It's Week #8 - Many Goods and Events!

Welcome to week eight! In addition to the wonderful veggies you'll be gathering this week, we have delicious goods in the Farm Stand to add to your meals and upcoming events and classes that you must check out!

In the share this week:
Barn: lettuce, greens, onions, leeks, squash, cukes, carrots, broccoli(most likely), cabbage, sweet corn and herbs!
PYO: the beginning of cherry tomato season! also, the flower garden is open!

In The Farm Stand

If you haven't checked out the welsh cakes by Kettle Copper Bakery that we have, I recommend that you do! They are a cross between a scone, biscuit and a pancake but with less butter and sugar than conventional cookies or scones. They come in chocolate chip, cranberry and currant (Nicole L's favorite!). We are carrying mixes, too so that you can enjoy the experience of making them yourself.. Enjoy them as a snack, treat or breakfast goodie! For more information, visit: www.copperkettlebakery.com.

Chickens are here! Yes, we have frozen chickens from Eden Pond Farm a local, small family farm owned by Cris Coffin and Roland Kinsman who specialize in pastured poultry. Come grab one for dinner this week.



More ground beef is arriving this week as well so you can get to grilling those burgers again!

Bushel & Crumb will be here on Thursday, July 28th. This week they will be bringing fresh pies of savory carrot and beet with harissa, feta, and mint. We'll have a few extra in the fridge for purchasing in addition to the pie share pick up! We also will have frozen blueberry maple and strawberry rhubarb available in the small size.

Powisset Farm Events & Classes

Thank you to those who came out for Story Hour and Astronomy Night last week, even though the weather wanted to change by the minute! For those of you who were not aware, we will be hosting Story Hour every Thursday from 10-11:00AM under the tent for the remainder of the summer and possibly beyond. 

Looking forward…we have lots of events planned – something for everyone - and I hope you will join us for one or all of these!

Dehydration & Winter Storage Workshop: Saturday, August 1^st at 10:00-12:00PM

Does it break your heart when you have to throw out that big, beautiful tomato from your farm stand because the yield is bigger than your weekly needs? Have you thought about making tomato sauce but don't want to deal with all that goes into canning? Come to this class! Margie Dillenburg (one of our dedicated volunteers) will show you how her $30 dehydrator changed her winter by giving her farm fresh goodies all year long - and it doesn't require the space or effort that jarring/canning does. Learn how to never throw out your wilting veggies again, and to maximize your share to be eaten all year long. You will learn how to dehydrate many veggies and fruits, there will be samples, a storage demo, and before/after examples, as well as a demo on how to RE-hydrate and use these foods when you take them out of storage. Members: $25; Non-members: $35.

http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/northeast-ma/event-3910.html

Barn Dinner: Sunday, August 30^th at 5:30PM

Join a celebration of the great community as we gather for a family-friendly potluck dinner where we strive to incorporate as much farm fresh produce as possible. Feel free to bring beer/wine to be shared with the table. To register, please email toddimmick@gmail.com with the # of people in your group.

Composting 101: Thursday, September 3^rd at 6:00-7:00PM

Are you interested in composting but not sure how to get started?  Do you have a compost pile that isn’t doing much?  This session will cover what composting is, the benefits of composting, and how to successfully compost.  Grant Berman, of Dirty Boys Composting in Newton, has experience installing and maintaining over 70 compost piles in the greater Boston area.  He will share his experiences so that attendees will leave this session excited about composting and ready to compost! Members: $5; Non-members: $10.

From Nest to Table: Saturday, September 19^th at 10:00-12:00PM

Enjoy a Saturday morning at Powisset Farm. On this program, designed especially for our young farmers, we'll enjoy close encounters with our egg-laying friends. First we will say hello to the chickens, learn about their daily routine, and partake in their egg collection. After we are done tending to them, we will head to the kitchen where we will learn to make frittatas, using the eggs we have just collected! For ages 5 and up with an accompanying adult. Adult + 1 Child Member: $20; Non-Member Adult + 1 Child: $30. Each additional child is $5.

Powisset Farm Fall Friday Dinners: September 25^th & October 23^rd 6:00-9:00PM

Join us at Powisset Farm while we enjoy a seasonal dinner, the scenic view of the farm at sunset, and the company of new and old farm friends. Ticket price includes full dinner, non-alcoholic beverages (beer and wine will be available for purchase), dessert, and entertainment. Adult Members: $35; Adult Non-members: $45; Child: $15.

Beer, Brewing, Basics: Saturday, October 3^rd at 1:00-3:00PM

Learn to brew your own beer with Dan Eng from Barleycorn’s Craft Brew.   You will learn about the different craft beer styles, the ingredients that are used to make beer, and the process of brewing.  The role of water, malt grains, extracts, hops, and yeast in the brewing of beer will be explained.  The equipment needed to brew at home and how to use them will be described.  We will go through a demonstration of the brewing and an explanation of the bottling process.  Sampling of various beers will be offered throughout the demonstration. Members: $15; Non-members: $20.

Astronomy Night: Saturday, October 17^th at 6:30PM

Join us and a local Astronomer for a Star Party! You will see and learn more about the stars, planets and moon. Please see our Facebook page for updates regarding the weather. Members: Free; Non-members: $5.

To register, please contact Nicole at nnacamuli@gmail.com or 508.785.0339 x3003.

Meet the Summer Crew!

Meet the summer crew! 

Our four-woman unit joined the Powisset team at the end of May and will support the full-timers during the height of the growing season, through mid-August. Some of us have been courting Powisset for a while now–– returning each summer as beloved farm apprentices move on to new adventures and others–– no less good-looking or handy with a hoe–– arrive. On the other hand, some of us are getting a taste of the farm life–– here or anywhere–– for the first time this season. 

Though we're part-time and could easily just be treated as passing summer labor, we're incredibly lucky to enjoy the egalitarian atmosphere that Meryl and the assistant growers create: one where everyone is welcomed into the farm family, and the summer crew is integrated into the diversity of projects that unfold over the course of the season-–– from seeding in the greenhouse to transplanting young crops, from trellising tomatoes to processing them in the wash station, from hoeing to hand-weeding to harvesting... Each morning brings rain pants and dirt and sweat and song. As Tessa used to say, the worst day at Powisset is the best of days. We love this place.

Prior seasons have involved formal bios from summer crew workers. This time around, in a bout of creativity (or boredom?), we decided to mix things up a bit. We've written haikus and crafted portraits for each other. We were even ambitious enough to attempt a time lapse weeding video! Hope you enjoy.

See you in the fields!

Frannie, Sasha, Erinn, & Andrea of the Powisset Summer Crew

 

 

What's in the share this week:

 

up in the barn: lettuce, celery, scallions or onions, leeks, potatoes, beets or fennel, carrots, herb choice, kale or chard, lettuce mix

out in the fields: peas or favas, dill, sunflowers 

The summer crew, in haiku form:

Frannie Parrish (portrait by Andrea / haiku by Sasha)

dwells in Big Apple 

loves to brunch and study psych

she’s the dairy QWEEN

Sasha Wolfe (portrait by Frannie / haiku by Erinn)

sunscreen not rubbed in,
hula hoe in hand, spreading
laughter all over

 

Erinn Bineham (portrait by Sasha / haiku by Andrea)

 

wild-woman Erinn

the song-voiced lover of Sun

speeds through beets and laughs

Andrea Schindler (portrait by Erinn / haiku by Frannie)

Tree enthusiast,
summer crew pro, and warm heart
Who says, "push it, team!"

sasha

 

erinn

andy

 

 

what a crew!

July is for Pulling Weeds!

Come volunteer at your farm!

July is a time for growing.  Growing plants, growing weeds, growing to-do lists, growing desire to go swimming more....growing a little more tired and a lot more excited about all the crops still to come! In order to keep things rolling, we've got to keep on top of these crazy weeds! Come help us pull weeds and let the plants do all the growing!

Drop In!
This friday: 2-5pm and Saturday from 9-12:30!  
Drop in for an hour, or stay the whole time!  We'll show you what are weeds and what are vegetables and crawl around in the dirt side-by-side! 

Any questions, please contact: meryl at: mlatronica@ttor.org

I hope to see you in the fields!


What's in the share this week:

in the barn: lettuce, carrots, fennel, cukes, summer squash/zucchini,  cabbage, kale, popcorn
in the fields: fava beans, snow peas, dill
flower garden to open soon....

Choose Fresh & Local License Plate!

How awesome would it be to drive around with a license plate that not only supports Massachusetts farmers but also looks great and spreads the word about local farming? New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and Mass Farmers Markets are launching a specialty license plate to support new farmers, farmers’ markets, and a vibrant Massachusetts food economy. Be an early adopter and supporter of the local food system in Massachusetts by signing up for a Choose Fresh & Local license plate.

Register today to be one of the first 1,500 to get a plate and help us get them on the road! You will even get to select your own license plate number (100-1600) or bid for a low number! We're over a third of the way to our goal, and you can help us get there. Visit our website to find out how it works, or to sign up for your plate today. E-mail info@massfoodplate.org with any questions.

Some views of the flower garden right now:

Holiday Farm

This past Saturday, on the fourth of July, when grills were firing up and families were gathering and swimmers were swimming, we started the day harvesting.  My incredible farm crew and I pulled bins down rows of squash and enjoyed a quiet(er) weekend.   We seeded fall crops in the greenhouse and watched as our holiday visitors found the last of the peas and strawberries in the fields.  

After lunch, I sat up in the barn for the afternoon, a shift I often don’t take at the farm.  The crew had dispersed for some afternoon relaxing and I took up with my favorite fourth of july pastime; hanging out at the distro.  The music coming from a stream of ‘mountain stage’ performances set the tone.  I bundled rubber bands like Paul used to do.  I conversed with visitors for longer than a busy Saturday usually allows.  I learned about elderberries from Peter and saw some of my favorite tiny humans.  At the end of the day, I packed up the cooler slowly and deliberately.  I swept the floor and realized I was still wearing rain pants.  

Later that night, as the sun was fading, a group of friends and farmers headed into the Powisset fields, stepping away from the cozy campfire for a moment.  We walked together, a posse of farm tour junkies, taking in each row, straining our eyes to take in the details of the crops, the weeds, the tomatoes growing along the 400 foot rows.  The more we walked and the talked the more excited we became, brainstorming about this cover crop and that variety of squash, encouraging each other to keep inventing and keep going.  I felt proud and lucky to have been started my day with a harvest in the morning dew and end it with a tour as the grass grew wet again.  Thank you, Powisset , for an awesome holiday on the farm.

See you in the fileds!

Meryl, On behalf of the Powisset Crew

What’s in the share this week:

In the barn: lettuce, chard or kale, beets, carrots, fennel, kohlrabi, squash, cabbage, scallions, choice of greens

In the fields: fava beans, dill, parsley, kale or chard

Eggs! Why are there never any eggs!

Dear members, 

yes! we wish we had more eggs too!

At Powisset, we have 81 lovely hens, laying a total of about 65 eggs a day!  That may sound awesome, and it is, but it definitely isn't enough to keep up with your needs!  We have reached out to other local egg producers, but haven't been able to track down an organic, local supplier...yet! We're working on it! And we're thinking of expanding our flock a little, if we can swing it!  There is actually a nationwide egg shortage...so you are not alone in the your quest for eggs!  If you can't get them here, please check Volante Farms in Needham, or the Natick Community Organic Farm, in Natick!  Thanks for loving our eggs!

love,
powisset farmers



In the Farm Stand
The pies were a huge hit last week! If you missed out don't worry....we bought extras. There are frozen, unbaked pies available in the freezer with the ice cream. Grab one then bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Take it along to your next gathering...we won't tell anyone that you bought it from us. :)

We are awaiting our chicken delivery and hope to have them for sale this week. Ask if they've arrived at your next pick up.