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What's Happening?We're very sorry but we are full for the 2008 Season. Flower shares are still available here. If you want to be put on a waiting list for the 2009 season click here.The Harvest Festival Sunday, Sept 30thPhotos thanks to Claudia Gustafson. The Recipe for Kerisa's Rhubarb CrunchRhubarb Crunch (from "Hands Around The Table," the Fair Winds Farm food book) 1 1/2 C rolled oats 3 C brown sugar 4-5 C diced rhubarb 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp water 3/4 C + 2 tbsp flour 3/4 C canola oil (or butter) 3/4 C granulated sugar 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp flour Combine oats, 3/4 C flour, brown sugar and oil in a medium bowl, mix well. Toss rhubarb, 2 tbsp flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt and water until well mixed. Place rhubarb mixture in greased 9x9 pan, cover with oat topping and pat gently into place. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until fruit bubbles up around the edges. Please Take the Volunteer Interest SurveyStearns Farm CSA $20 Flower Bouquet gift certificateLooking ahead to the 2008 season, we are pleased to be offering pick-your-own gift certificates for purchase. We are selling a package of three bouquets for $20. It includes an attractive gift card with 3 coupons. Each coupon entitles the user to pick a bouquet of 24 stems from July 15th until September 15th. They can insert the coupon in the tin can at the flower kiosk after they pick. This is a wonderful, beautiful and unique gift for many occasions such as the holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, as a thank you or just because. Consider it for your friends and family and help out Stearns Farm too. Click here for the Order Form. Don't delay. We have only 100 gift cards available. Zapped! Irradiation and the Death of FoodBy Wenonah Hauter, Alternet, June 13, 2008. "In violation of their own safety protocols, including the 100-fold safety factor, the FDA has approved many foods for irradiation. Scientists have observed serious health problems in lab animals fed irradiated foods. Those include premature death, cancer, tumors, stillbirths, mutations, organ damage, immune system failure and stunted growth." http://alternet.org/environment/87713Why Bother?By Michael Pollan, NY Times, April 20, 2008."There are so many stories we can tell ourselves to justify doing nothing, but perhaps the most insidious is that, whatever we do manage to do, it will be too little too late. Climate change is upon us, and it has arrived well ahead of schedule. Scientists’ projections that seemed dire a decade ago turn out to have been unduly optimistic: the warming and the melting is occurring much faster than the models predicted. Now truly terrifying feedback loops threaten to boost the rate of change exponentially, as the shift from white ice to blue water in the Arctic absorbs more sunlight and warming soils everywhere become more biologically active, causing them to release their vast stores of carbon into the air. Have you looked into the eyes of a climate scientist recently? They look really scared. So do you still want to talk about planting gardens? I do." link to the nytimes.com article The oil we eat: Following the food chain back to Iraqby Richard Manning (Harper's Magazine) - " ... we humans, a single species among millions, consume about 40 percent of Earth's primary productivity, 40 percent of all there is. This simple number may explain why the current extinction rate is 1,000 times that which existed before human domination of the planet. We 6 billion have simply stolen the food, the rich among us a lot more than others. ...Iowa is almost all fields now. Little prairie remains, and if you can find what Iowans call a “postage stamp” remnant of some, it most likely will abut a cornfield. This allows an observation. Walk from the prairie to the field, and you probably will step down about six feet, as if the land had been stolen from beneath you. ... David Pimentel, an expert on food and energy at Cornell University, has estimated that if all of the world ate the way the United States eats, humanity would exhaust all known global fossil-fuel reserves in just over seven years." http://www.harpers.org/archive/2004/02/0079915 It's Official: Organic Really is BetterThe London Times October 28, 2007 - "The biggest study into organic food has found that it is more nutritious than ordinary produce and may help to lengthen people's lives.The evidence from the £12m four-year project will end years of debate and is likely to overturn government advice that eating organic food is no more than a lifestyle choice. The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, Britain’s biggest killers. They also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2753446.ece Oxford's Word of the YearNot everyone has joined the local food movement, but it has won over Google's cafeteria, Barbara Kingsolver's kitchen, writers at The New York Times, and now, leading wordsmiths at the Oxford American Dictionary, who are adding their lexicographic seal of approval: The 2007 Word of the Year is (drum-roll please) locavore.Unhappy MealsBy Michael Pollan, NY Times, 1/28/2007. "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy." "Once, food was all you could eat, but today there are lots of other edible foodlike substances in the supermarket. These novel products of food science often come in packages festooned with health claims, which brings me to a related rule of thumb: if you're concerned about your health, you should probably avoid food products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it's not really food, and food is what you want to eat." http://michaelpollan.com/article.php?id=87 Is Eating Local the Best Choice?By David Morris, Alternet, 9/11/2007. Those who say eating local is not always the best choice for the planet are forgetting one very important part of the equation: community.http://www.alternet.org/environment/60670 USDA to Allow More Conventional Ingredients in Organics?By Lorraine Heller Food Navigator, 5/16/2007 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to add a number of ingredients to the list of substances permitted for use in organic food products, in a move designed to prevent disruption to business when new regulations come into place next month. The additional 38 proposed substances include non-organic colors, starches and oils, which may [currently] be used only when an organic counterpart is not available commercially.http://organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5217.cfm Organic Food: The Farmer's ConundrumBy Tom Philpott, Grist Magazine. 3/27/2007. If organic food is so popular, why are so few farms transitioning their land? http://www.alternet.org/environment/49783Consume Like There’s No Tomorrowby Don Fitz 4/22/07. "Would someone please tell the Sierra Club Exec Board that the idea of an “environmentally friendly car” makes as much sense as a “non-violent death penalty?” While the vast majority of those concerned with global warming consider reduction of unneeded production to be at the core of a sane policy, the Sierra Club has endorsed a plan that includes virtually no role for conservation." www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm ?SectionID=56&ItemID=12636 Eating Better Than Organic3/8/07 - By John Cloud. Eat local or eat organic. You decide.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595245,00.html Ethanol: Feed a Person for a Year or Fill Up an SUV?3/5/07 - By Robert Bryce. 'Last September, Lester Brown, the president of the Earth Policy Institute (a group that promotes "an environmentally sustainable economy") wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece that the amount of grain needed to make enough ethanol to fill a 25-gallon SUV tank "would feed one person for a full year. If the United States converted its entire grain harvest into ethanol, it would satisfy less than 16 percent of its automotive needs." Brown said the ongoing ethanol boom in the U.S. was "setting the stage for an epic competition. In a narrow sense, it is one between the world's supermarkets and its service stations." More broadly, "it is a battle between the world's 800 million automobile owners, who want to maintain their mobility, and the world's two billion poorest people, who simply want to survive."' http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/48790 Unhealthy Flowers: Why Buying Organic Should Not End With Your Food2/13/07 - By Jason Mark. "Conventionally grown cut flowers are most often raised in chemical-intensive systems that expose workers to toxins that can make them sick — sweatshops in the greenhouses, you could say. Responsible alternatives have been difficult, if not impossible, to find."http://www.alternet.org/rights/47847 Buying Local Doesn't Hurt the Developing World11/23/06 - By Frances Moore Lappé. "Shedding corporate-media filters, we see that the poor are not languishing in their sad villages and grimy shantytowns just waiting to be saved by corporate giants from abroad. Many poor people are themselves creating the real job growth in much of the Global South. They are the small shopkeepers, street vendors, and home-based workers whose jobs make up what's called the 'informal economy' not counted by authorities.In Latin America, 85 percent of new jobs created during the 1990s were in this sector, not the corporate one. Informal jobs account for more than half of all jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean, and as much as 80 percent in parts of Asia and in Africa." http://www.alternet.org/story/44518 The Truth Behind Tainted Spinach10/5/06 - "If we are truly concerned about food safety, we need to know the folks who grow our food, know that they are paid a decent wage, know that the land they farm is well cared for and protected, and know that the food they grow has not been irradiated or genetically engineered or exposed to pesticides. It is this knowing that will truly nourish us and keep us well." http://www.alternet.org/story/42526The Organic-Industrial Complex5/17/06 - The organic and natural foods brands are not what they were 10 years ago - they have largely been acquired by much larger companies. How sustainable are these big business practices? Does it still make sense to call them organic? http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0603-03.htmCheck out which mega-corporations own your favorite brands in this chart: certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa/services/corporate-ownership.html U of Chicago Study: vegan diets healthier for planet, people than meat diets4/13/06 - The food that people eat is just as important as what kind of cars they drive when it comes to creating the greenhouse-gas emissions that many scientists have linked to global warming, according to a report accepted for publication in the April issue of the journal Earth Interactions.http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/06/060413.diet.shtml Fossil Fuel for Breakfast3/29/06 - According to researchers at the University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Agriculture, an average of over seven calories of fossil fuel is burned up for every calorie of energy we get from our food ... Buying locally-grown foods should be the first priority when it comes to saving fossil fuel. http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/34073Mineral Levels in Meat and Milk Plummet Over 60 Years2/2/06 - The mineral content of milk and popular meats has fallen significantly in the past 60 years, according to a new analysis of government records of the chemical composition of everyday food. UK Study blames the decline on intensive farming. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0202-06.htmU.S. Meat Supply at Risk of Mad Cow Disease2/6/06 - The U.S. Agriculture Department's Inspector General warns beef inspectors aren't strictly following cattle screening rules, increasing the risk of mad cow disease in the nation's meat supply. The report said it found cases where rules covering the slaughter of cattle were being ignored. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/02/usda_mad_cow.htmlA New Link: The Organic Consumers AssociationAn online and grassroots non-profit public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. Check out their site for the latest news, alerts and campaigns about things like mad cow, GMOs, food safety, Fair Trade, pesticide dangers and organic standards.A New Feature on our Website: Recommended BooksWe plan to post a new review every month or so. Our first review is of Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall.Joel Salatin Interview on WBURThis rebroadcast was on WBUR's "On Point" on 8/4/05. Joel is a very outspoken and well spoken farmer and lecturer on sustainable agriculture or permaculture. Its worth listening to, even if it is preaching to the choir, and could be a link on our website since it is in the WBUR archives. Here is the link.StoreWars.org - an online movieJoin the adventures of Cuke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Cannoli, Chewbroccoli and the rest of the Organic Rebels fighting against Darth Tater and the Dark Side of the Farm.The Millennium Ecosystem AssessmentMarch 30, 2005. A landmark study released today reveals that approximately 60 percent of the ecosystem services that support life on Earth – such as fresh water, capture fisheries, air and water regulation, and the regulation of regional climate, natural hazards and pests – are being degraded or used unsustainably. Scientists warn that the harmful consequences of this degradation could grow significantly worse in the next 50 years.Newspaper Articles related to the FarmVegged out: Organic farm will give surplus lettuce to local food pantries Couple's service comes to an end: Longtime Framingham volunteers to be honored by the town for their work Trish's Essay: WinterCountAt the end of the 2003 season, Work-for-share, potluck party, Trish Stefanko read an essay she had written about an experience she had in the fields in late October: Out in the field I am usually deep in thought, about lettuce, the rigors of love, and the invaluable work of ladybugs. I am so tied to this earth. Last week five of us began the day's harvest while the ground and crops were still sprinkled with frost. We worked individually that day...in silence (except for Adam muttering to himself about the failings of contemporary culture). Well into our work, a sizable flock of Canada geese approached... More here... |  Our MissionTo preserve the historic Stearns farm as a sustainable all-natural garden, providing locally grown food in partnership between the land, the farmer, and the community
Historic Stearns FarmRecords show that Timothy Stearns bought a large tract of land here in 1723. The cellar hole from his house is where our sheds are now located. Stearn's daughter married Col. Nixon and their son, Capt. Thomas Nixon, Jr. built the house, c. 1787, across the road, that still stands... More Stearns Farm History...  What is Community Supported Agriculture?CONSUMERS form a partnership with the farmer for their mutual benefit. Consumers become shareholders by buying a "share" of the harvest. For approximately 20 weeks, shareholders come to the farm each week to pick up a full brown-paper-size bag of freshly picked, naturally grown vegetables, herbs, and flowers, estimated to feed two adults and one or two children. The FARMER receives upfront funds for supplies, has a secure contracted market, and can therefore concentrate on vegetable farming, providing shareholders with abundant, high-quality crops. COMMUNITIES benefit by having land kept in sustainable agriculture, by strengthening the local economy, and by learning about organic gardening practices. More about CSA... Board of Directors
Staff
Contacting Us862 Edmands Road, Framingham, MA 01701 (508) 371-4310 contact  stearnsfarmcsa.orgLinksSudbury Valley Trustees - a voluntary association of individuals, families, and businesses committed to protecting wildlife habitat and the ecological integrity of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers for the benefit of present and future generations. Our land is leased from SVT. NOFA/Mass - Northeast Organic Farmers Association of Massachusetts The Robyn Van En Center for CSA Resources - Robyn was one of the earliest promoters of the CSA concept. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (USDA) Pesticide Action Network - Advancing alternatives to pesticides worldwide. Ecological Footprint Calculator - How many biologically productive acres does it take to sustain your lifestyle? The Earth Charter Initiative - The Earth Charter is an authoritative synthesis of values, principles, and aspirations that are widely shared by growing numbers of men and women in all regions of the world. Sudbury Earth Decade Committee - a nonprofit organization based in Sudbury, Massachusetts dedicated to raising environmental awareness and sponsoring environmentally-friendly activities in our community and beyond. Framingham Historical Society and Museum - founded in 1888 to collect, preserve, and exhibit objects relating to the history of Framingham for the benefit of all. http://greenpeople.org/index.htmGreenPeople.org - Large directory of eco-friendly products, including CSAs, health food stores, vegetarian restaurants, etc. Searchable by telephone area code. The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) - an online and grassroots non-profit public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children's health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade, environmental sustainability and other key topics. We are the only organization in the US focused exclusively on promoting the views and interests of the nation's estimated 50 million organic and socially responsible consumers. The Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association - Biodynamic agriculture was inaugurated in 1924 by Austrian scientist Rudolf Steiner. It is the oldest, non-chemical agricultural movement and pre-dates organic agriculture by some twenty years. Biodynamics does more than avoid chemicals and seeks to actively work with the health-giving forces of nature. Biodynamics is a world-wide agricultural movement. Farms may be certified Biodynamic by the Demeter Association, an international certifier. Links to Other Local CSAsWaltham Fields Community Farm - Community Farms Outreach - Waltham Fields Community Farm is a non-profit organization supporting hunger relief, education, and farm preservation. It includes a CSA. Heirloom Harvest Community Farm and CSA - A Westborough CSA farm, with alternative pickup pre-boxed at Crystal Spring in Plainville, or at urban pickup cooperatives at locations in Somerville, Cambridge, Boston and Providence. The Food Project CSA - A CSA and more in Lincoln, MA. Siena Farms CSA - A different arrangement: buying a membership gives you discounts at their farmstands in Sudbury and Boston. Drumlin Farm CSA - In Lincoln, part of the Mass Audubon sanctuary. Lindentree Farm CSA - In Lincoln, certified organic. LocalHarvest - a website that helps you find organic food (including CSA) grown near you. ArticlesBig Business Follows the Green - AlterNet, August 24, 2004. Today a significant – and growing – percent of organic foods are owned by corporations more often associated with the predations of agribusiness than with the ideals of sustainable farming. The increasing presence of conventional food processors in the organic industry is raising debate among farmers, shoppers and consumer advocates about whether the values of organic agriculture and the motives of big business can co-exist. Organic farming boosts biodiversity - 11 October 04. Organic farming increases biodiversity at every level of the food chain – all the way from lowly bacteria to mammals. This is the conclusion of the largest review ever done of studies from around the world comparing organic and conventional agriculture. Food of the Future - Article on CSAs and organic farming, AlterNet.org. ... the study determined that the yield of organic apples was comparable to the other systems, a significant finding when you consider the fact that naysayers regularly charge that "organic can't feed the world." In addition, the organic system produced sweeter apples, better profit margins, and impressive environmental benefits. sptest0 stearnsfarmcsa.org |
Revision 13. Last edited Mon 16 Jun 2008 1:31am by TomYelton