June
20, 2013
RFP
Update:
Community
Farming
Committee
Named
Lexington's
Board of Selectmen named the members of its new
"Community Farming Committee" who will oversee the
new community farm operation on behalf of the Town
who owns the Busa Farm property. Some or all of
the members of the committee will also likely
serve on the team that will review the submitted
community farm proposals (including LexFarm's) in
response to the Town's RFP.
The members of the committee named on June 10th
are: Michael Bliss, Michelle Ciccolo, Thomas
Olivier, Alan Wrigley and Ralph Zelinsky.
Follow-up of Genetic Roulette Screening
Thanks to
Jack Kittredge from NOFA we had a very
informative evening about GMO food on June 10th
watching the film "Genetic Roulette," and asking
Jack questions afterwards. The next day, a few of
us attended the hearings at the State House on
three proposed bills to label GMO foods. It looks
as if the issue is finally getting some traction,
especially since Connecticut just passed a
GMO-labeling law
that will go into effect only
after 4 states, including one that borders CT -
passes a similar law. You can follow this
issue through the organization
MA Right
to Know GMOs
There was a lot of interest at the screening
(co-sponsored by Nourish Restaurant and LexFarm) -
to show the film again, show it on LexMedia and/or
perhaps screen another film called "Bitter Seeds".
We'd love to do that, but we need volunteer help:
LexFarm relies on its members to help provide the
types of education about food and farms that is
important to them.
If you are interested in
following public policy on food and farming,
and would like to help LexFarm provide education
through our newsletter, films and forum and sign
up to volunteer here:
http://lexfarm.org/get-involved/
Goat
Yard Update
The goat
yard has become a busy place with the three new
kids growing fast and lots of visitors giving them
attention. We also have a great group of willing
volunteers offering to help pasture, walk and
kid-sit as the summer settles in, since the goats
want to get out and eat those yummy weeds!
If you'd like to help out on a regular basis this
summer, there is still opportunity. Contact
Josh
Vatsky (
jo...@lexfarm.org).
Inside the yard, Naya and her three kids have
joined the rest of the herd, and everyone is
learning to adjust to the new members. Salt who
had been the smallest, seems happy to have some
younger goats to practice pushing around a little
bit. Above, she takes on new kid in the yard,
"Snoopy".
Planting
Soup:
Children's
Farm Plot
Thanks to
everyone who helped get our new on-farm children’s
plot off to a great start, especially the
hard-working and enthusiastic children! We planted
pole beans, onions, tomatoes, summer squash,
chard, turnips, potatoes, celery, and herbs for
our fall soup pot, and we planted eggplant,
lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, nasturtiums, and
sunflowers as well. As it happened, we were just
in time to take advantage of the heavy rains that
most assuredly watered our plantings well.
Children of all ages are invited every
Thursday from 1 – 3 pm throughout the summer
to meet at the children’s plot to hear a related
story, to weed and water as needed, and to simply
experience being out in the fields of our own
well-loved, local farm during the height of the
growing season. (This Thursday we will be thinning
the radishes, and soon we will have to stake the
tomatoes!)
Please sign up
here
for each visit so that we will have enough
materials and tools on hand for every child.
Suggested donation $5 per child. For more
information or questions, contact
Nancy Gold:
nancya...@gmail.com
Climate
Summer Interns
return June
24th to 30th
24 AMAZING
young adults have committed their summer to living
their values, traveling exclusively by bicycle
with no support vehicles, and learning
from/working with communities across New England
to keep building a better future beyond fossil
fuels. Last summer, we were fortunate to meet the
Massachusetts team who then spent two days
learning and helping at the LexFarm Goat Yard. A
new team of 6 will be coming to Lexington next
week, and there are a number of opportunities to
meet, greet and be inspired by them:
• Welcome potluck supper
Monday June 24, 6:30 PM
Follen Church, 755 Mass. Ave., Lexington
Contact Fran Ludwig to sign up or for more
info:
flu...@yahoo.com,
781-861-7231.
•
Lexington Farmers' Market
Tuesday June 25
Stop by and say hello.
•
Climate Café: Natural Gas--A Bridge to the
Future or Bridge to Nowhere?
Wednesday, June 26, 7-9 PM
Keilty Hall at St. Brigid Church, 1997 Mass.
Ave., Lexington
We will also be enlisting the team to learn and
work with LexFarm again - this time by
constructing some new compost bins for our
Children's Farm Plot.
If you are interested
in working on the project with the Climate
Summer team, please contact
Janet Kern:
ja...@lexfarm.org.
Date and time TBD, so let us know your preference!
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 Eighteen: Sheep
Sorrel (
Rumex acetosella)
Sheep sorrel is a weed brought
from Europe and is commonly found in pastures,
old fields and areas where the land has been
disturbed. Sheep sorrel can be identified by
their one to three inch-long arrow-head shaped
leaves and the reddish-brown color of their
stalks. The plant's young leaves are the edible
part and are best picked in the spring before it
gets too hot. Their leaves are most tender and
juicy when grown in shaded areas and out of
direct sunlight. They are generally lemony and
tart in flavor, which is why their Latin name is
acetosella, which means "little vinegar
plant." Their tart flavor comes from a chemical
called oxalic acid, which, if eaten in large
quantities, may cause damage to your stomach
lining and prevents calcium absorption. Like
most weeds, they are best eaten raw and can
easily be added to a salad dish. Since many
other common vegetables have oxalic acid,
including rhubarb and beets, it is perfectly
fine to eat sheep sorrel in moderation.
Further Thinking
Join Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine on their food
adventures in sustainable eating at the
Perennial Plate, where they share video
episodes that explore the global food system and
sustainable food practices locally in the States
and beyond. Watch their videos here.
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
