Stone Soup
The Newsletter of Stearns Farm CSA
October 15, 2011 Volume 12, Number 20
From the Field: Hunker Down Time/Trish Stefanko
The herb garden is hunkering down. Photo by Nomi Sofer
Farming however, goes on and on. We’ll be spending the next several months planning and organizing for the 2012 season. Our learning is ongoing whether we are brainstorming with other farmers or quietly reading yet one more book or article about growing healthier more productive plants. NOFA hosts a wonderful winter conference in Worcester in January (you are all invited!!) and that’s where we’ll be expanding our knowledge of the many aspects of operating a successful farm.
And of course we’ll be here at the farm too, caring for greenhouse crops that provide food for winter sharers. I love being here in the winter. Stop by anytime and experience this little farm as she hunkers and rests. It’s quiet and soulful. A wonderful place to walk, think and feel grateful.
Thank you all for your ongoing support of our efforts here. I especially appreciated your support for me as Kathy handed over the reins, and look forward to getting to know more of you next year. I wish you much happiness in your hunkering.
Thanks to Winston for stepping in and finishing the season with us. I so enjoyed working with you, and your work ethic and efforts did not go unnoticed. Hard work with lots of laughing…what else is there? You are one more reminder that in addition to healthy food, Stearns Farm is also about growing fine people.
Much appreciation goes out to people responsible for little kindnesses. From chocolate and other treats left on the office desk, to piled up dishes done while no-one was watching, we notice and are grateful for all of it.
A special thank you to everyone who picked potato beetles off the plants earlier this year. Thanks to you we have a truly bountiful potato harvest!
A HUGE THANKYOU to Nomi Sofer and Leslea Linebarger for doing such a beautiful job with the newsletter these past several years. Their attention to detail and quality are forever archived in the “Stone Soup” library! And their patience with me was a gift.
Wildlife Report:
- Winston found a lovely Monarch caterpillar munching on carrot greens.
- Flocks of noisy crows hanging out in the trees behind field 4
- Flock of 11 wild turkeys sauntered in and proceeded to gobble up cover crop seed Mya had just spread in field 4! The nerve! We chased them out and can only keep our fingers crossed that they find something more interesting to eat elsewhere!
- I was preparing a bed for seeding winter greens. Gorgeous coyote tracks right down the middle!
- Rodents all over the place
- Family of meadow voles disturbed and scattered when Sonya dug potatoes with the tractor last weekend over at the Parkland. Several kids and adults too got to see their first ever meadow vole!
- A few baby snakes also upset with our potato harvesting!
- Ever present hawks perching atop the cathedral and elsewhere.
- Deer on the forest edge in the early morning
- Bard Owl hooting in back woods
- Great Blue Heron in flight over farm
- The beloved Canada Geese as they commence their migration!
- Weary humans as we finish up our 2011 Summer Season and thank you all once again for adding to the magic that is Stearns.
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Stone Soup Farewell/Nomi Sofer
Photo by Nomi Sofer
Now it is time for another change to Stone Soup: in order to use the farm’s scarce resources as efficiently as possible, the position of newsletter editor is being phased out. You will continue to receive time-sensitive communications from Trish via email. We are also working on re-organizing and updating the farm’s website and by next season you will find some the core elements of the newsletter—From the Field and What’s on the Stand—on the farm website’s home page.
I started contributing to Stone Soup in 2007 and took on the job of editor in 2009. And I, too, have many people to thank: The sharers, who let me know that they appreciated my work and who put up with me taking their picture while they worked in the fields; Kathy Huckins, who was always full of ideas for the newsletter and made me feel like part of a team; everyone who took the time to tell me their life story and let me boil it down to 500 words for a newsletter profile; Claudia Gustafson who generously shares her talent and photographs many of our special events annual gatherings. But most of all, I owe a many thanks to the volunteer recipe page editors: Sara Shonbrun (2009) and Donna Savastio (2010-2011) who produced a rich and interesting selection of new recipes every single week of the season! Finally, I want to thank Tom Yelton, our webmaster, for technical support, and Leslea Linebarger for sharing the job of editor with me this year. She made a demanding job easier and brought a fresh perspective and voice to the newsletter. Thank you to everyone for your generosity and help.
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The Year in Pictures
Below are some highlights of the farm year in words and pictures that appeared in Stone Soup in 2010 and 2011.
Spring Celebration, June 2011/Nomi Sofer
Claudia Gustafson took many wonderful pictures of our spring celebration, and we are happy to share them with you in a slide show. Many thanks to Tom Yelton, our webmaster, for adding a slide show capability to our website.
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Early Season Work, June 2010/Nomi Sofer
Here’s a glimpse of what was happening at the farm this past Wednesday morning.
Susan weeding the zinnias.  | Sharers planting annuals with Kathy. |
Everyone was busy as bees.  |  |
 |  Only Trish’s hat rested. |
What’s so funny about mulch?  | Don’t try to hide behind those flowers, Kathy!  |
At the other end of the farm, Brian and Casey were fighting the wind, getting the netting over the blueberries, which are starting to ripen.  |  ) |
 |  |
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A Day in the Life: Just Weedin' in the Rain, July 2010/Nomi Sofer
Weeding is central to the work of July. So, rain or shine, that's what we do. The rain made it pleasantly cool on Wednesday, but also very muddy.
Kathy’s mission: weed the Herb Garden. | Watch out weeds—Kathy is coming for you!. |
Mud everywhere. | Progress  |
While Kathy weeded the Herb Garden, crew and sharers tackled the strawberries. Susan and Casey got started.  | Sharers joined them after finishing up in the peppers.  |
 |  |
 | And before long, it was a cast of thousands. |
Meanwhile, a lone sharer took on the melon patch. | Look at that gorgeous melon! |
And while all that weeding was going on our newest crew member, Aaron, fertilized the peppers and eggplant with fish emulsion.  | Fish emulsion is stinky, but the plants love it. |
Back in the greenhouse, a crew of volunteers from Lisnow House in Hopkinton was filling flats that will be seeded with spinach for fall harvest. | The spinach that will grow in these flats will be transplanted into a bed where something else grew earlier in the season. Succession planting is why get a wide variety of vegetables on the stand throughout the season. |
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Your Harvest From Field to Farmstand, August 2011/Leslea Linebarger
It requires a lot of labor, love, willing hands and strong backs to bring in the harvest for 85 families each pick-up day. Twice a week, our work-for-sharers, staff and volunteers work together to pick, clean, count, weigh and assemble the bounty we see each week in the tent. Here are just a few images from the field this past week. And a hearty "thank you!" to all who work so hard, rain or hot sunshine, to make it happen.
Searching for ripe peppers in the field. | Mya and Gail gather squash. |
Each vegetable must be hand counted. Sal manages the eggplant harvest. | Onions must be trimmed, cleaned and counted before being taken to the pick-up tent. |
Harvesting beets requires a strong back. |  Most vegetables need a little cleaning up at the wash station. |
A final rinse for the carrots. |  Fresh from the field, ready for the stand. |
All the vegetables harvested must be weighed to make sure we reach our projected yield.  | Gathering in the garlic harvest, finally! |
All the hard work results in a bountiful and beautiful harvest.  | Your lovely pick-up stand!  |
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Harvest Festival, October 2010/Leslea Linebarger
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
If you missed it, you missed a real celebration of the season! It felt like a family reunion, uniting farm staff, volunteers and sharers who don’t often get time to sit and catch up on both farm and family news.
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
After the potluck, Scott Cleveland gave a warm welcome to everyone from the Board of Directors. He introduced each of the new board candidates, a vote was taken, and new members elected.
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
Then we were treated to a delightful poetry reading by Brian Huckins, who exhibited his usual eclectic taste in poetry. Interspersed between the whimsical—Shel Silverstein and Lewis Jenkins—we heard “Divorce” by Billy Collins:
- Once, two spoons in bed,
- now tined forks
- across a granite table
- and with the knives they have hired.
There were poems by Stanley Kunitz, including "The Snakes of September," and, as always, poems by poet-farmer Wendell Berry, whose "Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" gave us lots of food for thought while we rested in the shade of the apple trees.
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
Meanwhile, Lauren Rota and her team of volunteers had the Children’s Garden covered,
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
Rounding out the afternoon’s entertainment, we enjoyed music from John Fraize and the Messy Fergusons.
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
The Harvest Festival represents the culmination of our farm season and it really is a labor of love. We owe a big Thank You to everyone who helped make this a fun day of community and celebration. First and foremost, the staff: Kathy, Trish, Susan, and Casey who set up, cleaned up, painted faces, drove tractors, and generally kept the event running smoothly. In addition, Diane Kelzer helped with set up, clean up, and overall support, as did Sara Abramovitz. Brian Huckins provided poetry reading and overall support; Scott Cleveland and Tom Yelton kept the parking running smoothly; Mark Kelly tended the fire; Nadine Salisch ran the herb tea event;
Lauren Rota planned and ran the children's activities with wreath making help from Kathy Hawkins,
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
and
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
Fabulous music was provided by John Fraize and the Messy Fergusons! Claudia Gustafson took all the pictures, and the delicious apple crisp was assembled by Gudrun Baubock, Kathy, Diane Kelzer, Trish, David, and Mark Kelly, at Gudrun’s house.
Thanks to one and all who helped make this year’s Harvest Festival such a big success!
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Garlic Planting, October 2010/Nomi Sofer
On a cold, blustery Saturday in October a large group of sharers, volunteers, and crew planted next year’s garlic crop. Garlic is a bulb, and just like the bulbs you plant in your garden for spring blooms, it requires a period of cold dormancy. That is why garlic is planted in the fall and left to overwinter under a blanket of soil until spring, when it will be one of the first crops to green up our beds.
We had a big group of workers to help with the garlic planting and every hand was welcome. In addition to the crew and sharers putting in their work hours there was a group of Boston Cares volunteers, including a repeat visit from team leader John D’Souza. We also had a large contingent of workers from Grace Church in Framingham, which owns a Stearns Farm share which is mostly donated to local food pantries. The work requirement that goes along with the share is fulfilled by church members (and their friends), who come as a group to work a few times each season.
These photos capture some of the many steps that go into planting the garlic.
First, you have to separate the garlic heads into individual cloves. | A cheerful group did this task in the stationary greenhouse, where it was nice and warm. |
 | It rained heavily after the beds were formed, so the planting holes got filled in. Emre and Kristen Lewis re-made them by hand. |
 The next step is to lay out the garlic cloves right next to the newly-formed holes. Some of our youngest volunteers, members of Grace Church and their friends were all over this job. |  John D’Souza from Boston Cares had a good rhythm going. |
Finally—the actual planting. Make sure you get the root side down—we don’t want any upside-down garlic next spring… |  |
Once all the garlic was separated, the crew from the greenhouse was able to join the planters in the field.  | Trish explained what to do, and everyone got a chance to get their hands in the soil. |
Garlic planting day was chilly and blustery, but that didn’t deter our crew.  | The saying many hands make light work was probably coined by a farmer.  |
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Stearns Farm Notecards Available Now
Photo by Leslea Linebarger.
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New Stearns Membership Policy for 2012
Effective for the 2012 season, Stearns Farm CSA will be moving to a Membership Fee-Based model. The purpose of this change is to reaffirm our mission and provide fairness to everyone involved. What does this mean for the future?
To be eligible to purchase a vegetable or flower share in the future, or be accepted into the Work-For-Share program, one must be a Member of Stearns Farm and pay an annual Membership Fee.
Membership in Stearns Farm will consist of 2 classes: Individual Membership and Family/Dual Memberships (see below), each with an annual Membership Fee of $5 for 2012. Membership fees are tax-deductible; the proceeds will support our educational and community outreach programs.
- An Individual Membership is limited to 1 registrant and is non-transferable. Each Individual Membership accrues 1 Membership Point per year.
- A Family/Dual Membership is limited to 2 registrants, who must remain constant, and is non-transferable. The participants in a Family/Dual Membership are hereinafter referred to as “Co-Members” and must live at the same address. A Family/Dual Membership accrues 1 Membership Point per year. The Co-Members do not accrue separate Membership Points.
Purchasing Shares
A Share may be purchased either by an Individual Member or by the Co-Members listed on a Dual/Family Membership. There will be only ONE Membership per Share.
Current Sharers will be given first priority to purchase a Share of the same type in the following year provided they submit their application, share payment/deposit and their renewing Membership Fee during the specified enrollment period. After the payment submission date expires, current Sharers forfeit their priority to purchase a share and new applicants will be accepted based on their Membership seniority (see Membership Points below). A late-arriving payment from a current Sharer gets put in the pool with other applicants.
Share Splitting
Share-splitting remains a private agreement between the parties involved, but we respectfully ask that all households involved register as Members of Stearns Farm and pay the Membership Fee. Voting privilege and serving on the Board of Directors is limited to the enrolled Sharer.
- In the event that a sharing party chooses not to become a Member of Stearns Farm, they will NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR ANY FARM PRIVILEGES, including accruing Membership Points toward the purchase of a Share in their own name if the enrolled Sharer leaves or their private agreement terminates.
Enrolled Sharers who choose to split their Share with another household are responsible for payment of the Share, completion of the work hours or the in-lieu payment and for seeing that the pick-ups are done properly.
Membership Points
This point system will determine a Member’s eligibility status for purchasing Shares when there are more applications submitted than available Shares of the requested type. Once the new policy is enacted, each Membership will accrue one Membership Point per year. If two or more applicants for a Share are “tied” with respect to Membership Points, they will be ranked in chronological order by their join date. A Member’s “Join Date” will be the earliest date on record that an individual/household became associated with Stearns Farm, either as a Sharer, being put on the Wait List, or by employment. Each year that one has been associated with Stearns Farm in the past, as well as the current year, equals 1 Membership Point.
After the initial establishment of Membership Points, everyone (except current employees) will need to remain or become a Member to accrue Membership points. Every year that one does not pay a Membership Fee, they lose a point and will eventually be dropped from the database when no points remain.
A Stearns Farm “year” is consistent with the growing season, beginning on April 1st and ending on March 31st of the following calendar year. This allows both summer and winter share seasons to fall within the farm year. Membership points are accrued on March 31st of any year.
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New Share Enrollment Process for 2012
Enrollment for purchasing shares will be changing for the 2012 season! Stearns Farm is “going green” and the enrollment process will now be done online. The important points to remember are the following:
Open enrollment for 2012 Summer Shares will begin on November 15, 2011. You will receive an email that will direct you to the online application.
Anyone who is a Member of Stearns Farm (current sharers, past sharers, persons on the wait list or former employees) will be able to submit an online application to purchase a share during the open enrollment period.
Applicants will be sorted based on priority status and accrued Membership Points. 2011 Summer Sharers will have priority to purchase a 2012 Summer Share of the same type provided they meet the following deadlines:
- any outstanding invoices from 2011 must be paid by December 1, 2011
- applications for 2012 shares must be received before December 31, 2011
- payment/deposit must be received on or before January 15, 2012
When your application is processed, you will receive an email containing your invoice for your 2012 share payment /deposit plus your 2012 Membership Fee. Payments must be made by check; we are not able to accept electronic payments at this time.
Families enjoying last fall's Potluck and Annual Meeting. Photo by Leslea Linebarger.
If you still have questions, please contact one of our board members.
Louise Bendel, Frann Bennett, Debbie Blicher, Peter Doherty, Lisa Kamer, George Mahowald, Gail Epstein, David Tapscott, Scott Masse, and Tom Yelton
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Upcoming Events
| October 15 | Children's Garden Work Day 10:00-12:00 |
| October 18 | Last pick-up: Tuesday Full shares and Alternate 2 shares |
| October 21 | Last pick-up: Friday Full shares and Alternate 2 shares |
| October 29 | Last day for sharers to complete their work hours or pay them out |
| November 4 | Last work day for Summer Work-for-Shares |
| November 5 | Last work day for Summer Staff |
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Recipes: Fall Vegetable Roundup
Fall bounty. Photo by Nomi Sofer
- Nomi Sofer
Potato and Spinach Soup
Adapted from India, the Complete Vegetarian Table by Yamuna Devi. Appeared in Stone Soup on October 7, 2003
6 Potatoes (about 2 lbs.) 6 Cups Vegetable Stock
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Cups whole Milk
½ tsp. ground cardamom
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. ground coriander
½ Tbsp. brown mustard seeds
3 Tbsp. shredded coconut
½ Tbsp. grated lemon zest
½ lb. trimmed and washed spinach
Paprika or cayenne for garnish
Peel and thinly slice potatoes. Heat 1 Tb butter in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add the cardamom, coriander, and coconut and fry until the mixture is fragrant. Add the spinach and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 25 minutes)
Remove from the heat and add the milk. Puree the soup until smooth (food processor, immersion blender, or blender). Season with salt and pepper.
In a small pan, toast the mustard seeds, partially covered, until they pop, remove from the heat, add the remaining 1 Tb butter and the lemon zest. Pour the seasonings into the soup and briefly reheat (if the soup is too thick, thin with a little more milk). Ladle into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika or cayenne.
printable version
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Butternut Squash and Apple Casserole
Adapted from www.southernfood.about.com.
1 small butternut squash (about 2 lbs)
1 Tbsp. flour
2 apples, cored, peeled, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
4 Tbsp. butter, cold
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Peel, seed, and cut squash into small slices. Place squash and apple slices in an 11 x 7” baking dish.
Combine brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cut in butter with fork or pastry cutter until crumbly.
Sprinkle crumbs evenly over sliced squash and apples. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes.
printable version
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Sweet Simmered Winter Squash Soup
Adapted from The Vegetarian Table Japan by Victoria Wise. Appeared in Stone Soup on October 20, 2003
1 medium squash (about 1 ½ lb.)
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ C sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Cut squash in half (crosswise through the equator line) and scoop out the seeds. Peel the halves (leave a little peel for color) Cut into 1” x 2” wedges.
Combine sugar, salt, soy sauce and 2½ cups water in a saucepan (large enough to hold the squash
pieces in 1 layer) bring to boil and add squash, bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until
squash is tender but not mushy (about 10-12 minutes).
Use a slotted spoon and remove the squash. Set aside the squash and the liquid until cooled to room temperature – arrange squash in serving bowl, moisten with some of the liquid and serve
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Oven Fried Parsnips
Adapted from www.mariquita.com Appeared in Stone Soup on October 24, 2005.
Several Parsnips
Olive oil
salt and pepper
Peel and thinly slice parsnips, about the width of a slender fast food french fry. Put parsnip strips in a mixing bowl and splash in some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix to coat. Spread the parsnips out on a large jelly roll baking pan. Bake at 450, mixing with a long wooden spoon every 10 minutes or so until browning and crispy.
Warning: these are addictive. Even kids will like them!
printable version
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Autumn Minestrone
Warm the chilly evenings and make good use of the last of the farm’s produce with this hearty soup. Adapted from Epicurious.com. Appeared in Stone Soup on October 9, 2006.
2 Tbs canola or other vegetable oil
2 ½ cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 ½ cups buttercup or other winter squash
6 cups water
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cups greens (kale, collards, spinach) chopped
2 carrots, scraped and diced
1 ½ cups canned cannellini or kidney beans, drained
1 ½ cups diced, canned tomatoes (optional)
Cut squash in half, remove seeds, then peel and cut flesh into cubes.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté about 5 minutes, and then add garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, about 1 minute more. Add remaining vegetables, seasonings, and water, and cook until potatoes and squash are almost done, about 10-20 minutes. Add greens, beans, and tomatoes simmer about 5 minutes more, until greens are tender and beans are hot.
Taste and adjust seasonings. About 6-8 servings.
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The purpose of this recipe page is to share ideas for enjoying Stearns Farm produce. We focus on combinations that use as much as possible of the current week’s ingredients. The arrival of each vegetable, fruit or herb adds to our options for fresh, truly seasonal meals. One of the pleasures of this kind of eating is the chance to flex our creativity and combine our discoveries to keep things interesting and have fun as we prepare and preserve the harvest.
What do you do with your Stearns Farm produce? Please share your recipes, vegetarian and vegan options, family favorites and seasonal menu ideas. Send recipes, questions, tips on storage and food preservation, and other suggestions to dsavastio
verizon.net. Thanks!back to top
Our Mission
To 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
- by using the CSA model
- by providing fair compensation, adequate working conditions, and support to the farmer
- by practicing good stewardship
- by donating excess food to the needy
- by encouraging the community to actively participate in the farming process
- by providing learning opportunities
- by fostering relationships between the CSA and the wider community and
- by providing a beautiful place that is nourishing to body and soul.
Contact Us
Stearns Farm CSA862 Edmands Road
Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 371-4310
| Name | Position | Contact Information | |
| Stearns Farm | Main phone | contactstearnsfarmcsa.org | 508-371-4310 |
| Trish Stefanko | Farm Manager | t8588hotmail.com | 508-887-5649 |
| Rachael Potts | Assistant Farm Manager | vintage.greens.farmgmail.com | |
| Cathy Briasco | Administration | stearnsfarmbriasco.org | 508-358-4167 |
| Sara Abramovitz | Volunteer Coord. | saralarryverizon.net | 978-443-9747 |
| Aliya Ewing | Children's Garden | aliya.ewinggmail.com | |
| Tom Yelton | Webmaster | webmasterstearnsfarmcsa.org | 978-443-5138 |
See Also Public/Staff and Public/Volunteers to contact a specific person.
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Revision 4. Last edited Fri 14 Oct 2011 9:46pm by NaomiSofer