Join us for the opening day of the Winchester Farmers Market on June 14, 9:30-1:30!
 
Town Common
In This Issue
Meet the Vendors
Schedule
Solar Challenge
Winchester Gardens Tour
Lexington Farmers Market
Issue: # 02 June 2008 
Greetings!

Opening day of the Winchester Farmers Market is just one day away!
The market will take place rain or shine throughout the season. Please try to ride your bike or walk to the market if you can, or park your car in the Aberjona or Shore Road lot to leave parking spaces surrounding the common open for short-term parking near downtown businesses. Remember to bring your own shopping bags to the market if you can.
 
Although only limited produce is available this early in the season, there will be lots of great produce and other products to choose from. The farmers attending the market this week are planning to bring asparagus, cooking greens, flowers, herbs, lettuce, radish, spinach, and strawberries, as well as greenhouse-grown eggplant and tomatoes. In addition to the fresh produce, other vendors will be selling fish and seafood, gluten-free cookies, baked goods, handmade chocolates, coffee, tea, and hot cocoa.
 
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday on the common.
 
Sincerely,
Winchester Farmers Market Organizing Committee

Meet the Vendors

 
We hope that you will have a chance to get to know the farmers and other vendors throughout the season. Following is a list of the farmers and other vendors, the date they will begin attending the market, and the type of products they will have available, as well as some additional background information.
 
 
Autumn Hills Orchard
Groton
www.autumnhillsorchard.com
 
Over 20 varieties of apples, including MacIntosh, Macoun, Cortland, Mutsu, Empire, Paula Red, Liberty, Red Delicious, Rhode Island Greening, Lady Apple, Golden Delicious, Spencer, Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Ginger Gold, Cox's Orange Pippin; Bosc and Bartlett pears; Italian prune plums; peaches; Concord grapes
 
Autumn Hills Orchard had been a working orchard for more than 70 years and includes over 8,000 trees on 70 acres. The trees are planted on three parallel ridges to provide good drainage and excellent protection from frost. The staff at Autumn Hill has over 100 combined years of orchard experience. They practice integrated pest management (IPM) techniques and take special measures to intervene as little as possible in the natural growing cycle. They use no herbicides and constantly research ways to grow the highest quality fruit while producing maximum benefit for both the environment and the consumer. As part of their efforts toward stewardship, Autumn Hills is participating in a study by researchers at Manomet Observatory focusing on the effects of farming activities on migratory bird populations.
 
Cocoa Express
Winchester
 
Baked goods, handmade chocolates, estate-grown coffee, tea, specialty hot cocoa
Cocoa Express is owned and operated by Marlene Nalbandian in the Wedgemere commuter rail station in Winchester.
 
Farmer Dave's
(includes produce grown at Brox Farm, East Street Farm, and Dumaresq Farm)
Dracut
www.farmerdaves.net
Accepts WIC
 
Flowers, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, tomatoes, summer squash, corn, beans, peppers, pumpkins, winter squash, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers, eggplants, cabbage, greens, kale, Brussels sprouts, beets, annual and perennial plants
 
Farmer Dave was raised on Marsh Hill in Dracut, Massachusetts. He grew up working on the Brox Farm in Dracut learning about New England farming from John Brox who had been tilling that land since the 1920s. After graduating from college, Farmer Dave served in the Peace Corps as a crop extensionist in Ecuador. In the Andes, he taught organic agriculture and worked with farmers to improve their soil health, crop yields, irrigation systems, crop storage, animal health, and marketing methods. Since returning from Ecuador in 1997, he has been leasing the Brox Farm, growing a wider and wider array of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. In 2003 he began also leasing the East Street Farm in Tewksbury. Working closely with those trying to preserve farmland for future agriculture, he purchased his own farm in Dracut in 2006. This became known as Farmer Dave's Dumaresq Farm, or simply Farmer Dave's.
 
Flats Mentor Farm
Lancaster
Accepts WIC
 
Oriental produce
 
Song Yang and Pang Xao Yang farm a one-acre plot at the the Flats Mentor Farm (FMF). The FMF is located on 70 acres of river-bottom land. Immigrant farmers have been farming at this location since 1985. In 2005, the FMF was officially established with the support of University of Massachusetts Extension, Heifer International, the Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agriculture, and the National Immigrant Farming Initiative. FMF assists and supports small farmers of diverse ethnic backgrounds by providing them with access to land, farming infrastructure, and marketing assistance needed to promote and sustain successful farming enterprises. FMF promotes economically viable agricultural production that protects the environment through the practice of sustainable farming methods through hands-on training and technical assistance on soil fertility, irrigation, pest and weed management, and marketing planning, training, and implementation.
 
Globe Fish
Boston
www.globefishcompany.com
 
Fish and seafood
 
Glutenus Maximus
Winchester
 
Gluten-free cookies
 
Henderson Farm
Wayland
www.sandyriverdevons.com
Accepts WIC
 
Grass-fed beef, honey, eggs, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, watermelon, potatoes, onions, leeks, beets
 
Henderson Farm is located in New Sharon, Maine, on the banks of the Sandy River and is also affiliated with Mainstone Farm in Wayland, Massachusetts. Tim and Pauline Henderson specialize in Devon and Devon-cross cattle, which are fed only hay that is made on the farm. The animals have a free supply of water, salt, and minerals, year round. They are free to roam the pastures year round but have housing available to them at all times, if they choose to use it. The animals do not receive growth hormones. On the farm's fields in Maine and Massachusetts, sustainable agriculture practices are used, which helps to benefit the animals and the environment. 
 
Lanni Orchards
Lunenburg
www.lanniorchards.com
Accepts WIC
 
Raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears, apples; beans, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, melons, peppers, eggplant, cabbage, broccoli, beets, kale, chard, herbs, flowers
 
Lanni Orchards was established when Pasquale Lanni, his wife Rosa, their four sons, and their one daughter immigrated from Avellino, Italy, and purchased the land that is now know as Lanni Orchards in 1963. Lanni Orchards is still a family-run business, now run by Pat Lanni and his brothers, all third-generation farmers, with over 180 acres of fruit trees, berries, and vegetables. They are one of the largest suppliers of the Massachusetts Farm to School Project, a project sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resource to bring locally grown food to the cafeterias of schools and colleges in the state.
 
Mahoney's Garden Center
Winchester
www.mahoneysgarden.com
 
Annual and perennial flowers and plants
 
Mahoney's opened in Winchester in 1959 and still remains a family-run company today, with a total of eight full-service garden centers in eastern Massachusetts. Mahoney's operates 5 acres of state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities in Woburn, Mass., where they grow their Garden Lover's brand of annuals and perennials.
 
E. L. Silvia Farms
Dighton
Accepts WIC
 
Early tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, nectarines, peaches, plums, fava beans, snap beans, wax beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, collard greens, cabbage, kale, lettuce, kohlrabi, sweet peppers, hot peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes, tomatillos, winter squash, zucchini
 
Edward Silvia and his wife, Jane, farm 45 acres in Dighton and Somerset, including the family farm that he grew up on. They grow early tomatoes and eggplant in two greenhouses, as well as traditional field-grown crops and tree fruit.
 
Warner Farm
Sunderland
www.mikesmaze.com
 
Strawberries, raspberries, asparagus, beans, corn, peas, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, summer squash, winter squash
 
Warner Farm was started by Eleaser Warner in the 1720s, and nine generations of Warners have farmed the same land since then. Warner Farm is especially well known for Mike's Maze a corn maze that can be visited in September and October. Warner Farm grows 150 acres of vegetables. In the spring and early summer, they have pick-your-own strawberries and peas. They use a system of integrated pest management with the assistance of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Currently, the farm is diversifying with 15 acres in certified organic corn, asparagus, raspberries, and strawberries.
Schedule 
June 14
9:30am-11:30am
Adult Jazz Ensemble  "It Don't Mean a Thing"
Consists of mostly Winchester residents who met at the Winchester Community Music School. They play jazz: ballads, standards, swing, be-bop, and more.
 
12:00pm - 12:30pm
Octets
Winchester High School A capella group
Twenty rotating students from grades 10-12 perform pop a cappella music, which they arrange themselves. They release a CD each year and will be recording their next CD the week of June 16. This ensemble was formed over 20 years ago by Mrs. Lynne Rahmeier, former Director of Music in Winchester.
 
June 21
Official Opening Ceremonies (schedule to come)
10:00am-12:30pm
Children's Musical Activities
Winchester Community Music School
Adriana Ausch-Simmel and Eiko Ishizuka
Children will be able to participate in playful songs, chants, and movement games.
 
June 28
Brian Goodell
Jazz band 
Solar Challenge
Two months ago, Sustainable Winchester asked Winchester residents to make a donation to support clean energy wind turbine projects in New England. If 150 residents made a donation, Winchester would win a free solar panel. The Solar Challenge has been an overwhelming success! The response has been astounding. To date, 240 families have made donations! The deadline has been extended, and if another 60 families make donations, for a total of 300, Winchester will receive two solar arrays instead of one.
 
Thanks to everyone who has given so far; we are guaranteed one solar panel. Help us get another. Here's how: If 60 more Winchester families make a tax-deductible contribution to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's New England Wind Fund by June 30, the Fund will provide and install two 2-kilowat photovoltaic solar panels (a total value of $50,000) on the roof of the high school. They come with software that will create an excellent teaching tool and learning opportunity for students in all of our schools.
 
The New England Wind Fund supports renewable wind power in Massachusetts by buying renewable energy certificates from wind power projects in New England. It's also helping to build a wind farm in Princeton, Mass, where the town voted 74 percent in favor of the project. Please note that the Solar Challenge is not connected with Cape Wind on Cape Cod.
 
To make your donation go to www.newenglandwind.org and click "Community Solar Challenge." Or, call Mass Energy Consumers Alliance at 617-524-3950. Do it soon! We need to get the 300 donations by no later than June 30 to qualify for the second solar panel.
 
Thanks for supporting lower-cost, sustainable energy in Winchester!
Winchester Gardens on Tour
The Winchester Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Winchester Home and Garden Club is sponsoring Winchester Gardens on Tour on Friday, June 13, 2008, from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickers are available at Book Ends in Winchester center. $20 in advance, $25 day of tour. 
Lexington Farmers Market

If you ever have to miss the Winchester Farmers Market on Saturdays, visit the Lexington Farmers Market on Tuesdays. Some of the same farmers and vendors will be at both markets. Opening day of the Lexington Farmers Market is Tuesday, June 17, 2:00 - 6:30 pm. www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.org