May
10, 2013
Pledge
Now for the
Community Farm
 On June 3rd,
LexFarm will submit our proposal to
the town of Lexington
for the operation of the new Community Farm
on the Busa Farm land. There will be
competing proposals, but we know that if we
demonstrate LexFarm's strong community
support we can win the bid. Starting
up the Community Farm will require a
significant investment in equipment,
facilities, and staff.
A financial
pledge of any amount by May 31st
will add your name to the list of supporters
in the LexFarm Proposal that we'll submit
and ensure
that we can make our vision of a
community farm a reality.
You can make your
pledge contingent on winning the bid; the
more you donate, the greater the total
community pledge, and the stronger our
proposal will be.
Time
is of the essence. Please Read more and Pledge now
to Build the Farm
Help us do this important work!
Goat
Yard Update
It's a boy...and a boy...and a girl!
It was a long wait, but Naya finally gave birth
to three healthy kids on Thursday evening, May
9th at about 7 pm. There are two bucklings
(boys) and a doeling (girl)...no names yet... We
will hold public visiting hours this Sunday,
Mother's Day from 1 pm - 3 pm. Depending on how
everyone's doing, we'll try to give you a sneak
peak of the new mom and kids. Ionia, Sapphire,
Ella, Salt & Pepper will also be glad to see
you!
3rd
Annual Wild
Edible Walk
and Lunch at
Nourish with
Russ Cohen
May
21, nourish Restaurant,
Lexington, 10 am - 1:30 pm
Join
Russ Cohen for his popular "Wild Edible
Walk" on edible plant foraging on Tuesday, May
21st! Lexington's nourish restaurant will be
sponsoring this event for $25 with lunch
included. Part of these proceeds will be
generously donated to LexFarm. After lunch, take a
short walk to Opening Day at the Lexington
Farmers' Market with a coupon courtesy of
the Market for all walk/lunch attendees!
Space is limited: Call nourish restaurant at (781)
674-2400 to make your reservation.
LexFarm
presents: "A
Seed Story" at
Cary Library
May
14, Cary Library, 4 - 5 pm
 Children
in grades K through 2 will learn about different
kinds of seeds, the plant life cycle, hear a
story, and plant vegetable seeds to take home
with instructions for care.
Pre-registration is required, and attendance is
limited to 15. Sign up in person at the library
or call 781-862-6288 during library hours.
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 LexFarm
at P.O. Box 554, Lexington, MA 02420.
If you have any questions, contact Brenda
Netreba at membe...@lexfarm.org.
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 Fifteen: Elderberry
 The
elderberry plant is a shrub often found in
Eastern MA in damp meadows. Elderberry fruit
generally ripen during the end of the summer and
even into the fall, turning a deep purple
similar to blackberries, growing in small
bead-shaped clusters that droop down. It is
important to note that they are NOT edible in
raw form; elderberries are only edible when
dried or cooked. Because they are an aromatic
berry, it is best to mix them with milder
tasting fruits such as apples, which can result
in delicious apple-elderberry pies and sauces.
Elderberries are a great source of vitamin C
among other vitamins and minerals and are often
eaten to fight off the flu.
Further Thinking
In this
recent article in the New York Times
"Replanting the Rust Belt," chefs are flocking
to Rust Belt cities not commonly known for the
local food movement to support local agriculture
and to cook sustainably, connecting with local
food growers and discovering wild edibles in
these parts.
We welcome your feedback
Please write us at newsl...@lexfarm.org
with your 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
Area Events
Note:
member prices refer to membership in the
organization hosting the event.
May 11, May 18
and May 19, Waltham Fields Community Farm,
9 am - 4 pm
Seedling
Sales
Waltham Fields Community Farm is happy to offer
you seedlings for your home and community garden
plots. You will find a good selection of compact
plant varieties ideal for smaller garden spaces.
They always buy non-treated seeds, and organic
seeds when possible, and grow using organic
methods with nutrient-rich potting soil in their
greenhouses.
May 11, Tufts Cummings School of
Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, 9:30 am -
3:30 pm
Livestock
Farm Day
Come for the short hands-on workshops held
throughout the day, or come for the opportunity
to meet and learn from experts and compare notes
with both experienced and beginning farmers. And
stick around for a hay-making demonstration
(weather permitting) – you'll see some serious
hay equipment in action! This year, Farm Day
also includes a special Feeder-to-Finish Pigs
Workshop. Tufts' swineherd, Garth Miller, will
lead a morning workshop (9:30 am – 12 noon)
focusing on the knowledge and practical skills
you'll need to raise feeder piglets into market
hogs.
Free (workshop costs $15)
May 11, Waltham Fields Community Farm, 10
am - 12 noon
Container
Garden Workshop
Join Dede Dussault, creator and tender of WFCF's
own food-focused container garden. Learn how to
prepare and take care of your very own container
garden. Dede will share with you her favorite
containers, plants that grow well together, and
types of soil mixes that work best in
containers. You will leave with one planted
container to get you off to a good start; all
supplies provided.
$40 non-members, $30 members
May 11, Natick Community Organic
Farm, 11 am - 1 pm
Swarm
Management
This is an apiary presentation with open
discussion, a hands-on workshop. Please bring
protective clothing (pants, long sleeves, veil,
gloves) if you want to be in direct contact with
the action. Some veils can be provided. This
workshop is presented by Jean-Claude Bourrut,
beekeeper for 20 years. His management style
evolves within a natural system, constantly
learning beekeeping all over again.
$30 non-member, $24 member
May 11 and 12, Newton Community Farm,
12 noon - 3 pm
Seedling
Sale
Start your garden with hearty seedlings from
Newton Community Farm! Choose from a wide array
of vegetable and herb varieties, the same ones
we have used and tested in our fields. We start
with the best seeds we can get and plant them in
an organically-certified, compost-based potting
soil from Vermont Compost Company. All our
seedlings are hardened off and most are ready
for planting upon pick-up. Talk to expert
gardeners who will be on hand to answer your
questions.
$5 for four or six packs of plants
May 12, Wright-Locke Farm,
Winchester, 1 - 4 pm
Spring
Fling and Plant Sale
Lots of fun for the whole family. It’s Mother’s
Day at the Farm and there will be a petting zoo,
live music, tractor rides, name a chicken
contest, tours of the Farm, light refreshments
and much more.
Free (suggested donation- $10 per person, $20
per family)
May 15, Grounds of National Heritage
Museum, Lexington, 8 am - 12 noon
Lexington
Field and Garden Club Plant Sale
Perennials from members' gardens will be potted
and available for purchase.
May 19, Jamaica Plain, 1 - 2:30 pm
Planting
for Pollinators
The majority of human food depends on insect
pollinators for its existence. Numerous species
of bees, flies and other flying insects spread
pollen from flower to flower and increase fruit
yields of many crops.
$31 non-member, $24 NOFA member
May 25, Foxborough, 9 am - 3 pm
Making
Simple Cheeses
This workshop provides a general understanding
of how milk is made into cheese and what to look
for when selecting milk for cheese-making. The
workshop is primarily hands-on, demonstrating
what the milk and curds and cheese look like at
each step of the process. Learn to diagnose and
fix problems during the process to produce
delicious cheeses, even if things don't come out
precisely as intended.
$70 non-member, $65 NOFA member
Conferences/Seminars
Board members
Janet Kern, President
Ken Karnofsky, Vice-President
Derek Moody, Treasurer
Nancy Gold
Jay
Luker
Brenda Netreba
Betsy Pollack
Charlie Radoslovich
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