Little Red Truck Farm, Belmont MA

Little Red Truck Farm

Belmont, MA 02478

littleredtruckfarm.wordpress.com

Ok, so it's official--I now belong to too many CSAs. Just kidding--there's NO WAY that could happen :). However, I have just joined my fifth CSA of the year: honey!

[In case you're wondering, the others are: winter vegetable CSA at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, summer vegetable CSA at Springdell Farm in Littleton, fish CSA (or CSF) at Cape Ann Fresh Catch in Gloucester, and meat CSA at Chestnut Farms in Hardwick.]

Last week, I came across mention of a CSA fair that was held in Arlington, MA in January. What a great idea that was; too bad I missed it. Little Red Truck Farm in Belmont, which has the honey CSA (community-supported apiary), was there. Since I have long dreamed of keeping bees, and this is the closest I've been able to get--I'll take it. I did actually belong to a beekeeping society when I lived on an island in Maine, but I moved before I really had a chance to do anything with bees. Everyone else there had been beekeepers for years; I was just trying to get started.

Back to the subject of this post... Little Red Truck Farm's honey CSA. Besides getting to share in the honey at the end of the summer, there are also opportunities to learn about beekeeping and honey production, which I think is great. That is definitely something I will be doing and I can't wait. There are still shares left, so if you're interested, you can email the microfarmer, Joan Teebagy (check her website for info). Besides bees, she also has chickens and grows vegetables, fruit, and flowers. Aside from the honey CSA, I think she just grows for neighbors, since there is no address listed. The honey CSA is something she is doing for the first time this year. I wish her luck!

World PEAS Cooperative, Lowell MA

World PEAS Cooperative

9 Central Street

Lowell, MA 01854

978.453.1311

http://nesfp.nutrition.tufts.edu/worldpeas/index.html

Tonight, Life Alive in Lowell hosted the final film in the Lowell Film Collaborative's three-part agricultural film series. The film was Good Food. Lately, I've been reading books about industrial agriculture in the US and, frankly, it's pretty depressing. This film, however, was a hopeful one--talking about smaller-scale sustainable farming practices taking hold in the Pacific Northwest.

After the movie, one of the sponsors for this film series, the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project (NESFP), talked about their CSA, World PEAS Collaborative. NESFP is a non-profit partnership between Tufts University and Community Teamwork, Inc. It's a training program for immigrant farmers or anyone new to farming. Their office is located right in downtown Lowell and their farm is in Dracut. World PEAS has pick-ups located in Andover, Cambridge (Porter Square), Chinatown (Boston--at Tufts University), Concord, Dracut, East Boston, Lexington, Lowell, Medford/Somerville (at Tufts University), and Winchester.

Also in attendance were a couple of people from Farmer Dave's http://www.farmerdaves.net/ to answer questions about and sign people up for their CSA in Dracut. They have pick-ups in Beverly, Boston, Burlington, Dracut, Gloucester, Jamaica Plain, Lanesville, Lawrence, Somerville, and Tewksbury.

It's a wonderful thing that there are so many CSAs in Massachusetts. When I first joined Brookfield Farm's CSA in 1995, not only had I never even heard of a CSA before, but most people I spoke with hadn't either. Most people also thought it was just another crazy hippie thing I was doing (I swear I'm not a hippie, though :). It's nice to see this crazy hippie thing become more ordinary.

North Atlantic Marine Alliance

Today, I received an email from the folks who run the CSF I support (and who supply me with delicious fish). As you may or may not know, our local fisheries are in trouble. Luckily, there are passionate people working hard to address this complicated issue. I'll let them tell you about it...

Fleet Vision Needed Now

By Brett Tolley

NAMA's Community Organizer & Policy Advocate

Cody crawls around on the living room floor while my brother and I talk fish. We express our various frustrations, worries, and disappoints with the New England fisheries. We gab over what the future of fishing will hold. I look over at my 6-month old nephew on the floor and wonder if one day he will have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of my brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather as a small-scale commercial fisherman. If you ask most fishermen I know they say Cody won't have a chance. My brother agrees.

Like Cody I grew up absorbing countless hours of family fish talk. Most often the conversations revolved around the pitfalls of fisheries management. The National Marine Fisheries Service (more commonly known as NMFS) was likened to a four-letter word cautiously avoided at the dinner table. I was therefore curious to attend my first series of Council meetings and see for myself what all the hype was about.

"Often fisheries management is accused of trying to fly the airplane while simultaneously trying to build the engine", said the NOAA government staff person to the Council at one of my first meetings. A rumble of bitter chuckles filled the room. The analogy stuck with me and I sat there wondering, if fisheries management is flying a plane while simultaneously building its engine, who is paying attention to the plane's destination? In fact, nobody is. The plane could be heading east or it could be heading west. The Council could be heading toward privatizing the ocean or it could be heading toward community-based management. The Council operates with no common Vision and it's been doing business that way since 1976.

At January 2010's meeting after 34 years of visionless management, the Council acknowledged its need for a Vision. The need for a vision comes at a critical time of change for New England fisheries as we move into a new management system called Catch Shares. The airplane is charting new territory and if the destination is not carefully plotted the heading could spell disaster for many New England fishing communities. The time to adopt a Vision is now.

The good news for the Council is that the New England community has already created a common and consensus based Fleet Vision. Over a two-year process nearly 300 stakeholders from across New England participated in regional meetings, interviews, surveys, and round table discussions to create what is called the Fleet Vision Project.

The Fleet Vision Project represents the thoughts and ideas from commercial fishermen of various gear types, boat sizes, and locations, recreational fishermen, consumers, scientists, fisheries managers, shoreside industry businesses, government officials, fishing family members, outdoor writers, non-profit groups and a host of others. The following sentence summarizes the results of their work and represents the most authentic voice of the New England Community.

"A diverse, economically viable, environmentally sustainable fleet that is managed through a participatory governance structure."

Diversity, Economic Viability, Environmental Sustainability and Governance; these are the coordinates the New England community has relayed to the plane. This is the direction we want the Council to take. If the Council chooses to ignore this vision and the plane continues on without a heading, the heritage of many shoreside communities along with the ecology of our ocean and livelihoods of fishing families will continue on in serious jeopardy.

Now is the time to urge the Council to adopt the Fleet Vision Project outcomes and we need YOU to get active. Please visit the NAMA website to sign onto the "Vision Pledge" and show your support.

NAMA along with the Fish Locally Collaborative was invited to deliver a presentation to the Fisheries Council at the upcoming April meeting and we need your support. Help put the Council on a heading towards fleet diversity, economic viability, environmental sustainability and participatory governance. Management with a vision could mean a future for children like Cody and the next generation of our New England fishing fleet.

My brother and I wrap up our fish talk as Cody bounces on my knee. My brother wishes anything but a fishing life for his son. He jokes that Cody will not be allowed at the fish pier and most certainly not allowed onto any boats. Like my fishermen fathers they see the writing on the wall and it spells out struggle and continual loss for future small-scale fishermen. The future is precarious and I wonder if management will go another 34 years without a vision. Cody turns his head and vomits on my lap. This confirms my inclination that it's most certainly time for a change!

April 8 is 'Massachusetts Agriculture Day' at the State House

Massachusetts Agriculture Day at the State House is on April 8 this year. If you have the day off (unlike me), you can go and show your support for Massachusetts farmers as they showcase their products and work to state lawmakers.

For (slightly) more information, here is an informational flyer.

If you have an agricultural product to display, you can fill out a participant sign-up form.

Boggastowe Farm and B&B, Pepperell MA

Boggastowe Farm and B&B

20 Shattuck St.

Pepperell, MA 01463

978.433.5191

Today I stopped by Boggastowe Farms to check out their sugar shack. I have driven by their arrowed sign off Rte. 119 for years, and finally made the turn to visit. The steam coming out of the sugar shack announced a boil today, so we went inside.

The wind did a good job of making sure the steam stayed inside, so we all ended up getting maple facials.

They'll be sugaring on weekends all this month, with guided tours by appointment. Also, there is a bed and breakfast open year round.

Life Alive Urban Oasis and Organic Cafe, Lowell MA

Life Alive Urban Oasis and Organic Cafe

194 Middle Street

Lowell, MA 01854

978.453.1311

www.lifealive.com

http://lowellfilmcollaborative.org

Tonight, Life Alive in Lowell hosted the Lowell Film Collaborative's Good Food Film Shorts. This was the second in a (free!) three-part agricultural film series. The films ranged from the uncertain future of Canadian hook-and-line fishermen to a crop of enthusiastic new farmers (pun intended).

If you missed this film, you can catch the next one, Good Food, on Thursday, March 25th at 7:30PM. Come early and hungry: Life Alive serves up delicious food. Really--check out the menu. Any restaurant where beets feature prominently on the menu is ok in my book. If you're not a beet person, though, don't worry. Their menu will have something you'll love. It's full of quinoa, brown rice, steamed vegetables, and assorted accompaniments you can arrange to your liking (avocado, cheddar cheese, tamari almonds, hijiki, and a lot more). It's the anti-junk food and you'll feel good after eating there, I promise. They also have a juice and smoothie bar if you want something cold. And, there's coffee, a large assortment of teas, and other hot and cold beverages.

Hardwick Vineyard & Winery, Hardwick MA

Hardwick Vineyard & Winery

3305 Greenwich Road

Hardwick, MA 01037

www.hardwickwinery.com

This was the last stop on a whirlwind tour of Hardwick agriculture. First the grownups sampled wine with local cheeses, grapes, and wine crackers to munch on in between glasses. Then the youngest of our bunch played on the fantastic wooden tractor/jungle gym for quite a while.

There was fun to be had for all. Apparently, they have a bed and breakfast here, too, which I didn't notice until we were leaving. Otherwise, I would have asked for more details. There were a few bottles of wine from here that found their way into the car, though, so I was happy.

Robinson Farm, Hardwick MA

Robinson Farm

Ray and Pam Robinson

42 Jackson Rd./PO Box 94

Hardwick, MA 01037

www.robinsonfarm.org

The second stop on the Hardwick tour was Robinson Farm--right down the street from the Hardwick Sugar Shack. There, they sell a variety of items including organic raw milk and eggs, and humanely-raised veal. I got a gallon of raw milk for making cheese (which I am very excited about) and my friend, Kari, got a quart of maple yogurt, made from the milk on this farm. I regret not getting yogurt, too. I'll just have to go back. They also had a variety of local cheeses and maple syrup.

Pam Robinson was in the farm stand when we showed up, and pointed out the cooler of experimental cheese wheels. The plan is to start making and selling cheese, too. I wish them luck and can't wait to try them once they're past the experimental phase.

We visited with their chickens across the street before we left. Right now they are in their winter home, but are almost ready to be moved to their roaming chicken coop once the warmer weather hits.

Hardwick Sugar Shack, Hardwick MA

Hardwick Sugar Shack

572 Jackson Road, Hardwick MA 01037

413.477.0932

www.hardwicksugarshack.com

My first sugar shack of the season was at Hardwick Sugar Shack in Hardwick, MA. It's a family-run place with everyone helping out. The two kids--ages (and I'm guessing) eleven and sixteen--gave the tours. They were so good it made me embarrassed of my own public-speaking skills! In addition to a guided tour of the operation, and close-up look at the evaporator (boy did it smell good in there!), we got the low-down on the history of the tap. I was surprised to see how far it's come from a simple metal spout.

This sugar shack is also home of a horse and some wild turkeys, which you may be lucky enough to spot on your visit. They are hosting open houses on Sundays this month (11AM-4PM) and I would recommend a visit. If you do stop by, there are a few other great spots to visit in town--stay tuned for more posts this week.

I brought home a large jug of their delicious maple syrup and can't wait to drown some pancakes in it next weekend.

Verrill Farm, Concord MA

Verrill Farm

11 Wheeler Road, Concord MA 01742

www.verrillfarm.com

978.369.4494

This year, I kicked off maple season with a pancake breakfast at Verrill Farm in Concord, MA. I was meeting friends I hadn't seen in a while and it was a great place for it. The breakfast was held in their large new greenhouse and it was a beautiful sunny day. So nice that they even opened the roof a bit to let in a gentle breeze.

This farm is a great place, open year-round, to pick up local vegetables, dairy products, and bakery items. They also had samples of delicious Massachusetts-made cinnamon chocolate. Of course, I forgot what it was called, but I'm going to have to pick some up the next time I'm there.

Another wonderful thing about Verrill Farm is that they hold festivals throughout the year. So far, I've been to the Asparagus Festival (which is coming up again soon) and the Corn and Tomato Festival and I'll be back again to both. Check their website or the localgrub calendar for upcoming festival dates. Additionally, they have a kitchen that cooks up delicious meals--both for the festivals and for every day eating. You can stop by to pick up some food to go, or order ahead. They also hold occasional cooking classes.

In the spring, they also take orders for tomato seedlings. I've been buying them for a couple of years and have been really happy with them. This year's deadline is April 2nd. Seedlings can be ordered at the farm or you can download the order form and fax/mail it with your payment. They have 29 varieties this year--a large number of them are heirloom tomatoes. If you don't get any seedlings, you can always go to the Corn and Tomato Festival and sample them all. Last year they had more corn and tomatoes than you could eat, plus a number of dishes prepared with their corn and tomatoes, plus real BBQ smoked outside. All that and a live bluegrass band--it was a late summer's day well-spent for me last year.

Derby Orchard, Stow MA

Derby Orchard

438 Great Rd Stow, MA 01775

978.897.7507

Derby's has my favorite apple cider in the whole world. I may be biased, since it's what I grew up drinking, but I'm not the only one who thinks it's delicious. It's unpasteurized, which is hard to come by these days. If you've never tried unpasteurized cider, I recommend doing so--it just tastes so much better.

Cider aside, they also have a large variety of apples. Each is labeled with its flavor and best uses. Helpful if you're making a pie and not sure which variety would work best. Or if you're just curious.

This being February, they had just apples and cider available. However, they also sell pears, plums, peaches, pumpkins, Christmas trees, and various other items, depending on season and availability.