Dear Farm Friends,

In 2005, the City of Newton purchased the last working farm in Newton with the hopes of

transitioning it to a community farm. Fast forward to 2022, Newton Community Farm has now served that intent through 17 growing seasons, providing "hundreds of thousands" of cumulative benefits to the local community through pounds of locally-grown produce for purchase and donation, seedlings for home gardens, service learning and education hours on-site and virtually, and countless moments of joy for Farm enthusiasts.

Most important, NCF fulfilled the goal of keeping the "community" in our small but mighty Farm by offering many opportunities to partake of these benefits. We did this despite the normal challenges of weather and the unusual difficulty of coping with a pandemic. We are grateful for the hard work of our excellent staff (a shout-out to Sue, Greg, Asher, Matt, and our seasonal staff!), engagement of our committed volunteers (100+ people), and our generous farm community (Consumers! Donors! Sponsors! Public Officials!). Stay tuned for more information in our upcoming newsletters about NCF’s 17th year: staff experiences (Oct.), gratitude (Nov.), and accomplishments (Dec.).

As we move into the fall and close in on another year, the NCF Board of Directors revisited and refreshed NCF’s mission statement to better reflect how the organization has evolved since 2006 and to set the stage for our 2023 plans. NCF has quite a track record of consistent achievement, yet has had to adapt to many changing circumstances during the past (almost) two decades. We keep tweaking our programs to meet our community’s needs and will use the revised mission statement below to provide context for making decisions.

NCF’s Mission is to engage a vibrant community in sustainable agriculture and best environmental practices on the historic Angino farm.

Engagement:

 Education

 Access to local produce

 Volunteering

 Public access

Core values:

 Environmental Sustainability

 Community Involvement

 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

 Joy

Guiding principles:

 Think globally, act locally.

 Think long-term, act now.

 Lead by example.

Sincerely,

Paul Holt and Dede Vittori

NCF Board of Directors Co-Presidents

Registration for the 2022 Late Fall CSA Program opens on Tuesday, September 13, at noon. A link will be active on our website at that time.

The contents of each share distribution will be determined at harvest and may vary. Shares may include arugula, spinach, lettuce and/or salad mix, kale, chard, garlic, onions, leeks, carrots, beets, radishes, cilantro, parsley, hot peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, popcorn, or winter squash.The shares consist primarily of our own produce with additions from regional farms such as Drumlin Farm (Lincoln, MA) and Picadilly Farm (Winchester, NH).

Note: Each CSA applicant must be a current Friend of the Farm (FOF). You are a Friend of the Farm if you have donated $50 or more since November 2021. If you are not a current Friend of the Farm, please make a donation when you sign up for the Fall CSA program. You can also donate by clicking here anytime.

COST: $210 per share, which includes four pickups

DURATION: Four pickups on Tuesdays, 3–6 pm: October 25, November 8, November 22, and December 6 in the lowest level of the big red barn.

Look for Farmer Greg at the Newton Farmers' Market every Saturday, 9:30 am–12:30 pm, now through October 15. The Saturday market is at Newton North High School in the rear parking lot at 352 Lowell Avenue in Newtonville.

Visit our on-site farm stand on Winchester Street in the little red shed Thursdays and Fridays, 1:30–6 pm and Saturdays, 9:30 am–1 pm. See our website each week for updates..

Payment accepted:

Cash, credit card, check (with phone number), WIC, Senior Checks, SNAP (on Thursdays and Fridays at the farm stand and on Saturdays at the Newton Farmers' Market only), Tokens (at the Farmer's Market)

Looking Ahead

October 16, 11 am–4 pm: GreenEXPO organized by Green Newton (Stop by our table for a free herb plant while supplies last!) at the Newton Centre Green parking lot. Working in conjunction with the City of Newton’s Harvest Fair, the GreenEXPO brings together businesses and community groups that work to help residents build a greener lifestyle. 

October 29, 10 am–noon: Family Fall Party (Halloween costumes optional!) Tickets on sale soon. Volunteers needed.

November 5, 10–11:30 am: "Forests and Farms" educational program for children ages 5–12 with Historic Newton at the Farm. $18 per child. Click here to learn more and register.

November 10, 7–8 pm: virtual presentation of “The Fascinating Story of Where Our Vegetables Came From” with Master Gardener Bonnie Power. $20 per household. More information here.

Remember the excitement of finding a woolly bear caterpillar in the fall as a child and picking it up to see it curl into a bristly ball in your hand? The Secret Life of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Laurence Pringle with colorful illustrations by Joan Paley is an incredibly informative children's book, all about this caterpillar and how it metamorphoses into the Isabella Tiger Moth. Their "secrets" include specifics about anatomy, molting, feeding, and overwintering in leaf detritus, including scientific terminology that is well-described. Incredible facts are highlighted, such as the chemical glycerol that the caterpillar creates to to keep ice from forming in its cells during winter. This is a great book for kids and adults alike.

Creamy Cilantro Avocado Sauce (pictured)

In a blender or food processor,combine one 1 bunch of cilantro, 2 cloves of garlic, the juice of one lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper, a dash of red pepper flakes (to taste), 1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil (depending on desired consistency), and half an avocado. Blend until combined. You can put this sauce on everything from scrambled eggs to roasted veggies or fish.

Homemade Tomato Salsa 

This is a great way to use up a large quantity of tomatoes! For a chunkier salsa, chop all the ingredients by hand and mix together in a large bowl. For a smoother consistency, pulse everything in a food processor until combined. 

- 2 or more cups of tomatoes

- 1 bunch of cilantro

- 1/2 an onion

- 2–3 cloves of garlic

- 1 bell pepper

- 1 hot pepper (optional)

- pinch of salt/pepper

Baba Ganoush (pictured)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wrap a large eggplant in aluminum foil and roast it for about an hour, until the outer skin is wrinkly and the inside is very soft. Cut in half and place eggplant cut-side down in a colander for about 15 minutes to release excess moisture. Peel off the eggplant skin and discard. In a blender or food processor, combine the eggplant flesh, 1–2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp paprika, a squeeze of lemon, 2 Tb tahini (can use peanut butter as a substitute), and a pinch of salt and pepper and mix until creamy. Top with chopped parsley as desired, and serve with pita or crackers for a mezze platter dip.

Recipes and photos by Inna Kagan, local Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Do you love flowers, floral design, and art? The Newton Cultural Development Department has organized two workshops where you can create your own artistic floral design with inspiration provided by two Newton artists and beautiful, locally grown flowers.

Workshops will take place on September 21 and 22 and include talks by artists Marian Dioguardi and Sharon Schindler and guided floral arranging with Susie Margolin of Lotus and Lettuce.

Choose between two in-person workshops running 6–8:30 pm:

• Wednesday, September 21, or Thursday, September 22
• Each session is limited to 8 participants (Register early to ensure a seat)
• Register online
• Registration fee of $75 includes locally grown flowers by Newton Community Farm and Lotus & Lettuce.

From Board Co-President Dede Vittori, "I have had a driveway container garden for more than a decade because my backyard garden wasn’t getting enough sunlight due to tree growth. I also had many hungry critters including a family of five woodchucks one year. I grow veggies that do well in containers including cherry tomatoes, pickling cukes, lunchbox peppers, scallions, baby bok choy, snap peas, two blueberry bushes, and various greens (in spring and fall). I have a small patch of zucchini squash growing in the back where there is some sun. I still contend with critters but the exposed site and fencing helps keep them away."

Greg and Satchel

and a harvest of red onions

Asher filming an educational segment for social media

Summer Kids' Class students

with Matt and Tomoko

Ongoing work on the new

Dr. Eugene Rubin Greenhouse

High-school interns  snack and discussion break

Theo working at the farm stand

Winston, the farm dog

Sean Sanker

teaching about beekeeping