May
17, 2012
History
Series: The Farmers Who Fought for Freedom
 LexFarm member and historian,
Carolyn Goldstein, is part of the 300th
Anniversary Celebration Committee to
commemorate the founding of Lexington. The
celebration begins in September and
continues into 2013 when Lexington's charter
was signed. She is providing our readers
with a history of farming here in Lexington.
What kind of
farmers were the men and women who fought on
April 19, 1775?
Thanks to the work of historians Brian Donahue,
The Great Meadow (2004), and Mary Babson
Fuhrer, author of an article in the March 2012
issue of The New England Quarterly, we
have some good answers to this question.
Fuhrer’s research provides the basis for the
“Sowing the Seeds of Liberty: Lexington and the
American Revolution” curriculum used in
Lexington’s third-grade classrooms and an
exhibit of the same name currently on display at
the National Heritage Museum.
On the eve of the American Revolution, there
were about 120 families in Lexington, with a
total population of approximately 800. They
cultivated the land according to the practice of
mixed husbandry. The average farm size was
about 50-60 acres, large enough to allow
families to be relatively self-sufficient. Most
farms tended to be divided in a set proportion.
About 10 % was used for tillage, or growing
grains for bread or flax for linen. Pasture
(for grazing cows in spring, summer, and fall)
and meadow (natural or planted, for mowing hay
to feed cows in the winter months) each took up
a quarter. A typical wood lot, allowing for
heating fuel, occupied 40% of a farm’s total
acreage. Like Captain John Parker, who was a
wheelwright as well as a farmer, most Lexington
farmers also practiced a craft or sold surplus
cattle for by-products (butter, cheese, hides),
trading with their townsmen or traveling
occasionally to markets in Boston or Salem to
earn cash.
Birdsong Walk at
Arlington Reservoir and Busa Farm,
June 2nd, 8–9:30
am (rain date, June 3rd)
 Do you love
the songs of birds in the spring? Can you
identify what bird is singing by its song?
LexFarm invites
you to learn about the birds and birdsong of
Arlington Reservoir and Busa Farm.
Herb Pearce, Arlington resident,
specializes in leading birdsong walks—the best
way to identify birds when they are hidden
behind the leaves. Maybe we'll see some nests
and nest behavior too!
To
RSVP for this informative event, click here.
Help
Out at the Goat Yard
It's
growing season...and the new kids sure are doing
their part! Now 9-1/2 weeks old, Salt and Pepper
are browsing and eating the same food as the
rest of the herd. This means that they can be
fully weaned from their mother, Ionia. So, the
next time you visit the Goat
Yard you'll notice a fence separating them
for that reason.
Our next
public visiting hours will be Sunday, June
10 from 1–3 pm
We are trying to organize more opportunities for
involvement with the Goat Yard, but we need
help! Let us know here
if you would like to volunteer in any way! We
are looking for those who can commit
any time from an hour per month to three times
per week to help gather and organize tree
trimmings for forage, as well as those who can
commit to once a week helping to walk the goats
for forage.
Finally, LexFarm is looking for a donation of a
small forsythia bush as a memorial tree.
Do you have one in good condition that you'd be
willing to donate for planting at the Goat Yard?
Please contact Janet Kern at (781)
861-7102 if you do!
Walking
on the Wild Side
 Russ
Cohen spoke to a full house, so to speak.
Over 30 people joined the Wild
Edible Walk organized by nourish.
Russ began with a short biography and his
philosophy about how to responsibly forage. He
treated us to a sampling of Japanese Knotweed
Crumb Cake and fruit leather made from autumn
olive berries. Afterwards we walked on the trail
near Lincoln Fields as he shared with us what
edibles could be found in our own backyards.
With every identification, he talked about the
dangers of mistaking the wrong plants, the
importance of harvesting at the right time of
year, and the health benefits of particular
plants.
For Russ, it's not just about the excitement of
foraging and enjoying the great bounty of
nature, it's also about responsible foraging: do
not over-harvest and look particularly for
edible invasive plants to make space for native
plants to grow.
LexFarm thanks nourish for generously
donating a portion of the fee. Everyone enjoyed
our lunch at the restauarant where we talked
about what brought us to learn about wild
edibles.
Membership Corner
Meet
Our Members
 Carol Trauner Berker and
her husband, Selim, moved to Lexington
together five years ago. He’s a Lexington
native and when they drive anywhere, he points
out the window and tells her who lived on
every street they pass!
In her work as the publications director for
a national nonprofit called Chefs
Collaborative, Carol began to learn
about local, seasonal, and sustainable food
and agriculture. She was so fascinated by the
sustainability and local food movement that
she went on to earn a Master’s degree in Food,
Agriculture, and the Environment from Tufts
University.
With the purchase of the Busa Farm property,
Carol was excited about the prospect of having
a community farm in town. She feels that local
farms are such a unique part of the community,
but once the farmland is gone, it’s gone for
good. In addition, she feels that it’s
important for a town that is so focused on
history to acknowledge the importance of
agriculture. Carol was delighted when LexFarm
was formed and wanted to become involved, so
when she isn’t busy chasing around her
two-year old son, Carol will be taking over
the writing of this column for future LexFarm
Updates. Thank you, Carol!
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
 In Grist's article,
The
woman who took on Koch Industries to save
her farm, Atina Diffley discusses
her recent book, Turn Here Sweet Corn, "part
memoir, part chronicle of the evolution of the
upper Midwest organic movement." Read
her interview with Grist as she shares
her experiences and challenges as an organic
farmer in Minnesota.
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 Carol Damm
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Membership Corner
Further Thinking
Area Events
Note:
member prices refer to membership in the
organization hosting the event.
May
19, Land's Sake, Weston, 10 am–1
pm
The
Coop Loop
Ever thought about raising chickens in
your own backyard? Wondering how to get
started? Already have chickens, but interested
in how others raise theirs? Curious about
chicken tractors? Please join us for this
popular tour of chicken coops in Weston. All
ages are welcome.
$45 per non-member family, $38.25 per
member family
May
19, Waltham Community Farm, 9 am–4
pm
Seedling
Sales
From bok choy to zucchini, get your garden
started with organically grown vegetable
seedlings (and a few herbs and flowers too)!
You'll find a wide range of selections ready
for planting, including heirlooms,
tried-and-true farm favorites and varieties
for container gardening.
May 19, Powisset
Farm, Dover 10 am–3 pm
Powisset
Farm Spring Festival
Come with your family and friends to Powisset
Farm as they kick off their 2012 farming
season with farm tours, guided nature walks,
live music, projects for kids, and vendors
selling crafts and food. Wake up the fields
and celebrate spring on the farm!
Free
May 19, Eleanor
Cabot Bradley Estate, Canton, 9 am–11
am
Building
a Compost System for Your Backyard
Come to the Bradley Estate for an interactive
workshop on building your own compost. Gather
your food scraps and learn how to make a
backyard compost receptacle, compost lasagna,
and help start a worm bin! Bring your
questions and tips to share while making some
nutrient-rich humus for the garden.
$10 non-member, $8 member
May 20, Natick
Community Organic Farm, 10 am–3 pm
Spring
Spectacular
Kick off the Spring season with fun activities
that include face painting, nature-based
crafts, agricultural demos, live music, local,
organic food, and an organic seedling sale.
$10 adult non-member
($5 for children 3+, $3 children under 3),
$6 adult member ($5 for children 3 and over)
May 20, Space
with a Soul, Boston, 2–5 pm
Boston
Food Swap
Attend this monthly swap for homemade,
homegrown, or foraged foods. Think baked
goods, jam, pickles, spreads, honey, vinegar,
granola, pasta, fruits, vegetables, herbs,
spices, homemade sausages, backyard eggs, home
brews…you name it!
Free
May 20, Fort
Hill, Boston, 10 am–1 pm
Urban
Garden Workday with The Garden Girl
Come help TV personality Patti Moreno of
Garden Girl TV to get her amazing urban oasis
garden back in action for the season. Get a
unique opportunity to tour the space, which
feeds her family for half the year and
includes chickens, cashmere goats, and angora
rabbits! Then enjoy a delicious home-cooked
lunch.
$8 non-member, $5 member
May
22, Drumlin Farm, 3:30–5 pm
Rabbit's
Silly Salad
Harvest fresh greens from the garden,
including early lettuce, spinach, and pea
tendrils. Add some edible flowers and whatever
else you can find for a tasty treat. Meet
Drumlin's resident rabbit and find out what
she likes to eat, and plant your own
mini-salad garden to bring home.
$13 non-member, $11 member
May 22, Newton
Community Farm, 7–9 pm
Wine
Tales: A Wine Tasting and Discussion
Learn about some of the different grapes and
tastes of the red wine world as well as the
importance of vintage and wine maker on the
quality of the wine. Discover why we should
let our wines breath and why at times we
should decanter as well as how the type of
glassware can all affect our experience of a
particular wine.
$30 non-member, $27 member
May
24, Newton Community Farm, 5–6:30
pm
Plots
in Pots
Join like-minded gardeners to choose plants
and create a container garden that both
beautifies your home and provides edibles for
your table. Bring your own container and
you’ll leave this make-and-take workshop with
a container garden of edible plants ready to
grow and enjoy!
$35 non-member, $32 member
May 24, Drumlin
Farm, 1–2:30 pm
Where's
the Milk?
What do we eat that is made from milk? Which
animals on the farm give us milk, and which
ones don't? Spend some time milking and
caring for goats and cows as well as other
animals, and learn why they are such an
important part of the farm. You'll also make a
delightful dairy treat!
$16 non-member, $13 member
May 26, Verrill
Farm, Concord, 11 am
Asparagus
Festival
Come to this event for a trip to the asparagus
field, lead by Steve Verrill followed by an
asparagus themed buffet lunch under tents at
the stand. A cooking demo by Chef Kevin Carey
will also be included along with a bunch of
fresh Verrill Farm asparagus to take home.
$25 per person
May
26, Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate,
Canton, 9 am–12
noon
Learn
as You Sow: Introduction to Seed Starting
(Part 2)
Craving spring? Come to this Trustees
Reservation event and learn about seed
starting, what veggies or flowers to start
inside now, and help get the first big round
of seeds sown. Learn as you sow vegetable and
flower seeds for the estate's fields and
gardens and they'll answer all of your
questions.
Free
May
26, Lawton's Family Farm, Foxboro, 10
am–3:30 pm
Cheese-making
Workshop Series
Get a general understanding of how milk is
made into cheese and learn what to look for
when selecting milk for cheese-making at this
NOFA/Mass event. The workshop will be
primarily hands-on, demonstrating what the
milk and curds and cheese look like at each
step of the process.
$70
May 29, Drumlin
Farm, 3:30–5 pm
A
Cow in the Herb Garden
Visit Drumlin's garden to make sure their cow
is not there. Make a small herb bouquet—a
"tussy-mussy"—of your favorite herbs! Try your
hand at milking in the barn. Make some butter
and flavor it with herbs. Which combination is
your favorite?
$13
non-member, $11 member
May 29, Lexington Farmers' Market, 2–6:30
pm
Lexington
Farmers' Market Opening Day
Attend Lexington Farmers' Market opening day
and find products from local farmers and
vendors, handmade crafts from artisans, and
entertainment by talented performers,
including Eric Eid-Reiner contra dance tunes,
the Lexington Fife and Drum Corp, and the Val
Marcantonio tap dancers.
Free
May 31, Great Brook Farm State
Park, Carlisle, 5–7:45
pm
Twilight
Wild Edibles Walk
Join Russ Cohen for two Twilight Wild Edibles
Walks; Cohen has documented 66 different
species of wild edible species at the park.
Participants can expect to learn about at
least two dozen species of edible wild plants
at each walk.
$26.87 non-member, $21.69 member
Conferences/Seminars
May
30–31,
Tufts University
Food
Environment: The Effects of Context on
Food Choice
The purpose of this conference is aimed at
providing insights into the influence of
the food environment on the quality,
price, and availability of food,
associated health or environmental impacts
and to uncover the impact of policies
aimed at influencing the food production
and choice.
August 10-12, UMass Amherst
NOFA
2012 Summer Conference
Attend this annual summer conference this
year for over 200 workshops on organic
farming, gardening, land care, draft
animals, homesteading, sustainability,
nutrition, food politics, activism, and
enjoy live entertainment and the country
fair.
Board Members
Janet
Kern, President
Ken Karnofsky, Vice-President
Derek Moody, Treasurer
Margaret Heitz, Clerk
Carol Damm
Ellen Frye
Jay Luker
Brenda Netreba
Charlie Radoslovich
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