January
3, 2013
Happy New Year!
Many Thanks to Karen Masterson and
nourish
restaurant for putting together their 3rd
annual New Year's Eve family-friendly
celebration and benefit for LexFarm!
Celebrating local food surrounded by local art
and live music was a great way to usher in the
new year and look forward to more events
already planned for this winter and spring:
See below for our first cheese-making
class on Sunday, January 27th
with a special discount for LexFarm members.�
Mark your calendars for March 17th and
the LexFarm-sponsored "Farming:
Then and Now" panel discussion for "Incorporation
Weekend" of Lexington's 300th
anniversary celebration. We look forward to
spring planting projects at the Goat Yard and
another Wild Edible Walk with Russ Cohen in
May!
We look forward to responding to the Request
for Proposals for a community farm when
it is finalized by the town of Lexington, as
we savor the sights, sounds and tastes of the
final season of Busa Farm & Garden. We
will continue to keep you informed through
this newsletter about all of our work along
with the growing community for sustainable
farms and food in this area!
Thank You for your ongoing support by
reading and sharing this newsletter with
others!
LexFarm
Cheese-Making Class
 Join LexFarm
and the Belmont Food Collaborative as they
host their first-ever cheese-making classes!�
You'll get to make soft cheeses like chevre (goat
cheese) in addition to ricotta and
paneer from cow's milk. Learn about milk
election, curd textures, and starters, along with
tools and techniques.� Try your creations during
the after-class tasting!� Recipes and information
lists will also be provided to take home.� Attend
either (or both!) of the classes at the following
locations:
Lexington:
When:� Sunday January 27, 2013, 2 -
4 pm
Where: Church of Our Redeemer, 6 Meriam
St., Lexington, MA.
Sponsored by Lexington
Community Farm Coalition (LexFarm)
Fee: $20 or $10 for LexFarm members
lexfarm.org/class-registration/
�
Belmont:
When:� Sunday, February 3, 2013, 2 - 4pm
Where: First Church in Belmont, 404 Concord
Ave., Belmont, MA.
Sponsored by Belmont
Food Collaborative, Inc.
Fee: $20
http://belmontfood.org/projects/education/basic-cheese-making-course/
Your instructors will include Lisa Fox and Joan
Teebagy, regulars at the Goat
Yard, so please come and join them for this
special event!
�
Come Visit the Goat Yard in the New Year!
Curious to see what the goats are up to this
winter?� Stop by the Goat
Yard during visiting hours and come play
with them in the snow! � Open on Sundays from 1
- 3 pm (weather and volunteers permitting!)
If you are looking for a great way to help
LexFarm, come volunteer at the Goat Yard, or
consider our Adopt-a-Goat
program!
Joel
Salatin Lecture at the Concord Museum
Thursday,
January 17, Fenn School, Concord,� 7 pm
 If you've
seen the movies "Food, Inc." or "Fresh", then
you've already been inspired by Farmer and
author, Joel Salatin. Now you can hear
him speak about his new book, This Ain't
Normal:� A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens,
Healthier People, and a Better World, at
the Fenn School in Concord, where he will share
his views on the many virtues of small farms and
local food systems.�
Book-signing to follow.� Admission
is free; reservations required - call 978-369-9763
ext. 216.�
This lecture is being sponsored by the
Concord Museum as part of their "Farm to
Lectern" speaker series, and in coordination
with their exhibit "The Greatest Source of
Wealth: Agriculture in Concord" which runs
through March 17, 2013.
Membership Corner
Join or Renew your membership for 2013!
Are you a "lapsed" LexFarm member? If you're not
sure when your membership expires, you can email membe...@lexfarm.org
and we'll let you know!
LexFarm
Seeking Board Members
We are currently seeking LexFarm members who might
be interested in serving on our Board of
Directors. We are looking for those with
communications experience, and volunteer and event
coordination experience, among other skills. Our
new board of directors will be elected at our
annual meeting, scheduled for Sunday, March
24th.
Please email ja...@lexfarm.org
if you are interested in learning more about our
board.
Help Wanted
We need computer-skilled help!!
LexFarm is an all-volunteer organization with no
paid staff. As we continue to work on establishing
educational programs and planning for a community
farm, we are looking for volunteers who can help
in any of the following areas: Membership
coordination, newsletter updates, website updates,
publicity/event management and goat yard
scheduling/coordination. Especially if you know
your way around google docs and spreadsheets, Wordpress
websites and/or social media,we would love to hear
from you!� Contact Janet Kern.
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.
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
Six: The wintercress ( barbarea
vulgaris) is a common farm weed that is a
member of the brassicaceae (mustard) family. The
two parts of the plant that are edible are its
flower buds and the leaves during its rosette
period.� The plant usually overwinters as
rosettes ( tight cluster of leaves), allowing
the plant to grow around two to three-feet-tall
flower stalks, with flowers blooming around
mid-May.� To prepare wintercress, both edible
parts should be blanched for a couple of
minutes, resulting in cooked greens that
resemble Broccoli Rabe in appearance and taste.�
Similar to their Mustard Family members and
other dark, leafy greens, wintercress is high in
vitamins and minerals, making it a great
addition to your diet.
Further Thinking
This Sunday, the Dorchester Community Food
Co-op will be opening up its 2nd annual Winter
Farmers' Market, the first in Boston to accept
SNAP EBT cards, making locally grown and
produced foods accessible to local community
members.� Read more about it here.
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
|
Membership Corner
Wild Edible Series
Further Thinking
Area Events
Note:
Member prices refer to membership in the
organization hosting the event.
January 6, Dorchester, 12 noon - 4 pm
Dorchester
Winter Farmers' Market Opening Day
The first market of its kind in Dorchester and
the first Winter Farmers� Market in Boston to
accept SNAP and EBT payments is launching its
second season. The market, located at the
Codman Square Great Hall (6 Norfolk Street)
will run every Sunday for 12 weeks. The
market�s opening day will feature a marching
band, food trucks, free massages, free treats,
children�s activities and more.
January 9, Drumlin Farm, 1 - 2:30 pm
A
Windowsill Garden
Green things brighten our lives. Chase away
January's gloom by constructing your own
windowsill garden. Check out the book Linnea's
Windowsill Garden for inspiration. Visit
the greenhouse to see what is growing in
there, and have a visit with someone who
nibbles on gardens. Suitable for children ages
0 - 7 years with an adult.
$13 non-member, $11 member
January 11, Boylston, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Organic
Lawn and Turf Day
The day will begin with an overview of the
cultural practices for establishing a
successful organic turf system, and then move
into a more in-depth look at technical
specifics of fertilization and product inputs.
You will close out the day with a discussion
of the direction of the organic lawn care
market, and a Q&A with a panel of
Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals
currently offering lawn care services.
$105 non-members, $95 NOFA members
January 12, Drumlin Farm, 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.
$67 non-members, $55 members
January 13, Cary Hall, 7 pm
It's High TIme...
Climate Change Solutions
An interactive forum about food, water,
energy, and federal, state and local action,
moderated by Lexington's Anne L. Kelly, Ceres
Director of Business for Innovative Climate
and Energy Policy and Co-Director of the
Policy Program. Sponsored by LexGWAC.
Free
Conferences/Seminars
January 12,
Worcester State University
NOFA/Mass
Winter Conference
Join NOFA/Mass for its 26th
annual Winter Conference, with keynote
speaker Karen Washington, known for her
tireless dedication to creating community
farms in New York City and bringing
locally grown produce to developing
neighborhoods. The conference will also
include workshops on school gardening and
local agricultural collaborations between
rural and urban communities.
January 31 - February
2, Northampton
Soil
and Nutrition Conference: Putting
Principles into Practice
NOFA/Mass advocates enhancing soil
fertility as a basis for the long-term
ecological and economic sustainability of
farming, the environment, and society as a
whole. The focus of this year's conference
is applying practical management
strategies on the farm from principles of
biological soil fertility. The lead
speaker is John Kempf from Middlefield,
OH, with Dan Kittredge and Derek
Christianson as co-panelists.
February 9, Boston
Urban
Farming Conference: Cultivating Lands,
Nourishing Communities, Building
Businesses
The annual Massachusetts Urban Farming
Conference (UFC) is designed to advance
the opportunities and address the barriers
involved in cultivating a thriving urban
farming sector. Boston and other local
urban communities in Massachusetts have
the potential to offer a fresh, local
healthy food supply while promoting
economic and environmental sustainability,
as well as healthy communities, employment
at livable wages, food security, youth
engagement and more.
February 10 - February 12,
Saratoga Springs, NY
It
Takes a Region
This conference sponsored by the Northeast
Sustainable Agriculture Working Group is
for everyone interested in creating more
sustainable food and farming systems in
the Northeast. It is an opportunity to
share with others in the field how your
local efforts make a regional impact, and
to work with others to rebuild our food
system.
Board
Members
Janet Kern, President
Ken Karnofsky, Vice-President
Derek Moody, Treasurer
Ellen Frye
Jay Luker
Brenda Netreba
Charlie Radoslovich
|
