Alex Lennon-Simon (left) and Kim Hunter (right) amidst the dill and cosmos in the Learning Garden

It will be a bittersweet goodbye for Kim Hunter this fall, as she leaves her post managing our education programs to resettle with her family in California. Kim has worked hard to expand our Learning Garden programming over the last two years, creating new programs like Science Boot Camp and Youth Crew for teens, maintaining strong partnerships with organizations serving low-income children, developing farm-to-fork activities, and welcoming groups throughout Greater Boston and beyond for Farm Visits and volunteer experiences. Kim will be with us right up until her moving day. Her last two Saturdays will be spent spearheading our annual Farm Day event on Oct. 5th and instructing our Make Your Own Baby Food Workshop on Oct. 12th, when she'll share tips and techniques she's honed for crafting farm-fresh organic vegetable purees for her own babies and will guide participants through making some of her favorite combinations for people to take home.

  

Over the next few weeks, Kim will work side by side with Alex Lennon-Simon to share knowledge and systems, enabling a smooth transition for Alex to step in as the farm's next Education and Outreach Coordinator.  We are thrilled to have Alex become a year-round member of our team.  Her credentials include work with ReCover Green Roofs, Groundwork Somerville, Museum of Science, and Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, as well as having taught summer programs for us in 2010 and leading our Youth Crew just this past August.  Stop by the Learning Garden this fall to give Alex a warm welcome!

  

 

    

In 2011, Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and since then the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued two sets of proposed rules.  While the overall aim is an important one - to reduce microbial contamination in our food supply - the FSMA, as written, threatens to decrease food access in New England, alter our agricultural landscape, limit economic opportunity in our rural areas, and increase the chemicals in our food.

  

The New England Farmers Union (NEFU), a nonprofit organization working to enhance the quality of life of family farmers and fishermen in all six New England States, has been leading the effort to get consumers involved in advocating for a FSMA that promotes food safety without harmful consequences for agriculture and local food in our region. See NEFU's website to learn more about the issues surrounding the FSMA and the public comment process.  The FDA's comment deadline is November 15th. 

  

And speaking of Food Safety, we're currently working with the Waltham Health Department to prepare our barn for retail sales of our produce as well as other local farm products.  Stay tuned for a progress update soon...

    

    

Stop by Watch City Brewery this fall and try their Pie-Eyed Pumpkin Ale, made with sugar pumpkins we grew for them this year. When you get yourself a pint, please let the folks at the Brewery know how much you appreciate their sourcing from our local farm.