Miracle Acres Farm, Milford NH

Miracle Acres Farm

523 Mason Road, Milford NH03055

603.673.9077

www.miracleacresfarm.net

For the third year in a row, we went to Miracle Acres Farm, in Milford, NH, to cut our own Christmas tree. It's a bit of a drive, but it's a family event involving breakfast with cousins, and is centrally located for all of us. After breakfast, we all go and pick out trees.

To go along with the cut-your-own-tree activity, the farm offers free hot chocolate, hot cider, and wagon rides, which are always fun. Last year, Talia was not at all interested in the wagon ride, but this year it was a big hit. That and hot chocolate, of course!

Chestnut Farms, Hardwick MA

Chestnut Farms

P.O. Box 545; 404 Turkey Street

Hardwick MA 01037

www.chestnutfarms.org

Turkey pick-up day at Chestnut Farms! Their resident barn rooster was strutting his stuff around the pigs, not at all bothered by us poking around.

Before getting our bird, we had fun chasing baby pigs everywhere.

We were able to get a heritage bird, which I am really looking forward to cooking. Well, maybe not cooking, but definitely eating. I think I'll try a cider brine this year...

Alpacas of Springbrook Farm, Stow MA

PO Box 626; 1 Apple Blossom Way

Stow MA 01775

978.897.5969

www.springbrookalpacas.com

I finally managed to get to the store at Alpacas of Springbrook Farm! Not that it was difficult, I just kept thinking I should contact them and see when they are open, and finally did. I spoke with with one of the owners, Dick Bolton, via email, who was very accommodating with times. My sister and I went this morning and spent some time talking with Dick about their alpacas and business. And of course, I left with a large bag full of beautiful alpaca yarn. Each skein has a tag telling you about the specific animal the fiber came from. I can't wait to knit some warm hats and mittens with it.

Honey Pot Hill Orchards, Stow MA

Honey Pot Hill Orchards

144 Sudbury Road, Stow MA 01775

978562.5666

www.honeypothill.com

Although I grew up in this town, I had never actually been to this orchard until today. We had two orchards within walking distance, and this one is all the way on the other side of (this tiny) town, so I sort of have an excuse. But, not really.

So, we went today. Besides a huge selection of apples, they also have apple cider, apple cider donuts (have I ever mentioned how much I love those?), free coffee and hot cider, a small selection of fall vegetables (mostly squashes), animals to watch and feed (chickens, bunnies, and goats), and two mazes. We went into the hedge maze, which was pretty fun. There is also a tunnel maze, but we weren't in the required age range (just for kids--no adults allowed), so no tunnel maze for us. That's all right, though. The cider donuts more than made up for that.

We brought home some donuts and a HUGE bag of seconds for $10.00. I'll be baking and cooking with apples for the next couple of weeks!

Chestnut Farms, Hardwick MA

Chestnut Farms

P.O. Box 545; 404 Turkey Street

Hardwick MA 01037

www.chestnutfarms.org

Time to meet our meat again! We spent the day out at Chestnut Farms today, to see where the animals we get in our meat CSA share live. We saw the Thanksgiving turkeys gobbling around, although I thought they sounded like barking dogs this year, for some reason. Maybe it was the heritage breed? Or maybe it was just me.

We got to hold baby chicks, which Talia thought was the best thing she had ever done and kept running back to hold them again.

It was a gorgeous day for running outside in the fields.

Road trip to Virginia

I was lucky enough recently to be able to visit my friend, Brijin, from college who is now living in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is an amazing gardener (this terrible picture doesn't do her gardens justice), so I'm glad I was able to visit during harvest season while things were growing like crazy. While I love CSAs, you just can't duplicate the experience of eating a cherry tomato or sugarsnap pea straight off the vine in your own (or a friend's) garden. Luckily, I grew both in my small, but reasonably successful backyard garden this year. Next year I'm going to try adding beets and kale, two of my absolute favorite vegetables.

Appleton Farms, South Hamilton MA

Appleton Farms

Rt 1A, Ipswich and Hamilton MA 01980

978.356.5728

thetrustees.org

I discovered Appleton Farms through the website of a local band my daughter likes (Ben Rudnick and Friends--kids' music that doesn't drive you crazy). They were playing a show here on the farm's Family Day, and we thought it sounded like fun. We were right! Besides the band, they had a crazy amount a craft activities for little kids (corn husk doll making, pumpkin painting, etc.), a number of food booths (including one with cider donuts, which I happen to love), dog agility competitions, tug-of-war, and more.

They even had pony rides!

I'll have to put this on the calendar for next fall, even if the band isn't playing.

Honey CSA pick-up

Sergi Farm

34 Glenn Road, Belmont MA 02478

sergifarm.com

Today I got to venture out to Sergi Farm in Belmont to pick up my honey share from Joan Teebagy of Little Red Truck Farm. Hooray! On the way there, I thought Google Maps had let me down--there I was in the middle of a Belmont neighborhood, looking for the correct street number for the farm. This can't be right, can it? All of a sudden--FARM! It was pretty amazing how it was nestled in amongst all that suburban asphalt. It ended up taking a while to get there, and I was ridiculously late for work, so I only had a few minutes to look around. However, I will make a point of going back when I can spend more time. I did get to speak with Joan about her bees, check out some of the hives, and to see an enormous pumpkin that she had grown (sadly, it had rotted out so it had to be tossed on the compost). And, I am happy to report, the honey is delicious!

I really hope she does this again next year...

Blackberry jackpot!

My sister and I spent this morning picking wild blackberries at an undisclosed location. Sorry, I'd have to kill you if I told you where this blackberry patch is. There are few things more delicious than cramming handfuls of sun-warmed blackberries into your mouth. Oh, and I put some in bowls to bring home, too.


Check out our stash of blackberries! (And yes, that is a vintage McBoo on the front right-hand side.)

Strawberries from Springdell

We had our first CSA pick-up from Springdell Farm! Talia was a big fan of the strawberries. Here she is, polishing off the last two. She picked up the basket and didn't put it down until it was empty. Luckily, I was able to get her to share a few with me before they were gone. Yum!

Chirp-chirp-chirp

I know this has nothing to do with local agriculture (except maybe that these cute babies are here since we have ton of wild fruit growing in our yard), but look at what I literally bumped into this morning! We've had birds build a nest on our front porch for the past couple of years. Although I could hear chirping, I couldn't figure out where the nest was this year. Until I hit my head on a tree branch right next to the porch, that is.

Springdell Farm, Littleton MA

Springdell Farm

57 Great Road, Littleton, MA 01460

978.486.3865

springdellfarms.com

Today we were invited to bring a picnic lunch and get a guided tour of Springdell Farm's herd of cattle. In addition to their vegetable CSA (which I signed up for this year), they also have a meat CSA. Apparently, they have a really long wait list, so I'm happy we are already shareholders at Chestnut Farm out in Hardwick. Plus, we love Kim and Rich, our farmers there. Anyway, we got a really good look at some of their herd (including babies born a couple of days ago--baby cows are so cute), and learned about their livestock practices.

It was a beautiful day for a picnic and to walk around the fields. They were full of spring wildflowers, which seemed to be well-serviced by a couple of hives hanging around.

I can hardly wait for their vegetable CSA to begin!

Mother's Day Brunch at J's Restaurant, Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA

Nashoba Valley Winery

100 Wattaquadock Hill Road, Bolton MA 01740

www.nashobawinery.com

For the second year in a row, I took my mom to brunch at J's Restaurant at Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA. Last year, we decided it needed to become a tradition. One of my sisters joined us this year for an amazing spread that included local ingredients. In season, some of the ingredients are grown right outside the restaurant's door. Included in brunch was a tour of the winery. You can see the tasting station (one of quite a few) in front of the giant stack of wine casks.

In addition to wine, they also make spirits and microbrews. After the tour, I tried something called Baerengfang (with that name, how could I not, right?) which was a honey brandy. It would definitely keep you warm on a cold winter's night! They have a pretty extensive selection of fruit wines, grape wines, distilled spirits, and microbrews. Something for everyone. Now that the weather is warming up, it's also a good time to try (which I haven't yet, but plan on doing) their picnic lunches. You order a lunch online on the day of your visit, and come to the winery to enjoy it. In season, they have fruit picking, but it's also a beautiful spot just to relax and enjoy a good lunch (and adult beverages, if you so choose).

New season for Cape Ann Fresh Catch fish CSA

Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association/Cape Ann Fresh Catch

PO Box 831, Gloucester, MA 01930

http://www.capeannfreshcatch.org

http://www.gfwa.org

The new season for Cape Ann Fresh Catch's fish CSA started today. And, oh what a fish did we get! When they ask if you want a big one, they mean it! Here's Brian, holding it up just before filleting it.

If you want in on the action, I believe they are still accepting new shareholders. Click here for sign-up information. If filleting isn't your idea of a fun meal preparation activity, don't worry, you're not alone. They added an option this season where you can pay a little extra and have your fish filleted for you.

However, if you go with the pre-filleted option, then you don't get to make fish stock for delicious chowders, or my new favorite thing to make with homemade fish stock: Thai soups (think tom kha gai and tom yum). I also have a bucket in the backyard that's cooking up some fish emulsion for the garden. This week I was too lazy to make stock (and the freezer was REALLY full, so no saving it for later--you see the size of that sucker!) so I threw the leftovers in a bucket with some leaves from my yard, a little unsulphured molasses, and some Epsom salts. In a few weeks I should have amazing fertilizer for my vegetable garden.

The Great Sunflower Project

www.greatsunflower.org

Calling all citizen scientists! The Great Sunflower Project gathers information about honey bees throughout the US and Canada. Anyone who wants to help, can aid them in reaching their goal of documenting bee pollination and developing strategies to protect and restore native bees where they are threatened. All you need to do is: 1) grow sunflowers, 2) spend a few minutes each week counting the bees that visit them, and 3) send them your data (by snail mail or online entry).

What a great excuse to sit in a lawn chair, relaxing with some coffee/tea/beer/cocktails, admiring your beautiful sunflower garden.

I tried to participate last year, but when my sunflower seedlings were a couple of inches high, some critter decided they would make a delicious snack :(. I had planted three packets of them, too! This year, I'll be ready with my row covers.

Backyard chickens

Lately, my friend Sarah has been supplying us with eggs from the horse farm where she rides (they're not commercially available, I think the family just happens to have extras right now). Look--the ones in the front are greenish-blue! What's for breakfast this weekend? Local eggs that are only a few days old, some nitrite-free uncured bacon from Chestnut Farms, and homemade potato bread (made with potatoes left-over from my winter vegetable share at Drumlin Farm).

I've been noticing lately that backyard chicken-raising seems to be on the rise. Driving around, I see an increasing number of signs at the end of residential driveways announcing eggs for sale. The chickens laying these eggs are certainly living happier lives than those raised by large-scale egg producers. I'm actually considering it myself, but first I'll need to make sure I have a chicken babysitter lined up for when I go away on vacation. Anyone know of one?

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.

Alpacas of Springbrook Farm, Stow MA

PO Box 626; 1 Apple Blossom Way

Stow MA 01775

978.897.5969

www.springbrookalpacas.com

This alpaca farm is in the most random place. To get here, you drive through McMansion land and then, all of a sudden: ALPACAS!!! They were really cute. And very interested in watching us--like we were at the zoo and they were visitors.

Springbrook Farm breeds these award-winning alpacas, so if you're in the market for one, they've got 'em. Besides breeding and selling alpacas, they also have a farm store where they sell various alpaca items (yarn, blankets, etc.) It's on a residential property, or at least across the street, so it's a good idea to contact them ahead of time if you'd like to visit the store. It wasn't open when we visited, so we'll have to go back (I emailed them and they were very nice). We just wandered around and watched the alpacas watch us.

You can also have your birthday party here, if you are 3-6 years old. Too bad I can't pass for six...

Cape Ann Fresh Catch, Gloucester MA

Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association/Cape Ann Fresh Catch

PO Box 831, Gloucester, MA 01930

http://namanet.org/csf/cape-ann-fresh-catch

http://www.gfwa.org

February is the month of season endings for me this year. Another CSA, actually this one is a CSF (community supported fishery), season has ended. Last summer my family joined the Cape Ann Fresh Catch CSF. I had recently finished reading Bottomfeeder, by Taras Grescoe, which is a book about the state of the world's fish population, and had woefully decided my days of guilt-free fish enjoyment were over. Not so! Enter the Gloucester Fisherman's Wives Association (GFWA) who started the program. It is supported by MIT SeaGrant and the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, and brings together the fishing community, local residents, and business to allow people to eat responsibly-caught fish while promoting safety for the people out there catching all that delicious fish. The GFWA does a much better job describing this on their website, so have a look for yourself.

Each season is about 10 weeks long and you get a weekly share of fish. And when I say fish, expect to walk up to the truck and get a bag with one (or two) cod, or six big soles. With heads and tails intact, but usually gutted. Although, the sole needs to be gutted at home so you really get whole fish those weeks. This is really fresh fish!

I knew this when I first signed up, but I still did a double-take when I was handed an entire cod. My face must have given me away because the guy who handed me the fish asked me if I had any plans for what I was going to do with it. "Well, I'm going to go home and learn how to fillet a fish, I think!" "Naw," he said," just cook it whole. Put some slits in it and stuff in some garlic and herbs. Brush it with olive oil and then throw it on the grill."

Delicious!

And much easier than filleting. Although, I have to say that since that first day I've gotten pretty good at it. It helps that there's a link to a video on how to fillet a fish on their website. After filleting, you get all those left-over bones to use for making fish stock for soups, too. Yum.

This winter we also got Gulf of Maine shrimp. Seriously good stuff. With heads, of course. And bright blue shrimp roe! (Click on the picture above to see a close-up of the roe). But, you just twist the heads off those suckers, quickly sauté them in olive oil, garlic, lemon, and parsley and there's dinner. We had them tonight and they were fantastic. And I also made shrimp bisque with leftover shells from previous weeks. It was surprisingly easy; although, it's not often that you have pounds of leftover shrimp shells in your freezer. Lucky for me, I had way too many and needed a way to get rid of them.

So now we have a little break from fish--the next season starts in May. Check out the website if you are interested in signing up. They have a bunch of pick-up sites (ours is in Acton), so you can look for one near you. Or, maybe even set up a new one if you can get enough people in your area interested. And don't worry--they are full of preparation ideas if you're not quite sure what to do with what they're handing you each week. Just ask when you get it, or check the website. Or ask me: I've baked, fried, smoked, grilled and poached my way through a ton if it.

Gibbet Hill Farm, Groton MA

Gibbet Hill Farm

6 Lowell Road, Groton MA 01450

www.gibbethill.com

I received an email last week about Gibbet Hill's new vegetable CSA. Wow--it seems like CSAs are popping up all over the place! When I first moved back to this area from my beloved Happy Valley, I was unable to find a vegetable CSA nearby (well, one that I wanted to join, anyway, but we won't go into that at the moment). Now it seems that there are three within biking distance of my house--I love it!

The deal with this new one is that last year, Gibbet Hill started growing produce to use in their restaurants. Apparently, it was a success, so now they are offering a 50-member vegetable CSA, starting this year. Here's a link to some information from their website. A cool thing about this CSA is that, since it's grown in conjunction with their restaurant, you may find some prepared items made with produce from the farm in your weekly share (think pickles).

Even if you don't join their CSA, definitely stop in for dinner, or at least drinks and appetizers. Two thumbs-up from me on this place.

Introducing the localgrub calendar

Here is the official localgrub calendar. I'm going to use this to list all the events I can find that are centered around (or at least vaguely related to) local food in the Central Mass/Metrowest area of the state. Isn't Google wonderful?! :) No, I don't work for them, but they allow me to do so many useful free things online and that makes me like them a lot.

If you come across anything interesting that I haven't included, please send me an email so I can add it.

Drumlin Farm, Lincoln MA

Drumlin Farm

208 South Great Road, Lincoln MA 01773

http://www.massaudubon.org/drumlin

Today was the last pick up for Drumlin Farm's winter vegetable CSA. So sad. This is the first time I've belonged to a winter CSA and it's been nice having fresh local vegetables all winter. I don't know if I can wait until June when Springdell Farm's summer vegetable CSA begins.

How can they grow vegetables in the winter in New England? Well, they don't. At least for this one--Drumlin Farm also has winter greens CSA (which was full, so I couldn't join this year) and I believe that they grow them in a greenhouse. At least, I wandered into the greenhouse a few weeks ago and noticed some salad greens ready for picking so I figure that's probably where they come from.

Anyway, the winter vegetable CSA is mainly root vegetables and squash, with some kale, onions, and garlic thrown in at the beginning of the season (it started in December). These are grown during the summer/fall growing season and they store them under optimal conditions, doling out two weeks' worth at a time for those of us without root cellars. You only pick up every other week, which is convenient, as opposed to every week like during the summer/fall. We ate a lot of root vegetable soups and stews this year. And yesterday, another shareholder donated her daikon to me (lucky for me she doesn't like it). I've been craving Korean food lately, so I'm going to make a big batch of radish kimchi. Yum!

Next month Drumlin Farm will hold its annual Sap-to-Syrup Farmer's Breakfast (Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm--contact the farm to reserve your spot). It's a pancake breakfast featuring their own potatoes, sausage, and maple syrup. This is the third year in a row that I've gone to this breakfast and it's been delicious and fun every time. You can go on tours of the farm and learn the origins of maple sugaring, and you can also visit the sugar house to learn about and watch the maple syrup being made. And, of course, you can buy some maple syrup to bring home with you.

Just as a heads-up, starting in a couple of weeks, maple sugar houses all around New England will open their doors for pancake breakfasts for the few shorts weeks they're producing maple syrup. Try to check at least one of them out this year--in my book, there are few things finer than New England sugaring season. If you're interested, you can find information from the Massachusetts Maple Producer's Association, the New Hampshire Maple Producers, the Vermont Maple Foundation/Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association, the Maple Syrup Producers Association of Connecticut, and the Maine Maple Producers Association. Sorry Rhode Island, I couldn't find information about your maple syrup.

Chestnut Farms, Hardwick MA

Chestnut Farms

P.O. Box 545; 404 Turkey Street

Hardwick MA 01037

www.chestnutfarms.org

My freezer doth floweth over... with meat from Chestnut Farms! Since last May, my family has belonged to a meat CSA--how great is that? As an omnivore, I appreciate that now most of the meat I eat is humanely-raised. Twice each year, they host an open barn where you get to see just how the animals live before they end up in your freezer: Meet Your Meat, as they say. We went to the one they had last October and were pretty impressed! The farmers, Kim and Rich, really work hard and take wonderful care of all the animals. And, they are pretty tasty, too. How it works is that once a month we pick up a cooler of frozen assorted meat from a pick-up spot (there are several--ours is in Harvard center). It's a mystery cooler full of surprise cuts. In the summer months, there were many cuts suited for grilling; now that it's winter, we've gotten a lot of cuts good for stewing. We've gotten all types of meat: ground beef/pork/lamb, bacon, sausage, filet mignon (only once but, man, was it delicious!), ribs, rack of lamb, ham steak, chicken breast, pork loin, etc., etc. We also ordered a Thanksgiving turkey (not included in the monthly share) which was fantastic. Everything has been absolutely top notch. I would highly recommend this farm if you are looking to join a meat CSA.

I am under the impression that this is the only meat CSA in the state, but don't quote me on that. However, there is a new one at Springdell Farm, in Littleton, MA, starting this year. So, now that makes two. Springdell Farm started a vegetable CSA last year and we signed up for this coming season. Once the crops are ready for eating, I'll post an update on that.

Michael Pollen's "Food Rules" and "Nourish" restaurant in Lexington, MA

Nourish

1727 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington MA 02420

www.nourishlexington.com

Ok, so this is a bit of a cop-out post in that I haven't yet read Michael Pollen's new book, Food Rules, and I haven't yet eaten at Nourish in Lexington. But, I figured I'd get all this out there and maybe someone will beat me to doing one or both. So be it...

Michael Pollen was a guest on yesterday's On Point on NPR. Definitely worth a listen--here's a link to the show, if you're interested. This new book is sort of a primer on how to eat responsibly. Timely advice/information, if you ask me. Especially as more and more details on how our national food system works are surfacing. Pink slime (yes, that IS a technical term) in fast food burgers? No thanks! Anyway, I'm recommending this book based on the thoughtful and well-researched information Mr. Pollen has delivered in the past.

As for Nourish in Lexington, I found out about this place because the first caller during the Michael Pollen interview was the owner. She only gave her first name and the fact that she had a restaurant in Lexington (this was relevant to the discussion), but through the magic of Google, I found the place. I actually walked by it last week and wondered about it. Now I know. At least, enough to know I want to stop in and try it. From their website:

With our dual mission of RESPONSIBLY SOURCED – RESPECTFULLY PRICED we are working with area farms and other small businesses to work as much local and organic food into the menu as possible, while maintaining prices that allow a broad range of people to eat with us. It’s a challenging concept to pull off, to offer enough different dishes on a menu so that both the person who is looking for some tofu or tempeh AND the person who really doesn’t think dinner is dinner unless there’s meat on the plate can both be satisfied. To also factor in the importance of pricing so that you offer well-sourced food to a wide range of people and also allow them greater frequency is an additional challenge. But we’re committed to both.

Sounds about right to me!