October
11, 2012
Local
Fish & Wine Dinner at nourish
�
Tuesday, October 16th, nourish, 6-9 pm
 We can't
think of a better way to spend an evening than
sampling local wines and enjoying a dinner of
freshly caught local fish, while learning
about the challenges of growing grapes, and
making a living off the ocean from the people
who do the work! We also can't think of a
better venue than at nourish
restaurant, where owner Karen Masterson has
been so supportive of LexFarm's work.�
The
event will run from 6 - 9 PM on Tuesday,
October 16th. Tickets purchased in
advance are only $50 per person at namanet.org.
You can also buy a ticket for $60 at the door
on the day of the dinner.� For more
information, you can call the Northwest
Atlantic Marine Alliance at 978-281-6934
or call Karen at 508-641-0878.
Food
Day 2012- October 24th�
 Food Day is a nationwide
celebration and a movement toward more healthy,
affordable, and sustainable food. The Second
Annual Food Day takes place on Wednesday,
October 24th to address issues as varied
as health and nutrition, hunger, agricultural
policy, animal welfare, and farm worker justice.
The ultimate goal of Food Day is to strengthen
and unify the food movement in order to improve
our nation�s food policies. You can join this
push for a stronger, more united food movement
by attending a Food Day event in our community.
Many schools in the area are using the day to
improve the school lunch offerings and highlight
healthy eating.�
Here's a list of just some of the events open to
the public that you might want to attend (please
note- not all take place on the 24th):
October 20, 1 - 4 pm, Lincoln: Food
for Thought Workshop and Farm Tour with
The Food Project (free)
October 20, 2 - 3:30 pm, Cambridge: Didi
Emmons: Chefing for The Greater Good, How One
Chef has Forged a Path in Public Health at
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts (free)
October 21, 2 - 5 pm, Boston: Food
Day Swap with Boston Food Swap (free)
October 23, 5:30 - 7 pm, Wellesley: Entrepreneurship
and Innovation in the World of Food at
Babson College (free)
October 24, Cambridge: Harvard
Square's 20 Mile Radius Restaurant Challenge
October 24, 4 - 5 pm, Brookline:
Secrets
of the Vegetable Mom (free)
October 24, 6:30 - 9 pm, Waltham:
Waltham
Fields Farm Benefit Dinner at The Elephant
Walk ($45)
Goat
Yard Open Every Sunday
���
Every Sunday, LexFarm Goat Yard, 3 - 5 pm
Stop by the Goat Yard this Sunday (weather
permitting) during visiting hours and see what
Ionia and the kids have been up to.� Free for
LexFarm members and Goat Yard Adopters.�
Bring acorns if you can!
"If
These Walls Could Speak�" The Jacob
Whittemore House
What was it like to operate a farm in Lexington in
the 18 th century? � On Sunday,
October 7, LexFarm members and guests recently had
an opportunity to explore this question with Polly
Kienle, Ranger at Minute Man National
Park. �
Kienle has been researching
the history of the Jacob Whittemore House,
constructed around 1717, which is located in the
park on the western edge of Lexington.� In her
program, she shared with participants many of
the historical documents she has found and
invited us to investigate them to bring the
Whittemore family to life.�
As one group studied the
home�s physical structure to see how it had
grown over time, others studied the family
structure, and read the will of Nathaniel
Whittemore, �yeoman and physician,� dated 1754.� Nathaniel
left the bulk of his �home place� or 114 acres
to Jacob, his youngest son�more than enough land
for a sustainable farm at that time; his eldest
son Nathaniel received less than half as much.�
Farming, we learned, was so
difficult in the New England ecosystem, that
older generations developed a tradition of
giving land to the youngest son so that he would
have enough time to make it productive.
Even so, another group
examined a tax assessment and an inventory of
Jacob Whittemore�s household goods and
determined that, by the 1770s, Jacob was
struggling to make a go of it.
We�d like to thank Polly Kienle and
LexFarm member Carolyn Goldstein for
working to offer this program through LexFarm.
We look forward to continuing to bring more farm
history programs like this to you in the future!
Wild Edible Plant
Series, Part One: Groundnuts
This
series will cover 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.
 The groundnut (Apios Americana)
is a vining plant with chocolate-colored
blossoms that look similar to those of peas and
bean plants.� The edible part of the plant, in
addition to the bean pods it produces, are its
tubers, located 2-3 inches below ground level.�
Groundnuts were crucial to the survival of
original European settlers during their first
winter in the New World.� They even found it to
be such a reliable food source, that attempts
were made to grow and domesticate them back in
Europe, yet were unsuccessful.
You can find groundnuts in damp, sandy soil
where they can be harvested any time of the year
when the ground is not frozen.� Groundnuts are
high in protein and can last for up to a month
when refrigerated.� Though these tubers are
edible raw, they are tastier when cooked.� It is
important to note that since they are related to
peanuts, they may cause an allergic reaction for
some.
Membership
Corner
Show
Your Support, Become a Member
A donation of $20.00 for an
individual membership or $35.00 for
a family membership will help us meet
our current expenses and plan for the future.�
You can sign up online here or send a check payable to Lexington
Community Farm Coalition at P.O. Box
554, Lexington, MA 02420. If you have
any questions, contact Brenda Netreba at membe...@lexfarm.org.
Further
Thinking
As an
example of "thinking outside the box," Silicon
Valley restaurateur Kimbal Musk has developed
a new, cost-effective product for creating
school learning gardens that doesn't require
raised beds.� Read more about it here
in the Washington Post.�
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
Further Thinking
Area Events
Note:
Member prices refer to membership in the
organization hosting the event.
October 13, Newton Community Farm,
9 am - 12 noon
Season
Extension and More
Learn about the different methods of season
extension; row covers, hoops and mini
greenhouses. Discuss what crops can be grown
over the winter and the role of cover crops.
Revisit your compost system and learn about
the importance of turning and also how to
store your compost. Finally learn about the
importance of seed saving and how to begin
your own collection.
$45 non-members, $40 members
October 13, Concord Museum, 10 am - 3 pm
Family
Farm Day
Hands-on activities explore Concord�s farming
history and celebrate our present-day farms.
Handle tools from 3,000 years ago, use a cider
press, make and taste sauerkraut with Gaining
Ground, decorate pumpkins, visit with chickens
from Drumlin Farm, make cornhusk dolls, enjoy
refreshments by Trail�s End Caf�, and much
more!
Free with Museum admission
October 13, Mattapan, 10 am - 2 pm
Harvest
Festival and Perennial Divide
Help Boston Natural Areas Network celebrate
the harvest season with honey bees and
fresh-pressed cider. Dig up your perennials to
share and shop for plants from the City
Natives nursery.
October 19, Concord, 7:30 pm
Film
Screening: "Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of
Our Lives"
This powerful documentary about the impact on
our health of genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) in the food we eat�is the second film
in ConcordCAN�s fall film and discussion
series.
Free
October 20, Waltham Fields Community
Farm, 2 - 4 pm
Seed
Saving Workshop
Join master gardener, Brian Madsen, at Waltham
Fields Community Farm for an afternoon to
learn the basics of seed saving. During his
presentation, Brian will show you the
foundations of saving seeds from a few
beginner friendly plants. He will share best
practices and discuss how to begin planning
for your first season of saving seeds. All
participants will prepare and take home seed
packets of three different crops that grew in
WFCF's Learning Garden this season.
$10 members, $15 non-members
October 21, Cary Hall, 7 pm - 9 pm
Climate Change
and Geoengineering
Should we try to limit climate risks using
planetary scale climate engineering?� Learn
about the latest research from world expert
David Keith.� Sponsored by the Lexington
Global Warming Action Coalition.
Free
October 27 - 28, Boston
Boston
Vegetarian Food Festival
This Festival brings together an amazing array
of vegetarian natural food providers, top
national speakers and chefs, and educational
exhibitors in a fun and welcoming environment.
It is a chance to talk directly to food
producers, learn the newest items in the
marketplace, taste free food samples, shop at
show special discounts, or simply learn what
vegetarian foods are available and where you
can find them.
Free
Board
Members
Janet Kern, President
Ken Karnofsky, Vice-President
Derek Moody, Treasurer
Ellen Frye
Jay Luker
Brenda Netreba
Charlie Radoslovich
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