before putting them in the fridge to keep them fresh longer? Or that some of the most popular culinary herbs including basil, sage, lavender, rosemary, and oregano are all members of the mint family? There's something for every gardener in this compact treasure trove of information.
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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. |
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Last month in this newsletter, Farmer Greg mentioned that there is a new addition to the farm crew.... Introducing Winston! Greg and his family adopted this handsome boy from Freedom Street Rescue in Houston, TX. (This is the same rescue group that sweet Boyd was from.) Winston was left in a cage with a sweater on in a park. They estimate that he is just under 1 year old now and that he is a Catahoula leopard dog, German shepherd, and border collie mix.
Since his journey to New England about a month ago, Winston has really flourished. He loves going on long walks with his family and is very curious about everything that is happening on the Farm. He is super smart, hardly barks, and is very playful. No one knows how big he will get but given his long legs and very large ears, he probably has more growing to do!
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Newton's Earth Day Festival |
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Celebrate with Green Newton at Newton’s Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 24, 1–4 pm at City Hall. There will be fun activities for the whole family, live music, face painting, a petting zoo, starter kits for composting, and ice cream. This special event will be a great opportunity to learn about saving energy in your home and on the road. You can check out an assortment of electric vehicles and bikes that will be on hand, and be sure to stop by Newton Community Farm's booth! For more information, visit GreenNewton.org/EarthDay.
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High School
Summer Field Crew Internship Program
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NCF is currently accepting applications for summer high school field crew interns. This program offers the experience of working on an intensive market garden (the traditional term for small vegetable farms) for students entering 9th–12th grade in the fall of 2022. Internships last for four weeks and are three mornings per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), 8 am to noon. Applicants can indicate if they are available for session 1 (July 12–August 4) or session 2 (August 9–September 1). Internships are unpaid. Check out our website for more details and to apply online. |
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Volunteers Needed to Translate Materials |
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Are you able to translate written materials into Russian, Mandarin, Portuguese, or Spanish? Are you interested in volunteering your skills to help increase accessibility to our programs? If so, we would love your help! Please email sue@newtoncommunityfarm.org to let us know that you are interested. Thank you!
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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. |
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NEWTON COMMUNITY FARM
303 Nahanton Street
Newton, MA 02459
617-916-9655
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