Soddy Sunday Work Party at Brookside!

JOIN THE NEW BROOKSIDE FARMERS FOR A 'SODDY SUNDAY' WORK DAY     (weather permitting)!

Come see what we're up to and volunteer some time on SUNDAY, APRIL 13TH AT 10:30AM. We will be focusing on removing the already-tilled grass from our outside beds.

At 2pm, we will relax and eat some great food. Food will be provided.

BRING YOUR OWN water/drink (no alcohol allowed on campus) and dishes. If anyone would like to volunteer to make side-dishes, please let us know.

And if you have any garden forks/pitch forks/hoes/hand tools, bring those too!

PLEASE RSVP so everyone gets something to eat!
(912) 398-8688 or email amandasenseman@yahoo.com

There will also be a camera set up for people who would like to talk about Brookside school farm--history, thoughts or things you want to make happen!--so we can put some multi-media up on our website.

https://www.facebook.com/brooksideschoolfarm

How to get there from 101N: Turn Left onto W. Mendocino about 4 blocks to
Spruce street. Turn right. At the school, turn right again into staff
parking lot and go all the way back to the fence and shed. Take the dirt
road on the left, behind the field all the way out to the farm!

Thanks Y'all!
Amanda and Luke, The Farmers

Coast Garden Leaders On The Rise!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Eighteen Garden Leaders from thirteen gardens along the Mendocino Coast and Willits area gathered to network, learn from each other and build the movement for an accessible, sustainable food system!  The gardeners represented a great diversity of gardeners and communities within Mendocino County

Co-hosted by The Gardens Project of NCO and the Noyo Food Forest on the Coast, the goal of this three year program is to train community gardeners to share, organize, lead, and continue to build the movement for expanding and sustaining spaces for community and school gardens.

The Leadership Program is a component of NCO Community Action successfully receiving a USDA Community Food Projects grant to train community leaders in food production and work to alleviate poverty through re-building our local food system.

The group will meet every six weeks in Fort Bragg with each meeting focused on a different theme such as effective leadership, garden advocacy, market opportunities and growing community. Meetings are co-facilitated by Gardens Project coordinator Miles Gordon, Gardens Project and Noyo Food Forest staff.

This year's cohort represent the following gardens:Stone Soup Family Garden, Senior Kitchen Garden, Fort Bragg Grange Community Garden, Ecology Action Garden at Stanford Inn, Mendocino, Caspar Community Garden , Noyo Come-Unity Garden, Redwood School Rainbow Garden, Dana Grey School Garden, Fort Bragg Middle School Garden, The Learning Garden, Fort Bragg High School, Willits Charter High School Garden, Brookside School Farm, and the Willits Community Garden.

For more information about this year's Leadership Training, contact The Gardens Project or The Noyo Food Forest.

Tree Care Blitzed!

Thank you to Common Vision, PG & E, and all the volunteers who helped to care for Brookside School Farm's fruit trees on Sunday! Don't they look great?

Tree Care Blitz at Brookside School

Come out and learn to care for fruit trees while supporting the orchard at Brookside School Farm!

Breathing New Life Into Brookside School Farm

Students in Willits might not realize it, but they belong to a school district that has been busy breaking ground in the local food movement. Over the past several years, the Willits Unified School District has changed the way it feeds its students. WUSD Food Service Director Christy Wisdom has been leading the charge to increase healthy, whole, and local foods served in the school’s cafeterias. Wisdom and her dedicated team partnered with the Farm2Fork project of North Coast Opportunities—Community Action in February 2012, and together they have continued to reshape the face of food in WUSD.

A piece of the puzzle has been missing for many involved in food services at WUSD, however. In 2006, a revolutionary idea was born at Brookside Elementary: what if available public property on school grounds could be used to grow food for the school and community at large?

The idea was warmly embraced, and the one-acre Brookside School Farm was born under the vision and hard work of Jason Bradford. His goal was to design a productive demonstration farm that could both feed and educate the people it served. After six successful seasons that included a popular CSA program, funding for the garden ran out in the winter of 2012. The land has been fallow ever since.

The now-empty garden represents the loss of a successful program, but it also provides a unique opportunity for WUSD to continue its trend of thinking outside the box. After months of discussions and strategic planning, WUSD, in partnership with the Farm2Fork project of North Coast Opportunities—Community Action, announced a new plan for the future of Brookside School Farm. 

The school district, in short, wants to “license” the land, essentially granting permission to operate a farm on the property. Proposals are being accepted from experienced farmers, businesses, and non-profits who are interested in operating Brookside Farm. The chosen applicant will be asked to sign a 3-year license agreement, with the stipulation that at least 15% of the garden must be dedicated to growing food for the school. The farm also has to remain accessible for educational activities.

Brookside School Farm already has significant infrastructure that the operator will have full access to, including a hoop house, vegetable washing station, rainwater catchment system, solar power, tools, and equipment. Water will also be supplied, rounding out what is an already appealing package for many farmers. Beyond these equipment and water provisions, the operator will be fully responsible for all expenses and for generating income from the land.

“This is a unique opportunity,” says Susan Lightfoot, Farm2Fork Coordinator. “It’s a great fit for someone with production experience and people skills, a passion for healthy local food, a commitment to community-based agriculture, and a love of children.” It might sound like a tall order, but for the right person or organization, Brookside School Farm has the potential to be both a community asset as well as a profitable business.

Proposals must be submitted by 4pm on Friday, August 30. Anyone interested should contact Lightfoot at (707) 467-3238 or slightfoot@ncoinc.org.

Seeking Farmer for Brookside School Farm!

The Willits Unified School District, in partnership with North Coast Opportunities—Community Action, is looking for an experienced farmer, business, and/or non-profit to operate Brookside Farm, a 1-acre Farm to School production garden at Brookside Elementary School in Willits, California.  The successful candidate will enter into a 3-year License Agreement with the school district to grow food for the school and community while allowing access to the farm for educational activities.

Brookside Farm is a turn-key operation with significant existing infrastructure, including a 20’x65’ hoop house, a brand new vegetable washing station, a  rainwater catchment system, solar power, tools and some equipment.  An annual rent of $450 will be required in addition to a commitment to utilize at least 15% of the bed space for growing crops for the schools.  Municipal water will be provided by Willits Unified. All other production expenses will be the responsibility of the farmer and all profits from farming activities will be retained by the farmer.  The full License Agreement is available for review upon request. 

This is a unique opportunity for the right person/organization/business.  We are looking for someone with production experience and people skills, as interfacing with the school and community will be required.  A passion for healthy local food, a commitment to community-based agriculture, excellent communication skills,  an entrepreneurial spirit and a love of children are prerequisites for this endeavor! 

Proposals must be submitted by 4pm on Friday, August 30th.  Interested parties should contact Susan Lightfoot, Farm2Fork Coordinator at North Coast Opportunities—Community Action, at (707)467-3238 or slightfoot@ncoinc.org for more information.  Thank you! 

Garden Leaders on the Rise - North County!!

The Gardens Project of NCO has begun its second year of our intensive Garden Leadership Program to train community gardeners to share, organize, lead, and continue to build the movement for expanding and sustaining spaces for community and school gardens.  This year - Mendocino County North!

The Gardner Leadership Program began in January 2012 and brought together 24 gardeners from 12 different community and school gardens in the greater Ukiah area and Anderson Valley. In November of 2012, the Gardens Project graduated this first class of participants.  Check out our new Ukiah based Garden Leadership Council!

Our new group of garden leaders will meet every six weeks through November to teach each other greater skills in: Building Community and Communication, Effective Leadership, Accessing Resources and Hosting Work Parties, Marketing Opportunities, and Garden Advocacy.

By the end of the year long training, the participants will comprise our North County Leadership Council that will continue to meet, share, plan, and advise The Gardens Project. In year three, the training will move to gardens on the Coast (Point Arena to Fort Bragg).

The Leadership Program is a component of NCO Community Action successfully receiving a USDA Community Food Projects grant to train community leaders in food production and work to alleviate poverty through re-building our local food system.

The gardens represented at this year's training are: Willits Community Garden, Brooktrails Community Garden, Bobcat Garden at Brookside Elementary, Willits Charter High School, Willits Charter Elementary School, Yuki Trails Community Garden in Covelo, and the Commonwealth Gardens of Howard Hospital. For more information about this year's training, contact The Gardens Project.
 

We Ran the Ranch!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out and supported the Gardens Project's 2nd annual Run the Ranch event this past Saturday!

It was a beautiful day and all participants had a great time and couldn't stop talking about the delicious, local lunch of caprese salad sandwiches and grilled veggies.

Thank you to the North Coast Striders, Jaxon Keys Winery, Brookside Farm, Raleys, Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op, and Schats Bakery for donating the cheese, bread, vegetables, and race registration and support!

We raised $650 which will be used to provide new infrastructure for our community and school gardens.

Thanks again to everyone who ran, if you didn't make it, we hope to see you there next year!

Check out the slideshow below to see pictures from the event!

Thank you for Caring!

THANK YOU so much to everyone who came out for United Way's Day of Caring on September 14!



This year, three of the Gardens Project's gardens participated in the event; Brookside School Farm, Yokayo Elementary School, and Nokomis Elementary School and Head Start.

Over at Nokomis we layed down cardboard on the paths and then covered them with lots of wood chips. It was hard work in the hot sun, but we all felt accomplished after seeing the enormous mountain of wood chips decrease into just a small pile.

To see photos from the Nokomis Garden's Day of Caring Volunteers check out the slideshow below

Willits Farm-to-School

With an abundance of rains and some splendid splotches of sun in recent weeks, garden beds have steadily began to flourish. However they aren’t the only things in the area turning over a new leaf. Members of the Farm to School project team have been continuously working to incorporate more nutritious, locally sourced food into meals at Willits school cafeterias.

The team, which consists of North Coast Opportunities employees, local farmers, Willits Unified School District Employees and cafeteria staff, local students and Head Chef of the Ukiah Valley Medical Center, has come together to establish a “Meal of the Month” program.

The program will feature one meal prepared with locally grown, seasonal, organic food every month at each of the public schools in Willits. In addition to receiving a fresh local and nutritious meal will be an educational component attached. One premise of the program is to provide information about where the food is coming from and how it is grown to help educate students on the vast impact food has on their health and community.

“Meal of the Month is a proactive approach to improve grades, attendance and health while enhancing community at the schools through more nutritious meals,” said Mason Giem, a member of the Farm to School Team.

It is set to kick off with a trial run in late May at the Willits High School with a menu that has been developed by the Farm to School team and includes a salad, entrée and dessert. Food for the event is being grown by local farmers Antonia Partridge at Brookside School Farm, Becky Bowlds at Willits High School and Ellen Bartholomew at Ridgewood Ranch.

In the weeks leading up to the first “Meal of the Month” Chef Jim Stuart of the Ukiah Valley Medical Center will be facilitating training days at each of the schools. These trainings were established to help the eager and ambitious yet overworked and understaffed cafeteria employees utilize the equipment presently available in their kitchens in the most effective ways possible. With tight budgets and the possibility of more funding cuts the schools are not able to purchase additional kitchen appliances and attachments needed to prepare fresh produce and cook from scratch.

The Farm to School project has teamed up with Willits students to raise funds for a sustainable and lasting program. The Willits High School Peer Counseling Class is selling eco-friendly stainless steel water bottles in which profits will benefit both Peer Counseling and the Willits Farm to School program. All of the Blosser Lane Elementary students are selling re-usable bags that will provide much needed funding to their garden as well as the Willits Farm to School Program. These fundraisers and others are made possible through the local non-profit, GreenTree Footprints, and are available for any group wishing to raise money in an eco-friendly way. These environmentally friendly items can be purchased from any Blosser Lane or Peer Counseling student and will benefit a number of students throughout Willits. Contact Mason Giem at 707-841-0464 for more information about the fundraiser.

written by Cate Oliver

Changing Seasons at Brookside School Farm

The last two weeks have been absolutely beautiful at Brookside School Farm. With winter fast approaching, I kept expecting to find withered tomato vines, but even with the cooler nights those hardy tomatoes kept hanging on. At last week's farmers market here in Willits, we had the last of the corn and cherry tomatoes... and still sweet! It was such a contrast- warming my hands in the chilly but clear morning, and harvesting summer vegetables!

Despite the rain and cold weather approaching, the farm will keep going throughout the winter. A row of multi-colored chard and several varieties of kale grow tall and healthy, and rows of broccoli are forming heads, soon to be ripe. Tender peas climb up a trellis, holding on in the breeze, and lettuce heads are steadily growing larger around them. Some rows lie under a blanket of Remae row cover, shining bright white against the natural background and protecting the tender young plants underneath from the elements. Other sections are planted in cover crops- neat rows of fava beans with other soil building plants sprouting up everywhere in their midst. It's been a fun journey from the bounty of summer harvests, and as the days of sweet tomatoes and zucchini are winding down, I'm looking forward to greens, root crops, and cold season veggies!

Willits Farm To School

Local, Organic, Tomato sauce for the Willits Unified School District

Although the season is winding down, harvests continue to pour in at Brookside Elementary School Farm, and the new farm to school program is well underway! Every Tuesday and Thursday, Antonia Partridge, the farm manager, and a crew of volunteers picks produce from the 1-acre organic farm tucked into the back corner of the athletic field at Brookside Elementary School. The tomatoes are just booming! We have Amish Paste, Roma, several heirloom varieties, and lots of cherry tomatoes (black cherry, sweet million, yellow pear, and sungolds). Yum! On Tuesday, volunteers picked 68 pounds of Roma and paste tomatoes, 23 pounds of heirloom slicers, 38 pounds of cherry tomatoes, 14 pounds of cucumbers, 21 pounds of squash and zucchini, 4 pounds of broccoli, and 4 pounds of mixed greens, such as chard and kale.

Most of the produce is then taken to Little Lake Grange, where another fantastic group of volunteers wash the produce, make fresh tomato sauce, and can it using glass Mason jars. So far we’ve canned over 100 quarts of pasta sauce! This sauce, along with washed cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumbers, is delivered to the school district so that Willits schools can add in farm-fresh, healthy, organic food to their lunch offerings. Way to go Willits!

-Written by Alison Petro

Farm to School Harvest

A little reminder for CSA members to pick up your produce either today,
Tuesday, after 4pm or tomorrow any time. The baskets should be about the
same as last week with increasing tomatoes as we get farther into the
season.

If you have any little produce baskets, the type that berries and cherry
tomatoes are sold in, please share what you can with the farm.

This cool summer is nice for the farmer and some of the crops that like
the mild weather. Our fall starts of chard and broccoli and lettuce and
kale all are looking great. Heat loving crops on the other hand, such
tomatoes, beans, and peppers, are all late to ripen. If you take a look,
the tomato vines look vigorous and are covered in healthy looking green
fruits. The fruits have been full size for weeks, but are not changing
color, same with the peppers.

Maybe we will get a good hot spell in the weather, I'll move onto the
siesta schedule that is more normal for this time of year, and pick you
colorful fruits in the cool of the early morning. Farmers, sleeping until
7:30am on an August morning? That is ridiculous.

Your Farmer,

Antonia

Brookside Volunteer Day

21 volunteers from Willits High School showed up on Tuesday October 27th to volunteer over 52.5 hours of labor! We had a lot of fun with an inspiring gardener pledge, dirt clod throwing, garlic planting, manure spreading, cover crop planting, frost killed crop removal and roto tilling. We had snacks of local organic apples, organic peanut butter, and high spirits. I want to give a special thanks to Antonia Partridge the farm manager for her excellent leadership in directing the students in the best ways to garden. I would also like to thank David Stephens a counselor from the High School for his innovative grading program that gives points for community service. We are looking to create a weekly high school volunteer day on Tuesday's. Please call Mason Giem if you are interested in volunteering.

The Month of Everything

Greetings CSA Family and Friends!

May is the month of Everything. Cool season crops can still be sown. Warm season crops are in the greenhouse and can be seeded at the end of the month. So we still have bed prep. We are weeding. We are seeding and transplanting. We manage the greenhouse. And, yes indeed folks, there is a little food to harvest.

Not a lot though. I want to manage some expectations for a minute. In our climate the ground stays pretty cold until about now. This is because of the cool nights. So it may look and feel like late spring to you, but for the plants they are just now shifting into high gear and we have to be patient and wait for them to become fully mature individuals before we cut them down and chew them into bits. In past seasons Brookside Farm has had the first weekly pick-ups beginning late May and early June. This year is no different.

Tomorrow is your day to pick up produce! We will have the first lettuce of the year, plus chard, leeks and multiplier onions. If you are savvy you might want to check out the strawberry patch too. The rule at the farm is: feel free to forage for fabulous soft fruits. I don’t collect these because they are so delicate. I can see that the raspberries and blackberries are flowering, so keep an eye on those too!

Thrills and Delights at the Farm. I have really been enjoying work this year. I feel like I know enough to be in the groove. I get out to the farm and get into the flow of doing various tasks. I am efficient. The tools are in good shape. The soil is nice. Antonia is working with me too, so I have someone to check in with on strategies and priorities, etc.

However, just when I am giving myself a mental high five for being on top of things and having Mother Nature under control and all, some minor agricultural disaster strikes. Carrot seeds are getting mowed down, during the night it seems. We consult with David Drell and he thinks it may be slugs or cutworms. We throw out diatomaceous earth and Bt-laced wheat bran and begin chanting paganesque prayers to Demeter and Persephone.

Since then no more damage is occurring, and the lettuce and kale transplants aren’t getting touched. So I am both humbled and hopeful that thick beds of carrot seedlings will be seen promptly.

A Cry for Help. The farm had a whole lot of cloth produce bags made, around 80 of them. We are down to about a dozen that I am aware of. I would love to bag your greens for you as this makes sure everybody gets a fair share, but I can’t when we are so low on the produce bags. So do me a favor and check every nook and cranny of your kitchen for cloth bags and bring them tomorrow.

Potluck at Farm. Since the weather is obviously fabuloso and expected to stay that way, I suggest people bring some food to share and stay at the farm for a meal tomorrow evening. Bring your own utensils and drinks (besides water) too!

Happy Eating!

Jason

The Vermiculture Digest

Greetings CSA Family and Friends!

Today I will say something about “healthy addictions.” Really, this is an important topic. Our brain likes happy chemicals and we tend to find ways to release them. Trouble is, we become quickly habituated to stimulation and then seek novelty to get that same old feeling. Our modern society gives us so many opportunities to be rewarded, but many people can’t handle it. They become addicted to unhealthy things. Of course product developers and marketers exist to get you addicted to buying stuff.

If you are really keen on the topic, see this old radio show I did: http://globalpublicmedia.com/reality_report_evolution_addiction_and_economic_demand

A key point discussed in that show is that we can’t keep from becoming addicted to something. Once we accept this fact of life, the question becomes whether we can work on controlling what we are addicted to and make it healthy and inexpensive rather than destructive and costly.

Why I am writing about this in a farm newsletter?

Because cultivation of plants is a healthy addiction. When I am working on the farm or garden I get to do all sorts of addictive activities. First, I make plans. This sets up the expectation of a reward. But the reward is in the future and the exact timing and quality of the reward is not perfectly known. This is important from a neurological perspective. We want to have expectations fulfilled, but they can’t be totally predictable because fulfillment requires the establishment of tension.

Okay, so the garden plan sets up a potential reward. Then I invest. This raises the stakes. I really don’t want the plants to die. I tend them. Watching them grow feeds mini rewards. “Oh look! The seeds are germinating!” Getting the odd positive reinforcement along the way keeps me hooked. It’s like having a flirtatious conversation.

I really don’t know why, but the plants are beautiful too. I like to gaze upon a thriving bed of rainbow-colored chard. The colors of lettuce are astounding. I grow a light green variety called Salad Bowl and a dark red one called Red Oak Leaf. Seeing them side-by-side is a treat.

I look forward to these experiences each year. In the winter I start to miss them. Seasonality is crucial because it re-establishes novelty. I don’t eat fresh tomatoes out of season, which means I enjoy them all the more when they come off those vines. And the winter provides its own rewards. Tree collards are best in the winter. The occasional snow or hard frost events are fun. An inch of snow on dark green-blue Dino kale is a twice-yearly spectacle.


Exiting Happenings at the Farm. Potatoes will be planted this Friday. Trenches will be dug and the spuds placed about a foot apart. Soil will be tossed over them and they will be periodically hilled. I can’t wait to see them spread their leaves across the whole bed-row and then flower.

While I am obviously having fun, I am a bit anxious right now too. A lot of area has been seeded in beets, carrots and onions. But few seeds have germinated. I go through this every year. Wondering if the seeds are viable, if the soil is alright, if I am giving the beds enough water….on and on. Usually, it turns out fine. Plants have a will to live. But sometimes bad things happen, and I start making back-up plans. I’ve sown a whole flat of onions, for example, and I will probably test the germination rate of those beet seeds in my greenhouse. I don’t want you all to worry, just letting you know what kind of swings I go through mentally. “Talking” about it makes me feel a little better.

The greenhouse has some new occupants that will excite your salivary glands: tomatoes, peppers and tomatillos. No germination to report yet since they just went in this weekend, but they are in beautiful flat soil and on a temperature sensitive heating pad (thanks to David Drell). Amazing to ponder that they will be 2 feet tall in one gallon pots by the end of May…more anticipation.


Probably the Most Exciting News You Will Hear in a While. Antonia Partridge has been working with me at Brookside Farm for a couple of weeks and we are seriously planning to place chickens on site, both egg and meat types. Details to follow, but the idea is that we improve the soil fertility while adding value to the whole operation. Using chicken tractors I think we can do wonderful things to the troubled area that had symphylans last year.

Your baskets this month are not huge. Start thinking about what to do with leeks, tree collards, chard, kale, and green onions. They might be great together in a frittata. I am still partial to cooking greens in broth for about 10 minutes with some salt and pepper.

I am hoping to have another harvest in mid May and be going weekly around then. Just so you understand the harvest cycle, the produce will really pick up in volume by mid June and baskets are hefty each week though October. Then we close out the year with a couple of monthly deliveries in Nov. and Dec.

Horticulturally Yours,

Jason

Brookside Farm March Newsletter

Greetings CSA Family and Friends!

We are having just lovely weather and the farm is in fantastic shape. March has given enough breaks between rains to do significant bed preparation. I had a great time removing cover crops and spreading compost and other amendments last week (and had some nice volunteer help too). Later this week, I transplant the first lettuce of the season from the greenhouse and sow sugar snap peas. If the soil warms sufficiently I will soon be seeding onions, beets, carrots and radishes. Cabbage, chard, kale and leeks have their place in the greenhouse for a while too.

This year I am especially enthused because the available compost on site is plentiful. The plants should be very healthy and vigorous as a result. Yields the first two seasons were okay, but not stupendous. Last year the summer veggies took a hit from the July smoke but the spring vegetables thrived. The previous year an early heat wave caused the spring plants to suffer. So it goes. In both years, compost additions were minimal. Not anymore!

I am rather proud of the garlic. Last year the bulbs didn’t get very large and I think this was because they were planted in the same area that gave us symphylan troubles in the summer. There’s about 1/3rd of the farm with a soil “issue” that is still mysterious. That area is out of veggie production until the “issue” is resolved. So the garlic is in a nice bed of soil and is thriving. It has been weeded and fresh compost applied and the gentle rains keep coming. Greatness is expected in July.

Now for the really important news…

Pick Up Date, Place and Time. Tuesday, March 24th, 4-6 pm at Brookside Farm. I emphasize, pick up at THE FARM! We have evening sunshine and great weather so this is your chance to check out the place.

Keep in mind this is the lean time of year. Storage crops are about out, so it will be the last of the over winter root crops and the winter greens, which are plentiful.

I’ve been suffering a bit lately. No big deal, just some bad poison oak on my right wrist and not so bad elsewhere. Plus minor infection of the blisters that turned them into pustules. Okay, that’s enough information. At least David Drell and I got the outrigger system done so the deer can just look on jealously and not partake. I am on some meds that make me feel as if I have an expresso drip line right into my bloodstream. I can’t fathom how sleep will occur. Perhaps another set of medications?

Lastly, the PV system is almost complete. Just some battery conditioning to sort out and then I can start using electricity on site. Perhaps a disco ball and hi fi? Thanks for Ralph Pisciotta for all his efforts!

Jason

Brookside Farm newsletter Feb 23, 2009

Greetings CSA Family and Friends!

My computer sits at a table next to a bay window and I can look up from the screen and watch the rain. It is a warm storm, with gusty winds, currently to the north, sending the spray sideways.

My rain gauge says nearly 3 inches have fallen in the past few days. I think this means we have had a normal February. I can hear Willits Creek roaring behind the farm. The sound of runoff is soothing as previous rains seemed only to sink into thirsty soil.

Pick Up Date, Place and Time. Tuesday, February 24th, (that’s tomorrow) at my house, 4-6 pm.

I am probably going to be heading down to the farm today and dig out some parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes. It will be soggy! Tomorrow I will harvest the greens and leeks. Onions and potatoes will come out of storage.

This month has been less physically active than in January, when it seemed like spring. Time indoors was spent finishing the planning charts and ordering seeds. I started working in the greenhouse, doing basic cleaning, organizing and making potting soil. Today I plan to get some lettuce going for planting in about 1 month. Sometime between now and then I need to prepare the bed space for said lettuce. I need a break in the weather to do bed prep, and I look forward to that but with mixed feelings since a break in the weather means it is not raining, which I want it to do almost continuously for a couple of months. So what do I really want?

In Other News. Bill and Marilyn Boosinger were fantastic helpers with last month’s harvest. David and Ellen Drell came by to assist with winter maintenance of vines and artichokes. David and I also set up some fence extenders that should thwart the deer. Roger Wilson is working on a bike trailer that will replace my old Burley. The worm bins are extremely active thanks to food scraps from Mendonesia Café. I estimate about 2000 lbs of worm castings will be ready to use this spring and summer.

Cooking Tips. My family makes copious use of winter greens in two ways. Way 1: Simmer coarsely chopped kale, chard and tree collards in a covered pot in chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste. Way 2: Puree greens in blender or food processor and add to soups. The latter is an incredibly sneaky method of feeding children all their veggies. “Look kids! Green potato soup!”

Soakingly Yours,

Jason

Brookside Farm newsletter Jan. 27, 2009

Greetings CSA Family and Friends!

Welcome to the new year of food goodies from Brookside Farm--the only CSA in Willits, cultivating Class I prime farmland, Felix Loam soil at Brookside Elementary School. This is probably a good time to review farm guidelines, protocols, “rules,” etc. as we have some new members and the old-timers may need reminding…I know I do, just ask my wife.

Brookside Farm has produce available on Tuesdays, weekly during the main season (probably sometime in late April to May) and monthly otherwise. Monthly deliveries are February and March 24th, then to be announced. Produce is usually laid out on the table at the farm, either in baskets or often under moist burlap sacks. Loose greens are placed in cloth bags. Look for the sign that indicates how much by weight or count you should take. The farm provides baskets for you to use or bring your own containers. Please be prompt about returning baskets each week. Sometimes during the winter pick up will be at my residence (284 Redwood Ave). This is because many of the storage crops are kept at my home, the weather may be cold and wet, and the daylight hours short.

We encourage farm members to visit and even volunteer to help with chores, uh, I mean physically stimulating and rewarding exercise. I will set regular volunteer hours at some point, otherwise call me at 456-0760 if you want to participate early. Because the elementary school doesn’t want people just wandering across campus during school hours, check in with the front office to get a visitor pass if you come during the day. It is best if you park your car in the front of the school and walk to the farm during school hours. I appreciate knowing if you want to come to the farm during school hours so I can let you know whether I’ll be there. Sometimes I have off-site work to do, running errands, fixing tools, etc. and don’t want you to show up and be disappointed. During the summer I tend to take long lunches to avoid mid-day heat and may even fall asleep.

When visiting the farm I ask that everybody keep their feet on the paths. Beds have soft, fluffy soil that compacts easily. A bed that looks empty may have germinating seeds in it. I am glad to do some informal teaching to the volunteers and curious visitors, but keep in mind I also get anxious to sow crops on time and complete a busy harvest day. Help keep the site clean and the tools in good shape by picking up at the end of the day and putting things back into the tool chest. There’s usually enough tools to share with visitors, but you may need your own gloves.

A Bit of History. During 2008 some of the produce went to school lunches and snacks, mostly through the preschool. Grants have been sought to pay for extra time in the school cafeteria so more fresh veggies and fruits can be included. We’ll see what happens with those. I truly enjoy visits by students, which tend to be concentrated in Aug-Sept and May-June. The school garden program is developing a site within Brookside Farm, so by late this spring and certainly by summer, there should be a lot of student activity about. In addition to the food plantings, Brookside Farm has incorporated plants that smell great, have various colors and textures, and attract a variety of life forms. This diversity has ecological, educational and aesthetic value.

Past farm membership fees were very important to help establish the essential infrastructure. This year will include a solar electric system! Current income goes towards paying the farmer (that would be me) a monthly salary of $1000. I am officially a self-employed independent contractor who bills North Coast Opportunity as the Farm Manager. Long-term plans include a greenhouse, storage barn, and compost shed. With a few thousand dollars above membership fees the farm could be in good shape by being able to purchase replacement tools, slowly build more infrastructure and save a bit just in case. I still seek donations and grants.

A Look at 2009. I have had the pleasure the past few days of planning for the 2009 spring and summer planting seasons. The past couple of years have taught me a great deal about what tends to work really well and what is marginal. Certain plants I have found are just not worth the effort. Unfortunately this includes spinach and basil. Also, many of the fall-planted vegetables tend to perform badly. I would rather invest in good cover crops and have better opportunities in the spring and summer. So, the crop plan is a bit leaner on diversity, but emphasizes more of what is likely to succeed.

I am also reducing the area planted for crops that take up a lot of space, such as potatoes and winter squash, with the goal of planting them elsewhere in Little Lake Valley in partnership with a few other farmers. So the area being cultivated at Brookside will be smaller this year than in the past, but on the upside I expect better management of the space being used, more compost available per area, and a focus on crops with a good track record of performance.

Trees and berries are in their third year and may produce a small amount this year. Their success may be water dependent. It has been a joy to prune the trees into shape this past month.

The water situation is making me nervous. California farmers are getting hammered right now and many fewer acres of vegetables will be planted in 2009 than is typical (see: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D95UEV200.htm). I was very water-use efficient last year, and hope that the 14,000 gallon tank being planned to capture from the preschool roof gets installed in time to be of service this year.

Thanks again for being a supporter and eater of Brookside Farm produce for 2009. I believe you get a great food value for the membership. My estimate is that the average cost of produce for the year comes out to about $2.00 per pound, which is probably less than what grocery stores charge currently. If two people shared a share, it would take care of most of their annual vegetable needs (they would still want fruit) at a cost of about $1.00 per day. Considering what a latte sells for, I am proud to offer this kind of value.

Onward Hoe!

Jason

January Newsletter

What’s Cookin’…at Brookside?
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2009

Greetings CSA Family and Friends!

I am writing to let folks know that the next farm pick up day is January 27. I will advise you as the day approaches whether the baskets will be at my house or the farm as this is a weather dependent decision.

To be eligible for the January basket, please submit your 2009 membership form with payment, and renewing members don’t have to fill the whole thing out unless something has changed regarding contact information, etc. If you’ve lost the membership form just present a check for $750 to pay in full or $400 in part. You can leave an envelope at my home, in my mailbox if I am absent, 284 Redwood Ave. I am going to start advertising for new members right away.

The farm advisory committee will also meet on the 27th and we can do that either at my house or the school, weather dependent, at 4 pm.

Farm Happenings. The deer have now defied my primitive defenses so a serious effort will be made to raise the height of the northwest fence where their hoof prints indicate their comings and goings. I have the materials to do this and John White will help me so it is physically possible.

The fallow area for next year was tilled and cover crop seeds were broadcast before the series of December rains. This record warm spell may cause germination and then I am really crossing my fingers that the rain arrives. To assist in water matters, the City of Willits is planning to install a 10,000 gallon tank on the preschool buildings to collect rainwater for the use of the farm. Considering the farm used 25,000 gallons from June to September this past year, a tank of this size is significant. The tank will be paid for by a grant the City received for their water conservation program.

More chores this time of year include pruning the orchard. David Drell is going to help me with that. I also am hauling leaves down to the farm from my neighborhood where I have made arrangements to let them sit and wet and compress in volume. Little by little a great stockpile is being made near the old compost piles and this is something Davis and Curtis seem to like to help me do.

Once we get a solid week of dry weather behind us, I will probably weed and spread compost. Grass is growing vigorously in some paths and the Glaser hoe should take care of that. The beds of garlic, leeks, kale and chard could use some weeding and finished compost too.

Mendo Food Futures. The solid month of rain drove me indoors where I did a lot of writing for Mendo Food Futures, a project of North Coast Opportunities (like Brookside Farm) and Willits Action Group managed by Cyndee Logan and Patty Bruder with the collaboration of WELL. A good place to learn about this project is at the Thursday Willits Farmers’ Market where handouts and staff are present. We should have the new local currency in circulation within the week, and I was thrilled that the printer decided he wanted us to pay for his services in the currency he was printing for us!

Happy Eating!

Jason