Great News!  Jim and Tom from Far Land Provisions found a loop hole in the town regulations that allows charities to hold events.  I am applying with the Provincetown Dog Park to hold the market as a fundraiser for them until the zoning issue can be resolved.  Brilliant!  Other nonprofits have also stepped up and offered their support.  I hope they can take part in various markets during the summer to promote their activities in town.

Thank you to everyone who called, wrote, emailed and chatted with town officials!  YOU made the difference.  Many thanks to the guys at Far Land.  We have had many constructive conversations and I look forward to working together to bring more local produce to the town and their store.  I am grateful for their assistance, resourcefulness  and willingness to work together.

There is a select board meeting on Thursday to review the proposal.  I know everyone is eager for a solution.  Thank you to the town officials who have worked hard to be fair and diligent.

We will email people with the final confirmation.

Here’s to a great Season!

The average age of the American farmer is 58.  While that makes me feel young, it is a distressing statistic.

I believe that the future of farming will not be with the industrial food producers, we are beginning to see a shift already.  However where do we find the next generation of growers?

This year we are hosting three young men who are intent upon not only learning to farm but learning the business of farming.

These men will spend 9 months learning every aspect of our operation from greenhouse seedling production in the spring to cover crops (green manure) in the fall.  They will see the entire season and receive training all along the way.  Each one will be blogging about his experiences and areas of interest.  All three are bright, intentional and gentle spirited.

Our hope is that they will be able to learn and duplicate their experiences on another farm, and feel blessed with the willingness of these young people to join with us on this adventure.

If you know of anyone that would like to apprentice on Silverbrook Farm for the 2010 season, please send them in our direction.

Silverbrook Farm, 592 Chase Road, Dartmouth, MA  02747

Phone:  508-991-5185

Email: Silverbrook.Farm@comcast.net

Web: www.SilverbrookDartmouth.com

I am writing to let you know that the Provincetown Farmers Market has been cancelled for six weeks. The soonest the market could open is July 4th. Please become involved and act to insure the market does not end!

Two weeks ago a Mr. Roderick, a local accountant living in Provincetown made a complaint (two weeks before the market was opening) to the Provincetown Select Board about “zoning concerns” that he had regarding the Provincetown Farmers Market. The town’s lawyer decided today that the market must go through a zoning process and cancelled the market until the zoning permits can be obtained.

It is imperative to contact your elected officials to voice your concern! The zoning meeting takes place on June 4th and needs local input to support the market. There is no guarantee that the zoning will be approved or that Mr. Roderick will not appeal a positive decision.

Vendors will be at the Market site on Saturday (without product) to give out information, answer questions and suggest action. Please do not let an event that is loved by locals, tourists and vendors disappear.

Questions have also been raised about the “localness” of the vendors ; implying that the market is stocked with outsiders. Firstly, 4 of 8 participants who signed up for the market last year were from Cape Cod (a ratio similar to the markets at Falmouth, Sandwich, Bourne, Vineyard Haven and Buzzards Bay). Secondly, the other 4 vendors were from Dartmouth, Westport, Middleborough and a bakery from Watertown whose owner’s parents live on the Cape. When the market restarted in 2007, every Cape farm (which there are very few) received Certified Mail invitations guaranteeing them a spot at the market - we accepted every one who responded!

I challenge the premise that “local” ends at the canal - my farm is 13 miles from Falmouth. Isn’t that still local? We are all from three contiguous counties in Southeastern Massachusetts. Strangely, I find that the people making these claims do not carry local produce in their store or use local product in their baking. Why the disparity? I applaud such businesses as the Bradford Natural Food Market which take time and effort to work with the local farmers and not against them. This collegiality serves all the community well.

I ask that you tell your friends and neighbors about this development. (You may forward this message to your friends with the link below.) I ask you to join with us to keep a valuable, wonderful event in town. It is up to each of us!

Sincerely,

Andrew Pollock
Silverbrook Farm
Market Manager

We use seed catalogues that specialize in seed diversity.  Our top 3 sources are:

1. Fedco - a funky 1960 like cooperative whose black and white catalogue is full of quips.  Based in Maine they offer lots of old varieties appropriate for our region with great prices.

2. Johnny’s - Seeds, also based in Maine, they are extremely easy to deal with, specialize in our growing climate and carry a lot of earth safe pesticides with a grid as to what insects they are made for.  We also bring the Johnny’s Catalog to the farmers markets we attend to show our customers the ingredients of the plant based pesticides we use.

3. Seeds of Change – This organization dedicates their mission to preserving seed varieties.  Their catalog is laid out amazingly with pictures that provide fantastic depictions of beautifully grown crops.  I can always find something fun and unusual here.

Other seed resources include Totally Tomatoes for some hard to find varieties.  Harris Seeds for black plastic (which we use to keep weeds down) and bulk quantities of seeds as well as early plant plugs for the greenhouse.

Each year we try a few new (to us and our customers) but “old” (historic) varieties to feature.

Barbara Kinsolver states in Animal Vegetable, Miracle that 90% of the seeds available in 1900 are no longer around.  Surprisingly people are unaware of the decline.  We have customers ask if a particular product is “new” or genetically modified when it is actually a historic, heirloom or heritage seed.

The joy of diversity comes in the look and taste of the food.  To some customers I suggest serving three varieties of Winter Squash rather than just one.  They served a light, medium and dark variety that really sparked up the dinner.

Please ask about the produce if you don’t recognize something.  Feel free to ask how to cook things as well.  We want your experience to be one of enjoyment and good health.

Winter work is crap.  Literally!  We partner with the local zoo and every week collect a large truck load of elephant poop from two sweet Pachyderms named Emily and Ruth.  We retrieve their manure all year long.  It used to go to the dump.  What a waste!

In February we clean out a large pile of horse manure from the mounted police unit at a local beach.  We remove about 15 truckloads.  We also remove manure from several local horse stables.

Our own chickens help too.  We shovel out their coops every 6 weeks but in the winter we move all the composted manure from our large compost pile and spread it on our fields.

We use guidelines that are recommended by organic regulators.  For crops that grow above the ground manure can be spread on the fields 90 days from harvest.  For crops that grow along the ground the manure can be spread on the fields 120 days before harvest.  Manure collected after those deadlines is composted in an area specific for that use.

The fields are alive!  Using this natural fertilizer is much more labor intensive that using petroleum based chemicals, but the manure feeds the organisms important to the plants that we grow, creating nutrients that thrive in our rich soil.  This is sustainable farming!  I can see the improvement in the earth with each year that goes by.

Ten thousand years of history show how animals and plants work together to provide what is needed to produce sustainable farming systems.  While we can’t keep elephants on the farm we can use their contribution to grow higher quality produce, and more of it.  The community also avoids having their dump filled up with something that is useful.

This is our joy in how we farm.

We use interesting and sustainable methods for fertilizer, weed control, planting and winter field cover.

Fertilizer – In the winter and early spring we spread manure, as much as we can find.  Our sources are elephant, (really!) horse and chicken.  We spread in February and March to reduce the chance of runoff.  We do not spread directly on the fields after March, but compost in fragrant piles!

During the season we use Fish Emulsion to feed the soil which in turn feeds the plants.  New Bedford is the largest fishing port in the lower 48 states.  There are plenty sources for fish.

Weed Control – We do not use herbicides!  We want to enhance not kill the earth.  I am wary of their safety.  We use plastic to cover raised beds.  This works well for crops that like warm soil like peppers, tomatoes and onions.  We use burlap sacks from an organic coffee roaster to mulch our perennials.  Our garlic is mulched with sea weed.  We string trim between rows to keep weeds at bay.  This keeps the soil intact and prevents erosion.  For some crops like peas and beans we cultivate a few times between the rows to keep the weeds at bay.  Our approach is tremendously more labor intensive than the traditional spraying of herbicides, but I believe that it is worth it.  I want a safe farm for my workers, friends and family, and I want to have a better farm to pass on to the next generation.

Pest Control – Early identification is key.  We rotate crops, but even then, pests find their way to what they like.  The Johnny’s Seeds Co. has been invaluable in helping us select appropriate, effective and safe insecticides.  We use only organically approved varieties.  Planting is done my hand and with the help of a special piece of equipment (see figure 1).  The guys love using it.  It makes a laborious day almost fun.  We also try to keep deer “candy” crops like broccoli and peas closer to the house and the plants that deer dislike (basil, potatoes, onions and tomatoes) in the fields where we see more deer.

Cover Crops – Winter Rye is sown in early to mid October as a “green manure”.  The seed comes up a little in the fall protecting the soil from erosion over the winter.  In the spring the rye gets lush and green.  Because it is a legume, there is an interchange at the roots that produces nitrogen needed for plant growth.  Once the lush, green organic matter is plowed back into the soil, this matter provides food for healthy micro-organisms.

Simply put, cover crops, or green manures are like a giant solar collector of nitrogen and biomass.  Sucking up the sunshine, the plants provide richness and nutrients to the soil.

For my Son Isaiah, Silverbrook Farm is a place to purchase beautiful chemical free fruits, vegetables, and is his place of employment.

Organic farming is the perfect employment for a young man with Autism who cannot be exposed to processed foods or toxins.  He enjoys working with his hands, the slow paced environment as well as the sounds, smells and feel of nature.  He is fortunate to find summer employment in an environment that heals his senses and in a job where he is eager to feel the benefits of physical labor.  It is one of the highlights of his week.

In today’s world of mass food production, our children are suffering.  Autism, obesity, diabetes, and cancer to name a few are reaching epidemic levels.  The intake of highly processed foods with chemically altered trans fats, high fructose corn syrup and artificial ingredients are affecting everyone and for children with autism it can change the path of their lives.  Pesticides that are traditionally used in farming are poison.  They kill insects, are neurotoxic and when ingested, are particularly damaging to the developing brains of children.

Silverbrook Farm located in Dartmouth, MA is one of the largest sustainable farms in the area and is a solution for our health, planet, and especially families of children with autism and gastro-intestinal illness.   Owned and operated by Andy Pollock, a long standing friend of the Nemasket Group, (New Bedford, MA) their crops are sustainably grown, which means that they do not use herbicides or pesticides as many farmers do.  They follow these practices because it is the right thing to do - for those who work on the farm, the environment and for the consumer.

At Silverbrook Farm, the combination of the way nature smells, with beautifully landscaped fields, and physical work, reminds us of how far removed we have become from one of the elements we need to sustain our lives; food, organic whole food.

To our community’s benefit, Andy Pollock is a leader, helping us reconnect with one of our basic needs.  One walk through his farm and you can fully embrace the importance of food, nutrition, and our mind’s well being. You will find old favorites as well as a unique variety of fruits and vegetables that are not usually available in any supermarket. Now and then they also sell herbs, local cheeses and their own eggs, honey and jams. Buying locally supports local farms and keeps green open spaces. Members can purchase a “share” of the farm that lasts for the season, 19 weeks.

Each week, members go to the farm to pick-up their selection. All produce is freshly harvested on the pick-up day and displayed in the barn at Silverbrook Farm. You know the farmer that is producing your fruits and vegetables, and how they are being farmed. Andy also sells his harvest at farmers markets in Fairhaven, Dartmouth, Plymouth, Boston and Cape Cod areas. Trust me - the food is delicious and so very healthy!

Our thanks to Andy for his continued support of Isaiah and several other members of the Nemasket Group who enjoy working on the farm.

Ross Hooley & Pam Ferro

Why a CSA using six farms?  Why not do it ourselves?

It took me one season to realize that we did not have the land (Although we are farming almost every inch of 30 acres and looking for more land.) nor the equipment to grow what we needed to be competitive.

I also saw local farms that did a few products well such as corn and organic greens but did not have enough markets for their products and so under-produced.  Some small local growers wanted to farm on a few acres but needed a buyer that would provide a fair price.  More and more I heard that local “amateur farmers” really liked to grow certain things but disliked others.  “I like to grow greens, but hate growing beans.”  Everyone has their skill set.

I started a partnership with these “gardeners” in Dartmouth and Westport that are near our little village of Russells Mills and found that this worked well for everyone!  Farmers are making a living wage because we are providing a lucrative market for them.  When people make more money they can continue to farm.  We in turn have great fresh, local produce and stimulate the agricultural economy in the Dartmouth and Westport area.

Because of this approach, more land is farmed, more income is generated, less farmland is sold for non-agricultural purposes and we all do better.  One of the farmers we work with has dramatically increased the acreage he cultivates now that we buy 40% of his sweet corn crop.  He is selling more than ever, and has a big smile on his face.

I grew up in Dartmouth and believe that the southwestern section is one of the most beautiful areas of the country.  I am really happy our farm is doing our part to preserve that beauty.  I have figured that we are utilizing a several hundred acres of local farm land for our farmers markets and the CSA.  That makes me very happy!

In October of 2008 I sat in an international conference with 7000 other participants from 153 countries and listened to a group of speaker’s discuss how to bring fresh, quality food into poorer sections of cities.  People from all over the globe spoke about lack of access, high cost and an absence of solutions.  I was beaming like a fool, smiling from ear to ear.  Why?  Because world food experts had no idea how to work on this problem, but some bright young women in Dorchester, Massachusetts had found a solution, and we were part of their plan!

Family Inc. and the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester, MA operate one of the most unique markets in the world.  They encourage the Health Facility Staff to purchase CSA shares in advance of the farmers market insuring the farmer a set amount of sales each day the market is held.

Not only does it provide a base for the market, but it provides an Example for their clients.  Patients shop alongside the medical director and the nurses and doctors they see at the facility.  Talk about walking the walk!

Our farm is able to lower our prices at this market to provide greater benefit for the local consumers many of whom reside in one of the lower income areas of Boston.  This is an area where this type of selection quality, freshness and service is a rarity.  Customers love the fresh seasonal product.  Neighbors shop at the market as do senior citizens from a facility across the street.  Local children help set up and tear down the market and bring good food home as well.

This market works on so many levels!  In this model, health care workers can deliver excellent health care and be a role model for their patients.

As a farm we are very proud of the women, especially Cynthia from Family Inc. who worked so hard to make this happen.  My beaming smile at this large conference was due to the brilliance of these young women in Dorchester.

The sustainability office of the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth works with us to reduce their food waste while we acquire an organic source of food for our chickens.

One year ago we started collecting the preparation food waste from the university food service including vegetable, fruit and bread scraps. Previously the waste had been tossed in a dumpster and taken to the land fill. Now we collect barrels of waste each day and use the calories to supplement the grain we feed our hens.

The girls love it. They hear the tractor coming and run to see what goodies are arriving. They chow down, and there is not much left after the little composters are through.

In return the chickens get a varied, healthy diet. The more vegetable material they receive, the darker the yolks, and the more healthy the bird.

Our chickens provide us with eggs, fertilizer, chicks and occasionally meat. The eggs are so tasty we always sell out. All this from something headed to the dump!

How does saving this “waste” save petroleum? Grain is a heavy user of petroleum not only through the growing process but transporting it around the country. The less grain we use, the less oil is burned. Our fields are then nourished by manure fertilizer instead of petroleum based chemicals, even better!

We are pursuing a similar arrangement with Dartmouth High School. Any other suggestions are welcome!

This process is the easiest, cheapest and most beneficial recycling there is: Waste to food and fertilizer for healthy land, what could be better?

Many thanks to The University of Massachusetts, M.C. at Sodexo, a brilliant and far-sighted executive and to Susan Jennings at the UMD Sustainability Office. Kudos to Ellie Early for helping to facilitate the project.