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2013 Farm Shares, Hopkinton Farmers Market, Vitamix for a Cause
Long Life Farm
Dear <<First Name>>,                                                                                                                                                                                                                     JANUARY NEWSLETTER

We are alive and well at Long Life Farm. Now that the daylight is lasting a bit longer each day, we are getting energized for a new season. We just got back from the NOFA/Mass Winter Conference this past weekend and came away with some good ideas for budgeting, crop planning, irrigation, long term planning and making the farmer more sustainable (yes that is correct, how does a farmer survive the season and the farm?). The key message I am taking to heart is to get into shape before the season starts, instead of using the season to get us into shape. Pre-season training worked well for us last year, but we are a few weeks late in starting this year, I blame that on the flu. Our "season" is starting now with seeds going into trays starting next week, but the heavy physical work of  preparing beds won't begin until mid March and then the seeding and transplanting into the field won't begin until April.

We have been actively buying supplies, seeds, potting soil, trays and tools that we need. We hope that when you pick up your shares this year, they will be in a walk-in cooler, which we are working on acquiring. The production plan is updated from last year. We hope to grow more summer squash, eggplants and peppers than we did last year. We also want to incorporate some veggies at our Pond St field that shareholders can pick themselves: cherry tomatoes, ground cherries, snap peas and beans. These were two key takeaways from the shareholder survey we did after last season. We will also have a farm tour sometime in April or May so that shareholders can come by and visit the three locations before the season gets underway. Last year we grew produce for 40 families and this year we expect to grow for about 60 families. 20 will pick up weekly shares and 40 will pick up every other week. To reserve your share for 2013, print out the application and send in your deposit. You can find more detailed information here.  We look forward to a productive and healthy season.  

Hopkinton Farmers Market 2013: To Be or Not To Be?

If any of you went to the Ashland Farmers Market this past season and have also attended the Hopkinton Farmers Market, you know the market in Hopkinton leaves a great deal to be desired. Long Life Farm is a vendor at both markets and we are residents of Hopkinton. I have been frustrated by the lack of customers and vendors at the Hopkinton Market. I am not alone in this frustration, which is why many of the vendors started disappearing in August instead of sticking it out through October. If the vendors do not make money at the market due to lack of customer traffic, they won't come back.  What brings people to the market is a diverse selection of the items that they want to buy. So one depends upon the other and vice versa. At the same time, we have been overwhelmed by the welcome and support of the residents of Ashland at that market.  How could the two markets be so much different?  Well the answer is the Ashland Farmers Market has been organized by an energetic team of residents that really care about their food and getting it local at its most fresh. The Hopkinton Farmers Market has been managed by one person and it really has not reflected a true farmers market with a diverse group of local food producers.

The Hopkinton Market needs a face lift and a group of residents to make it a success. It needs to move from a private enterprise to a non-profit enterprise that supports our town. So what to do? At first, Don and I (as well as many other vendors) said well we just won't attend the Hopkinton market. While it would make our lives as farmers must easier to go to only one big farmers market per week, it did not seem right for our town to lose this great opportunity for our residents to connect with each other over local food. The market manager has decided to move on and Weston Nurseries is open minded about the market changing locations for the benefit of our town. Now that I have seen what a community can do to organize such a great seasonal event, I believe Hopkinton can and should do it too.  So,  we are kicking the ball forward, keeping it in play until we can find a person to lead this team.  Are you that person?  Or are you one that can be a member of one of the teams? We need people to help with these tasks: steering committee, marketing, fund raising, logistics, event planning (music and kids programs), vendor selection and administration. On January 28, we will present to the Parks and Recreation Department to hopefully gain their approval for moving the market to the Town Common.  The day of the market will also change from Friday to Sunday, time to be determined.  Once I get into full planting mode, I will not have time to hand hold this process any longer, but will stay involved to try and help the teams as well as attend as a local produce grower. Here is the presentation from our first volunteer meeting January 8.  Let me know if you can help and the areas you are interested in. Let's make the market in Hopkinton something all of our residents look forward to.  All the best, Laura Davis         
   

Vitamix for a Cause

The best way to try and get more vegetables and fruit into your diet is to drink them.  Don and I bought each other the Vitamix for Christmas two years ago. It is part of our daily routine.  At first we were experimenting with all sorts of recipes for smoothies, but now we tend to keep it simple. This makes it easier to make it a habit.  While some people drink smoothies to loose weight (watch the movie: "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead"), our main motivation was using up excess greens and veggies, as there were too many to eat.  What we found was that these smoothies made us feel great, so now they have become our morning vitamins.  Even though we  are organic vegetable farmers,  when the season gets going and gets chaotic, it is sometimes difficult to plan the healthiest meals for our family. By drinking a morning smoothie we are drinking at least 1/2 of our daily fruits and vegetables.  Nutritionists say we need 9-12 servings of fruits and vegetables each day (1/2 cup is a serving, unless it is leafy greens, then it is 1 cup).  Our morning routine is bananas, apples or pears and greens.  We use a different green each week so as to get the most diverse minerals and vitamins from each one (kale, spinach, dandelion greens, Swiss chard, hearty lettuce). Our Vitamix pitcher is 64 oz and we add:  2 bananas, 2 apples or pears, 2 handfuls of greens, 2 cups of water and a handful of ice and blend for just under a minute.  My second favorite is adding a beet to that mixture.  I also like pineapple in place of the apples or pears.  Cook's Illustrated has rated the Vitamix as their favorite blender.  There are juicers out there that separate the pulp from the juice and many people toss the pulp which is a real shame since our bodies need that fiber.  We are looking for donations to subsidize our two farm shares that go to lower income families. We thought this would be a perfect way to help pay for those shares.  Buy a Vitamix by using our link, get free shipping and Long Life Farm will receive a small commission that will go to subsidize these shares.  Smoothie recipes will also be provided throughout the season with your Long Life Farm share.   Can you imagine adding chopped butternut squash and some chicken broth to your Vitamix and letting it go for 7 minutes? The result is hot, creamy butternut squash soup to enjoy for lunch!  We also like 2 cups of frozen fruit and 1 cup of So Delicious Coconut milk. After 1 minute, it is a delicious and healthy sorbet.  
 
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