February
14, 2013
News
from the Goat Yard!
 All the animals weathered the
major snowfall quite well. On Friday and
Saturday during the storm they were confined
mostly to the barn, but they are back to
enjoying the sunshine and their temporarily
smaller yard. The higher snow level around their
double pens does increase the risk from passing
coyotes, so we are watching the goats carefully
and putting them to bed in the barn a little
early each day until the snow level drops.
Also, last Thursday the vet came to visit Naya and
confirmed that she is pregnant but was unable to
determine the number of possible babies. She is
not as far along as we had thought so we have
slipped the expected due date back to early May.
-Kim Goldinger
 Shoveling
out!
Public access to the Goat Yard is currently
limited to walking through deep snow from the Busa
Farm parking lot or from the trail around the
Arlington Res. We welcome any volunteers with
shovels (or a plow!) to help clear a path. Contact
ja...@lexfarm.org
if you can help.
Many thanks to LexFarm members Sophie Goemans
and Mike Decoteau who on Sunday cleared
paths for the goats in the Goat Yard so they could
access their climbing structures.
-Janet Kern
Lexington
Community Conversation: Climate Change:
How can we make a difference in Lexington?
Tuesday,
February 26, Keilty Hall St. Brigid's
Church, 6:45 - 9 pm
Come out and join neighbors, town staff, LexFarm
members and other community groups to learn how
other towns are preparing for potential problems
and share your thoughts about this issue in
Lexington. This is an opportunity for those
concerned about our local food production to
voice those concerns and help place agriculture
and organic gardening on the list of priorities
for Lexington.
The
planning committee for this second annual
Community Conversation includes members of the
following Lexington groups: the League of
Women Voters; the Global Warming Action
Committee; Citizens for Lexington
Conservation; Sustainable Lexington; LexFarm;
the Planning Board, and the Town Manager's
office.
Eating with the
Ecosystem, Boston Area Dinner Series
February
28, nourish Restaurant,
Lexington, 6 - 9 pm
 nourish
Restaurant is set to host the first
segment of the Eating
with the Ecosystem Boston sustainable
seafood series. Eating with the
Ecosystem is a traveling dinner
series that had its inaugural run in 2012
in Rhode Island. The project now brings
its community-driven, place-based approach
to sustainable seafood to the Boston area,
where it will launch at nourish
with a dinner featuring Southern New
England waters.
This dinner at nourish
will explore the culinary treasures of the
Southern New England marine ecosystem, an
area of water stretching from Buzzards Bay
to Long Island Sound to the edge of the
continental shelf. Owner Karen
Masterson and her team will
present a creative menu showcasing a
diverse sampling of seafood items from
these waters, while scientist Nathan
Rebuck and fisherman Katie Eagan
will narrate the event, bringing to life
the bountiful yet vulnerable ecosystem
that produced the evening�s fare.
Future dinners include "Gulf of Maine" on
March 26th at The Local Table in Acton and
"Georges Bank" at Ten Tables in Jamaica
Plain.� The dinner at nourish
is $30 per person and reservations can be
made through the restaurant at (781)
674-2400.
Farm
to Lectern Speaker Series with Brian Donahue
March
7, Concord Museum, 7 pm, free admission
 Environmental historian, farmer,
and Associate Professor of American
Environmental Studies at Brandeis University, Brian
Donahue will be speaking on his research
and work focusing on New England farms and past
local food systems.� He will also be discussing
his experience as co-founder and former director
at Land's Sake, a nonprofit community farm in
Weston.� Refreshments and locally made cheese
will also be provided at this event.� For more
information, please visit
http://concordmuseum.org/visit/calendar.html
or call the Concord Museum to make reservations
at 978-369-9763, ext. 216.
Membership Corner
We
want to celebrate with you!
Our 3rd Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday,
March 24th at 2:00 pm at the Lexington
Depot. All are invited, but only members
in good standing will have an official vote, as we
elect officers and directors for the coming year.�
If your membership has lapsed or expires before
March 31, 2013, we will send you a notice in the
coming days, and hope very much that you'll
respond by renewing. Then plan to join us to
vote and celebrate on March 24 !
(Of course, you can also save us an email, and renew
right now!)
THANK YOU!
We
have a new family member!
Congratulations to Patrick and Brenda
Netreba on the birth of their daughter, Lillian
Rose on January 30th. Lillian arrived a bit
earlier than expected, but is doing well and
taking good care of her parents.
LexFarm members know Lillian's mom Brenda through
her work as LexFarm's Membership Director. As
Brenda turns her attention from LexFarm members to
her own new family member, we hope you'll help us
out by checking on your membership and renewing
before it expires. Just email membe...@lexfarm.org
and we'll be happy to let you know your status.
Wild
Edible Plant Series
This
series covers wild
edible plants
found in New
England as told in
Russ Cohen's book,
"Wild Plants I
Have Known... and
Eaten."� If you
haven't had the
chance, take some
time to read this
delightfully
informative book
to find out more
on wild plants for
sustainable
eating.
Note:� If you are unfamiliar
with harvesting wild edibles,
please consult a plant expert
before attempting to forage on
your own.
Part Nine: Partridgeberry
(michella ripens)
 The partridgeberry are ground
covering plants that grow in cool, shady wooded
areas, often found under pines and hemlocks.�
The plants have short branches that carry
opposing pairs of leaves that are dark green and
rounded with thick, white ribbing.� It produces
bright red "tic-tac-toe" shaped berries that are
edible.� The berries are available for picking
around late summer and can last until next
spring.� Although these berries are flavorless,
they can still be eaten in salads, as a garnish,
or other dishes that need added color.
Further Thinking
Is all this snow making you long for some fresh
greens?� Read Water
Fresh Farm in the winter edition of Edible
Boston to learn about winter farming
possibilities in Massachusetts.
We
welcome your feedback
Please
write us at newsl...@lexfarm.org
with all feedback regarding the Update or if
you have suggestions for area events that we
can announce.
Jeanne Lin and Allison Moody
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Membership Corner
Wild Edible Series
Further Thinking
Area Events
Note:
Member prices refer to membership in the
organization hosting the event.
February 16, Roxbury,
5:30 - 9:30 pm
Celebrity
Chef Cooking Lesson and Dinner
Join NOFA/Mass for this special fundraiser
event at Haley House with celebrity chefs Didi
Emmons and Odessa Piper and learn principles
of sustainable cooking. Proceeds from this
evening will go to support NOFA/Mass' Boston
program "CSA Connect," which facilitates
subsidized CSA shares for inner city,
low-income Boston residents.
$65 for cooking class, dinner and wine, $40
for dinner and wine only
February 23, First Light Farm,
Hamilton, 9 am - 12 noon
Producing
Greens for Winter CSA
Workshop will cover topics including marketing
winter CSA, crop rotations, transplanting
greens into hoop house to extend harvest,
irrigation timing, and mulching for adequate
moisture for seeding/transplanting, and the
use of row covers.
$30 non-member, $25 member
March 2, Drumlin Farm, Lincoln, 12 noon
- 4 pm
Simple
Cheesemaking
Cheese is delicious and fun! You can easily
make tasty cheeses from milk - both cow and
goat - or cream. During this workshop, you
will make and sample several different
cheeses, including yogurt cheeses, paneer,
mozzarella, and fresh goat. You will leave
with samples, recipes, resources, and the
confidence you need to pursue cheesemaking,
one of the oldest forms of food preservation,
on your own.
$67 non-member, $55 member
March 9, Lexington, 7 - 11 pm
Go Green Dance
Every year the band, Trial Run, puts on a
charity dance. This year the money raised�
will be used to increase GWAC�s efforts to
bring climate change awareness and action
programs to Lexington and greater Boston area.
So come out for a night of classic rock,
blues, and a dash of Motown.
$20 at the door, discounted tickets
available in advance
Conferences/Seminars
March
22 - 23, Concord, NH
New
England Meat Conference
The goal of the New England Meat Conference
is to enhance the production, processing,
and marketing of sustainable, nutritious,
humanely-raised, and delicious meat from New
England farms by providing educational and
networking opportunities for meat producers,
processors and consumers.�
Board
Members
Janet Kern, President
Ken Karnofsky, Vice-President
Derek Moody, Treasurer
Ellen Frye
Jay Luker
Brenda Netreba
Charlie Radoslovich
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