Newton Farmer January 2020

The Newton Farmer

January 2020

Welcome to the New Year! At Newton Community Farm, 2020 promises many wonderful new things, and a continuation of all that we know and love about the Farm. This Farm operates on a small scale, which gives us all a way to connect with how food is grown locally. You can always come by to volunteer, take a class, or just spend some time being up close and personal with your food as it is growing in the ground. Whether that is working in the fields, learning how to make pasta by hand, or making connections with others who share these values, we’d love to see you.

What will be new in 2020? We will joyfully welcome a new farm baby this spring when our Director of Education Reva and her husband, Isaac, have their first child. There will be a new flock of chicks to love, making a home in our newly renovated coop area. And, I am so happy to report, that we have a new executive director, Sue Bottino. Sue, trained as an environmental economist, is a six-year resident of Newton with her family. She stepped in as Interim ED in August when the Farm needed a strong executive on the ground. Ever since, she has excelled at ensuring that our organization and programs run well and advocating for the Farm in our community. As we begin the year, full of excitement and anticipation, please join me in welcoming Sue. And plan to stop by and meet her in 2020!

On behalf of the NCF Board and staff, I wish you a beautiful and joyous new year!

All the best,

Stephanie Cogen

President, NCF Board of Directors

Join Our Events Committee

Do you know how to throw a terrific party? Do you have a great idea for an event for the Farm? Are you organized or creative? Would you like to put your skills to good use by joining our Events Committee? This committee plans and produces our signature events and fundraisers, like the Dinner on the Farm, Seedling Sale, Fall Festival, and maybe something new in 2020!

If you are interested in learning more, please fill out this brief form and our Events Manager Jay Vilar will be in touch! Thank you!

We're Hiring!

Interim Director of Education, March-August

As we prepare for the parental leave of our Director of Education Reva Haselkorn, we're looking for an excellent Education and Camp Director from March through the end of August. Please share this information with any qualified candidates you know!

Summary of Job Duties: Manage, direct, and implement all summer camp, youth education, and adult engagement programs. Coordinate, schedule, and implement additional programs as opportunities arise to meet program goals and fulfill community requests when possible. Train, supervise, and manage seasonal staff and hire additional staff, if necessary. Ensure safety guidelines and rules are followed for all educational programs. Act as an ambassador of NCF. Maintain confidentiality of all participants, staff, and NCF information.

An ideal candidate is an engaging individual with successful experience in teaching in an educational or camp setting, child development, and business management of educational or camping programs.

This is a temporary, at-will, salaried position. The IDoE reports to the Executive Director. Check our website for a complete job description . To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Reva Haselkorn, Director of Education, at [email protected] .

Thinking Ahead to Spring and Summer

Our 2020 Summer CSA sign-up will be available starting in mid-January!

What is a CSA? At the beginning of each growing season, CSA sharers purchase a "share" of the expected produce, which covers a substantial portion of the cost of our agricultural operations. NCF provides sharers with a supply of sustainably grown, fresh vegetables and herbs each week throughout the season.

We have the equivalent of 80 weekly shares available. Some of our sharers enroll for an alternate week share, which means they pick up produce every other week. Other sharers enroll for a weekly share for their family or they split their share with another friend or family (or two!).

Our 2020 Summer CSA program will run for 20 weeks, from June through October, the specific start date to be determined in the spring. CSA pick-ups are on the first floor of the barn on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2-7 p.m. If you don’t have time for the pick-your-own (PYO) options during the week, you can come on Saturdays before 3 p.m. for those items. NCF will donate any unclaimed shares to a local food pantry.

Volunteer Commitment

All CSA participants have a volunteer commitment as a way to support NCF, learn about farming, and connect with this community. It is 10 hours for weekly sharers and 5 hours for alternate week sharers for the season. If you cannot complete this commitment , please consider making a donation to “buy out” your hours at a rate of $10/hour.

Produce

Newton Community Farm grows most of the produce distributed in the CSA. Some crops require more space than our modest site allows so we supplement with potatoes and winter squash from a local partner farm. We also purchase nonorganic sweet corn from Massachusetts farms. CSA sharers participate in the bounty of the Farm, and also the risk. Growing vegetables always involves uncertainty, and quantities may vary week to week, season to season.

Weekly Share

$667 per share. Sharers come to the Farm once a week to pick up. Shares include some PYO crops such as peas, beans, cherry tomatoes, and herbs. At the height of the season (Aug. – Sept.) a typical week might include: 1 bunch roots crop (carrots or beets); 2 bunches of greens (changing selection); 1 bunch of herbs (basil, cilantro, dill, or parsley); 1 eggplant; 1/2 pound of bell peppers; 4 hot peppers; 2 pounds of potatoes; 1 pound of summer squash or zucchini; 5 or more pounds of tomatoes; 1 pint PYO cherry tomatoes; 6 ears of corn; 1 quart PYO beans; and PYO herbs (separate from bunched herbs listed above).

Alternate Week Share

$359 per alternate week share. For people who find that our weekly shares are too much food to eat in a week, we offer a full share of produce every other week. When you enroll please carefully select a starting week, as this will put you on an alternating week schedule for the rest of the summer. We strive to give everyone their choice of starting dates, but need to balance the harvest between the two groups, so your assigned starting date will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Like the weekly share, this share includes some PYO items.

Application and Payment

Completed forms and checks must be received at NCF (mail or drop off) by the due dates (see below) for consideration in each phase. Click 2020 Summer CSA Enrollment Form (link will go live on our website soon) to download the application. Mailing instructions, prices, and other information are included on the form.

All applicants must be a current Friend of the Farm to apply for a CSA share. Please note you have been automatically enrolled as a 2020 FoF if you made a donation of $45 or more since November 1, 2019.

Dates

Phase 1a: Monday, January 20–Sunday, February 2 (due date) for 2019 CSA sharers

Reenrollment for 2019 CSA sharers (summer and late fall) who wish to return. 2019 sharers who do not reenroll during this period can still apply for a 2020 share by participating in the lottery in Phase 2 or the general enrollment process in Phase 3 as noted below. Applications with payment must be received at the farm by the due date.

Phase 1b: Monday, February 3–Sunday, February 9 (due date) for 2020 waiting-list names

NCF’s farm manager will contact the individuals who put their names on the 2020 Summer CSA waiting list during the 2019 application process. Contact will be made in order of the names on the list until all remaining shares are sold or until the farm manager reaches the last name on the list. Interested residents will have until Sunday, February 9, to submit a completed application with payment to the farm manager (must be received on the Farm by the due date).

Phase 2: Monday, February 3–Sunday, March 1 (due date) for Newton residents

General enrollment for Newton residents. Applications will be accepted from Newton residents only. At the end of this period, NCF will hold a lottery to select as many new participants as we have shares available. The lottery will be random, with no preference given for when the application is received before the due date. To participate in the lottery, we must receive your CSA enrollment application along with payment. (Checks will be returned to those who we cannot accommodate.) Please note you must be a current Friend of the Farm to apply for the CSA. Applications are due at the Farm by the due date. We will notify all applicants by Tuesday, March 3, as to whether or not they were selected in the lottery. Anyone who does not get in during Phase 2 has the option of adding their name to the 2021 waiting list.

Phase 3: Wednesday, March 4, until CSA is full; for Newton residents and general public

In the event there are remaining shares available after Phase 2, we will accept applications from Newton and non-Newton residents on a first-come, first-served basis until we are full. Phase 3 will end when all of the shares are sold. Newton residents who do not get a share in the 2020 program by the end of Phase 3 (or March 14, whichever comes later) will be given an opportunity to sign up for the 2021 Summer CSA waiting list.

Check out our website for more information.

Registration for spring education programs is OPEN! Spring is an exciting time of renewal and growth at the Farm. Start seeds and prepare the ground for the Learning Garden, welcome a new flock of baby chicks, and get your hands dirty in an authentic farm setting.

Summer Camp registration is LIVE! Your children can experience the beauty and bounty of the Farm and give their summer a whole new meaning! At NCF's Kids at the Farm Summer Camp, children dig, plant, weed, and water. They harvest fresh produce, prepare delicious snacks, feed the chickens, collect eggs, and explore the world through the lens of farming and food.

Fall Fundraising Appeal

We asked and you donated! Thank you so much for over 120 donations to the Fall Appeal, which started on November 1, 2019. Your contributions support fresh, healthy produce, educational and cultural programming for kids, adults and families and community-building events. We appreciate your generosity.

It’s never too late to donate !