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CSA Shares
Posted 2/2/2015 7:14am by Kevin Overshiner.

After we clear the snow off the driveway and greenhouses this morning we'll be opening the shares up to the waiting list, if there is space after that we will open up the shares again to the public, glad to see such enthusiastic response!

CSA Shares on sale now for returning members.
Posted 1/19/2015 11:22am by Kevin Overshiner.

Good news everyone! CSA shares are on sale for returning members. Look for an e-mail from Kevin today. New members will be able to sign up starting Monday February 2nd.

 

Just one of many excellent shares from past distributions here at MCF.

MCF Greeting Cards
Posted 12/8/2014 1:27pm by Brittany Sidway.

MCF is selling Greeting Cards featuring the beautiful photography of Sue Rorke! Share a little of the farm's beauty with friends and family when sending cards! Suitable for any occasion!
They will be sold in packs of 8 cards for $10. Two packs available to choose from, or buy them both!
Cards are printed on 100% recycled paper by a locally owned business. All proceeds benefit our farm and community programs!
Stop by the Farm Community Center at 50 Winthrop St Tuesday 2-7 or Thursday 2-7 to purchase cards!

 

Fall Share: Week 2
Posted 10/28/2014 2:21pm by Kevin Overshiner.
Good Afternoon Fall Share members,

Our every-other week distribution continues as planned on Tuesday and Thursday. Thank you for your cooperation as we fine tune the indoor space for your veggies and for gracefully working around our small parking lot here up by the house. Looks to be a dry week this week, dodged a bullet by skipping last week, we received at least 4-5 inches of rain here at the farm.

Exciting share this week! Lots of great stuff, some of it stores and some if it needs to be eaten fresh, sooner than later. We'll start you off with the list.

Lettuce -  red sails, a delicious variety, goes very nicely as beet salad company with goat cheese
Arugula - obvious favorite is on pizza, but goes great in a pasta, let the heat from the noodles wilt the greens to retain just enough of it's excellent flavor
Spinach
Tomato - our last remaining two-bite tomatoes, quartered they go great with pastas or as your last fresh salsa of the season
Bunched Greens - kale/chard/escarole/bok choy choice
Carrots - great in everything. I like to peel them and slice them up with cabbage and onions, make a fresh slaw and eat them right away. the leftover slaw makes a great pre-mixed stir fry option for throwing in a wrap or soft taco for lunch
Peppers - 
Mini Peppers - don't confuse these with the hot peppers, mini sweet peppers make a great snack food, I eat so many of them I am surprised they make it to your shares
Sweet Turnips - lightly roast the roots and stir fry the greens or whatever inspires you, many fun things to do with these
Onions -  
Potatoes - 
Butternut - nice medium sized butternut for single uses, there are a zillion butternut recipes out there waiting for you
Beets - roast them, let them cool, peel them and stick them in the fridge. makes it easy to have a super salad ready at any moment
Cabbage - slaw, stir fry, soups, kim chi, bowling, whatever!

If I am ever overwhelmed by a vegetable and I need to eat eat it soon, I just google "_____ recipe" and i almost never fail to come up with something i like. That, or it goes in a quiche.

Excited to keep you guys in vegetables up to Christmas this year, looks like you'll be eating well, no noticeable major shortages to speak of.
An Interview with Two MCF Donators
Posted 8/21/2014 7:53pm by Brittany Sidway.

By: Jeff Vendetti (Marketing Summer Intern)

Medway Community Farm, much like a community, relies on the help of others. Marcia Coakley and Deby Carlson very recently took the time to make incredible donations that will help MCF now and in the future. Marcia Coakley donated a stepping stone for the farm stand, and Deby Carlson donated reusable bags that have the Medway Community Farm logo and name on them. Deby and Marcia were willing to do an interview with me to talk about their donations and their MCF experiences.

Jeff: What does “community” mean to you?

Marcia: I’ve been interested in and working with communities for over 40 years, in food coop settings and cooperative farming communities (help your neighbor with gardening, haying, animal husbandry, butchering, barn raising, house building, and more). At various stages, community has also meant artist cooperatives, dance and music cooperatives, and generally any gathering of folks working for a common mission for a better environment and creative endeavors for each, and for all.

Deby:  I would say community means everyone working together for the greater good.  

Jeff: What got you involved in working with the farm?

Marcia: We had been CSA members of other area farms in nearby towns and were especially pleased with the town’s moving forward with the creation of and vision for the MCF, right here in Medway. My husband, Dennis, is from Medway, and he came to open his chiropractic practice here in the 1983. We have watched each local farm close and land turn into neighbohoods. The face of Medway has changed…so it’s really important and delightful to see the growth and success coming of efforts to establish this new model for local produce with what has become enthusiastic community support and encouragement.

Deby: I started bringing my children to Shady Oaks Farm 25+ years ago to see the cows in the field across the street and in the barn.   And then buy chocolate milk.  I also would bring buckets in the trunk of my car so I could pick up the fresh manure too.  I was so pleased when the town of Medway decided to keep the land for farming instead of allowing it to be sold for building homes.   My friends Carol and Randy Collord are very involved with the farm and I wanted to help in some way.            

Jeff: What is your favorite part of the farm?

Marcia: Not sure what you’re imagining as the parts (actual physical section, or function, or aspect of outcome of MCF’s vision for education and outreach…etc.?) I am particularly interested in expanding folks’ understanding and appreciation of better health and happy experiences from eating the nutritious and varied fruits and vegetables from the farm. I love sharing delicious and creative cooking and eating inspiration that helps to develop that appreciation.

Deby: The land is being used the way it is supposed to be used.  

Jeff: What is your favorite MCF memory?

Marcia: Not any one answer…so many great moments and experiences. ?????    - Volunteering, solo at the farm, on beautiful early spring mornings, venting the greenhouses, and tending the animals, hanging with the goats/giving them fresh hay treats.    - Farm to Fork dinner    - Getting the farmstand stone step set…so CSA pickups and stand sales are more accessible  

Jeff: What is your favorite vegetable the farm grows? Why?

Marcia: I love everything…except cilantro (I’m one of those folks who is genetically predisposed to find it distasteful, sad to say). I love kohlrabi, red peppers, and spinach…and am extra thrilled with things I don’t usually grow (much) in our home garden.  

Jeff: What motivated you to make some form of donation to MCF?

Marcia: It’s a way of life…looking out for ways we can contribute and make things better, and help move extra things along that others can make great use of.

Deby: I heard they were looking into options for the shopping bags.   Like Brittany, I loved the idea of reusable bags.  And I love the idea of people seeing the bags and then going to the farm to see what is happening there.   )  

Jeff: Why did you choose to contribute the way you did to MCF?

Marcia: See above. Because I work in the farmstand for CSA pickups and stand sales (and seedlings sales in Spring) every week, I was very conscious and concerned about the need for a better step to help folks. I mentioned it to my husband and he suggested that we had an extra stone that would be perfect for the setting. We are not always able to contribute monetary gifts as much as we might like, but helping the farm function better and have the equipment and support the farmer’s have identified specifically feels wonderful.  

Jeff: What advice would you give someone who wants to contribute something to the farm, but may not know how to/ or what to contribute?

Marcia: Stay informed by reading the newsletters, the farm reports, and attending regular events to see and hear about the status of various projects and needs the farm has at any given time. Brittany regularly indicates many ways things can be helped, and specific/urgent support the community can provide.

Deby:  Just ask.    I’m sure there are many items on the MCF wish list.   

Jeff: Where do you see MCF in 5 years? In 50?

Marcia: I trust that to the vision and mission statement of MCF and the board taking action, making children, young adults, and families familiar with where their food comes from, and interested in taking more responsibility for sourcing and supporting healthy and sustainable solutions. I do believe that the best future for healthy food in this country depends on both local farms and community involvement, as well as regional and national efforts to expand environmentally gentle and effective energy resources and safe/sustainable food production practices. Getting into the dirt is healthy in so many ways.  

Tags: community, donations, farm, volunteer
A Moment with Staff Member Kevin Overshiner
Posted 8/15/2014 6:15am by Brittany Sidway.

 By: Jeff Vendetti (Summer Marketing Intern)

The summer is a very busy time on the farm with all the harvesting, summer programs, markets, and events. The Medway Community Farm staff works tirelessly to make sure all of these activities are met with the importance they all need and deserve.

Kevin Overshiner is one of these staff members that plays an important role in the effort to make sure Medway Community delivers a great product. Kevin was willing to spend time this week to share his thoughts in an interview on his role this summer and the direction of Medway Community Farm.

Jeff (Interviewer): What is your job title?

Kevin: Field Manager

Jeff: What does “community” mean to you?

Kevin: I think community is a collection of relationships that revolve around the farm. I sometimes do not know who I will be working with next, or what our goal will be, but it will probably have something to do with the farm. When we are long gone some other series of people will keep the wheels moving.

Jeff: What got you involved in working with the farm?

Kevin: I met Brittany at the Wake Up the Earth Festival in Jamaica Plain, she was working full time farming, coming to Medway after work to tend a 1/4 acre garden. She was very busy. To spend time with her I helped her in the garden. One thing led to another, and we moved my mother's camper onto the property. I haven't left, though the camper has.

Jeff: What is your background?

Kevin: I have zero background in farming. That being said, I've learned the difference between cabbage and lettuce since working here.

Jeff: What is your favorite vegetable the farm grows? Why?

Kevin: Yes. Because it is delicious. But for serious? I love growing potatoes, I use the cultivating tractor to hill up soil around the plants so that the taters will grow comfortably, and digging them is fun when the soil isn't too rocky.

Jeff: Can you describe your responsibilities at MCF?

Kevin: Depending on where I am needed, I help run harvests, irrigate, cultivate, or use our tractors to do field work. There are many tasks we will never finish on the farm, we do our best to knock as many of them off the list as we can.      

Jeff: How do you like working with Volunteers?

Kevin: My favorite volunteers are the people who understand that genuine volunteerism is a practice of hard work, flexibility and patience. If you come to the farm with a preconceived notion of what you'll be doing that day, you might be up for a surprise, tasks change on a daily basis. I am grateful to the many volunteers that have spent time helping this organization. Kathy and Nancy come to mind, we've had them do some pretty filthy, repetitive, mindless jobs and they always did it with gusto because they knew it was important.

Tags: farmer, interview
CSA - Week 5
Posted 7/25/2014 12:31pm by Brittany Sidway.
Well, they are finally here - after a cool spring and a late start our first tomatoes are finally rolling in.  We are going to try to put a few in your share this week, but remember, this is just the beginning - if all goes according to plan we'll be fill swimming pools with tomatoes by August.
 
We grow a lot of varieties of tomatoes.  Our tomatoes are picked for several reasons:
 
1. Ability to resist Late Blight.  Late blight is fungal disease that thrives in warm, moist conditions.  It travels up to New England from the south either on thunderstorms and hurricanes or on cheap seedlings shipped to box stores.  The spores can travel up to 30 miles on the wind.  Once they have infected the plants, there is no organic cure.  You can use copper to try to mitigate the problem/prevent infection, which we did in 2012 when we had late blight arrive on some really healthy tomatoes on July 7th, but who wants to wash copper off of their tomatoes?  If I can't eat while I'm picking it's just not worth it to me.  I love tomatoes as much as anyone, but part of why I farm is that I want to stuff my face with awesome produce all day long and not worry.  So, we don't use copper (plus is expensive and VERY time consuming to apply the appropriate amount of copper on our small scale).
 
2. TASTE!  We want tomatoes that taste great, and in lots of ways!  There are sweet tomatoes, tangy tomatoes, complex tomatoes - they all have their unique flavor.  Brittany and Kevin's favorite tomato is Valencia, an orange heirloom with absurdly amazing flavor and texture.  The heirlooms take longer so we won't be seeing them in the shares for another 3-4 weeks, but we've got some great early yellow and orange tomatoes from our greenhouse tunnels, Taxi and Orange Blossom.  Our early red tomatoes, Polbig, are tolerant to cooler weather and have great flavor, but aren't doing great this year - so get excited from some early yellow and orange tomatoes for a few weeks and then an onslaught of red field tomatoes!
 
3. Productivity, disease resistance, adaptability.  A tomato might taste great, but if there is a low chance that you will get a profitable yield, it's hard as a small farm to grow it in large quantities.  We love heirloom plants, and if we were gardeners we might only grow heirlooms, but on our scale, we have a certain accountability to our customers, and our bottom line, which encourages us to choose hybrid varieties and modern crosses which benefit the small, local farmer.  None of our varieties are GMO and we only buy from seed companies who pledge they will never knowingly buy GMO seeds.
 
That's a lot of writing for the one or two tomatoes you are going to see in the share this week, but there are lots more to come, so I just wanted to prepare you!
 
The Share:
Beans: some Dragon Tongue Beans (flat, purple, white) Brittany's absolute favorite bean - an heirloom
Carrots: they just keep coming.  If you've got some building up in the fridge maybe make carrot cake?
Zucchini/Squash
Cucumber
Potatoes
Lettuce
Onion
GARLIC!!!!!
Basil
Eggplant?
Tomatoes
Kale/Chard
 
PYO: Beans and Flowers (lots of flowers) cherry tomatoes are almost here!
 
 
Enjoy!
Tags: CSA, summer, tomatoes, vegetables
CSA - Week 4
Posted 7/12/2014 2:48pm by Brittany Sidway.
(this text is written by Kevin, sent by Brittany)
 
Week 4 and Veggies Galore. There are a lot of vegetables in the MCF fields, things could be worse (first thing that came to mind were the Ring-wraiths horses tramping all over things on the farm). Thanks to our drip irrigation system our vegetables are staying healthy and our farmers are keeping the freak-outs to a minimum. There is maybe nothing more stressful than a lack of rain when it comes to growing food. Our soil seems to be made of some mysterious material that absorbs water and quickly transports it to another dimension, because let me tell you, it dries out fast. That being said, I have worked on farms where you have to literally wade through knee-high water to pick your onions, so I'm not complaining, work with what you've got.

Brit and I just came inside from a long, exciting harvest. We got to pick our first new potatoes and onions. Pretty amazing right? I know, that's what I said! 

I would go into more detail about the amazingness of things, but I'm sleepy, and I'll just riddle this page with spelling mistakes if I continue, so without further adieu...

what's in the share?

Carrots - It's hard not to eat them as is, but they go great finely chopped in slaw - these are the best tasting ones yet, Mokum, our favorite summer variety.
Beets - Wrapped in tinfoil they go great roasted on the grill, eat the greens too
Zucchini - Sliced in half grilled is a quick, delicious side.  There are some big ones this week, so maybe zucchini bread?  zucchini fritters?
Cucumber - I like a couple of slices in a gin and tonic on a hot day, or add some flavor to a pitcher of water in the fridge
Green Onions - so fresh, so potent, very excellent, eat them!
New Potatoes - they make an excellent potato salad chopped into quarters, add some roasted beets for a crazy spin on an old dish
Peas - shmease
Turnips - raw, roasted, sauteed, steamed, pickled... and on and on
Lettuce
Chard / Kale / Cabbage / Basil (small amounts in choice)
Beans 
 
PYO
LOTs of Peas
Beans
Flowers/Herbs
(cherry tomatoes are on their way, along with okra, mini sweet peppers, tomatillos and husk cherries!)

Brittany says this is one of her favorite shares ever, must be all the great food and flavors and stuff. Thanks for reading, happy eating.
 
(Brittany is writing now)
Recipes:
Roasted Beets, Carrots, Turnips (I'd skip the sage and toss in fresh basil after the roots come out of the oven)
 
I made a great beet and potato salad last week.  I boiled the beets (ha! remember when I said don't boil them?  We'll I was short for time and not about to turn on the oven in the sweltering heat) and potatoes then toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and veganaise to taste (yes, it's a household staple here, we call it "the white stuff" - all recognizable ingredients and great flavor).  I also poured in a splash of veggie broth I made with carrot tops, scallion tops and broccoli stalks a few weeks ago.  It was a hit.
 
Ok, thanks enough, it's time to get to bed so we can get up in a few hours - good thing I had iced coffee at lunch today :)
 
Enjoy,
Brittany and Kevin
Tags: beets, carrots, csa, onions, peas, potatoes, recipes
CSA Week 2 Email
Posted 6/29/2014 12:08pm by Brittany Sidway.

Well, we made it through the first week of Summer!  

We've got another great share planned for this week.  The crops are coming in nicely and I'm excited to see potatoes, spring onions and field cucumbers on the horizon. 
 
The Share
(Some of these items might not be in your share)
-carrots
-scallions
-beets
-lettuce
-peas
-broccoli (eat this first, the broccoli doesn't keep long, even in the fridge)
-zucchini
-basil
-cilantro
-kohlrabi
-arugula
 
Pick You Own (for PYO members): peas, basil, a few flowers
 
Kevin and I just finished eating our first beets of the season.  They were in the Spring Share, but they have been slow growing, and we usually end up eating a lot of what's in abundance.  Beets are one of my favorites.  I probably never ate a beet before I started farming and now they are a highlight of my summer diet.
 
I don't boil beets.  I don't boil anything except potatoes and sometimes pasta and eggs.  You can boil beets, but try this:
 
•Peel (if you want) and slice 1 bunch beet roots into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick slices
•Heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat in a skillet
•Put the beets in the skillet and cover, stirring every minute or two until the beets start to release their liquid
•Wash and chop the greens, adding the stems after the beets have begun to brown in the pan
•After the beets are tender and slightly browned add the greens, cover and let steam - you can also add salt, pepper, some chopped scallions or scapes (if you have some left)
•Once the greens are just wilted the beets are ready to serve
 
This is simple but an incredibly enjoyable way to savor the first beets of the season!  I know some of our returning members think Kevin and I eat too much salt and too much oil (since that is almost always our recommendation for how to cook vegetables) but we work hard, and we need the calories and electrolytes!  Always use oil and salt to taste, don't be afraid to adjust recipes according to your preferences.  
 
Other ways to cook beets; if you have AC you can just turn on the oven and roast them.  Or wrap them in tin foil and put them on the grill (make sure to put them on first, as they take a long time to cook).
 
(Side note: Tom Ashbrook is on NPR right now talking about "food trends".  I roll my eyes at these kinds of discussions but the questions he's asking are kind of interesting.  They are talking about "taste-makers" or people who influence your food choices.  Apparently Kevin and I are, as your CSA farmers, "taste-makers" on a small scale.  :) Hopefully we make you crave some great, healthy choices and not Cro-nuts!)
 
Also, just so you all know, the Farm to Fork Tickets go on Sale Sunday.  We'll be sending out an email/facebook blast! We'll also be drawing the Friend of the Farm lottery to see who gets the two free tickets - you are all entered to win!
 
Thanks and enjoy,
Brittany
Tags: beets, CSA, summer, vegetables
Extended Seedling Sale
Posted 5/19/2014 6:14am by Brittany Sidway.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Seedling Sale this weekend!  We sold a record number of seedlings and still have more!  If you're looking for plants this week/weekend, these are good times to stop by the farm to pick up our plants:

Tuesday 2-7pm

Thursday 2-7pm

Friday 2-5pm

Saturday 10-2pm

Thanks for your support!  Follow this link to read our newsletter, which has some tips on how to have a successful garden!

MCF May Newsletter

What we still have:

Tomatoes

Green Zebra, Moskovitch, Red Pear Piriform, Japanese Black Trifele, Pruden's Purple, Great White, Striped German, Cherokee Purple, Mt. Merit, Defiant, Taxi, Orange Blossom, Amish Paste, Plum Regal, Big Beef, Polbig, Valley Girl, New Girl

Zucchini/Squash (limited supply)

Dunja, Safari, Slic Pic, Zephyr, Alexandria

Cucumber (limited supply)

Marketmore, Salt and Pepper

Eggplant

Nadia, Galine, Rosa Bianca, Beatrice, Applegreen

Peppers

Red Ace, Flavorburst, Red Knight, Carmen

Flowers

Edible Marigolds

Other

Basil, Mix basil (thai, cinnamon, red, lemon, lime), Lettuce, Kale, Chard, Scallions, Tomatillos, Hot Peppers (jalapeno, habanero, cayenne)

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