Happy Holidays, Pies for Sale and Lots of 2016 Events!

It’s a Wrap!

Winter Share Basket Designed
by CSA Member, Russell Shu 

The 2015 farming season is officially over. The vegetables have been seeded, tended, weeded, harvested, and distributed. Thank you for warmly welcoming me in to the Powisset community! It is time for us to head inside and start planning for the 2016 season. The coming weeks will bring long sessions pouring over seed catalogs.  I’ll be working out the field plan, putting together the jigsaw puzzle of the many plantings of crops for next season. When we get some snow I look forward to exploring the trails around Powisset and Noanet on my cross country skis. Perhaps I’ll see you on the trails!

Powisset Pork and Bushel and Crumb pies are still available!

Please check in with the Powisset blog through the winter we will keep you updated with farm events and announcements!!!

We are having a pie sale! 

B+C Apple Cranberry
Caramel Pie

Frozen Bushel & Crumb pies (Apple Cranberry Caramel and Salted Honey Walnut) are available this week for $22.50 (a 10% discount)! Come get em this week...and pass it off to your guests as homemade! The farm stand is not officially open but we are here in the farm office thru Thursday afternoon.

We also have frozen blueberries and Welsh Cakes for sale!

Upcoming Events

Every day, we add a new class....stayed tuned for more info on Indian Cooking, Donut Baking, Jewish cooking, and much more. Here is a list of what's to come:

Jan. 2nd: Flow into the New Year: Yoga & Goal Setting

Jan. 5th: Make & Take: DIY Skincare

Jan. 6th: Powisset Cooks: Whole Grain Bread Workshop

Jan. 9th: Winter Walk & Warmth

Jan. 10th: Cookbook & Kitchen Utensil Swap

Jan. 10th: Movie Night

Jan. 13th: Fit on the Farm

Jan. 19th: Renew, Revive & Refresh Through Vision Board

Jan. 22nd: Cooking with Annie: Winter Greens & Grains

Jan. 23rd: Renew, Revive & Refresh Through Vision Board

Jan. 26th: Powisset Cooks: Everyday Pantry

Jan. 28th: An Indian Meal (link to come)

Jan. 30th: Powisset Cooks: Grape Leaves

Every Thursday: Mindfulness

And if you a great idea for a future class that you would love to see at Powisset, I am all ears. Feel free to email me (Nicole) at nnacamuli@thetrustees.org.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Powisset Farm!

Final Winter CSA Pick up, Farm Stand Open on Saturday, Lots of Pork & Powisset Happenings!

Hi folks,

Final Winter Share!

This week in the share you can expect: Cabbage, potatoes, rutabaga, kohlrabi, onions, garlic, shallots, kale, spinach, butter nut squash, daikon, radishes, beets, carrots, leeks, parsnips, popcorn, and arugula!

Pork & Beef!
In addition to the veggies above, we also have tons of pork in a variety of different cuts: bacon, bacon ends, smoked ham,  leaf lard, loin chops, breakfast sausage, ribs and the famous trotters. We also have a few selections of beef to round it out.

Pick up is on Saturday from 10-2pm.

This week is supposed to be another unseasonably warm week. This warm weather has allowed us to get a number of things done around the farm in preparation for the winter, which will come, at some point... The crew has been busy cleaning up the fields; taking down fences, picking up row cover, and tucking in all the irrigation equipment.

This week we will say goodbye to the remaining members of the 2015 crew. Russell, Devin, Andy, and Kyle (who left last week and is headed to Costa Rica!) have done an incredible job wrapping up the farm season. They have helped welcome me into this community and introduced me to some of the funny quirks of Powisset Farm. I’d like to give them a big thank you for their hard work and dedication. They helped to make the 2015 farm season a great success and a lot of fun.

Zannah, on behalf of the 2015 farm crew

Powisset Happenings!

Saturday, Dec. 19th will be our last cooking class of 2015 - a kids cookie decorating party with hot apple cider! Please join us for this  fun event! Come January, we won't waste anytime. On Saturday, Jan. 2nd, our awesome PEP (Powisset Education Programs) Committee  and CSA member, Lauren Leonard, will be lead us right into the New Year with a Yoga & Goal-Setting Workshop which will help us to set intentions for 2016. For those of you who know Lauren, you know that she is a nutrition counselor, yoga instructor, and running coach...and most importantly, a motivator!

And along the setting goals theme, we will continue our Mindfulness On the Farm session every Thursday at 6:30am, including this and next Thursday (Dec. 17th & 24th).

We have a boat load of events and programs planned for 2016 - whether you love to cook, enjoy the outdoors, or thrive on crafts and DIY projects, there is something for everyone. Take a look and hope to see you all either Saturday or in 2016!

Powisset Happenings

This is an off week for the winter share. This week the farm crew is busy cleaning up around the farm preparing for winter. We are relishing this mild weather. Often by this time of year the ground is frozen and we are harvesting in driving sleet. We have received many heavy frosts at this point but if the weather stays mild we should have a variety of greens available next week including the sweetest spinach I have ever eaten.


The final winter share distribution is:

December 19th from 10am to 2pm

Farm stand hours will also be December 19th 10am to 2pm

Farmer Zannah, on behalf of the Farm Crew

Past & Future Powisset Events

Saturday was busy here with CSA pick-up, some of our lovely vendors and Maria Speck, cookbook author of "Simply Ancient Grains". Maria spoke with guests about cooking with ancient grains, nutrition facts, and signed some books. While she was gabbing away, I was busy at the stove, flipping my version of her Oatmeal Butternut Pancakes with Browned Butter Nuts which also makes an appearance in the book. And I have to say, they were pretty damn good...and so easy to make! For those of you who are interested in purchasing her book, I managed to convince her to leave some signed copies behind with me. Please contact me at nnacamuli@thetrustees.org or stop by the farm by Dec. 19th if you do want a copy ($27.50 each). For more information about her book click here or visit www.mariaspeck.com.

And on Sunday, 12 trays of baklava were created! My mother, Claudine Nacamuli, led us in a class on how to make this simple middle eastern dessert. And I think I managed to convince everyone that baklava IS easy to make.

Our last classes of 2016 are next week! On Tuesday, Dec. 15th. Nicole Lewis will lead us in a DIY Bath & Body Gifts for the Holidays workshop. An amazing body scrub (shown below) is just one of the items that we will be making. And, Saturday, Dec. 19th is our Cookie & Hot Apple Cider Cooking Workshop for Kids! For a list of all of our upcoming events please visit our web site!

Winter Share III

Howdy folks,

Just a quick reminder that December hours for Winter Share distribution are:

Saturday December 5th from 10-2

Saturday December 19th from 10-2

The farm stand will also be open from 10-2 on December 5th and December 19th. We still have many items available in the farm stand including produce, pork, and frozen pies from Bushel and Crumb.

In addition to our fabulous farm stand items we have several local artists who will be selling pottery and knit wear during distribution hours.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Farmer Zannah, on behalf of the farm crew.

Farm Stand Open This Weekend, Winter CSA Pick Up III, Events & More!

We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving filled with yummy food and good company! 

This Saturday, December 5^th, will be the third installment of the Winter Share! Pick-up hours are 10-2pm on Saturday only. There is no Friday pick-up this this week. In this share you can

expect to pick-up: beets, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, garlic, kale, shallots, winter squash, celeriac, leeks, rutabaga, sweet potatoes and spinach (if it has survived the recent cold weather, brrr).

There are still a few tasks to be done around the farm in order to prepare for winter; picking up row cover, plowing the new fields, covering the strawberries, moving the tractors and implements undercover, winterizing the tractors, and making sure all the tools are put away before the first blanket of snow. Soon we will be taking down the electric fencing and the fields will be opened back up for the creatures of the forest to roam about. At this point of the season almost all of the crops have been harvested and tucked away into our root cellar. The hum of the farm continues in the winter.  Most of our work is moving inside.

People often ask me what I do all winter. The answer is that there is just as much work for me through the winter months as there is during the summer. All the planning for next summer starts now. Soon I will be ordering seeds, fixing equipment, buying tools, mapping out the fields for next seasons crops, and putting together an all-star farm crew for next season.

We said goodbye to the chickens this past week. This means that we will not have eggs for sale during the next two Winter Share distributions. We will have eggs back next season!

Farmer Zannah

Events! 

We have lots of events lined up for next weekend/week, so please join us for one or all!

• Every Thursday at 6:30am: Mindfulness on the Farm  
• Sat, Dec. 5th at 11:30am, Cooking with Ancient Grains & The Grains Guru, Maria Speck
• Sun, Dec. 6th at 10:00am, Baking & Baklava
• Mon., Dec. 7th at 11:00am, Story Hour on the Farm
• Tues., Dec. 8th at 4:30pm, Under the Night Sky Storytime
• Tues., Dec. 8th at 6:30pm, Baking with Einkorn
• Thurs., Dec. 10th at 6:00pm, Sylvia's Art Bar
• Tues., Dec. 15th at 6:30pm, Make & Take - Handmade Bath & Body Gifts for the Holiday

Calling All Chef Instructors!

If we have any chefs out there...we are looking for an experienced chef instructor to teach cooking classes at our farm kitchen anywhere between once a month to once a week - to both adults and children. Classes focus on local and seasonal ingredients, highlighting the farm’s produce. Compensation can be arranged on a per person or per class basis. Anyone interested, please contact Nicole at nnacamuli@thetrustees.org. Feel free to spread the word! 

Summer CSA Info, Next Week's Happenings & Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello folks,

Powisset Farm CSA share sign-up will begin this Tuesday, November 24th. There are a few changes to next year’s CSA. Please read about these changes below:

The cost of the 2016 Powisset Farm Summer CSA will remain at $650 this year for a full size share. Unfortunately, we will no longer be offering small shares in 2016, as they have become increasingly difficult to manage from a production and distribution standpoint. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If a full size share is too large for your household, we welcome and encourage shareholders to make their own arrangements to split shares. We understand the desire for a smaller share size and are working towards a distribution model that provides you with the produce you desire and is sustainable for the farm. Please remember that the farm stand is also a great way to access our produce.

The CSA will run for 20 weeks, from mid-June through mid-October. The exact start date will be weather dependent, so stay tuned via our CSA blog for updates!

Pick-up days will remain the same this year and are as follows:

·         Tuesday (2PM-6PM)

·         Thursday (10AM-6PM)

·         Saturday (10AM-4PM)

We plan to maintain the system of free choice with regard to pick-up day; you can come on whatever distribution day best suits your schedule in a given week. As Tuesdays and Thursdays tend to be quieter days on the farm, we do encourage shareholders to come on those days so that Saturday pick-ups are not too packed.

In order to sign-up for the 2016 Summer CSA you will need to have a Trustees membership that is valid through October 31, 2016. The deposit for the 2016 Summer CSA share is $325. This is equal to half the cost of the share.

Sign-ups will be entirely on-line in 2016. Please visit our CSA website to sign up.

Farmer Zannah

While this week is quiet with Thanksgiving on Thursday, the following couple weeks are particularly busy at the farm!

Upcoming Events!

As many of you know we have been hosting the Westwood Public Library on Mondays for Story Hour while their roof is on the mend. They will be here until Dec. 8^th. Or longer…if their roof project continues….

• Sat, Dec. 5^th - Maria Speck, the Grains                               Guru will be giving a talk followed by a cooking demo (including tasting) and the   opportunity to purchase her book, Simply Ancient Grains.
• Sun, Dec. 6^th -  My mother, Claudine Nacamuli, having grown up    in Egypt surrounded by Middle Eastern Foods, will be teaching      us how to make the dessert that everyone loves - baklava!
• Tues, Dec. 8^th – Nicole Lewis (aka Nicole1) will be leading a “Baking with Einkorn” class. Einkorn is used by those with gluten sensitivity (as well as those, like me, who just enjoy its taste and texture). We will not only get our hands dirty but leave with a   sample of the Einkorn flour.
• Thurs, Dec. 10^th – For those who want to get crafty, join us for Sylvia’s Art Bar while we have fun creating this mixed media piece (see above right). Even the non-creative are welcome!
• Tues., Dec. 15^th – Nicole Lewis’ last class of 2015 will be a sequel to her DIY Skincare Class where we will be making skincare gifts for the holidays from scratch! On the menu will be hand scrub, sweet body scrub and silky body butter. 

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Powisset Farm!

Meet Your New Farmer!!

Hello wonderful Powisset Farm Community!

I am happy to announce two awesome and wonderful things!
1. Your new farmer, Zannah Porter has started her time at Powisset Farm!
2. Our Pre-Thanksgiving farm stand is happening tomorrow, Saturday the 21st from 10am-2pm!

....introducing...Farmer Zannah!  Hooray!!!

I would like to give a very big hello to the Powisset Farm community. My name is Zannah Porter and I am the new Farm Manager at Powisset Farm. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you all a little bit about myself. I had the privilege of growing up surrounded by undeveloped land and romping through the fields and forests around Blacksburg, Virginia. My father is a botanist and helped foster a fascination with the flora and fauna that surrounded me. I attended Warren Wilson College where I studied Outdoor Leadership and spent some of my free time volunteering on the college farm. I spent several years being a farm groupie, volunteering on friend’s farms around the country. When I moved to Massachusetts seven years ago, I had the opportunity to work on a farm and actually get paid for it! I fell hard for farming and for three seasons at Land’s Sake farm in Weston. I then spent four seasons at Waltham Fields Community Farm where I have been a Farm Manager for the past two seasons.

            I am very excited to be part of the Powisset Farm community. I have already met so many amazing folks and am just awed by your love and dedication to this community. I look forward to meeting you, growing delicious vegetables for you, and celebrating this very special place with you.

Your Farm Manager

Zannah 

Don't Forget! Pre-Thanksgiving Farm Stand at Powisset tomorrow, Saturday the 21st from 10am-2pm! 

 If you are a winter CSA member, please come to the farm this Friday or Saturday for your share!  If you are not a member, but would love to fill your baskets and bellies with awesome Powisset produce, please come visit us at the farm stand!  We will have all that you need for your Thanksgiving festivities and more!

 

Hours:

Friday: 1pm-6pm

Saturday: 10am-2pm

In the share and at the stand:

potatoes,  sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, leeks, onions, shallots, garlic, butternut squash, carrots, beets, swiss chard, lettuce mix, diakon, kohlrabi, & more!

In addition to the beautiful veggies, it will be filled lots of tasty extras including Bushel & Crumb pies, fresh organic cranberries, apples, Crescent Ridge milk and eggnog and of course, welsh cakes! Stop by and grab these wonderful extras to complete your holiday feasts.

Farm Stand Open this weekend! Come Load up for the Holiday!

Winter Share Pick-Up #2 and Pre-Thanksgiving Farm Stand!

If you are a winter CSA member, please come to the farm this Friday or Saturday for your share!  If you are not a member, but would love to fill your baskets and bellies with awesome Powisset produce, please come visit us at the farm stand!  We will have all that you need for your Thanksgiving festivities and more!

 

Hours:

Friday: 1pm-6pm

Saturday: 10am-2pm

In the share and at the stand:

potatoes,  sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, leeks, onions, shallots, garlic, butternut squash, carrots, beets, swiss chard, lettuce mix, broccoli (we hope), diakon, kohlrabi, & more!

In addition to the beautiful veggies, it will be filled lots of tasty extras including Bushel & Crumb pies, fresh organic cranberries, Crescent Ridge milk and eggnog and of course, welsh cakes! Stop by and grab these wonderful extras to complete your holiday feasts.

We can't wait to see you soon!

Meryl, Zannah & the Powisset Farm Crew

Past & Upcoming Events at Powisset!

On Saturday, Nov 7th, Hale Reservation and the Trustees held the 2nd Annual Tri-Town Hike. Over 110 people participated and hiked the full 12 miles or a 4-mile section. Most people started, ended or passed through Powisset Farm and enjoyed some soup and other warm snacks along the way. Thank you to all of you who participated in such a fun event!

And, on Thursday, Nov. 12th Powisset greeted the Sherborn Council on Aging with a "Cooking with Annie" class. On the menu: Lentil soup (with swiss chard and carrots from the farm), Butternut squash ravioli, and an Easy tiramisu. Everyone had a blast as they worked (as you can see) and bellies went home happy!

This Tuesday, Nov. 17th, 6:30pm our very own Nicole Lewis (N2) is leading a Make & Take DIY Skincare Workshop for those of you who want to learn how to make your own skin care products (like me). We'll be making cleansing oil, toner and moisturizer. The Westwood Public Library continues to host Story Hour every Monday at 11am . On Wednesday, Nov. 18th, 1:00pm they will be hosting Make & Take: Colonial Crafts in preparation for Thanksgiving!

Update! We have a new date for our Baklava class, Sunday, Dec. 6th., 10am! Due to the high demand from the baklava-loving community this class is filling fast (only a few spots left!) so sign up soon.

To view the entire catalog of upcoming classes and events, visit our web site at tinyurl.com/powfarmevents.

This Farm is Alive!

Here at Powisset farm lately we have been having that “pinch me” feeling.  Like, could this weather really be so nice for so many weeks?  Is it possible that we can be harvesting winter carrots and parsnips in short sleeves with the sun and blue sky keeping us warm?  Is it possible that we are allowed to work with so much beauty surrounding us at every moment?  The leaves! The colors! The sky!  We run the tractor down a row of roots and pull up the most glorious orange carrots out of moist dark brown soil and it feels like the best work we could ever do in this life.  

Even in this slow, end-of-fall season, the farm feels alive and we get to notice all the smaller aspects of this place as if its tiny details have been amplified as every leaf falls. Tonight, as the sky turned pink and took my breath away, I watched as a local cross country team finished their work out on the farm road.  Then I thought to the morning, when the little ones from the nearby library came out for story hour.  And then I watched the chickens run free in their newly expanded run while the pigs looked on, seeming amused.  This farm is alive with so many people nurturing and growing our farm community; giving it new shape and new life over and over again!  

Tomorrow our new farm manager starts, (pic and bio to come soon),  and again I thought, ‘pinch me!’ Is my time here really coming to an end!? And it is.  But the farm’s beauty keeps on giving and I plan on filling every cell of my being with these gorgeous moments, and keep some in a box on my shelf when I need a dose of Powisset farm.

Come to say goodbye with me!  My farewell bash: Saturday November 14!  Starts at 4pm! Parade at 6pm!  Here’s the link to the invite:  feel free to share: https://www.facebook.com/events/1672182709734686/

stay in touch with me: my new email: meryl.latronica@gmail.com

Peas,

Meryl and the Powisset farm crew

 

Farm Stand & Winter CSA!

The Farm Stand and winter csa pick-up #1 will be happening this week on Friday, Nov 6 from 1pm-6:00pm and Saturday, Nov. 7 from 10am-2pm. Stock up for the upcoming holidays! Come by and grab veggies, pork, milk and other goodies. We will have bulk bags of your favorite root veggies for sale! come visit us!!

The Farm Stand will also be open the following dates and times:

Friday, Nov. 20, 1pm-6:00pm
Saturday, Nov 21, 10am-2pm
Saturday, Dec. 5, 10am-2pm
Saturday, Dec 19, 10am-2pm

Past & Upcoming Events & booking private events at Powisset!

A belated thank you to all of you who came out for our Friday Fall Farm Dinner on Oct. 23rd! We had a blast and hope you did too. We are currently working on ways to heat the barn so we can hold these on a regular basis through the winter. Stay tuned for more info!

This week is filled with activity. On Thursday evening (Nov. 5th), join me and Simca Horwitz, head baker at our beloved Bushel & Crumb for a Easy as Pie baking class. You do know that Halloween is over and the next holiday is Thanksgiving?! Simca will show us how to bake both a savory and a sweet pie. And I promise, there will be eating involved.

On Saturday, Nov. 7th we are co-hosting the Tri-town hike with our friend at the Hale Reservation. You can hike one of the 4 mile sections....or the full 12 miles! And, the whole week looks seasonably warm, so we may luck out in the weather department. 

And, just added...for those of you who love to get crafty, save the date for Sylvia's Art Bar at Powisset:

Thursday, Dec. 10th. During this fun evening, Sylvia will walk us through the process of utilizing canvas, paper and paint to create a beautiful (and possibly gift-worthy) 12x12 mixed media piece. Online registration will be available soon, but for now, to register or for more information please contact Nicole at nnacamuli@thetrustees.org.

For a whole list of our upcoming events, please visit our web site.

Lastly, for those of you who are looking for event space - for a birthday party, meeting, for a private cooking class for your friends, please think of Powisset! We have gotten lots of inquiries over the years but have not been able to accommodate many requests--now we can! For more information about private events, please contact Nicole at nnacamuli@thetrustees.org or 508.785.0339 x3003.