The Food Project: Youth. Food. Community.

The Food Project currently has Community-Supported Agriculture farm shares available for the 2012 farm season. The Food Project's Community-Supported Agriculture program is a partnership between our farm and a community of supporters. At the beginning of the season, CSA members purchase a "share" of the crops that will be grown. In return, The Food Project provides a healthy supply of sustainably grown, fresh vegetables, flowers, and herbs.

Each week, CSA members come to our farm to pick up their share of the produce or receive a box share of produce. Each CSA farm share contains enough vegetables to feed a family of four mixed-diet individuals or 2-3 vegetarian adults. Each CSA box share contains enough vegetables to feed 2-3 mixed-diet individuals or 1-2 vegetarian adults. The CSA program runs from mid-June through the end of October and offers a wide variety of produce.

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WatermelonThe Lincoln/Boston Summer Youth Program came to a close this Wednesday, with a final celebration of food, fun, and family. In the evening the farm was filled with the family and loved ones of the 60 youth who participated in the program this summer. They shared highlights from the 7 and a half weeks they spent growing food for many people in the greater Boston area. The farm staff will surely miss them as we gear up one of the busiest part of the season yet, but we are also excited to welcome volunteers to the farm as our fall Serve and Grow season begins soon. I would like to take this space to write on behalf of all of the farm staff and thank the SYP for their hard work and dedication.

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It’s official folks. Our beloved Baker Bridge Farm is experiencing a drought. For the past few weeks we have watered fields that really need it while waiting for the rain, but no matter what the forecast says no rain comes. Last week, when Boston and other areas were hit with torrential rains, not a drop of rain was felt in our Lincoln farm. We usually save irrigating fields as a last resort as we truly believe in conserving our water as much as possible.

Currently, we are at near emergency levels and so we have instituted a watering regime, which means that we work through our weekends and come to the farm every three hours to switch the water and keep our crops healthy and growing. Despite these measures, we are feeling the lack of some of our staple crops like beets, carrots, and salad mix. The good news (and there is good news!) is that we are almost out of the worst of it. The next round of staple crops is almost ready, and our melons and tomatoes are really starting. There is, of course, no better cure for a tired and thirsty heart than a cold and juicy watermelon. Cheers and lets hope for some rain!

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Shareholders often ask about the kinds of methods we use to control pests around the farm. Pest management on a farm is, of course, much different than in a garden. In a garden, if one rabbit or a whole lot of insects destroy your two chard plants, tragically, your crop is gone. On the farm, farmers like us, who use sustainable methods, need to integrate losses from pests into our planning.

When you have a whole field of onions, even if some pests munch a dozen or two of them, the loss is so marginal it does not affect your crop. Having said that, we are constantly thinking of new ways to minimize the losses around the farm. Pests come in different sizes, from the tiny flea beetles that make holes in the arugula to deer and groundhogs.

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This week, as we look out onto the fields our hearts are content and full of anticipation. We see lush fields of winter squash (three acres!) at the edge of the farm, round musk and water melons are popping up everywhere in the melon field, our greens are coming back from the beating they took during the heat wave, and the vines are heavy with green tomatoes. The farm is in good shape.

A note about fruit- It is often the crops most fleeting in nature that cause the greatest excitement both during and long after the season has ended. Images of strawberries, melons, or tomatoes come fastest to our minds when we think about farming, although as you well know the farming season consists more of the less showy but reliable and satisfying greens and roots. The sweetest crops stay in the spotlight long after they are gone. I’m speaking, of course, of fruit.

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Since our summer program started in June we have harvested roughly 14,000 pounds of produce and from this we have donated thousands of pounds to our shelter, soup kitchen, and pantry partners. To give you an idea of how we accomplish this task, let me introduce you to our Tuesday harvest. The day starts at 6:30am when the farm staff works hard to harvest greens and lettuce before the sun starts beating on them. As the youth arrive on the farm, crews quickly go out to the fields and the task of harvesting 2,000 lbs of produce begins. As crates upon crates of squash, carrots, and potatoes arrive at the wash station, one crew works on weighing, recording, washing, and packing for each different destination. After lunch it’s off to the city as we deliver the Cambridge, Somerville, and Arlington CSA shares, drop off produce at five hunger relief organizations, and then to our farmers’ market in Roxbury—all in two hours!

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purple fava beansIt is believed that along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, fava beans became part of the eastern Mediterranean diet around 6000 BC or earlier. They are still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion, both because they can over-winter and because as a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil.

Favas — also known as Windsor beans, English beans, horse beans, and pigeon beans — have long been diet staples in Asia, the Middle East, South America, North Africa and Europe. They were the only beans Europeans ate before they discovered America and all its legumes. The beans have a buttery texture, slight bitterness and lovely, nutty flavor.

Fava beans can be served simply boiled, mashed and spread on crostini, or added to spring stews and soups. And, favas are nutrition superheroes. They are high in fiber and iron, and low in sodium and fat. They have no cholesterol but are high in protein.

some fava recpies:

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each week two of our Lincoln youth interns will introduce themselves

Hello, my name is Kadeem and I’m 18 years old from Dorchester. I am a senior at Wayland High School through Boston’s METCO program and I play football and run track. This is my second summer working at the Food Project. Now as a Lincoln intern, I hope that working on the farm will expand my knowledge about agriculture. During the Summer Youth Program last year I learned how to be a better farmer by weeding and harvesting. My favorite vegetable is broccoli.

Hello, my name is Amanda Chin. I’m 17 years old and just graduated from Arlington High School. This fall I’m heading over to the University of Vermont. I participated in the Summer Youth Program in 2009 and now am working as a Lincoln intern. For this summer I love being part of The Food Project community and working on the land as well as learning more about the food we eat and harvest. My favorite vegetables are green beans.

Editor's note: North Shore Fellow Mike Syversen sends the following update on how things stand at the beginning of our Summer Youth Program

Hi everyone,
This is an exciting week for us up here on the North Shore. Our summer youth program started this Wednesday. Thirty youth ages 14-17 are starting their work here where they will be farming, participating in farmer’s markets, learning about the food system, social justice, and community development, gaining work experience, and much more. The crew leaders, assistant crew leaders, and staff who lead the youth have created a program that is bound to have an impact on the lives of the youth. We’re excited for the joys and challenges that the youth will bring. We know they will have a great experience!

This Monday was our third Lynn CSA pickup day, and everything on that front is running smoothly. It is great to see the members each week and know the food we provide them with has been harvested from our farm that same day. Getting to chat with the members about the produce and what they do with it is a highlight of the week.

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