Lexfarm Update - Newton Farm Tour Saturday!

[Meg Muckenhoupt]

Lexington Community Farm Coalition Update

April 5, 2010

http://www.lexfarm.org

This week's news:
1. Newton Community Farm Tour this Saturday 4/10
2. Come Learn about Lexington Community Farm Plans Weds 4/21!
3. Warrant Article #35 – Resolution on Farming
4. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! March for the Farm on Patriot's Day!

Area events
Massachusetts Organic Gardening Workshop Day April 10
Wright-Locke Farm Spring Fling April 11 1-3pm
Further Thinking: More Americans are growing food on small farms.

1. Newton Community Farm Tour Saturday
The Lexington Community Farm Coalition (LexFarm.org) is sponsoring two series of tours from April through June; walks through the town-owned Busa Land and tours of nearby community farms.

What is the history of the Busa land, and what does it look like now? On the first Saturday of the month, see the site for yourself. Join LexFarm for tours of the Busa property from 12:45-2 pm May 1, or June 5. Busa land walks are free, but limited to 20 people; to register, visit http://tinyurl.com/Lexfarmtours . Registrants will be sent the meeting location.

On the second Saturday of the month, see nearby community farms at work. Local farmers will host tours of their operations and talk about the business of managing self-sustaining community farms. Tours will cover:

April 10, 10:45am-noon: Newton Community Farm
May 8, 10:45am-noon: Stearns Community Farm, Framingham
June 12, 9:45am-11am: Waltham Fields Community Farm
Farm tours are free but limited to 25 people; to register, go to .http://tinyurl.com/Lexfarmtours Registrants will be sent the meeting location.


2. Warrant Article #35 - Resolution on Farming Weds 4/14
Lexington Town Meeting is well underway on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Janet Kern, newly elected Town Meeting Member from Precinct One, will be presenting a "Resolution on Farming" for a vote at an upcoming meeting (currently scheduled for April 14). This article is NOT specifically related to the Busa property, but asks the Town to "encourage farms, farming and farming-related community organizations in Lexington". As the date of the presentation
moves closer, we will be asking Lexington residents to call their Town Meeting Members and to ask for a "Yes" vote on the Farming Resolution.


3. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! March for the Farm on Patriot's Day!
Would you like to show all of Lexington just how many people care about a community farm? Here's your chance–and a vital opportunity to demonstrate that farms matter . You don't have to live in Lexington to march; you just need to show up!

March in the Patriot's Day Parade: Show just how many people care about farms in Lexington! Sign up below.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dExTVXdfbHNkdkhzMFBqaWF6cHVON0E6MA

4. Come Learn about Lexington Community Farm Plans Weds 4/21!
What would the Lexington Community Farm look like? How would the farm work? Find out at a public discussion of the Lexington Community Farm business plan on Wednesday, April 21 at 7 pm or Thursday, May 20 at 7pm. For location, please sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/lexfarm-convgrp.

We are also continuing a series of neighborhood conversations to share the Lexington Community Farm business plan, gather input and hear concerns. You can host a conversation, or simply come to one and learn about the plan. To either host or participate, please sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/lexfarm-convgrp. Thank you!

5. “The Lexington Locavore” Thursday 4/29
Join Lexington Community Education for a night exploring local food in our community.Janet Kern, Founder of the Lexington Community Farm Coalition, Sonia DeMarta, Founder of the Lexington Farmers' Market, and Karen Masterson, Owner of Nourish Restaurant will explore the where, when, why and how of Farmers' markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), SPIN farming, and Community Farms in our area. We will examine the differences between locally grown, organic, and IPM, get the latest thinking regarding community farming in town, discover how farmers and gardeners can fight climate change, learn about an Interfaith gardening effort to help the hungry, and hear why local food in local restaurants is an increasingly important ingredient. To register visit http://www.lexingtoncommunityed.org.

Area events


Massachusetts Organic Gardening Workshop Day April 10
This spring, just as it comes time to plant the garden, NOFA/Mass presents our third annual Statewide Spring Organic Gardening Day. On April 10, there will be organic gardening workshops in every region of the state: see http://www.nofamass.org/programs/extensionevents/workshopday.php Growing our own food is an excellent way to save money, lessen our carbon footprint, improve our health, and connect with neighbors and nature. Isn’t now a good time to learn skills that will help you plant a garden and make it productive throughout the year?


Wright-Locke Farm Spring Fling April 11 1-3pm

Celebrate the arrival of Spring and the start of the 2010 growing season with a visit to Winchester's Wright-Locke Farm ! Come play with alpacas, goats, sheep, and a host of baby farm animals at the petting zoo, dance and sway to the music of “Off the Record,” take a tour of the farm, learn about the farm's soil enrichment program, and find out what it means to be organic. Festivities run from 1-3 pm Sunday, April 11, at the Wright-Locke Farm, 78 Ridge Street, Winchester. A suggested donation of $10 per person, or $25 per family will go towards re-roofing the Wright-Locke Farm's historic 1827 Barn.

Cape Ann Fresh Catch at Busa farm stand
Starting in early May, the Cape Ann Fresh Catch community supported fishery will have a pick-up at the Busa farm stand. According to the groups web page, “The CAFC CSF helps our local fishermen put their sustainably-caught seafood straight onto your dinner plate through a direct-to-you distribution model.” For more information, see http://www.capeannfreshcatch.org .



Further Reading: More Americans are growing food on small farms.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=8751069

Eat Well! Eat Local!

Meg Muckenhoupt for the Lexington Community Farm Coalition