The Newton Farmer
July 2022
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Dear Farm Friends,
We're halfway through 2022 and in the thick of farm activities. July brings with it the start of our summer kids' classes and the high school internship program, and you can sense the joy, curiosity, and enthusiasm that kids bring to the Farm. Our on-site farm stand is open and we've started back at the Newton Farmers' Market on Saturdays for our 17th year. In addition, we're working on our greenhouses, planning for the solar installation on the barn roof, writing grant applications, donating produce, harvesting crops for our CSA sharers, and exploring programming for the fall. And we are only able to do all of this because of your support. This community has been here for NCF and we are here for YOU! If you have a suggestion for a program or a comment you would like to share, please reach out.
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If you haven't stopped by the Farm lately, you should. It is so incredibly green, and the crops are really taking off. How are your gardens? We'd love to see and share photos of your seedlings, at home and thriving in your spaces. And don't forget our new Gardening Circle skill share. Our inaugural meeting was great and we are gathering again in July to share advice, ask questions, and grow our gardening community.
With gratitude,
Sue Bottino
Executive Director
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Where can you buy Farm produce? You'll find Farmer Greg at the Newton Farmers' Market every Saturday, 9:30 am–12:30 pm, now through October 15. The Saturday market is at Newton North High School in the rear parking lot at 352 Lowell Avenue in Newtonville.
Our on-site farm stand on Winchester Street is OPEN! Our hours are:
Thursdays and Fridays, 1:30–6 pm
Saturdays, 9:30 am–1 pm
We update our website each week with what we expect to have available for sale.
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July 5–September 2, by the week
9–11:30 am for ages 5–8
1:30–4 pm for ages 8–12
(Age groupings are flexible; let us know if you want to keep siblings or peers together, and we will try to accommodate requests.)
$200 per week for the first week, $250 per week for all other weeks; scholarships available
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, and learn 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. Visit our website for more information.
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With support from Charles River Neighborhood Foundation, Wegmans - Chestnut Hill, and individual donors, we strive to make these classes accessible to all
through our scholarship program.
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We could use your help. We are looking for yards where we can put our yard signs to get the word out about our summer classes and scholarship program to as many people as possible. Please email us if you're on a busy street or if you are located next to a park, playground, or school and you're willing to host a sign. Thanks!
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Gardening Circle
Do you have questions about plants you are growing in your garden? Want to share helpful information about a vegetable or flower that you love to grow? Come to our Gardening Circle Skill Share. This is a time to connect, share your knowledge, and help build a strong network of local plant enthusiasts. No registration required, but feel free to email Director of Education Matt Durham (matt@newtoncommunityfarm.org) to RSVP.
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Middle-school students at Wellan Montessori School in Newton recently completed a mural project that they created in collaboration with Artists for Humanity, Newton Community Farm, and Centre Street Food Pantry to raise awareness about food insecurity in Newton and neighboring towns. After volunteering with Centre Street Food Pantry last Thanksgiving, the students decided to focus on increasing recognition of the often invisible problem of people not having access to enough affordable, nutritious food. The silhouettes featured in the design are those of the Wellan students, and the landscape of the green hills in the background of their design depicts the rise and recent influx of household visits to the Centre Street Food Pantry from 2016 to 2021. For more information, visit Wellan School's blog.
NCF is honored to be the first place that Wellan chose to exhibit these three canvases. We are also featuring a display copy at our tent at the Newton Farmers' Market on Saturdays. The group of student artists has also taken classes at the Farm with our education director, Matt Durham. Stop by the barn or the market to check out their artwork. Thanks to volunteer Dean Bottino for installing the mural in the barn.
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Meet a Volunteer
Fiona Ross grew up in Newton and started volunteering at the Farm in 2020 during the pandemic. She found working from home challenging and had enjoyed working at other farms in the past. One day when driving by the Farm, she decided to stop and ask if we needed volunteers. And she has been an incredible helper ever since.
Fiona now lives in Cambridge, and she makes time in her busy workday to volunteer every week. She bikes to the farm around 7 am, primarily works in the field from 8 to 9:30 am, and then bikes to her parents' home to start her workday. Fiona says that "Although I can only volunteer a few hours every week, I feel very lucky to be included in such an amazing community!"
Fiona studied mechanical engineering at Queen’s University in Canada and currently works with autonomous vehicles (no pilot or captain) helping them navigate challenging terrain. She loves to ski, mountain bike, canoe, or anything that gets her outside.
"I love the community and working in the fields because we get to chat about all sorts of things. Ask Greg, Asher, or Matt anything from plant names to best soil practices and they will always provide a wealth of knowledge!"
(Photo by Margaret Mallory)
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New Volunteer Opportunity at the Farm Stand
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This summer we will be training a group of volunteers who are interested in potentially filling in at the farm stand. From time to time we need help covering a shift at the stand on a Thursday or Friday afternoon or a Saturday morning. Our goal is to have a group of volunteers who have already learned how to run the farm stand who we can ask if they are available to help. This way we wouldn't have to close the stand for a day or pull staff from other projects. Your participation would be greatly appreciated! And it is super fun to talk with customers and run a small farm store. Please email us to express interest, and feel free to share with friends. We hope to have people help in pairs so no one person would have to do all the work.
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Fieldwork Volunteers
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Get your hands dirty and have fun on a summer Saturday morning working in the field. Sign up online for a two-hour shift here.
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Can you commit to weekly weeding at the Farm on Thursday mornings this summer? Join our weed crew! In July and August, committed volunteers meet weekly at the Farm on Thursdays at 9 am to work three hours, primarily weeding the vegetable beds. Email us for more info.
(Photo: Thank you to Michael, who lives in Louisiana and helps with weeding at NCF whenever he visits the area.)
Please note that to volunteer at the Farm, the minimum age is 12, and volunteers ages 12 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers must sign up or email us ahead of time; we are not able to accommodate volunteers who have not registered. Wear comfortable clothes, closed-toe shoes, and be prepared to get dirty. Bring a water bottle and a hat. Thank you!
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Register for the 2022 Fruit Share Program! Newton Community Farm is offering a weekly fruit share in partnership with Autumn Hills Orchard in Groton, MA. Each weekly share consists of a 4- to 5-pound (approximate) bag of apples and occasionally may include peaches, grapes, nectarines, or pears. $100 per share (one bag each week for eight weeks). Pickups are at NCF on Wednesdays or Thursdays, 2–7 pm, August 24 through October 13, 2022. Registration Deadline: August 19, 2022, at noon. Read more at https://newtoncommunityfarm.org/produce/fruit-share/
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A Favorite Summer Recipe: Cucumber Soup |
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In Soup for Syria: Recipes to Celebrate our Shared Humanity author and photographer Barbara Abdeni Massaad offers diverse recipes from famous chefs including Mark Bittman, Alice Waters, Anthony Bourdain, and Yotam Ottolenghi. One very simple recipe that we love for summer is from Martyna Monaco for Avocado, Cucumber, and Mint Soup. Add pita bread and all you need is a blender and a refrigerator to make this a refreshing, delicious meal.
Recipe for Avocado, Cucumber, and Mint Soup:
Combine two peeled, pitted and cubed avocados, four peeled and chopped baby cucumbers, a small bunch of chopped parsley, a small bunch of fresh mint leaves, one chopped onion, the juice of two lemons, and 1 cup of plain yogurt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Gradually add water to reach your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with cucumber slices, mint leaves, or croutons if desired.
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Two years ago we made the switch from plastic to compostable cellulose bags for packing spinach, arugula, bok choi and other produce. Our customers have loved that they can put these bags in their home compost bins. (We recommend that you cut them up before doing so to help speed the composting process.) And we love that we are not contributing to plastic pollution.
Now we are taking another step to further our environmental stewardship by replacing our plastic produce and shopping bags with BioBag® compostable products. According to their website, the produce bag “breathes” without leaking, which allows moisture to evaporate and keeps produce fresh longer. The new bags are certified compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute and meet the US Standard ASTM D6400. The new produce and shopping bags can go in your home composting bins with food waste or, if you use Black Earth Compost service, you can put them in those bins.
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Send Us a Photo of Your Garden |
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How are your gardens growing? We'd love to see and share your photos! Send them to us along with your name and location. Pictured here are Emily and David Shumsky of Newtonville. They grow vegetables and herbs mixed in with their perennial flower plants as landscaping for a beautiful effect. It is so nice to see their seedlings from the Farm thriving.
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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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