The Farm is bubbling with new life this spring.

The greenhouse is filling with colorful seedlings and student volunteers visit regularly to care for them and ensure that they are getting planted out in the field as soon as possible.

Cabbage, kale, beet, celosia, spinach, and nasturtium seedlings fill the tables in the greenhouse and drink in the mid-April sun.

As you may recall, just over 1 month ago we were experiencing summer-like temperatures and a warm, dry spell, very uncharacteristic of a typical New England Spring.

Bryan and Sean plant onions in windy, dry weather in the middle of April.

During volunteer hours in early April we were often decked out in our summer best.

Kristen, Andrea, Meaghan, Andrew, Dan, Nick, Maranda, Andrew and Kiera, plant lettuce seedlings and prep more beds with compost to add organic and nutrient rich content to the soil.

Over the past couple of weeks, the weather has shifted a bit and we have been lucky to receive some rain for our newly planted crops.  Between showers we have planted flowers including celosia, snapdragons, salvia, and statice, and vegetables including cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, beets, onions, potatoes, mustard greens, and even some early zucchinis and summer squash out in the field.

Much of this work has been carried out by student volunteers either during volunteer hours or even during class time.

Hannah and Dan - covered in dust and still smiling!

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On the last day of classes, Thursday, May 3rd, I invited students in my class (Environmental Science and the Food Justice LC which I teach with Prof. Sue Mooney) to spend their last Environmental Science class with me at The Farm.

The students weathered the misty, cool weather and got a lot done!

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The early arrivals got right to work harvesting Mesclun Mix and Arugula for My Brother’s Keeper, which was picked up and delivered that day.

Mike helps with our first harvest of the season.

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Kate, Alyssa, Mike and Kriten display the first harvest of the 2012 season. These greens were picked up by My Brother's Keeper moments later and delivered that day.

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Students harvested, washed and packed 3 pounds of this delicious Mesclun Mix and Arugula for My Brother's Keeper.

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The rest of the class kept busy planting winter squash seeds in trays in the greenhouse, beet and red mustard green seedlings and potatoes in the fields, and prepping the beds covered in black plastic mulch for zucchini and summer squash seedlings.

Becca, Stephanie, Hannah and Emily plant Early Wonder Beet seedlings.

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Catie, Alexa and Jill plant Red Gold Potatoes.

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Adriana and Sydney get ready to plant German Butterball Potatoes.

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Potato planters: Catie, Adriana, Sydney, Jillian, Alexa, Rosemarie, Sarah and Nick.

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33 Members of the Food Justice LC gather for a group shot after planting, weeding, and harvesting on the last day of classes.

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Volunteers are helping The Farm grow in leaps and bounds.

Thanks to their help, we have already filled twenty-three 125′ beds with a wide variety of early season vegetables and some flowers.  We have even started to harvest some of our greens and made small deliveries to My Brother’s Keeper and the Easton Food Pantry.

The steady stream of student volunteers is allowing us to reach more people with fresh, healthy, nutritious and organic vegetables sooner than expected.

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Over the course of the season I look forward to welcoming new and returning students and staff to help with planting, cultivating and harvesting our crops. 

One day – in 3 years or so – we’ll have new jobs like harvesting apples. For now I am happy to see the young trees coming to life out in the field.

Our apple trees are settling into their new home with us.

Our 35 trees arrive!

 On April 11th, 35 trees arrived from Adam’s County Nursery in Aspers, PA.  These trees were purchased with some of the funds generously donated by the Class of 2011.  We have chosen 4 varieties of apple trees to start our orchard including the heirloom, Pippin, and 3 scab-resistant varieties: Crimson Crisp, Initial, and Querina.  It is our hope that within 3 years these trees will be producing a good amount of local, organic, and delicious fruit for our community partners in Brockton.  The fruit of each variety will ripen at different times over the course of the growing season, providing us with a nice, long apple harvest season.

The instructions from the nursery were the following: keep roots moist, store the box in a cool and dry area, and plant within 2 weeks – at the most! These tasks were easily accomplished with the help of over 50 volunteers. Helpers included students from my Environmental Science class, Professor Corey Dolgon’s Introduction to Sociology class, Professor Tom Balf’s Environmental Science class, and other new and returning students and staff volunteers who joined us during “volunteer hours” on Thursdays and Fridays.

Sheriden and Brian help with orchard layout.

After assessing our farm’s current footprint, we decided to establish the orchard in the southwest corner of our field.  On April 13th, Sheriden and Brian arrived a bit earlier than the rest of the day’s volunteers and helped me place a stake where each hole would need to be dug.   The trees have been grafted onto a semi-dwarf stock, so the trees will only grow to be about 8 to 10 feet high and 8 feet wide.  This will allow for easy picking – we hope the deer don’t think so too!

A large groups of volunteers makes quick work of digging holes for the apple trees.

 A couple of hours after Brian, Sheriden and I laid out the orchard, a large group of volunteers joined us and quickly dug holes where each stake had been placed.  We even had enough time that afternoon to plant the first 10 trees, and chose the Crimson Crisp variety to be the first to go in the ground.

Nick, Tommy, Tim and I plant a Crimson Crisp apple tree together.

The trees seemed to utter sighs of relief as they went from their cramped, dark quarters in the box into the warm soil and compost.  Each tree received 5 gallons of water to help them weather the unseasonably warm, dry days.

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We waited for the warmest days of the following week to pass before planting the remaining trees on April 19th and 20th.

On Thursday afternoon Sean Vermette, the college’s painter, and his two children, Maeve and Will joined us to ensure that one of the Querina apple trees settled nicely into it’s new home.

Sean Vermette and his kids Will and Maeve help us plant a Querina Apple Tree.

Sean held the tree in place while Will and Maeve filled the hole in with soil and compost.

Will and Maeve - hard at work!

I have a feeling that Will and Maeve will be visiting from time to time to check on the progress of their little tree. I hope they will not be too disappointed by the long wait for their tree’s first apples!

Sean and Maeve work together to plant their tree.

That same afternoon, students from Prof. Tom Balf’s class planted the 9 remaining Querina Apple Trees after learning a little bit about cover crops, crop rotation, drip irrigation and other sustainable farming practices.

Prof. Tom Balf (center) plants a tree with 2 of his students.

Many of these students were new to the farm, and I was impressed by their careful and efficient work. I look forward to welcoming them back anytime!

Three of Prof. Balf's students experience the joy of planting an apple tree.

After planting the trees, these students made quick work of delivering 5 gallons of water to each tree. We will be setting up drip irrigation over the next couple of weeks for each tree to get them through the hottest months of the summer.

The incredibly important task of watering the newly planted trees!

It’s hard not to smile as you see the orchard going in.

Three students and I enjoy the beautiful, sunny planting weather.

The last few trees were planted on April 20th – well within the 2 week window suggested by Adam’s County Nursery.

Joe Favazza and Katie Conboy plant one of the last trees!

Under bright blue and sunny skies, Joe Favazza, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of the Faculty, and Katie Conboy, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, joined students Sarah, Erin, Dan, Tim and me to plant the last couple of Pippin apple trees.

All of the tree are in!

It will take a couple of years until the trees bear fruit, but we are already reaping the benefits of growing an orchard as a community. 

A big thank you to the Class of 2011 for donating the trees, and to the students and staff who helped perform orchard layout, dig the holes, plant the trees, apply the compost, and water the trees.

Please visit often to nurture the orchard and watch it grow.

After our brief waltz with summer temperatures, the more seasonal cool nights and blustery, sunny days of early spring have returned.

Our tables are filling up with tough little seedlings.

The seedlings in the greenhouse are holding up well despite the colder temperatures.  Every evening, if it looks like the temperatures will dip into the 30′s, we cover up the seedlings with a thin sheet of row cover to protect them from cold damage.

Some of the seedlings are growing so well that they need to be transplanted into larger “homes” so that their roots can find the moisture and nutrients that they need to grow.

Rosemarie, Sarah, and Breanne - hard at work transplanting greens during volunteer hours on Friday, March 30.

Thanks to the careful work of volunteers, these Mesclun Mix Greens and Arugula are thriving.

Greens growing strong after 1 week in their new homes!

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Despite the cooler days, volunteers are still filling the fields, and jumping right in to plant seeds in The Sem, transplant seedlings in the greenhouse, and plant  seeds in the field.

Kyle, Dave and Tommy, plant seeds in the basement of The Sem.

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A team of volunteers prep our first bed of the season with ease.

Last week, on March 30th, 18 volunteers arrived at The Farm and got right to work prepping and “pre-weeding”. Before I knew it, the first bed was masterfully prepared and the group was ready to plant two varieties of radish: Rudolf and Pink Beauty.

With this many helping hands, hundreds of seeds are sown in minutes!

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The “magic” of this time of year comes during these bustling times of group activity, and also in the unexpected moments of quiet reflection.

These come early in the morning when the frost is still melting away…

Morning Frost

…and in the early evening when we tuck the seedlings in to protect them from the cold nights.

Onions, cabbage, lettuce, kale and flowers - all tucked in for the night.

Under the cover of night, the seedlings withstand the cold and greet us the next day a little bit stronger, and one day closer to their time to grow to their full potential in the field. 

These seedlings are embracing the sunlight of each day, modeling “Carpe Diem” in a whole new way!

A sea of onion seedlings - strong after a good night's rest - greet the morning.

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Outside of the greenhouse, the soils are warming under consistent sunny skies and temperatures in the 50′s. As a result, today was a perfect day to plant peas.

Peas in hand - ready to grow.

I prepped the soil with a rototiller, a rake and a hoe and planted the peas in 2 straight rows, with a string to guide my work.

Peas are planted 1 month ahead of our first pea planting in 2011.

We now have 2 beds planted – many more to come!

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I am looking forward to planting our onion and lettuce seedlings next week with the help of our volunteers!

In The Sem we continue to plant our seeds. 

In the greenhouse, you’ll see kale, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, collards, dill, cilantro, parsley, and other greens growing in all shapes and sizes.

At The Farm, the perennials are waking up from their winter’s nap, and will be there to greet you!

New growth on raspberry canes planted last spring.

Garlic's up in the field!

Spring is here!

It is hard to believe that it is only March 23rd! The plants in the field and in the trays are responding well as they drink in the warm rays and grow towards the sun.

Mesclun Mix Seedlings

Astro Arugula and Candy Onion seedlings drink in the sun in the greenhouse.

Celosia seedlings.

It is a bit strange, to say the least, to have temperatures in the high 70′s and low 80′s in March!

What does this mean about the health of our planet? 

Weather forecasts look to be dropping to more seasonal highs in the 50′s next week, which is a bit of a relief. As much as I enjoy the “summer feeling,” March is a bit early for that to be kicking in already!

Erin, Gabbie and Dan seed zinnias in the greenhouse.

With some luck, the warm weather will allow our seedlings to grow well and hopefully be able to offer our produce to our partners in Brockton much earlier this second season. This year we will deliver produce to The Easton Food Pantry, Father Bill’s and MainSpring, My Brother’s Keeper and the Old Colony YMCA weekly.

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Under warm and sunny skies, we quickly got to work at The Farm. 

“Getting to work” was made easier thanks to our new, 2002 Chevy Silverado farm truck…

At the wheel of our new farm truck!

…new greenhouse tables built by Mark Larson, one of the college’s talented carpenters…

Our new greenhouse tables, ready for seedlings!

…and good farming neighbors!

On March 22nd around 6:30PM, Rory O’Dwyer from Langwater Farm arrived with their John Deere tractor and a chisel plow to turn our first field.

First turn of the fields: March 22

  It only took her a little over 1 hour to work her magic, and turn in some of the winter rye that we planted in the fall.

Our front field covered with our cover crop: winter rye.

The very next day, under clear skies and 70 degree weather, over 15 volunteers joined me to do some early weeding in the perennial beds!

First they signed in…

Our Volunteer Log

…then the weeding began in the perennial beds…

Erin, Sean, Bryan and Dan were just 4 of the over 15 volunteers who helped out at the farm today!

Ryan, Michelle and a couple of volunteers weed the raspberries.

…planting commenced in window boxes on our shed…

Margaret and Dan plant Morning Glories, Sweet Peas and Zinnias in our shed window boxes.

…and planting seeds continued in the greenhouse (and later in the Sem basement).

Bryan gets ready to bottom water some newly planted seeds.

There was even a moment or two to enjoy a snack from the field!

Nick and Tim pause for a bite of kale that overwintered in the fields.

We welcome you to join us this season by following us online or working with us in the fields.“Like us” on Facebook by clicking here to keep on top of happenings at The Farm. 

Don't forget to sign in!

Happy Spring! Happy Farming!

Brian and Sean plant our first seeds (onions!) of the season. (February 24, 2012)

The 2012 growing season has begun!

On February 24, Brian and Sean joined me in the basement of the Sem to plant our first seeds, which included 4 varieties of onions (Alisa Craig, Candy, Cortland and White Pearl Drop) and Snapdragons.  These two were quick studies, and with ease they prepped trays and set to work planting the small seeds.

Candy Onions - up and looking for light in the greenhouse! (February 29, 2012)

It didn’t take long (5 days) before little green sprouts started to pop up into view. We moved them out into the greenhouse to ensure good light quality as they grow!

Molly joins me and Brian to plant another round of seeds. (March 2, 2012)

It didn’t take long for word to spread, and more farm volunteers arrived ready to work on Friday.  We planted lettuce, spinach, chard, and a couple of more flower varieties including Statice and Celosia.

Brian, Sean, Molly, Brianne, Erin and Dianna... ready to farm! (March 2, 2012)

 The snowy morning at the farm did not diminish our enthusiasm as we moved the onions and greens that have already germinated out into the greenhouse.

Brianne, Molly, Dianna, and Erin enjoy our greenhouse, heated by the sun, after moving trays up from the basement of The Sem. (March 2, 2012)

It will not be long before we are all out in the fields surrounded by the greens of spring, the vibrant rainbow of summer, and the deeper hues of the fall.

March came in like a lion with some ice and snow. (March 2, 2012)

For now we plant and water, watch and plan, as the days become longer and the temperatures begin to climb.

Statice Flower Sprouts (March 5, 2012).

Before we know it, these fields covered in the crystals of winter, will be filled with vibrant colors that only the longer, warmer days of the spring, summer and fall can bring.

Volunteers hours will begin in earnest after Spring Break. 

If you would like to receive emails about when you can volunteer please email Erin: ecobb@students.stonehill.edu or send us a message using the Volunteer Tab above.

The past few morning at The Farm, I arrive to find that the fields are all dressed up in a sparkling and frosty coat.

This cooler weather brings with it a flurry of activity!

Frosty red cabbage.

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We have been harvesting the last crops, which include parsnips, kohlrabi, and cabbage.

Greg and Sean harvest parsnips.

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We harvested this kohlrabi on November 2, 2011.

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Queen Scarlet Red Stem Turnip Greens sparkle in early morning light.

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We work together to remove drip tape and irrigation lines from the fields and wrap them up for next year.

Brian, Pat, Erin, Connielyn, Chelsea and Katie carefully wrap up drip tape so that we can use it again next spring.

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Michelle, Connielyn and Chelsea brave cool temperatures to help out on Friday, November 4th.

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We had to accomplish these projects by Friday, November 4th, before our friends (and their tractors) arrived from Langwater Farm to turn the fields one last time.

The Disc Harrow chops up any remaining vegetation as it turns the plants into the soil.

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The fields in their final glory on the morning of November 4th.

Before the fields were turned, I made sure to mark the rows, so that we can rotate our crops next year and grow healthy crops as we are mindful about keeping our soils healthy and nutrient rich.

Marking the fields to ensure good crop rotation practices.

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Rory O’Dwyer arrived at the farm right on time, and within a couple of hours she and her John Deere and disc harrow transformed the fields!

Rory makes the first pass with the disc harrow.

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A few hours later, Chuck Currie and Kevin O’Dwyer arrived with 2 more tractors to smooth the fields with a lighter harrow, spread winter rye seed, and incorporate the seed with the harrow.

Chuck smooths the fields before the cover crop is seeded.

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Kevin spreads winter rye as a cover crop.

According to UVM Extension: “Winter rye is an excellent winter cover crop because it rapidly produces a ground cover that holds soil in place against the forces of wind and water. Rye’s deep roots help prevent compaction in annually tilled fields, and because its roots are quite extensive, rye also has a positive effect on soil tilth.”

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Rory, Kevin and Chuck completed their work in record time!

Yet again I am reminded how lucky we are to have such good neighbors. We are thankful for their help to make this first season such a success, and look forward to working together for many years to come.

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The fields are now a bit bare, but soon the winter rye will germinate and a green, protective coat will adorn the fields for the colder months.

The fields, looking west from Rt. 138. November 4, 2011.

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Our Winter Rye. Planted November 4. Germinated and already hard at work helping with soil conservation. Photo taken on November 15, 2011.

 The quiet beauty of the winter is starting to make it’s voice heard.

Time to reflect upon this season is arriving, and plans for next season will not be far behind.

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The cooler season's morning glory.

Symmetry of the Seasons

Cabbage in the spring.

Spring.

We plant lettuce seedlings under lights,

and when we think the time is right,

we move them in the thawing earth,

and hope they will survive late frost.

Much tougher than their small leaves suggest,

They take root and grow in sun and in rain.

Lettuce seedlings under the lights.

Summer.

We harvest;

Not just lettuce.

Loads of zucchini and summer squash threaten to break our backs.

Tomatoes: so plentiful that some fall to the ground,

Never making it to the table for which they were intended.

Instead they feed the Earth that lies below.

Zucchini and Summer Squash harvested in July.

Juliet Tomatoes ripening on the vine in July.

Tomatoes: So plentiful that we cannot harvest them all.

Fall.

Greens rule again.

Kohlrabi, with it’s alien appearance, with its pleasing spice

warms our cooling bodies.

We find ourselves planting and harvesting lettuce once again.

Confident now, that it will brave first frost.

Knowing now, that each plant possesses a resilient core,

And a drive to survive.

Kohlrabi and Parsnips harvested on October 26th.

Patrick Brazel harvests lettuce on October 26 in the rain.

Fall harvest: eggplant, lettuce, collard greens, kohlrabi, parsley, and kale.

Winter.

The snow starts to fall,

and the wind cuts through our layers of wool, fleece and down.

Attempts are made to erase the warmth of long summer days from our memories.

To combat the cold, we mirror the might of the smallest seedlings,

Drawing on the heat stored in our cores,

until the Sun of next season beats down.

To warm us from the outside in,

Once again.

Three volunteers and Scarlet Queen Red Stem Turnips weighed, washed and packed for the Old Colony YMCA.

Last week we tallied up our harvest numbers for July (3040 pounds), August (4010 pounds) and Septemeber (4229 pounds), and we amazed to find that our fields will most definitely produce over 6 tons of organic and nutritious produce this season!

A typical Friday afternoon delivery.

Farm volunteers currently arrive ready to work at least 3 days a week.

Volunteers get ready to work in the fields.

They stay busy weeding lettuce seedlings…

Volunteer weed Mesclun Mix and a variety of lettuce called "Nancy."

…harvesting veggies like leeks…

Michael help us harvest Tandora Leeks.

…and carrots…

Harvesting carrots in the foreground and planting cover crop in the field behind.

…pulling tomato stakes (remember, we did plant 1000 tomato plants!)…

Chris and Justin help out by pulling tomato stakes and stacking them up for next season in the greenhouse.

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Erin, Sean and Brendan make ready to pull more tomato stakes.

…removing black plastic and storing our drip irrigation lines for next season.

Tom pulls tomato stakes and prepares to remove plastic and drip tape.

Our turnips and scallions love this cool weather and we will happily harvest them for a couple more weeks.

Scarlet Queen Red Stem Turnips... ready to be served in a salad or sauteed up in a stir-fry.

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Greg harvests scallions for us on a cool, fall morning.

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We may leave some carrots in the ground until the end of the month to allow them to sweeten up in the chilling weather that Autumn brings.

The Harvest has been bountiful and we continue to revel in the splendor of fall at The Farm. We look forward to seeing you there soon!

We are still very busy bringing in the harvest at The Farm! 

Carrots and carnival squash, freshly picked and ready for delivery.

Thanks to up to 50 weekly student and staff volunteers leek, tomatoes, carrots, kale, bok choi, kale and even sweet potatoes are filling up our harvest bins and the tables of our partners.

Three students, many carrots!

Last week when Beth came to pick up for My Brother’s Keeper we filled every last bit of space – even the front passenger seat – in her cargo van with our vegetables. We are happy to see veggies like winter squash, kale and leeks all being sent out together and have high hopes that they will soon be cooked together into a delicious and healthy soup.

Fall harvest of our Tandora Leeks.

Many roots to grow a healthy leek. A couple of leeks to cook a flavorful dish.

We welcome students and staff to join us on Thursday mornings and Friday afternoons to ensure a plentiful and diverse mix of produce for The Table at Father Bill’s and MainSpring and the Old Colony YMCA.

Sun or showers, the volunteers are an essential ingredient to our healthy farm.

After we harvest, we weigh, wash and pack the produce… smiling all the way.

Volunteers Weighing and Sorting Sugar Pie Pumpkins

We were happy to welcome a few Stonehill Alumni this past Saturday and welcome all local Alums, Staff and Students to consider joining us on Friday afternoons between 2:00 PM and 5:30 PM until the frost of fall arrives.

Baby Bok Choi and Kale: Weighed and packed up for delivery to Old Colony YMCA.

See you soon at The Farm!

For more information on how you can volunteer at the farm please email our volunteer coordinator Erin: ecobb@students.stonehill.edu

Volunteers Alex Mello and Nick Howard harvest sweet and nutritious Sugar Pie Pumpkins.

On September 12th, eleven students joined me at the farm to harvest sweet Sugar Pie Pumpkins, and 4 varieties of winter squash.

Sage gently tosses a pumpkin to Nick.

  We worked in small teams to pluck, pile and weigh Butternut, Delicata, Carnival and Acorn Squash.

Erin Cobb, Volunteer Coordinator, and Sean Davenport, a new recruit, have no trouble filling a wheel barrow with pumpkins.

These pumpkins and winter squash are jam packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Dietary Fiber and Manganese.

Nick and Sage bringing in the harvest.

Roasted, steamed or sauteed, these veggies are delicious, filling and nutritious and definitely signal the final days of Summer and the onset of the Fall.

Alex gently places a pumpkin into the wheel barrow.

All tolled, we harvested 1120.22 pounds of pumpkins and winter squash. 

Michelle Kozminski and Jackie Harrow hunt for Carnival Squash hiding among the pumpkins.

Here is the breakdown: 661.38 lbs. of Pumpkins, 216.82 lbs. of Delicata Squash, 228.79 lbs. of Carnival Squash, 64.9 lbs. of Butternut Squash, and just a few random Acorn Squashes (8.33 lbs.)

Volunteer Farmers, Sean, Alex, Erin, Sage, Kayla and Nick, with some of the fruits of the labor.

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Thank you Erin, Brandon, Nick, Michelle, Jackie, Ryan, Sage, Sam, Sean, Alex, and Kayla for coming over to help with the harvest!  With your help we harvested over 1100 pounds of food in under 2 hours!

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Harvested Carnival Squash.

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Just this morning, Beth from My Brother’s Keeper joined me at the farm to pick up a good chunk of yesterday’s harvest. As a result, we hope the sweet smell of roasted winter squash will fill the air in 75 Brockton homes this week. 

The rest of the harvest will be delivered to our other partners within the next week or two, and can either be stored or cooked and eaten the day of delivery.