Brief Notes from Meredith and Eric
Hello Friends,
I’m going to keep this short. 2019 was a tremendous year for Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center, and it’s all because of you, our customers, our supporters, so, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Shopping at Cedar Circle this last year brought you some favorites from the field like spring asparagus, tender lettuce mix, and arguably the most delicious strawberries in New England (I don’t think anyone actually argues about this). There were mouth-watering classics from the kitchen, like morning buns and brown butter scones, and savory goods like my favorite romesco sauce and focaccia. Our greenhouses were packed with varieties of flowers and other bedding plants, not to mention the OUTRAGEOUS cut flower garden, did you get a chance to make your way out there this year?!?! It was heaven. Also, maple lattes…need I say more?
This year brought a noticeable (we hope) growth to our education programs as well. Summer camp expanded to seven weeks, thanks to our intrepid staff. We also started offering adult programs again—look for more coming soon!
Something that was likely not noticeable to many of you, was the extensive expansion of our research programs. In 2019, we committed more acres to our no-till trials, testing certain cover crops, interplantings of different crops in our no-till system, and permanent bed systems in the garden we grow in collaboration with Willing Hands. One of the most intriguing areas of research is focused on learning more about Korean Natural Farming soil nutrient alternatives to purchasing brought-in fertilizers. We’ll be offering some workshops for customers who would like to learn more this Spring and Summer.
My motive is not to brag, rather to just thank you again, and let you know that we couldn’t do this without your investment in Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center. Ok, I have one more motive, and that is to remind you that our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is one of the pillars of support that makes this all possible. When you purchase a CSA, especially this time of the year, it allows us to invest in our coming season, in both staff and resources. Your commitment to the farm, through the purchase of a CSA card, gives us the confidence and the funding to take our research further, to expand our education programs, to plan for the most fruitful growing season yet. We have one more week of offering the Early Bird discount, which means you receive the regular 10% discount on everything we sell, and an additional 10% discount on veggies all year. I also ask that you consider our Dinner Share program, and our Bouquet Share. Participating in these programs brings healthy, organic, and regeneratively grown food (and flowers) into your lives, and the support you provide allows us to grow and keep working towards building regenerative farming practices, healthy soil, nutritious foods, and conscientious consumers right here in our community. Thank you for being a customer and friend of Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center. I am looking forward to seeing all of you in 2020.
Warmly,
Eric
A message from Meredith Rivlin, Education Programs Manager and Summer Camp Director:
One of my favorite moments from summer camp last year was less of a moment and more of a phenomenon. One by one, students were drawn to a large evergreen tree in the Cedar Circle Forest, screaming with glee and, I’ll be honest, a little bit of horror. Hooked onto the tree bark was some alien life-form—green skin, two dark beady eyes, and it was sticking straight out of what looked like a brown bug skeleton. No one could look away. We began making hypotheses: it was a bug dying; this weird bug was eating another weird bug; two bugs were mating; it was literally an alien.
Soon, a beloved camp instructor showed us how this cicada nymph crawled from deep underground up to a safe place on the tree bark, dug in its sharp claw-like legs, and began to molt, completing its metamorphosis into its adult, winged form. We were now watching cicada television and we couldn’t look away. We respected the space of the cicada as it dried its wings and climbed to the top of the tree to sound its mating call. Before I knew it, campers were scouring the trees for the cicada exoskeletons collecting handfuls of them as if they were Pokemon cards. Campers who arrived with a hesitancy towards getting dirty or who felt shy or disengaged were now placing these exoskeletons carefully in fairy homes, researching them in guide books, using observational skills to find them on trees, and collaborating with peers to find solutions to gather the ones that were higher up on the tree.
As an environmental educator, these are the experiences we cherish, and these are the moments that summer camp is made of. While we provide structure throughout our day and offer plenty of camper choice, we relish in the times when campers follow their own curiosity and learn through direct experience. The farm and its natural surroundings create a perfect setting for this magic to take place.
This summer we’re offering 8 weeks of our week-long day camp sessions for ages 6-11. Our Early Bird discount goes through February 14th so be sure you secure a spot for your camper to witness some fascinating phenomena here on the farm this summer. To learn more and to register, visit:
https://cedarcirclefarm.org/education/summer-day-camp
• CSA Cards
To ensure that your produce basket stays full throughout the growing season, join our CSA! Both of our CSA Card options are debit-style cards that come with a built-in 10% discount. Save even more on produce with a Produce Plus Card! Sign up →
Curiosity and wonder are all around us during our week-long summer camps! Campers ages 6-11 learn about food, agriculture, and ecology by getting their hands dirty and exploring the farm. We believe that students are the most engaged and learn best when their inquisitiveness and hands-on experiences are encouraged and empowered. Learn more & register →
Become a Junior Counselor this summer! Junior Counselors, ages 14 and up, are an integral part of the Cedar Circle Farm Summer Day Camp Team. Working alongside our summer educational team, they engage with campers throughout the day as they assist camp educators in running activities, setting up for lessons, and helping general group management. Learn more →
This vegetarian, prepared food CSA is a delicious and adventurous way to support local food production! Click here to see a sample menu. Sign up →
Create your own beautiful bouquets! For 12 weeks of the summer, pick 25 flower stems per week in our organic PYO flower garden. Sign up →
