|
|
CSA PICKUP DATES AND TIMES
COME ONCE EACH WEEK ON ANY OF THESE PICK UP DAYS
Wednesday, June 7-Oct. 18, 2:00-6:30PM
Thursday, June 8-Oct. 19, 2:00-6:30PM
Saturday, June 10-Oct. 21, 9AM-2PM
Any shareholder is welcome to pick up on any of the above days! You don't have to let us know when you're coming. Feel free to switch back and forth from week to week if that works best for you, or choose a day and stick to it for most of the season. We'll be happy to see you whatever day you come to the farm.
|
|
|
|
WHAT'S IN THE SHARE - Our Best Guess
This is our best guess at this point. Actual crops may vary from what's listed here due to a variety of factors.
In the Barn (Picked for You): 
Kale
Green Garlic
Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Spinach
A few surprises from Picadilly Farm
Pick Your Own (PYO):
One small bunch from the following Perennial Garden herbs: Oregano, chives, catmint, yarrow, comfrey, thyme & savory.
SPRING RECIPES
We have a ton of great recipes on our website, including many different suggestions for kale! Click here to check them out! |
 |
MEET YOUR FARM STAFF AND TOUR THE FARM! 
During the first week of pick-ups, we'd love for you to join us for an orientation and tour. This is a chance to meet a staff member, hear more about the work of our nonprofit, learn or be reminded about how our CSA program works, walk around the fields to see what's growing and talk about our organic farming practices. You don't have to do the tour on the same day as you pick up. Come to any one of these that suits your schedule!
ORIENTATION/TOUR OPTIONS:
-10 AM on Saturday, June 10
WHERE TO MEET: At the Distribution Barn of Waltham Fields Community Farm, 240 Beaver Street, Waltham. The Barn is located behind the red brick UMass building (we lease land and office space from UMass).
BRING: Friends, children, well-behaved pets on leashes, questions, and sturdy shoes to walk around the farm.
|
|
SUMMER LEARNING GARDEN PROGRAMS
Register now for Summer Learning Garden Programs on the farm for children ages 5-13. Programs include Garden & Farm Explorers as well as Afternoons on the Farm (programs vary depending on age). All sessions take place outdoors, rain or shine! We look forward to seeing you and your children on the farm this season!
|
|
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Week One: The Extended Spring
by Anna Kelchlin
Welcome to the farm for the 2017 CSA Season! My name is Anna, one of several farmers here at Waltham Fields Community Farm. I hope all of you have had some deep rest this past winter and are ready for the growth and fullness of the season. It's hard to believe Erinn and I began in January at our desks planning carefully for each week, once in a while shoveling snow off the greenhouses, and also taking much needed time to rejuvenate our bodies from the drought of 2016. We researched hundreds of vegetable varieties, ordered seeds and equipment, mapped the fields, discussed organizational improvements, and the list goes on. Here is a brief recap of how we got to our present moment in June:
This spring has been cold and one of the gloomiest I have known in my seven years here in the Boston area. Clouds, rain, and temperatures in the 50s sum it up. Unfortunately it has slowed the growth of many of our crops, but they have been steadily soaking up the rains making for extra juicy greens. In March, Erinn, Janelle, Naomi, Dan, and I seeded the first trays of onions and leeks in the greenhouse, marking the beginning of the nine month long journey of seeding, planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting.
 The greenhouse might be my favorite place on the farm (at least in the spring time). I call it the birthplace since it is where most vegetables begin their life on this farm. It is a place of excitement and hope for a season full of bounty; it's a cozy place with time for intimate conversations while sowing the future harvest. This is Naomi's second year of managing the greenhouse and it has looked spectacular! Dan took the reins once again on all of the tractor maintenance, which is a large undertaking with the amount of equipment we use throughout the farming process. Janelle, our returning assistant grower, is taking on managing our weed crew this year. We are so excited to have the weed crew, who just came on last week to fiercely fight the weeds for 20 hours a week.
In April, we broke ground using our large tillage tractors, spreading cover crops, making beds for the early crops like peas and fava beans. Tim, who was one of the the original farmers at WFCF, has returned for another year to help with tractor work and has been an enormous benefit due to his breadth of experience and life wisdom. April is also a time of preparing for our Sprout fundraiser, interviewing for seasonal staff, and working with incredibly dedicated volunteers. The work days bulk up and as farmers we feel alive again, taking on the responsibility to care for the land and nourish our community.
This brings me to the month of May. As many of you know, Erinn and Dan are now parents of a beautiful baby girl named Willa Magnolia. She has already made a profound impact on many of our lives and we are all so happy for them! Erinn is able to take a three-month maternity leave and will be returning in mid-July. May and June are some of the busiest and most chaotic times on the farm. We are full on! It's as if we are getting ready for a big party that will last into the fall. It is a beautiful time of planting, moving our bodies in new ways, and reconnecting our deepest self with the land. It is also a stressful time of repairing machinery, laying our biodegradable plastic, going back and forth to our fields in Weston and at the Lyman Estate. It's as if you are on a treadmill and you just have to keep moving, literally. Once you start you can't stop. When we think we are in a spot of being "caught up" there is no time to look back for there are weeds a growin'. And this year we have had to spend a good deal of time scaring the geese out of the fields. We used balloons, shiny bird tape, fake coyotes, as well as the conventional run around and yell at them while holding shovels. The geese are smart and undisturbed by our tricks. They have sadly done some serious damage eating the lettuce so the quantity will be small to start.
A couple weeks ago, on a field walk, Dan gave me some perspective. He said something like this: We make a plan in the winter, a framework of planting dates and milestones to cross. We make charts and to do lists on whiteboards. We strategize. And it's all a bit like bowling with bumpers now. The structure of the plan is there for guidance, we have put in the time. We can plan and then there is the unpredictable nature of farming. The weather, the pests, and the diseases often direct our work. Erinn says to appreciate the small victories. I am learning this... slowly. And where would we be without doing that? Those are the stepping stones that add up to our community work. We are farmers, as well as stewards of the land, participants in the food web and contributors to a healthcare system. We are a community that values hard work and good food. We are a community that supports each other and that understands we are part of a larger world.
Our first share this week is a humble offering of the dedication and heart of all of the farm staff as well as Alex (our education coordinator) and Lauren (our distribution coordinator) who were very generous with their time this spring. Our farm team is rockin' it! Although not huge, the chard and spinach in the share have some of the most tender leaves filled with rich juiciness from the spring rain. The green garlic will probably just be around for the first couple shares until the scapes come in. Our spring brassica planting is looking mighty fine at our Lyman fields and you should see several varieties of kale.
This season we will not be in the barn on a regular basis, but we are always around the fields should you want to say hello. We are happy to talk about what we do and would love to get to know you. This week I will lead a farm tour at 5:30pm on Wednesday and Naomi will lead one at 10am on Saturday. If you would like to connect more with your land and food, we have drop-in volunteer hours on Friday and Saturday mornings beginning promptly at 9am.
Enjoy the Harvest.
For the farm crew,
Anna
|
|
|
WHAT'S IN THE BARN
Try this new variety of gouda cheese from Smith's Country Cheese, an award-winning, old-fashioned producer located in Winchendon, Massachusetts. Smith's Cheese is true farmstead cheese as they use the freshest milk from their own dairy cows.
All of our retail products are available for sale to the public. For our own produce offerings, we prioritize giving shareholders a good return on their investment and meeting our food assistance goals (20% of what we grow - which should amount to $80,000 of produce for low-income households this year)
.
Early in the season, crops for sale to the public will be those that we have an abundance of and later in the season, if production is going well, we hope to operate as a full-fledged farm store with a wide range of vegetables available to the public during our weekly CSA distribution hours.
|
|
|
Spicy Lentil Curry with Spinach
On the shelves of Waltham Fields' Farm Store you'll find quarts of crushed heirloom tomatoes grown on Kimball Fruit Farm in Pepperell and produced by the Boston Area Gleaners (a close-friend nonprofit of WFCF) at the Commonwealth Kitchen in Boston. If you've run out of your own canned tomatoes from last season, these organizations doing great work have made it possible for you to supply your need this time of year.
Serves 4-8  Ingredients:
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
5 green chillies, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups water
2 cups red split lentils
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp paprika
1-2 tbsp hot chilli powder (or however much you want to taste)
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp tomato puree
salt to taste
1/2 pound spinach, chopped
2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
3/4 cup coconut cream
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large and deep saucepan.
- Fry the cumin and mustard seeds for about 30 seconds until they start to pop, before throwing in the onions.
- Cook until they are browned then add in the garlic and chillies and cook for a few minutes.
- Stir in the water, lentils, crushed tomatoes, ground spices, tomato puree and salt.
- Bring to the boil, cover and cook for 20 minutes until the lentils are soft. Stir in the spinach, coriander leaves, coconut cream and more salt to taste if needed. Turn off and leave to sit for a few minutes before serving.
|
|
|
IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION
What's in the Share
Each week, we'll send out a CSA newsletter on Tuesday letting you know our best guess for what will be in the share, for the items we're harvesting for you as well as for pick-your-own crops. All shareholders need to check in with us in the Distribution Barn before picking up their share.
Our first shares will start out smaller and grow with the season. Choice will be more limited in these earlier weeks but we'll start to see more bounty roll in later in the month.
If it's your first time picking up a CSA share with WFCF, we strongly encourage you to join us for one of the orientation tours listed in the section above. If you can't make it to either of the two dates/times, let us know when you check in and we'll help guide you through your first pick up. Also, please feel free to ask us questions anytime. We're here to help you!
Bring Your Own Bags or a Box
Please remember to bring your own bags or a box to the farm to pick up your CSA share! We strongly encourage the use of reusable bags/boxes for all vegetables on the farm. If you forget your bags or want some really great ones, we have reusable Waltham Fields Tote Bags for sale in the barn for $4, with proceeds supporting our food assistance and education programs.
Pick-Your-Own Crops
All shareholders are welcome to pick-your-own anytime during daylight hours, and you don't have to do your pick-your-own when you pick up the rest of your share. Like last year, each PYO crop will have a number assigned to it. We'll have a sheet of paper available each week with a map and a list of crops that are available to harvest on it, along with the amount allowed and harvest tips. Then just look for the corresponding number in the field to pick your own! PYO sheets will be available at all times at the PYO kiosk on the south side of the Distribution Barn. Bring the maps with you in the fields & respect the quantity limits so that there is enough for everyone!
For flowers, our vegetable shareholders will be able to pick some of the flowering plants in the perennial gardens and there will be two weeks at the end of the 20-week season when shareholders are given access to our annual flowers for picking. If you're a flower lover though and haven't purchased a flower share yet, we still have some left. Flower shares offer 10 weeks of picking two bouquets per week for $100 (just $10/week for a bounty of food for the soul)! Click here to learn more about flower share purchase. If You Need to Miss a Pick Up If you can't pick up a share one week, we are not able to allow you to double up on another week. But you can send friends or neighbors to get your veggies on any week you can't make it yourself. Have them check in under the last name of the primary shareholder for your share. You don't need to let us know they're coming. They will just check in under your name at the CSA barn. If no one picks up your share, the veggies will be included with our weekly donations to hunger relief organizations.
Balances Due
All fees were due by June 1st, including share balances and maintaining current membership with our nonprofit organization. If you're not sure if you still owe money for your CSA share or membership, check your email for a notice from our Bookkeeper and Office Coordinator, Kamelia Aly. Credit card payments are no longer accepted for share payments. Please send in or drop off your check made out to WFCF.
For Those Splitting a Share If you are splitting a share, please remember that you need to pick up the whole share at one time each week. It is NOT acceptable for one partner to come at one time and pick up half of the share and another to get the other half later. You'll need to coordinate with your share partner to figure out how to divide the share up, either by taking alternate weeks, meeting up at the farm to pick up the share together, etc.
Dogs on the Farm
Dogs are welcome on the farm but are not allowed in the CSA barn or in the vegetable fields per health department regulations. Dogs must be leashed and owners must clean up after them.
Share Pick Up Questions
|
|
|
|
|
Waltham Fields Community Farm Staff
Year-Round Staff:
Seasonal Staff:
Assistant Grower: Janelle Plummer
Greenhouse Production Supervisor: Naomi Shea
Equipment Supervisor: Dan Roberts
Tractor Operator: Tim Cooke
Field Crew: Zoe Flavin, Ebony Nava, Ivory Nava, Allison Ostrowski, Bekah Waller
Weed Crew: Fiona Amelang, Luna Goddard, Cristin Sloan, Clare Stephens
Distribution & Outreach Assistant: Owen Weitzman
Learning Garden Educators: Autumn Cutting, Annie Fortnow, Jack Leng, Zack Lennon-Simon, Lauren McDermott
|
|
|
|
|
|
