Tropical Storm Irene

Knocks down trees, knocks out power   

While the Boston area was sparedfrom the brunt of Tropical Storm Irene, she still managed to stir up some trouble for Land's Sake, its staff, and its trees. If you've been to the farm stand over the last two weeks, you've probably noticed that we lost a large tree next to the parking lot.  The storm took down a significant portion of the tree, and unfortunately the remaining trunk was too dangerous and had to be removed. Sadly, over the last several years, many trees on the grounds of the farm, which was once a part of Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum, have come down due to old age and wind. Jordan McCarron, our Conservation Land Manager, has been hard at work cleaning up after Irene.

The Land's Sake office was without power or phone service for almost a week following the storm (Aug 28th - Sept 3). We apologize if you tried to call or email us and were unable to get through to leave a message. We are now fully up and running, so please call and let us know if you have not received a response to a message from that week. 

We'd also like to thank all the volunteers who showed up to help prepare for the storm before it arrived.  Thanks to your efforts, Land's Sake made it through with no major storm damage to equipment or crops. 

More noticeably than in past seasons, this year's summer crops have come to an abrupt end, and immediately those crops that we all typically classify as fall crops have started to pour in from the fields. The tropical storm Irene marked the end of our cucumbers and tomatoes; the three and a half inches of rain we received from that storm, followed by three more inches of rain a week or so later, created the ideal conditions for late blight to take hold, and thus take down our--and most nearby farms'--tomatoes. At the stand, you will notice that while they are certainly no replacement, our delicious tomatoes have been swapped out for an assortment of winter squash. Last year, the two seasonal favorites shared space at the stand well into October, and we were wishing for the tomato plants to die back!

Temperatures are already predicted to dip into the high 30s this evening (Friday, 9/16) and I expect that we will have an earlier frost than we have had in many recent years. We are scrambling to pull in the tons of winter squash that await us in the field. We are also hoping for the ripening of the sweet peppers to speed up so that we can continue to have some tastes of summer available at the stand.

Soon we'll put our fields to sleep (and our bodies, for the winter!), but Stephanie, Hilary and I are already planning next season. Our beloved Assistant Growers, Zannah and Nina, have worked with me for the past three years and both have played huge roles here at the farm. As planned, they have begun the process of looking for new farms to work at next year, so that they may further their farming and leadership experience.   If you see them at the farmstand, thank them for all of the hard work and commitment they have given to Land's Sake, through thick and thin. We will miss them so!

As the days grow shorter and cooler, we are able to take time to reflect on the past few months. This year, 463 students visited our farm for one of our many summer programs. All totaled, we spent nearly 3,000 hours helping people understand the importance of local food and its impact on our community. Close to 1/3 of those hours were spent with urban youth, providing many "firsts": a first farm trip, first time feeding a chicken or goat, first time picking a bean or a tomato. When considering our impact on local communities, our greatest achievement was, and will continue to be, opening new doors and avenues for the next generation to connect with the land. Hopefully we have provided them with the inspiration to work to support healthy local communities through the food we eat.

Greenpower participants construct a spiral herb garden at the farm.

Firewood   

Jordan McCarron, Conservation Land Manager 

It's that time of year again--firewood deliveries!  Last winter's deluge of snow made our work in the woods incredibly slow and labor intensive; a few of last year's storms made our plot in the Highland Forest inaccessible for days on end.  Thus, we were only able to harvest 25 cords of wood this year.  However, the oak, ash and birch we did cut has been beautifully seasoned and is ready to warm your homes.

 

High school volunteers help split and stack firewood in April 2011

 

Orders are coming in fast! We have only seven cords left to sell. To place an order, please contact Jordan McCarron, Conservation Land Manager, at Jordan@landssake.org or fill out our  Online Firewood Order Form.

We expect to deliver this year's wood during the last two weeks of October.  Jordan will set up a delivery date and time with each customer once all the wood has been ordered.    

 

A message from Weston's Community League Garden Club 

Scarecrow Sign Up/Material Pick up:  Come by Land's Sake on Sat, Oct 1, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, and pick up your straw and other supplies. If you  are providing your own supplies, please stop by the farm anyway to let us know that you are planning to "plant" one or more scarecrows around town.  We need this information to keep track of where they are!

How to make a scarecrow...