Friday, January 21, 2011
Monday, February 1, 2010
2011 CSA SHARES
Fable FarmCommunity Supported Agriculture (CSA)
SHARES Now Available!
How Does the Fable Farm CSA Work?
Sign-up and purchase your SHARE before the growing season begins. In return,
receive fresh organic vegetables for 19 to 20 weeks from June through October. We offer one-size shares--about a week's worth of vegetables for an average family. If
you'd rather a half share, you can split a regular share with a friend. Contact us if you need help finding someone to split a share with you. In addition to the weekly SHARE, you can harvest green beans, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, herbs and cut flowers in the U-pick garden. Cost is on a sliding scale ($400-$650) where you pay what you want. $50 of your final balance is required up front to hold your share. Pick-up is in the center of Barnard, behind the red farmhouse next to the UU Church. Payment plans are available upon request. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. we are open to work-trade and bartering, or ask us about the Vermont Farm Share Program. You may be eligible for a partially subsidized share.
For more information please
Email: fablefarm@gmail.com Or phone: 234-5667
Please send checks payable to Fable Farm at:
P.O. Box 1112
Barnard, VT 05031
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Grateful for the Native Americans
It's been a long time since the last post. It's hard to be in front of a computer when there's so much to do and the desire to be outside is strong. I think we're going to try and establish a website this winter. ....anyways, many blessings to the indigenous folk of this land, their commitment to and all their hard work in establishing the food bank that we are all dependent on. What follows are some words I came across about their history working with the ecology of their particular place.
Seventy-five percent of the food and fiber we grow today was discovered and cultivated by the native farmers and hunter-gatherers of North, Central and South America.
These indigenous varieties include corn, beans, peanuts, cotton, potatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers, avocados, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, squashes, black walnuts, pecans, chocolate, tobacco, rubber, sunflowers, and medicinal herbs and plants. Today, every one of these varieties are threatened by Monsanto, Big Pharma, and industrial agriculture, among others, who are privatizing and patenting seeds and the gene pool, eroding biodiversity, degrading the soil and water, contaminating the food chain, and destabilizing the climate.
A CULTIVATED EDEN DESCRIBED AS A WILDERNESS
What European colonists mistakenly described as wilderness was actually a human-created and nurtured landscape, providing food, medicinal herbs, bountiful wildlife, healthy, living soil, and clean water.
Native Americans "managed" the environment "organically," producing and/or maintaining for themselves and the future generations native animals, birds, fish, berries, nuts, greens, fruits, bulbs, corn, mushrooms, roots, basketry and cordage materials, firewood, hunting and building materials, herbal medicines, and plants for ceremonial use.
Many "wild" or commercial plants or varieties that exist today are in fact derived from ancient Native American seed saving and cross-breeding that produced better-tasting, climate adapted, and nutritional varieties.
The popular belief that pre-Columbian America was a "pristine wilderness" is false. This destructive myth is based upon essentially racist stereotypes that reduce the highly successful plant and animal husbandry of Native American rural societies to the instinctual behavior of wildlife or "noble savages."
Native American elders remember better times. "The white man ruined this country," said Southern Sierra Miwok elder Jim Rust. "It's turned back to wilderness. In the old days there used to be lots more game: deer, quail, gray squirrels and rabbits."
There are no "spontaneous Edens" on planet Earth. The New World Gardens of Eden spread across the Americas and the Caribbean, mindlessly exploited by the European conquerors, were the product of the wisdom, hard work, and perseverance of millions of Native Americans, caring for what they believed was a "sacred Earth" and an interconnected web of life that included all living things. In a similar manner, we must understand today that there will be no spontaneous organic or green revival, nor magical climate re-stabilization. An organic and healthy life for the present and future generations will require the dedicated work and perseverance of millions. In the near future we will either stop the deadly assaults on our biodiversity, our food chain, our health, and our climate, or else the biological carrying capacity of the Earth will collapse, along with "modern civilization" as we know it.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Turning Over the South Lawn
Article about Michelle Obama's plan to turn the south lawn into an organic garden.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Transition Continues...
Click on these links (vpr interview) to check out a piece about the Secretary of Ag, Mr. big-man Tom Visalack--mono-culture farming industrialist extraordinaire--promoting the Victory Garden/community garden concept. Bravo! De-centralised food production at its finest. Do you think this indicates the severity of the unfolding poop-storm?
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Public Hearing at State House on Food and Farming
On Tuesday night February 17, 2009 the Well of the House of Representatives in Montpelier was filled with farmers, activists, families, people of all stripes, to comment on the future of Vermont food and farming. Over 130 people took this 2-minute opportunity to share their thoughts and visions on Vermont's food system with the House and Senate Agriculture Comittee Representatives and with the crowd of concerned citizens that billowed out of the state chamber. The evening was filled with enthusiasm and passion as the citizens of Vermont voiced their own stories and concerns regarding our local food system. Some of the most widespread contentions dealt with the legal sale of raw milk and on-farm slaughtering of animals. (Current regulations are such that small scale producers have to invest thousands of dollars to meet USDA demands when it comes to processing meat.) The importance of ensuring that Vermont can feed itself in the face of economic turmoil and the end of cheap energy, was echoed throughout the high cielings of the State House. The need for small-scale processing facilities, more young farmers, the preservation of agricultural land, the accessability of land, and the development of regional food hubs throughout the state are but a few issues brought up. The following is my 2 minute ramble that I scribbled down while listening to what others had to say:
2 minute Testament at State House, February 17 2009
by Jon Piana
Most of what I am going to say tonight has already been said – but I’m going to say it anyway. I recognize that some of what I’ll say is idealistic, but so were our founding fathers. I come to you tonight from the village of Barnard, representing both the young and the old. For I am a young vegetable farmer, and I lease land from an elder who has spent the last 45 years of his life growing grass-fed beef, rotating his cows as a steward on his farm. It is his wish to die on this farm, yet now he questions whether this wish will become a reality, due to the incredibly high and inflated land tax that has engulfed him. We have to distinguish working farms that feed our people and enhance our landscape from second-home McMansions. It is not uncommon for these so-called “farms” to qualify for land-use tax breaks because someone who does not even live there hays the fields once in the summer, while simultaneously spiking property tax, and forcing the small farmer, the producer of our food, to sink.
The average farm in this sate is 56 years old. Clearly, we need more young farmers to sustain us now and into the future. This means that some how we must make farming more profitable, and land more affordable and accessible. Young folks should be encouraged to take up the trade and art of farming, not discouraged. During this period of economic meltdown and job loss, there is lots of work to be done on farms. It is critical that we, as a state, begin taking charge in the local production of food, energy, and other raw materials that are used day to day.
May prime agriculture land be preserved and designated for the creation of new farms.
May we develop small-scale regional creameries, slaughterhouses, and other food/fiber processing plants throughout Vermont.
May food eaten by our Representatives in this State House and other state institutions (hospitals, prisons, schools etc.) be sourced from Vermont Farms.
May the State House green be transformed into community gardens and accommodate a permanent farmers market as a model to the public. (Why spend so much money chemically maintaining a lawn when there are people in the Montpelier area waiting in line for entry into community garden plots?)
May we bring back the spirit of Victory Gardens during the WWII era and initiate a statewide effort to turn home and business lawns into food producing gardens.
May we legalize industrial hemp: an invaluable renewable resource, as it can be used as food, fuel, fiber and medicine. What Thomas Jefferson deemed the backbone of our nation – hemp – is now classified as a narcotic, and outlawed by our politicians.
May we bring back the train systems that once connected our rural towns, farms and urban dwellings before the onslaught of the automobile.
Thank You.
2 minute Testament at State House, February 17 2009
by Jon Piana
Most of what I am going to say tonight has already been said – but I’m going to say it anyway. I recognize that some of what I’ll say is idealistic, but so were our founding fathers. I come to you tonight from the village of Barnard, representing both the young and the old. For I am a young vegetable farmer, and I lease land from an elder who has spent the last 45 years of his life growing grass-fed beef, rotating his cows as a steward on his farm. It is his wish to die on this farm, yet now he questions whether this wish will become a reality, due to the incredibly high and inflated land tax that has engulfed him. We have to distinguish working farms that feed our people and enhance our landscape from second-home McMansions. It is not uncommon for these so-called “farms” to qualify for land-use tax breaks because someone who does not even live there hays the fields once in the summer, while simultaneously spiking property tax, and forcing the small farmer, the producer of our food, to sink.
The average farm in this sate is 56 years old. Clearly, we need more young farmers to sustain us now and into the future. This means that some how we must make farming more profitable, and land more affordable and accessible. Young folks should be encouraged to take up the trade and art of farming, not discouraged. During this period of economic meltdown and job loss, there is lots of work to be done on farms. It is critical that we, as a state, begin taking charge in the local production of food, energy, and other raw materials that are used day to day.
May prime agriculture land be preserved and designated for the creation of new farms.
May we develop small-scale regional creameries, slaughterhouses, and other food/fiber processing plants throughout Vermont.
May food eaten by our Representatives in this State House and other state institutions (hospitals, prisons, schools etc.) be sourced from Vermont Farms.
May the State House green be transformed into community gardens and accommodate a permanent farmers market as a model to the public. (Why spend so much money chemically maintaining a lawn when there are people in the Montpelier area waiting in line for entry into community garden plots?)
May we bring back the spirit of Victory Gardens during the WWII era and initiate a statewide effort to turn home and business lawns into food producing gardens.
May we legalize industrial hemp: an invaluable renewable resource, as it can be used as food, fuel, fiber and medicine. What Thomas Jefferson deemed the backbone of our nation – hemp – is now classified as a narcotic, and outlawed by our politicians.
May we bring back the train systems that once connected our rural towns, farms and urban dwellings before the onslaught of the automobile.
Thank You.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Seed Saving Workshop
SEED SAVING WORKSHOP AND SEED SWAP AT UPPER VALLEY FOOD CO-OP IN WRJ
WHEN: Saturday, February 21, 1 – 4 pm WHERE: Upper Valley Food Co-op, 193 N. Main St., White River Jct.
Sylvia Davatz will present a seed saving workshop at Upper Valley Food Co-op in White River Junction on Saturday, February 21 at 1 pm. Sylvia is a member of the national Seed Savers Exchange and founder of Solstice Seeds. The workshop will be followed by a seed swap from 3 – 4 pm. Bring seeds to trade and empty envelopes to take seeds home. No genetically modified seeds, please! The seed swap is free to all and there is a suggested donation of $10 for the seed saving workshop. Please register for the workshop by calling the Co-op at 802-295-5804. The website is http://www.uppervalleyfood.coop
WHEN: Saturday, February 21, 1 – 4 pm WHERE: Upper Valley Food Co-op, 193 N. Main St., White River Jct.
Sylvia Davatz will present a seed saving workshop at Upper Valley Food Co-op in White River Junction on Saturday, February 21 at 1 pm. Sylvia is a member of the national Seed Savers Exchange and founder of Solstice Seeds. The workshop will be followed by a seed swap from 3 – 4 pm. Bring seeds to trade and empty envelopes to take seeds home. No genetically modified seeds, please! The seed swap is free to all and there is a suggested donation of $10 for the seed saving workshop. Please register for the workshop by calling the Co-op at 802-295-5804. The website is http://www.uppervalleyfood.coop
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
The Showing of the Bees...(time change)
Last year Todd Hardie of Honey Gardens, www.honeygardens.com and his beloved daughter, Meriwether came to the farm for an info session and potluck celebrating the blessings of our forgotten pollinators--the honey bee. Meriwether was accompanied by a filmmaker who documented the day. On April 11th at 6:30 you can check out the finished work on the Food Network. The documentary series is titled, "My Life in Food" and the specific segment is called "Milk & Honey". You may have to check the local listings for the exact time and date.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Ecological Capital of Soil
Came across this quote by Wes Jackson, who is the co-founder of The Land Institute http://www.landinstitute.org/, and felt it pertinent to the times as they are unfolding.
"We live off of what comes out of the soil, not what's in the bank. If we squander the ecological capital of the soil, the capital on paper won't much matter... For the past 50 or 60 years, we have followed industrialized agricultural policies that have increased the rate of destruction of productive farmland. For those 50 or 60 years, we have let ourselves believe the absurd notion that as long as we have money we will have food. If we continue our offenses against the land and the labor by which we are fed, the food supply will decline, and we will have a problem far more complex than the failure of our paper economy. Remember, if our agriculture is not sustainable then our food supply is not sustainable... Either we pay attention or we pay a huge price, not so far down the road. When we face the fact that civilizations have destroyed themselves by destroying their farmland, it's clear that we don't really have a choice."
Link here http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16680.cfm to read the entire interview with Wes.
On a similar note, I had conversations with two different seed companies (Fedco & Johnny's) and both of them said that they're experiencing record sales and running out of seeds faster than in years past.
"We live off of what comes out of the soil, not what's in the bank. If we squander the ecological capital of the soil, the capital on paper won't much matter... For the past 50 or 60 years, we have followed industrialized agricultural policies that have increased the rate of destruction of productive farmland. For those 50 or 60 years, we have let ourselves believe the absurd notion that as long as we have money we will have food. If we continue our offenses against the land and the labor by which we are fed, the food supply will decline, and we will have a problem far more complex than the failure of our paper economy. Remember, if our agriculture is not sustainable then our food supply is not sustainable... Either we pay attention or we pay a huge price, not so far down the road. When we face the fact that civilizations have destroyed themselves by destroying their farmland, it's clear that we don't really have a choice."
Link here http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16680.cfm to read the entire interview with Wes.
On a similar note, I had conversations with two different seed companies (Fedco & Johnny's) and both of them said that they're experiencing record sales and running out of seeds faster than in years past.
Friday, January 23, 2009
2009 Season SHARES Available...
Join us for another year of fresh food, good health and community fun! Our first year of operating a 20 member CSA was a success, so this year we're expanding our membership. Now that we have time to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of our first season, we are looking forward to building on what we started in 2008. And that means nurturing the CSA organism—improving the overall experience and connection with us farmers and the farm itself, as well as expanding the opportunities and items we offer. Next season, in addition to the veggies, we hope to offer bread, meat, home-brew, and herbal shares (dried herbs/spices, tea blends and tinctures)—all of which are produced right here in Barnard. Moreover, we aspire to cultivate more member participation in the form of community potlucks with different themes, member workdays, and hope to generate excitement around exchanging recipes, pictures of your culinary creations and personal reflections on this blog. We also aspire to make Thursday’s pick-up more than just an exchange of vegetables, but also a festive gathering, something to do with the family, a celebration of food and community.
The pick-up this year will be in the Barnard village behind the red farm house that is next door to the Unitarian Church and across the street from the fire station. We are only offering a one size "Regular SHARE", and have decided to implement a sliding scale and increase the cost to $400--$450 for the sustainability of us farmers. What you pay within this scale is up to you. In addition to the bounty of vegetables distributed on Thursdays, members will be able to harvest green beans, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers, herbs and cut flowers in the U-pick garden.
Quick CSA History and Philosophy:
The CSA concept was born out of a mosaic of influences, but is often traced back to the economic ideas of philosopher/scientist, Rudolph Steiner and the cornerstones of Biodynamic Agriculture. In the 1970's various forms of the CSA model began sprouting up in Japan and Europe in response to decreasing food safety and the disappearance of farmland and farmers. It wasn't until 1986 that the CSA model spread its roots on two farms simultaneously in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It has spread so rapidly that today there are over 1,000 operating CSA's in the U.S. The foundation philosophy of this growing movement lies in directly linking producers with consumers so that the latter is engaged with both the process and the risk of growing food.
The pick-up this year will be in the Barnard village behind the red farm house that is next door to the Unitarian Church and across the street from the fire station. We are only offering a one size "Regular SHARE", and have decided to implement a sliding scale and increase the cost to $400--$450 for the sustainability of us farmers. What you pay within this scale is up to you. In addition to the bounty of vegetables distributed on Thursdays, members will be able to harvest green beans, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers, herbs and cut flowers in the U-pick garden.
Quick CSA History and Philosophy:
The CSA concept was born out of a mosaic of influences, but is often traced back to the economic ideas of philosopher/scientist, Rudolph Steiner and the cornerstones of Biodynamic Agriculture. In the 1970's various forms of the CSA model began sprouting up in Japan and Europe in response to decreasing food safety and the disappearance of farmland and farmers. It wasn't until 1986 that the CSA model spread its roots on two farms simultaneously in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It has spread so rapidly that today there are over 1,000 operating CSA's in the U.S. The foundation philosophy of this growing movement lies in directly linking producers with consumers so that the latter is engaged with both the process and the risk of growing food.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
What a Day!
Today marks the beginning of a new political era, as Obama officially took the reigns of the empire…and we mailed our seed orders. I hope he plants the seeds to grow the necessary framework that encourages grassroots innovation and creativity, pushes policies that relocalize our food system, and empowers people to work together in producing the various needs for our communities. May he embrace Michael Pollen's idea of turning two acres of the White House south lawn into an organic garden. Food cuts through the left-right paradigm. It cultivates community, it's integral for our survival, and it's change in tangible form. Initiating a "Victory Garden" movement similar to the one that existed during World War II, would function to empower all of us to take more responsibility in producing our sustenance and ownership over improving our physical, emotional and spiritual health. Thus, the fable of Obama begins…
On the seed front, we collaborated with another farmer, Peter Chap, from down the road, to bundle our Fedco orders. I met Peter for the first time and feel blessed for the opportunity to pick the brain of a venerable elder agrarian. He’s been working the Soil in these foothills for many years and brings a rich and informed perspective to growing food and a willingness to share. After talking with him, I reaffirm our commitment to producing an eggplant this year!...and after receiving a few evaluations from our members, we hope to produce a ton more carrots. With year one under our belts, we have a much better understanding of seeding schedules, varieties, fertility needs, and the demands of the members’ taste buds.
And lastly, the Northeast Organic Farming Association's (NOFAVT) winter conference is scheduled for the weekend of February 141-15. This is always a great time where people gather from all over to talk and learn about how to take ownership over our survival. From how to grow a four season garden, compost food and yard scraps, "partnering with a family cow, making natural soaps, caring for honey bees, "fearless pruning", root cellaring, community food security issues, growing and processing healing herbs, etc.--you get the point. The conference offers an endless list of learning opportunities...as well as a great space to network and meet with all kinds of interesting and inspired folks! You can access NOFAVT by clicking on http://www.nofavt.org/
On the seed front, we collaborated with another farmer, Peter Chap, from down the road, to bundle our Fedco orders. I met Peter for the first time and feel blessed for the opportunity to pick the brain of a venerable elder agrarian. He’s been working the Soil in these foothills for many years and brings a rich and informed perspective to growing food and a willingness to share. After talking with him, I reaffirm our commitment to producing an eggplant this year!...and after receiving a few evaluations from our members, we hope to produce a ton more carrots. With year one under our belts, we have a much better understanding of seeding schedules, varieties, fertility needs, and the demands of the members’ taste buds.
And lastly, the Northeast Organic Farming Association's (NOFAVT) winter conference is scheduled for the weekend of February 141-15. This is always a great time where people gather from all over to talk and learn about how to take ownership over our survival. From how to grow a four season garden, compost food and yard scraps, "partnering with a family cow, making natural soaps, caring for honey bees, "fearless pruning", root cellaring, community food security issues, growing and processing healing herbs, etc.--you get the point. The conference offers an endless list of learning opportunities...as well as a great space to network and meet with all kinds of interesting and inspired folks! You can access NOFAVT by clicking on http://www.nofavt.org/
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