You know that fresh paint smell? That’s the smell of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, off-gassing from the paint as it dries. VOCs are bad for the earth and for our health. But you can freshen up your house without polluting by choosing…
Boston’s last working farm, Allandale Farm, has been in operation in the same location (near Faulkner Hospital) for over 250 years. Allandale farm uses organic methods even though, like many small farms, it does not have USDA Organic Certification to grow produce that it sells at its market, at grocery stores around the region and to its CSA shareholders. Allandale also offers a summer camp program for children ages 4-10.
Are you a budding localvore? Then you will definitely want to check out Local Harvest an online directory of local & sustainable food sources including farmers markets, farm stands, CSAs, co-ops and restaurants. You can search by location, finding sources closest to where you are, as well as by product.
If you live in Newton or surrounding towns, such as Needham and West Roxbury, and you haven’t yet been to Newton Community Farm, you are missing out on an amazing source for local, seasonal produce. Established in 2005 following the City of Newton’s purchase of the site, Newton Community Farm sells sustainably grown fruit, herbs and vegetables from June-Oct at its farm stand on Winchester Street, at the Newton Farmer’s Markets, and to CSA shareholders. Newton Community Farm is situated at the corner of Winchester and Nahanton streets in South Newton on land that has been farmed for over 300 years. It is the last working farm in Newton.
The Northeast Organic Farming Association is a non-profit, membership organization that supports sustainable agriculture in the Northeast. NOFA MA is one of seven NOFA chapters that provide a variety of services farmers, land care professionals, and consumers. Consumer programs include workshops on topics such as organic gardening, food preservation, and winter gardening. They also publish an organic food buying guide and a list of MA CSAs (CSA stands for community supported agriculture. A CSA supports itself by selling seasonal shares; shareholders pay an upfront fee for a certain amount of farm-grown or raised food each week).
Based in Lunenberg and New Braintree, MA Stillman’s Farm has been practicing sustainable agriculture for over 20 years. Stillman’s produce is avialable for purchase through CSA membership and at farmer’s markets around Greater Boston.
Stillman’s recently expanded their operations to include animal husbandry. Stillman’s at the Turkey Farm in Hardwick, MA provides meat through a year-round meat CSA (with drop-offs in Brookline, JP and Cambrdige) and at many Greater Boston farmer’s markets.
My family has had a membership in the meat CSA for two years and we are absolutely thrilled with the quality of the meat we receive–not to mention how satisfying it is to purchase sustainably raised meat from a local farm. As with our vegetable CSA (through Newton Community Farm), it is sometimes challenging for us to figure out how to cook some of the cuts we receive; and at first, we had to adjust our cooking times and techinques for pastured, free-ranging animals, but Aidan Davin and Kate Stillman, the farmers, have always been there to advise and help us.