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July,
2007
We all have hometown appetites. Every other
person is a bundle of longing for the simplicities
of good taste once enjoyed on the farm or
in the hometown he or she left behind. ~
Clementine
Paddleford
NEWS
- WORKSHOPS/EVENTS
- CLASSIFIED
Search
for what’s in season with CISA’s
new on-line Farm Products Guide
Drop
your paper Farm Products Guide between
the rows of strawberries? Don’t
worry—a
new and improved searchable version of
the Guide, can direct you to the best
places to get your July blueberries—and
any number of local farm products.
If
you prefer a hardcopy, you can still pick
up printed versions of the Guide at area
Chambers of Commerce and at many Local
Hero businesses including Atkins Farm
Country Market, Green Fields Market, Whole
Foods, Big Y World Class Markets, Fresh
Acres and more.
CISA
Staff Directory
Annie Cheatham
Executive Director
Pamela Barnes
Development Director
Margaret Christie
Special Projects Director
Kelly Coleman
Program Director
Mark Lattanzi
Member Services Manager
Rebecca Pollard
Pierik
Communications Manager
Tracie Butler-Kurth
Membership & Development Associate
Claire Morenon
Program Assistant
Rachel Chandler-Worth
Program Assistant
Jennifer Williams
Office Manager
Got
news?
If
you have news items or announcements that
may interest our readers, please send them
to editor Rebecca Pollard Pierik at rebecca@buylocalfood.com.
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FEATURES
CISA
names 2007 Local Hero awardees
CISA
is pleased to announce that it has selected
Cooley Dickinson Hospital, local farmer
Joe Czajkowski and Franklin County Community
Development Corporation (CDC) to receive
its prestigious Local Hero Awards for 2007.
The awards will be presented at Eat the
View, CISA’s annual fundraising event,
September 14th at the Look Park Garden House.
“All
three of CISA’s Local Hero awardees
for 2007 have opened new markets to local
farmers, thereby helping more of our farmers
build strong, viable businesses,”
says Annie Cheatham, CISA’s Executive
Director. “Their efforts ensure that
working farms remain a part of our landscape
and a part of the character of our lives—indefinitely.
Because of them, we can feel safe about
the food we eat everyday.”
Over the past two years the food service
program at Cooley
Dickinson Hospital has worked
to provide healthy, freshly prepared food
in its cafe as well as to inpatients using
local farm products. Cooley Dickinson Director
of Food and Nutrition Daniel English conducted
a cost-benefit analysis and reports that
buying locally grown food directly from
farmers can be cost-effective for large
institutions.
Joe
Czajkowski of Czajkowski Farms
in Hadley, MA has pioneered ways to sell
local farm products directly to area institutions,
including public school cafeterias, the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst and
Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Joe sells products
grown on his own and other local farms,
and his business provides a model for successfully
selling and distributing farm products to
institutions. He adds value to his produce
by selling peeled and chopped butternut
squash and carrot and zucchini sticks, as
well as partnering with the Franklin County
CDC to make jam. In addition to working
with larger institutions, Joe sells pick-your-own
strawberries and other produce direct to
customers at his farm.
The
Franklin
County Community Development Corporation
(CDC) in Greenfield offers ongoing workshops
and training in e-business and business
planning to farmers. The CDC’s Lending
Program has made loans to farmers and food
businesses, including many local restaurants
that use local products. The CDC’s
commercial kitchen is open to area farmers
who use it to create value-added farm products
such as jams, pickles and salsa. These services
have helped farmers move into new markets,
thereby increasing farm viability.
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Local
Hero member Real Pickles bottling product
at the Franklin County CDC's Food Processing
Center. |
Director
of Food and Nutrition Daniel English and
CDH President & CEO Craig Melin offering
locally grown eggs to diners in their cafe.
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Joe
Czajkowski with organic corn destined for
an institutional customer. |
Support
CISA!
If
you believe in CISA’s mission and enjoy
this e-newsletter, we hope that you will consider
making a gift today in support of our many efforts
to promote farming in the region. CISA depends
on the generosity of individuals, businesses and
organizations to sustain its work. In addition
to raising consumer awareness through our Be a
Local Hero Buy Locally Grown™ campaign,
we help farmers gain access to new markets, work
with legislators to promote small farms-friendly
policies and develop solutions that will boost
local farm profits.
CISA
is leading the way to solving some of the complex
problems facing farmers. Click
here make your gift today!
Holy
Smokes destroyed in fire
As
widely reported in the media, Local Hero member
restaurant Holy
Smokes burned down in the early morning
hours on June 22. A cause for the blaze may be
determined in the next week or two. As the cleanup
continues at the site, local residents, friends
and restaurateurs have offered benefits for the
owners, jobs for employees and moral support.
Lou Ekus said in a recent Daily Hampshire
Gazette article:
'You know, this is a very tough thing to
go through, and obviously we've never done it
before,' he said, waving a hand at the wreckage
of bricks, random ruined kitchen equipment strewn
about the lawn and broken glass, all that remains
of four years sweat equity and a life savings.
'The
bottom line is that whatever we decide to do,
to rebuild or not, will have to be a financial
decision,' he said. 'These kinds of tragedies
don't leave you with a lot of options.'
Rob
Watson, owner of the Lone Wolf Restaurant in Amherst,
is hosting a fundraiser to benefit the staff of
Holy Smokes on Friday, July 20. More information
is available at www.thelonewolf.biz.
A
series of articles about the fire and the historic
church that house Holy Smokes is available to
Daily Hampshire Gazette subscribers at
www.gazettenet.com.
Save
the Date - Fresh, Local and on the Menu
is August 8, 2007
Celebrate
our local farms’ summer bounty and the culinary
creations of Local Hero chefs and restaurants
On
Wednesday, August 8, Local Hero restaurants will
highlight the tasty and creative ways they work
with locally grown food during CISA's third annual
Fresh, Local and on the Menu Local Hero
restaurant celebration. From down-home burgers
to delicate bistro cuisine, Local Hero chefs will
cook up savory and sweet dishes loaded with local
flavor.
This
year, Fresh, Local and On the Menu diners
can also enter to win a Local Hero tote bag filled
with great local products such as honey, maple
syrup, gift certificates to Local Hero businesses
and a Local Hero t-shirt! Just send in your receipt,
dated August 8, from one of the participating
restaurants along with your name, address, phone
and email to CISA, 1 Sugarloaf Street, S. Deerfield,
MA 01376. Entries must be received by August 22.
Farm2School
It
makes good sense for schools to purchase foods
from local farms. When they do, students receive
fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables, and farmers
boost their bottom lines. But due to complex procurement
policies, sourcing locally is not so straightforward
for many schools.
In
an effort to help more schools buy locally, The
Massachusetts Farm to School Network held the
first of three “Train the Trainers”
meetings on June 19th in Monson, MA. The network
came about as a result of conversations between
CISA,
the Massachusetts
Farm to School Project and Southeastern
Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP)
regarding the need for more people with the appropriate
skills to build farm to school purchasing relationships
in the state.
In addition to providing trainings on farm to
school procurement issues, the network will offer
individuals and organizations working on farm
to school issues a way to connect with one another
and build a cohesive, state-wide support system
for farmers and food service directors. For more
info on the network contact Claire Morenon at
CISA, 413-665-7100.
Keeping
hospital food healthy
Health
Care Without Harm’s annual
Foodmed Conference in Boston June 28-29 brought
together hundreds of people working in the health
care industry to talk about purchasing healthy,
sustainable and local food—and CISA joined
this important conversation.
CISA's
Claire Morenon spoke on a panel with Local Hero
Dining Services members Doug Martin of Baystate
Health and Daniel English of Cooley Dickinson
Hospital about the nitty gritty of buying local—from
researching seasonality to reviewing contracts
with distributors. CISA has helped both hospitals
offer local farm produce in their cafeterias and
inpatient meals.
"This
conference was a great opportunity to share lessons
about local purchasing in hospitals with a wider
audience," says Morenon."The whole community
benefits when large institutions buy locally,
and this conference helped us spread that message
and, hopefully, help more institutions to get
started."
NEWS
El Festival del Jíbaro
Indulge in a Caribbean
culinary and cultural adventure this weekend –
right down the road in Holyoke!
Local
Hero member Nuestras
Raíces Farm is celebrating
its grand opening with a vibrant cultural festival
called El Festival del Jíbaro
(the Festival of the Country Farmer) on July 7th
and 8th, 1pm-6pm at the farm on 24
Jones Ferry Road, Holyoke (just off Route 5).
The
Jíbaro is a powerful cultural icon of Puerto
Rico, symbolizing the values of heritage, hard
work and connection with the land. El Festival
del Jíbaro recreates the warmth and fun
of the Puerto Rican village. It features traditional
Puerto Rican spit-roasted meats and other delicious
foods, games for children, music and dancing,
a poetry competition, pony rides and paso fino
horse demonstrations.
Nuestras
Raíces Farm is a family-oriented destination
located in Holyoke on the banks of the Connecticut
River. Visitors can see and enjoy locally-owned
small farms producing Puerto Rican specialty crops
and livestock for sale at a store on site, tropical
sodas and ice creams, arts & crafts, horse
& pony rides, nature walks around the farms
and by the river, and a Caribbean-themed petting
zoo.
Click
here for more information on the
farm or event.
Nuestras
Raíces is a grassroots organization
that promotes economic, human and community development
in Holyoke, Massachusetts through projects relating
to food, agriculture and the environment. The
Festival del Jíbaro is sponsored by UMass
4-H and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Big
Y World Class Markets hosts string of Farmers
Markets
This
month, Local Hero food retailer Big
Y World Class Markets is organizing
a series of farmers markets in the parking lots
of its stores throughout the Pioneer Valley. The
displays will feature produce from the local farms
that sell to Big Y World Class Markets. CISA staff
will be on-hand at several of these events stores
to meet the public—and spread word about
the virtues and delights of eating locally grown.
“Especially
in the Valley, people appreciate the story of
where their food comes from,” says Joe Budny,
produce category manager. “We want our customers
to know that when they buy local produce at Big
Y World Class Markets they support area farmers.”
The markets will also give customers a chance
to learn more about local produce and the people
who grow it.
Saturday July 21 and Sunday July 22
Southampton • Amherst • South Hadley
• Chicopee • Greenfield
Saturday July 28 and Sunday July 29
Springfield - Boston Rd. • Springfield -
Cooley St. • Longmeadow • East Longmeadow
• Ludlow
Saturday
August 4 and Sunday August 5
West Springfield - Memorial Ave. • Southwick
• Westfield
Local Hero farm makes national headlines
A
June
25 feature in U.S. News and World Report
about community-supported agriculture (CSA) featured
Local Hero farmers Ben Perrault and Liz Adler
of Mountain
View Farm, which is based in Easthampton,
MA. Mountain View Farm is one of a growing number
of farms in the country to use the CSA model,
one in which customers pay a membership fee in
exchange for a season’s worth of weekly
shares of farm-fresh produce. According to the
article, the number of CSAs in the U.S. has blossomed
to 1,700 programs from only 60 in 1990—and
that number is expected to grow.
It’s
no wonder. CSAs offer many benefits to farm customers:
great food, a sense of belonging to a community,
the satisfaction of supporting local farmers—to
name only a few. CSAs benefit farmers too. Because
members pay a flat fee up front, farmers have
a guaranteed income regardless of whatever weather
or pestilence the season brings. And because they
don’t have to go through a retailer, farmers
pocket a greater percentage of profits from sales.
Most
area CSAs are full for the season but to learn
more about Local Hero CSAs, click
here.
Interested
in going organic?
Food
marketing experts identify organic practices as
the new norm, not the exception, for high quality,
artisanal farm and food products. Explore going
organic at the Organic Trade Association’s
recently unveiled website that helps both farmers
and food processors transition from traditional
farming methods to organic. The site covers everything
from basic organic requirements to handling and
record keeping.
http://www.howtogoorganic.com
 New
non-profit magazine focuses on farms, environment
The
Organic Mom, a new environmental
magazine based in Massachusetts, is working to
promote sustainability and local agriculture.
The first issue, released for Summer 2007, features
several local farms and provide information about
why consumers should buy local. Articles about
CISA are slated to appear in upcoming issues alongside
beautiful nature photography, positive environmental
essays and poetry. Also included are recipes,
book and movie reviews, highlights of local community
events and articles for parents. There are no
ads!
Net
proceeds go to environmental education and hunger
relief. Submissions from writers and artists of
all ages welcome. Download
a copy of The Organic Mom here.
Farmers
markets seeking vendors—and recipes!
The
Holyoke Farmers Market is in
its 26th year and is looking for farmers and crafters
to complete the season from now until October
4th. The market is located on High Street, in
front of the City Hall on Thursday from 11:30
am-3:30 pm. Contact Jenny Perez @413-322-5510
or perezj@ci.holyoke.ma.us.
The Chicopee Farmers Market is
in a new location - a shady spot under the 391
overpass - and is seeking new vendors. The market
is on Wednesdays through August 29. Contact Jim
Sroka at 552-1545,
ext. 311 to make arrangements to participate.
The
Catamount Farmers' Market
is accepting vendors for this season. Contact
Market Manager Ivy Palmer @ 413-625-8174 or pitchforkfarm@yahoo.com.
The
Catamount Farmers’ Market has also received
a grant to produce a cookbook. Recipes will be
collected throughout the season from vendors and
patrons of the market. Bassett Printing of Shelburne
will be printing the cookbook, and they will be
available for purchase by April of 2008.
Free supper
of local food in Greenfield
 Mark
your calendars now and plan to attend the Third
Annual Free Harvest Supper of Local Food on Sunday,
August 19 from 5-7pm on the Greenfield Town Common/Court
Square. All are welcome at this great community
event which will again feature a free bountiful
meal of locally grown food prepared by local chefs,
live music, children’s activities, educational
displays and a Really, Really Free Market. To
conserve resources and reduce trash, all are encouraged
to bring their own place setting and napkin. For
more information and to see pictures of the 2006
Supper, visit www.freeharvestsupper.org.
“Harvest
for Students Week” this September
The
Massachusetts Farm to School Project is introducing
the first annual "Massachusetts Harvest for
Students Week," the week of September 24-28,
2007. During this week, Mass. Farm to School will
ask all schools, kindergarten through college,
to purchase, serve and talk about fresh locally
grown food on their menus.
Massachusetts
Harvest for Students Week will help to spur new
local food purchasing as well as increase existing
purchasing in schools across the state. Schools
that elect to participate will receive an introductory
package with resources on how to buy locally as
well as free technical assistance from the MA
Farm to School Project on setting up a buying
relationship with an appropriate farmer.
Are
you a school food service employee or a farmer
who would like to participate?Contact (413) 253-3844
or go to www.massfarmtoschool.org
for more details.
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Workshops,
Events, Announcements
Celebration of Women in Agriculture to focus on
“Women and the Land”
The
Pioneer Valley Women in Agriculture Network will
hold its third annual July Celebration of Women
in Agriculture on July 26 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm
at the Whately Elementary School.
Lorraine Stuart Merrill, a Kellogg Foundation
Food and Society Policy Fellow, will be the speaker.
Lorraine is a farmer and a writer specializing
in issues related to agriculture, family-owned
business and the environment. She will be pulling
from her vast experience to give a talk on “Women
and the Land.” As always, there will be
ample time at the meeting to enjoy a delicious
dinner and meet and network with other women in
agriculture.
For
more information, contact Claire at claire@buylocalfood.com
or 665-7100, ext 16.
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Daylily Festival
At
Local Hero member Glenbrook Gardens
Dayliliy
Festival July 14, 2007, 9
AM to 4 PM
Located off Leyden Rd. in Greenfield, MA
Info:
Richard Willard ~ 413-772-6997
Massachusetts
Nursery Landscape Association and Massachusetts
Flower Growers Association Fourth Annual Collaborative
Event
Join Massachusetts' largest green industry associations
for the 2007 Summer Meeting and Trade Show on
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 at the Tower Hill Botanic
Garden, Boylston, MA. To register go to www.mnla.com
or call 413-369-4731.
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A
Celebration Of Sustainable Living
Northeast Organic Farming Association
(NOFA) Annual Summer Fair
August 10-12, 2007
Join
NOFA for over 200 workshops, incredible keynote
speakers, a fun Saturday afternoon fair, numerous
exhibitors and vendors and great organic food
at Hampshire College, Amherst, MA on August 10-12.
This
is an excellent opportunity to learn all about
organic agriculture, natural landscaping, organic
gardening, homesteading, animal care, sustainable
living, holistic healing and so much more. Separate
conferences for children and teens. To receive
a Registration Form contact Julie Rawson at (978)
355-2853 or julie@nofamass.org.
Online registration available and complete schedle
and info: www.nofamass.org.
NOFA
is Still Seeking Exhibitors! If interested, contact
Katie Campbell-Nelson at (413) 337-4327 or katiecampbellnelson@gmail.com.
Fun-makers: lend your ideasor talents to the fun
Saturday afternoon Fair: still seeking jugglers,
musicians, gymnasts, dog-tricksters, game-makers,
etc.
The Music Stage is open to those with a desire
to play – if you want a venue, you’ve
got it. For the above, contact Tricia Cooper at:
(617) 558-3322 or triciacoop@hotmail.com.
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CLASSIFIED
Coordinator
sought for newly forming non-profit Boston Area
Gleaners. Ongoing for the last
three years, harvesting some 564 boxes of produce
(over 10,000 pounds) for charity, mostly going
to Food For Free, a Cambridge food pantry that
delivers. Low stipend and possible lodging. Contacting
farmers, gleaning the produce and fund raising
(administration) involved. E-mail Oakes Plimpton
at plimag@rcn.com
for further information.
FOR
SALE: Purebred
Finn ram & wether lambs for sale. Gentle,
prolific & really nice fleece. Contact Sangha
Farm for more information..... sanghafarm@yahoo.com
413.628.0026
www.sanghafarm.com
Lovely
non-toxic S. Hadley riverfront home. Share with
(mostly) absentee owner with chemical sensitivities.
Will rent 2 of 3 bedrooms home on a cliff above
the CT River. (3rd bedroom and 2nd bath in separate
wing for my storage and occasional use.) Available
ONLY to clean, responsible person or couple who
live 100% without fragrances, pesticides, smoke
and synthetic chemicals and who will care for
house in my absence. Lease until April 2008 or
longer. Rent $1000/month for one, $1200 for two,
plus utilities; deductions possible for extra
maintenance/caretaking. References, usual deposits
required. Karen at 413-303-1609. Email: ksutherland@hampshire.edu.
Real
Pickles is hiring help for production work for
the coming season. For more information,
go to www.realpickles.com or contact Dan Rosenberg,
Owner 413-863-9063, dan@realpickles.com.
Atlas
Farm, a certified organic vegetable farm in Deerfield,
MA seeks folks interested in being part of a morning
weeding crew for the 2007 season. This
is part-time flexible work- 10-15 hours per week
during June, July & August. Gain some experience
on an organic farm and enjoy the meditative work
of weeding! If interested, please contact Sara
at 413-230-4833.
Looking
for a part-time farm laborer this summer? Contact
Courtney Hall, 413-642-0681 or sawnfreckles@hotmail.com.
Saw
Mill Site Farm is looking for a part-time (15
to 20 hours per month) person who is enthusiastic
about horseradish. They are seeking
a flexible self-starter to help with various tasks,
including: help with Farmers' Markets; store demo's,
outreach to stores outside of Boston. If interested,
please contact Terry at sawmillsitefarm@comcast.net
or 413-665-3005.
Pasture available in North Amherst:
Approximately 5 acres of pasture available (has
been idle for 4 years) with access to brook. Needs
new fencing. Willing to trade rent for fence installation.
(sheep? goats? cows?) All considered. Joe or Sarah
(413) 230-3137.
Land/homestead wanted to
buy: Looking
to purchase that perfect little farm/homestead.
A fixer-upper farmhouse with 2-10 acres (at least
2 open tillable) within 1 hour of Northampton.
Please call Rachel at 413-268-7548.
Wanted:
Used small farm/market garden tools, equipment,
and supplies. Please call Rachel
at 413-268-7548.
Ongoing
classes on organic cooking. Visit
http://members.aol.com/lescerier/pages/classes.html
to learn more.
Farm for Sale:
20 acres of prime farmland along the CT
River. Quiet country setting yet just
10 minutes from I-91. Hay fields, crop fields,
woven wire & electric fenced-in pastures for
rotated grazing. No commercial fertilizers used
on the land. Barn w/new additions, outbuildings,
portable sheds, retail shop. 1800+ feet of road
frontage. Large, classic New England Colonial
Farmhouse with wrap-around porch and large front
& back yards. Many renovations since 2001.
Lots of potential -- perfect setting for bed &
breakfast; campground; retreat; stables/horse
boarding or your own dream farm. Located in West
Northfield, MA -- Chee Chee Mamook Farm. Contact
us at alpaca0410@yahoo.com
to be directed to online photos & more information.
For Sale: Tractor
items.
A/C Pick Up Plow - one furrow - 2 way. Will fit
Allis-Chalmers Model "B" & "C"
tractors.
Also A/C Tractor Mowing Attachment (side bar mower).
Fits both "B" & "C" models.
Complete with manuals. Both is good condition.
For further information contact
Terry Grinnan, prop
Saw Mill Site Farm Horseradish Products
287 Conway Road
So. Deerfield, MA 01373
p 413-665-3005
sawmillsitefarm@comcast.net
www.horseradishdirect.com.
Used books & ephemera
relating to AGRICULTURE
(also many other subjects including architecture,
woodworking and regional history) are available
for sale at:
Nancy L. Dole Books & Ephemera
32 Bridge St. 2nd floor
SHELBURNE FALLS, MA 01370
open everyday but Monday
(413) 625-9850
ndole@crocker.com
Farmland
wanted. 10
acres+ sought by farmer interested in raising
sheep. Prefers the Colrain, Shelburne, Buckland
area. Contact Ginger Wall, Gmwall42@aol.com.
Land
for rent. 15 organic acres in
Buckland close to Shelburne Falls. Large barn
available. Owner will help skilled operator with
start up expenses. Water available. Very low rent/barter
possible. Call Michael 413 625-8300.
Got Wood?
If you have over 20 acres of forest land and would
like to discuss your management options with a
licensed forester, please call Shane at Cowls:
413-549-1403.
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Editor:
Rebecca
Pollard Pierik
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
1 Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield MA 01373
Tel: 413-665-7100 Fax: 413-665-7101
http://www.buylocalfood.com
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