Korean Natural Farming Workshop

This just in from Linda of the Dancing Tomato Farm Carlisle:

There were a number of folks who expressed interest in being able to make their own fertilizers, compost activators, soil builders and seed soaks, and this will be a great place to learn just how to do it.

May 3 at Overlook Farm in Rutland through NOFA.  Less than 45 minutes away. 

Attached are some flyers related to the workshop.

- Dave

KNF flyer.pdf - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3i83O27YAaDV0kzRVh2MkJQYUk/edit?usp=sharing


Mail-in Registration Form .pdf - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3i83O27YAaDTkRueGxnVEt2QWM/edit?usp=sharing

AMERICAN OAKS: A GENUS TO LOVE

April 2, 7 pm
Tim Boland, Director of the Polly Hill Arboretum on Martha's Vineyard
At the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway
Grow Native Massachusetts: Every Garden Matters---Every Landscape Counts
Our American Oaks are extraordinarily diverse, display complex ecological relationships, and play an important planetary role in ecosystem stability. For a calendar, go to: http://www.grownativemass.org/programs/eveningswithexperts

2014 SPRING PLANT SALE

MIDDLESEX CONSERVATION DISTRICT (www.middlesexconservation.org)
Support local conservation and agriculture! Choose from garden supplies, shrubs, trees, fruits, berries, ground covers, perennials. Place your orders by March 31: Pick up at the sale on April 25 or April 26.

Reminder - TUES FEB 25th 7:00PM - 2014 Cousins Field Garden Kick-Off Meeting

It's hard to believe as we gaze out our windows, but the 2014 growing season is approaching. Kitty has been kind enough to reserve the Fowler Library Lower Level Community Room at 7pm on TUESDAY FEB 25th for our 2014 garden planning meeting. Light refreshments will be provided.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you do not plan on continuing at the garden for this coming season. We have a long waiting list and would want to invite new participants to the planning session. We've done our best to make sure we included everyone in this email who participated in 2013, but if you notice we have missed anyone, please let us know.

Given schedules, it may be that you are unable to attend this meeting time. If so, please let us know and we will make arrangements to get the information to you. Also if there are any agenda items that you'd like to include, please let us know.

Agenda will follow shortly.

Looking forward to Spring and a great growing season!

Donna DeAngelis and Ted Guertin
Cousins Field Community Garden Co-Coordinators

The Main Course: Museum of Science - NOW THROUGH APRIL 13, 2014

Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture through April 13, 2014
Dig in to sections devoted to growing, transporting, cooking, eating and celebrating! Explore the complex food system that brings what we eat from farm to fork. Learn how food is produced and moved throughout the world, and gain a renewed understanding and appreciation for the food you eat.

CLIMATE SOLUTIONS: MEETING THE CHALLENGE

“Eco-Mind: Changing the Way We Think to Create the World We Want" with Frances Moore Lappé

SAVE THE DATE - Friday, March 14, 2014, 7 - 9 PM
Trinitarian Congregational Church, 54 Walden St., Concord, MA

Frances Moore Lappé is the author or co-author of 18 books including the three-million copy “Diet for a Small Planet". Her most recent work, Eco-Mind, (released by Nation Books in September 2011) is the winner of a silver medal from the Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Environment/Ecology/Nature category.

ConcordCAN!, joining with five other local sponsors, is pleased to announce that the next major speaker in the “Climate Solutions” speaker series will be renowned author and speaker Frances Moore Lappé. Save the date now; and stand by for further details!!
Frances Moore Lappé brings her brilliant and original mind to deeply consider the question of how best to approach the climate crisis. In her Concord appearance on March 14, she will assure us “that solutions to global crises are right in front of our noses, and our real challenge is to free ourselves from self-defeating thought traps that keep us from bringing these solutions to life.” In keeping with her upbeat message, the event will open with the lively music of local singer-guitarist, Tom Yates. There will be a book signing and reception at the conclusion of her remarks.

Wildness in Our Midst: The Middlesex Fells

Bryan Hamlin, Botanist and Chairman, Friends of the Fells
Tuesday, February 18 at 7 PM
Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway
Grow Native Massachusetts: Every Garden Matters---Every Landscape Counts

The Middlesex Fells Reservation has an impressive diversity of 30 different habitat types that spring from its unique geology, topography, hydrology, soil, and climate. These habitats support a rich diversity of flora and fauna that is unusual for a metropolitan setting. Come learn about the exceptional biodiversity of this urban forest, first set aside as a reservation in 1894. We will then consider how these local plant communities can enlighten the design of our own gardens. Dr. Bryan Hamlin is the lead author of a nine-year study of the Fells’ flora published in 2012, and is the President of the New England Botanical Club. Check out this link for their calendar: http://www.grownativemass.org/programs/eveningswithexperts

Sustainable Concord Coffee “Wildlife in Concord” with Peter Alden

Tuesday, February 18, 7:30 - 9 AM Harvey Wheeler Community Center

Peter Alden, a Concord resident, is a nationally renowned birder, naturalist, author, and lecturer. He has led nature tours to more than 100 countries and is the author of many books on North American, Latin American, and African wildlife. Working with his friend and colleague, E.O. Wilson, Peter organized an event called Biodiversity Day, the first of which took place right here in Concord.
How has wildlife in Concord changed since the days of Henry David Thoreau? Is there evidence of a significant loss of biodiversity? If so, what has caused it? What municipal and private wildlife management decisions are being made today that will reduce or enhance the quality of life for us and other life forms that inhabit our town?
Peter Alden is a lively speaker, and we look forward to his presentation. As usual, there will be plenty of time for your questions and lively discussion. Coffee, tea and a variety of local goodies are provided. See you there

CORRECTION: FEDCO SEED ORDER DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 12

Don’t forget to place your FEDCO GROUP SEED ORDER. The more who participate, the greater the discount!

Sorry folks, Enid is not heading up the order this year. Would someone from Cousins Garden like to take charge of this? Please let Ted Guertin at ted.guertin@comcast.net or Donna DeAngelis at donnaldeangelis@gmail.com know if you are interested.

- Apologies, things changed - Dave

Concord Seed Lending Library presents, "What's the Fuss about Heirloom Seeds?" by Dr. Deborah Bier

What's the Fuss about Heirloom Seeds? during Seed Lending Library Reopening Day
Saturday, 2/1, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm @Fowler Library
Dr. Deborah Bier [register here]

To celebrate the reopening we are proud to present, “What’s the Fuss about Heirloom Seeds?” with keynote speaker, Dr. Deborah Bier from 2:00-4:00pm in the lower level conference room at Fowler. Reopening is at 9:00am and other exciting events will be happening this day as well. See here for more info.

Grow Your Food 101 - talk by Meighan Matthews and Linda Ugelow, Wed. 1/29, 7:30 - 9:30.

Hello Gardeners,

If you'd like to listen to a great talk on growing food, check out this event at the Fowler Library, Wed. at 7:30pm. Registration is at the concordlibrary.org site here. 

GARDENING FOR LIFE 

Gardening for Life and the Concord Seed Lending Library are pleased to present---

Grow Your Food 101 

Meighan Matthews, Growing for Good founder and Linda Ugelow, Dancing Tomato Farmer

Wednesday, January 29, 7:30 to 9:30 PM @ Fowler Library, West Concord.

Discover the joy of growing and eating from your own food garden! Meighan Matthews and Linda Ugelow will help bring your garden dreams to reality! last year their presentation was a crowd pleaser with information and handouts to inform and inspire …and it was filled to capacity. Back by popular demand in a two hour format, they will help you begin planning your food garden before the growing season has begun. Learn what to plant and when, soil health and management, composting, building the garden site, season extenders, seed saving and starting, and lots more. -- Details to follow at www.concordfood.ning.com. The program is free, though donations to cover costs are welcomed.

Hello Cousins Field Community Gardeners, 
Here is some info. I thought I'd pass along from our friends at Gardening for Life. 

See everyone at the Garden cleanup on the Oct. 19/20th weekend.Kitty

According to the Farmers Almanac, we can expect a first frost by October 14 (Columbus Day!). There is lots going on this month. Here is a sampling of programs to consider! If you know of similar events open to the public, please forward to me deb01742@comcast.net (Debbie Barr) to alert our gardening friends. Join the Farm and Garden planning team, come hear about carbon sequestration at a local organic farm, and learn why and how to identify the Asian Long-horned Beetle at a program offered by our friends at the Walden Woods project. 

Coming Up:

Food, Farm and Garden Fair Planning Meeting

Meeting TBD the week of October 21

Based on the success of the Farm and Garden Fair, you are invited to share your expertise and time in creating a new and improved Food, Farm and Garden Fair. Join our well organized and enthusiastic team at a time to be determined the Week of October 21. What programs will we offer? What is our timetable? Where can we find funding?  Complete the doodle scheduler and let us know what works best for you.  Go to: http://doodle.com/73utat5974eaz23v

Tour of Meadow Mist Farm

Sunday, October 20, 2-4 pm.

Meadow Mist is a small organic farm and a site for the Carbon Sequestration Project, otherwise known as carbon capture and storage. How does this affect you?? When you know how much carbon your landscape generates, then you can begin to create a 'carbon budget' and ways to reduce the overall emission of greenhouse gases. The carbon sequestration project aims to measure the amount of carbon the Farm sequesters annually. Limited space. Please RSVP by October 18 to deb01742@comcast.net

Talking about Invasives: MOST WANTED LIST--- Invasive Forest Beetles

October 17, 7 pm at the Thoreau Institute, Lincoln

Presented by the Walden Woods Project and SuAsCo Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area and featuring Jennifer Forman-Orth, PhD, State Plant Pest Survey Coordinator.

According to Columbia University, the Asian Longhorned Beetle  "has the potential to cause more damage than Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight, and gypsy moths combined, destroying millions of acres of America’s treasured hardwoods, including national forests and backyard trees. The beetle has the potential to damage such industries as lumber, maple syrup, nursery, commercial fruit, and tourism accumulating over $41 billion in losses. This is the highest priority to control, as ALB has the potential to alter North American Ecosystems."   Come learn what WE can do to identify this pest. See invitation below: 

The Walden Woods Project October 7, 2013

 

Come to Cousin's Garden on Saturday, Sept. 7th for a 30 min. tour starting at 2pm and running on the hour at 3 & 4pm. See how tiny seeds turn into large vegetables, as well as opportunities to pick a few veggies and take home some seeds for next year.

A map and brochure and light refreshments will be available, as will plenty of gardeners on this day at the front of the garden. Hope to see many of you there!

Late Blight Alert

Late Blight Update for Home Gardeners This from Debbie Barr: This alert is forwarded from the Back Bay Garden Club about what to do if you find late blight on tomatoes.

The University of Massachusetts Plant Diagnostic Lab has confirmed the presence of Late Blight (LB)in Franklin County on tomatoes on July 11. Advice for home gardener clientele: At this point in the season, if symptoms begin appearing on plants, remove plants, place in a plastic bag, seal, and discard in the trash or completely bury plants deep enough underground so plants decompose and will not re-sprout.

Do not put the plants in a compost pile as spores will still spread from this debris.

Visit the websitehttps://extension.umass.edu/vegetable/alerts, for more details, images, and management options. You may also track the spread of the disease at the website USA Blight, www.usablight.org.

- Dave

Composting Tour Rescheduled to 5/22 @4:30 at Keyes Rd.

The composting tour was rescheduled to Wed. May 22nd. Please see below for more details, thanks!

Kitty

Rod Robison, Department of Public Works Environmental Services Program Administrator for the Town of Concord, agreed to reschedule the Composting Station Tour to Wednesday, May 22, 4:30 PM. So.... we hope that those who signed up will come...and invite others to join us who may have been unable to at the original time. Come on your own, or bring a friend!

If you want to sign up now, please do so before May 20 by emailing: deb01742@comcast.net.

Thanks!

Seedling Sale At the Food Project in Lincoln Memorial Day Weekend

Fellow Gardeners!
We have word of a HUGE plant sale going on in Lincoln Memorial Day weekend. The sale supports the efforts of the non-profit and very cool group The Food Project. Join them at their farm in Lincoln, Mass., for a three-day seedling sale on Memorial Day weekend. They will be selling over 60 varieties of vegetable, flower, and herb seedlings, including 21 varieties of tomatoes!
See you there!
WHEN:
Saturday, May 25 - Monday, May 27 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. each day Rain or shine
WHERE:
The Food Project's Lincoln Farm Under the Big, White Tent Route 126 & Baker Bridge Road Lincoln, MA 01773
PRICING:
4- or 6-packs: $5 each Singles: $3 each or two for $5
- Dave Stacey

Concord Seed Lending LIbrary now open!

The Concord Seed Lending Library has opened it's doors and is available anytime the Fowler Branch Library is open:

M - 9am - 7pm
Tu - 9am - 6pm
We - 9am - 6pm
Th - 1pm - 6pm
Fr - 9am - 5pm
Sa - 9am - 5pm

How does it work?

1. Come in to Fowler, go downstairs and browse through the seed cabinet to see what we have. Pick out some packages to "borrow" from the Super Easy or Easy seed drawers (if you'll be returning seed) or some packages from the Difficult drawers (but do not return these for now until we've developed seed saving classes for these types of plants). You may see some new varieties you've never grown before!

2. Sign them out on the sign out form. Bring them home and plant them. Grow them out and enjoy your harvest of a few of your plants then let a couple of your best plants go to seed. 

3. At the end of the season when your plants have gone to seed, gather the seeds from those plants and "return" some of your seeds for the library to restock their cabinet, keep the rest of the seeds for yourself for the Spring. Not sure how to save seed, see here. Next year,  come back and borrow some more seeds to start the cycle again! 

Why should you do this?

It's economical, you get to try new varieties that you've never tried before, you are supporting a community effort which is encouraging seed saving and you can feel good about keeping the seeds locally adapted to our Concord environment and weather. Please note that we're supplementing your regular garden plantings, we're not a store as we have only so much donated seed. 

Please come on by and take a look and choose some new varieties that you'd like to try today!

Composing Tour and Talk - May 8th, 4:30 - 6pm @Town Landfill Composting Station, Concord, MA

Hello Cousins Field Community Gardeners,

If you'd like to learn more about how to compost, come to this talk! This is good info to make our gardens healthier and happier. Please RSVP to deb01742@comcast.net so Debbie Barr knows how many to expect.

Thanks,

Kitty

SAVE YOUR PLACE ON THE COMPOSTING TOUR AND TALK

How to Compost (so your garden will thank you!) 

Rod Robison, Town of Concord Environmental Services 

Wed. May 8, 4:30-6 PM, @ the Town Landfill Composting Station and a nearby private home 

Learn about Town composting with Rod Robison, Program Administrator, Environmental Services, held at the DPW composting station; followed by a nearby private home composting tour and demo (directions provided at the Composting Station) and vermi-culture group order pick up with Ray Pourali, Green Planet.

Concord Public Works manages a drop-off program for yard waste recycling that is open to all Concord residents. Compost and wood chips made from collected yard waste are available for free to all Concord residents. RSVP for details: deb01742@comcast.net. We will meet at the Walden Street entrance (Rt 126), just across Rt 2, on the left before you reach Walden Pond. 

and if that's not enough...

Group order for Vermi-Composting Kits and Tea!

Some of you have asked if there are alternate ways to pick up vermi-culture products if you can't join us for the Composting Tour and Talk on May 8.  The answer is YES....we can work out other dates to pick up at my house. Please place your orders by Monday, May 6  so Ray of Green Planet will bring enough for everyone. (email deb01742@comcast.net). Kits are $10 (one per outdoor composter works just fine for my 2 person household); Compost tea comes in pint ($7) and gallon ($20). I spray on seedlings using greatly diluted tea to reduce susceptibility to pests and disease.  

Growing Your Own- Part 2: Herb Cultivation and Uses - Tues. April 9th, 7:30 at Harvey Wheeler

Hello Gardeners,

 Just a note to let you know about another garden-related event about herbs. Hope you might consider attending...

 Thanks,

Kitty

   

Growing Your Own- Part 2: Herb Cultivation and Uses

Cathy Hansgate, Ladybug Farm Produce

Tuesday, April 9, 7:30 PM at Harvey Wheeler Community Center, West Concord

What are the top 10 herbs you like to grow? Can you grow herbs in the shade? Which ones are good companion plants for vegetables? How can I grow herbs in containers?? Find answers to these and other questions, as we take a closer look at herb cultivation and uses with small farm owner Cathy Hansgate, Ladybug Farm.  Cathy specializes in cut herbs, vinegars and other herbal products. She now uses organic, nutrient-dense, sustainable practices to grow veggies, herbs and fruit, and is a member of NOFA-Mass., NOFA-NY, New England Hops Alliance, and the Mass. Farm Bureau. 

The program is free though donations are welcomed. Please help spread the word by sending this message to your friends...or members! You are our best ambassadors to gardeners of all skill levels. THANK YOU!  

RSVP to ensure your seat at the table. RSVP by April 7 to  deb01742@comcast.net For details, go to. www.concordfood.ning.com

Seedy Sunday at Concord Fowler Branch Library 4/7/13 from 1-3pm

Hello Gardeners,

We hope you can join us next Sunday at the Fowler Branch Library for a "Seedy Sunday" event to help get the Seed Lending Library ready for it's opening on Earth Day, April 22nd. Please see the details below:

Welcome to Seedy Sunday!

Sunday, April 7^th

1:00pm to 3:00pm

Concord Fowler Branch Library

1322 Main St. Concord MA

Learn about our new Seed Lending Library

Donate open pollinated, and/or heirloom seeds to the seed lending library

 Sign up to help get the library ready to open on Earth Day, April 22^nd

We need helping hands to sort seeds, package seeds, and to stock the seed cabinet

Volunteer to be one of the maintenance crew ensuring that the cabinet is always stocked

Tell us what kind of seed saving and gardening classes you need and want

Meet area gardeners and we’ll have a fun, sharing afternoon together

Light refreshments will be served
www.concordseedlendinglibrary.org