News

It is hard to believe that is the middle of July already, even though the weeds and the heat can attest to it every day.  Here’s a brief (well, as brief as I can make it) synopsis of what is happening out back on the farm.  If you haven’t had a chance to look around, it’s a great walk during lunch.  I promise you won’t be disappointed!  And thank you for reading…

Field

Everything has taken off, especially the weeds, so it will be a busy few weeks playing catch up. However with our stellar, hard-working farm team, no doubt those weeds will be tackled sooner than later.  Zucchinis and summer squash are coming in strong, with cucumbers soon to follow.  Corn is waist high, potatoes are flowering, beets and carrots are getting bigger and we even have some winter squash the size of footballs!  And those are just a few examples of what’s out there.  We have, unfortunately, found traces of an unwelcome visitor to the fields: deer.  So far they’ve only eaten some beet greens but we’re starting to devise a plan to keep them at bay.

PYO

The pick your own garden is growing and flowers are blooming.  It is quite a beautiful spot back there and I highly encourage anyone in need of a break from their computer to stroll up and enjoy the flowers. We have sunflowers, calendula, snapdragons and zinnias blooming, just to name a few.

Greenhouse

The greenhouse is full, and I mean FULL, of beautiful looking green tomatoes.  We’re hoping they’ll begin to ripen any day now.  The plants are growing so fast it is almost as if you can watch them grow.  We’ve got full size peppers and basil plants in there as well.  Think tomato, basil, and mozzarella. Ahhh, that is summer.

CSA and Markets

We’re heading into our 5^th week of CSA pick-ups and so far they have been a great success.  Folks are enjoying the pick your own garden and our new composting system.  With the help of Chittenden Solid Waste District we’ve given all interested CSA members 4-gallon buckets to fill with their food waste and bring to the farm to compost.  Farmers markets are going well, although a bit slow to develop in Waterbury.  If you live close to Waterbury, or know anyone who does, please send them our way on Thursdays between 3-7 on the green.  You can also visit us at the Richmond market on Fridays from 3 – 6:30.

Broilers

We just processed close to 300 (our second batch) of our broiler chickens this past Monday.  They’re a bit smaller this time around (between 3 -4 lbs) which I think will be good for markets, considering our last batch averaged around 6 lbs. We’re selling them fresh all week so if you’ve always been curious to try one out, now is your chance!  Email or call me. Our third batch of broilers is almost one week old and all are doing well in their brooder.  They’ll be ready for pasture in another week.

Layers

Our laying hens are amazing.  They are growing, happy birds and we think they’re getting ready to lay very soon.  We’ve all placed bets on when the first egg will arrive.  We think sometime between now and mid-August.  We’ll keep you posted because soon you’ll be able to purchase eggs when you come to work!

New and Updates

Every Wednesday for the month of July we’ll be hosting the Our Community Cares campers.  Led by farm interns Kelly McQuade and Melissa McNell, the campers are learning about different aspects of farming, playing games, harvesting vegetables, holding chickens and having fun.  The camp, along with the Richmond Food Shelf, receives produce from the farm every week.  Last week, the camp made pesto with our basil for pizza.

I’m sure there is a lot more to add to the list of accomplishments on the farm but I’ll leave it here.  A special thank you to the VYCC Farm Crew: Ben, Angela, Melissa and Kelly who bring their hard work, dedication, knowledge and patience to the farm every day.  The farm program, in its first year, would not be as successful without them.

Until next time, when we’ll surely have tomatoes to brag about…

Amanda

Saturday, July 17 is closure for first session Wilderness and Roving crews. Parents and guardians should plan to arrive at the West Monitor Barn (directions to the barn in Richmond, VT below) at 11am. Please do not come any earlier as all crews will be working hard to unpack their equipment, sharpen tools, and reorganize themselves! At 11am, we will gather for a last community circle up and then say our farewells. Friends and families can expect to leave by noon.

If you are interested in carpooling please leave a comment below, with your town of departure, either offering or asking for a ride.

See you on Saturday!

Driving Directions to the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT:

If driving north on I-89, take exit 10 (Waterbury). From the exit ramp, turn left on Route 100 South (towards Waterbury). Route 100 will dead end in one mile. Turn right on Route 2 West. The West Monitor Barn is located on the right side of Route 2, one mile after Jonesville.

If driving south on I-89, take exit 11 (Richmond). From the exit ramp, turn right on Route 2 East (towards Richmond). The West Monitor Barn is located on the left side of Route 2, two miles after the light in the town of Richmond.

On June 27 the VYCC hosted Herbie and Henry, two (huge!) draft horses who work at Maple Wind Farm. Owner Bruce Hennessey presented a workshop on using draft horses in the field, after which folks big and small had the opportunity to give it a go. Check out the slideshow to see the fun!

Celebrate our crews’ accomplishments by attending open houses! Each session VYCC crews invite friends, family members, and supporters to visit their camp sites, learn about their work projects, and share crew stories. Most 4-week, first session open houses are July 7, but check out each crew’s plan below for specific details. (Hint: Crews love it when you bring food!)

If you have any questions, please call Cailie Burns at (802) 434 – 3969 x113.

Roving 1 Co-ed Leadership Development Crew (Crew Leaders: Marcus and Mo) – AUGUST 11 – 2:30 to 4:30pm at Seyon Lodge State Park, 2967 Seyon Pond Rd, Groton

Roving 2 All-female Leadership Development Crew (Crew Leaders: Heather and Briana) – AUGUST 21 – Closing weekend (time and day TBD) at the West Monitor Barn

Roving 3 LEAP (Crew Leaders: Elon and Heather) – JULY 11 – Potluck at 4-7 pm, West Monitor Barn

Roving 4 (Crew Leaders: Erin and Kateri) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30pm at Moosalamoo Campground, sites 17 & 19, Goshen

Roving 5 (Crew Leaders: Cyndi and Brigitte) – JULY 7 – 4pm to 8pm at Silver Lake Campground, Leicester (next to Goshen, note this is NOT the Silver Lake State Park near Woodstock)

Roving 6 (Crew Leaders: Nikki and Dom) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30 pm at Hapgood Pond in Peru, VT

Roving 7 (Crew Leaders: Katie and Matt M) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30pm – 8:30pm; meet at the Manchester Ranger Station and we’ll caravan to Grout Pond Campground

Roving 8 (Chris and Elizabeth) – AUGUST 11 – Potluck and snacks, at 4266 VT Rt 14, South Royalton. Time TBD

Roving 9 (Crew Leaders: Ashley and Shane) – JULY 7 – 6pm at North Hero State Park

**UPDATED** Roving 10 (Crew Leaders: Emma and Pat) – July 13 – 7pm at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT(either in the Hay Mow or outside on the deck)

Roving 11 (Crew Leaders: Cara and Dave) -JULY 7 – Dessert Potluck, 7pm at Valley Cares in Townshend, VT

Roving 12 (Crew Leaders: Vanessa and Pete) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30pm at Montshire Museum, Norwich

Wild 1 (Crew Leaders: Carrie, Rick & Maureen) – JULY 7 – 5:00pm, Meet at the gate on Forest Service Rd 58 in Peru, Vt (off of Mad Tom Notch Road, toward Griffith Lake) Be prepared to hike! Festivities will start at the gate, but if people want to see the work or campsite, they should be expecting an hour hike over easy terrain

Wild 2 (Crew Leaders: Claudia and Lisa) – JULY 7 – Potluck at 5:30 – 8:30 pm. Meet where the crew parks their emergency vehicle on Lottery Rd, in Shrewsbury, VT. Be prepared to hike! Festivities will start on the road, but if people want to see the campsite, they should be expecting a twenty minute hike over moderate, wet, muddy terrain

Wild 3 (Crew Leaders: Meg and Thorin) – JULY 7 – Potluck at 6pm, Crew campsite off of Stony Brook Rd, Stockbridge. Look for a silver Honda Civic parked on the left side of the road about 15 minutes up the road. The crew campsite is beyond a meadow located directly behind a rickety footbridge going over a stream on the Appalachian Trail. Stony Brook Rd is gravel, and bumpy! Go slow! At some point you might think you haven’t gone far enough but keep going until you see the silver Honda on the left!

Burlington Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Catsey and Ryan) – JULY 28 – 5pm at Starr Farm Park, Burlington

Richmond Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Nate and Marissa) – July 28 – 5pm at the West Monitor Barn, Richmond

Rutland Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Nigel and Tyler) – July 28 – 2pm; Elfin Lake Recreation Area. Meet at the beach by the new rain garden that the Rutland Community crew built!

Woodstock Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Marie and Erik) – July 28 – 1pm – 7pm, Forest Center at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock

Montpelier Community Crew: (Crew Leaders: Carly and Brit) – July 28 – Time and location TBD. Details coming soon!

It’s been a while since we’ve last given an update on the happenings here at the farm!  We’ve been busy!  One of the more exciting happenings around here was the much anticipated processing of our 290 broiler chickens.  We didn’t just raise pastured chickens, we raised ENORMOUS pastured chickens.  These birds were some of the best eaters I have ever met, and it definitely showed.  Towards the end of their 8 week lives, we were all anxious for the broilers to become someone’s dinner.

We began our day at the early hour of 5 AM and began rounding up the birds.

Sunrise

Cornish Cross at 8 weeks

We moved them down the street to the Andrew’s Farm where we began the very long process of processing!  We had a veritable team helping us, including all the folks from Maple Wind Farm, the VYCC farm crew,  Harold, the man who made the processing facility, and Bee, the master gizzard woman!  We also had some help from Ry, one of the HQ staff from VYCC.  We formed an assembly line, starting with the slaughter, which was followed by the scalding tank and de-feathering machine.   While a few of us had the privilege of participating in the actual slaughter, most of us were kept busy with the more time- consuming task of evisceration (otherwise known as taking the insides out).  With the help of some upbeat bluegrass music we stayed busy all morning and into the early afternoon with the first part of the processing.  After a much needed lunch break, we returned for part two, which entailed taking a second and final look at the birds to make sure they were good and clean, stuffing necks and bags of organs into the cavity, and then cryovac-ing  and weighing.  Our largest bird ended up weighing in at 7.9 lbs!  Some (large) family will be enjoying a lot of chicken soon!

The day was incredibly long and exhausting, but there was an undeniable sense of accomplishment in the air after we were done.  We had raised those birds from second day of their lives, given them a good life, lots of green grass and sunshine, and now they will provide nourishment for a lot of people.  I have never been so excited to sell someone a chicken!

In other news, we’ve had our first two CSA pick-ups.  While we were all nervous that the shares would seem too small, in the end everything looked great and the members seemed genuinely pumped about their veggies.  It’s quite a feeling to know that there are 80+ households in this area who are being nourished by the food that we have grown here.

Kelly harvesting radishes

We are now busy trying to stay ahead of the weeds and pests, thinning our root crops, and seeding some of the crops that we’re planting in successions.  The vegetables are really starting to take off—lettuces, cabbages, squash, tomatoes in the greenhouse—you can almost watch them grow.  And flowers are blooming daily in our pick your own garden.  Soon there will be a wealth of color out in the field to complement all the green and folks will be able to take home a freshly picked bouquet.

Lastly, our newest batch of broiler chickens are happily running around the pasture.  They seem to be more active than the last, and definitely more interested in foraging.  There’s nothing like seeing happy animals living the way they were meant to.

We’ll be starting a new compost pile on the far side of the field with food waste generated, not only on the farm, but by CSA share holders as well.  Members will receive a 4 gallon bucket where they can put their food scraps and return to the barn to be composted each week.  This is truly closing the loop!

Until next time, wish for sun!

~written by Kelly McQuade, VYCC Farm Intern

The VYCC has an opening for a Park Crew Leader at Quechee State Park. Crew Leaders must be 22+ years old and willing to hit the ground running! The position starts as soon as possible and will end on October 22nd. If you are interested in learning about park management, educational park planning, conservation skills, and crew supervision, check out the VYCC’s Crew Leader webpage for more information: http://www.vycc.org/positions/summer_leader.html

Interested in working on a VYCC crew at a Vermont State Park? The VYCC also has openings for AmeriCorps Park Corps Members. Under the supervision of Crew Leaders, Corps Members take care of the park while learning conservation and leadership skills. Corps Members must be 18+ years old and hold a high school diploma or equivalency. Positions begin as soon as possible and will end on September 10th. For more information, visit the VYCC’s Park Corps Member webpage: http://www.vycc.org/positions/americorps_member.html

Congratulations to Vermont’s Recreation Trails Program for winning “Outstanding State Trail Program” of the year by the Coalition of Recreation Trails. Sherry Winnie, Recreational Trails Administrator for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation will accept the award on behalf of Vermont at a ceremony on Capitol Hill in early June.

The VT Recreation Trail Program is a longtime partner of the VYCC. Sherry coordinates funding in conjunction with the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council for organizations including the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Green Mountain Club, Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, Vermont Mountain Bike Association, Catamount Trail Association, municipalities, conservation districts, non-profit organizations and of course, Vermont Department Forests Parks and Recreation.

“I’ve always been proud of Vermont’s trails and how we all work together,” says Winnie. “Trails provide Vermont with significant recreation infrastructure while conserving Vermont’s natural landscape. This Saturday, June 5th is National Trails Day and I hope everybody can make some time to get out and discover firsthand how fun trails can be.”

The Coalition for Recreational Trails is a national, Washington-based non-profit organization dedicated to catalyzing public/private partnerships to enhance and protect outdoor recreational opportunities and resources upon which those experiences are based.

The awards will be presented in Washington, D.C. during Great Outdoors Week 2010 (June 7-13) as part of the Coalition’s ongoing effort to build awareness and appreciation of this highly successful program, which has greatly enhanced the quantity and quality of trail experiences available to the public. Members of Congress have been invited to join in honoring the outstanding achievements of their constituents.

More info about hiking and trails in Vermont go to: www.vtstateparks.com

For more info on Vermont’s Recreation Trails Program, go to: www.vtfpr.org

Join the VYCC for a discussion led by Bruce Hennessey of Maple Wind Farm about “Grass, the Animals that Eat it, and the Vegetables they Help Grow: An Integrated Approach to Conserving the Working Landscape.” The walk and talk will be held at the VYCC’s Monitor Barns Farm (off Rte 2, two miles east of Richmond, VT) on Sunday June 6, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Free and open to the public, the interactive workshop will explore how diversified farmers at Maple Wind Farm and the VYCC use cover cropping, legume seeding, and high density grazing to add organic matter and fertility to conventional corn ground in preparation for high quality organic (after transition) vegetable production.

Participants will meet at the VYCC Headquarters Monitor Barn Parking Lot and proceed to the field from there.

VYCC and Maple Wind entered into a cooperative partnership to form the Monitor Barns Farm CSA in 2009 and are in their second season of vegetable and poultry production this spring. For more information, visit our Farm and Food Program website.

Celebrate National Trails Day with the Woodstock School Crew’s end-of-year presentations and Woodstock’s Trek To Taste event. Festivities take place Saturday, June 5 at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. The School crew will lead hikes, host games, and share reflections from the semester’s work-based learning projects. Afterward, join the Trek to Taste event and explore Woodstock’s beautiful trail network while snacking on local farm-fresh treats placed at strategic “pit stops” throughout the trails! For more information, see http://www.walkwoodstock.com.