september 12th, 2o2o

Letter from scott

The Harvard Common lies at the end of a long suburban road.  We sit high on a thin sliver of land in between the urban centers of Boston and Worcester. In some respects just a few miles east things feel much like the close-in suburbs of Boston, and just a few miles west the landscape is dotted with big box retail and shopping malls.  But here in Harvard the school system isn’t regionalized, working farms and orchards continue to stave off development, and it seems like everyone raises chickens.

It's our blessing and our curse (our location, not the chickens).  On the one hand we have to travel far for services and on the other hand we don’t have to put up with the congestion of those services. The denser suburbs have the retail dollars to support all sorts of amenities, Harvard doesn’t. But Harvard residents make do, and I think it’s a job well done. We enjoy a beautiful landscape, we value our history, and we support our community. This edition of the newsletter celebrates the hidden gems of of Harvard, from the Healing Garden to its roadside farmstands, and the new but not-so-hidden dining Patio at the General.

-Scott

Check out this lovely article in the Press about our historic new venture on the Patio! Make your reservations here. We do try to accommodate walks-ins whenever possible, but reservations are preferred. See you soon! PS there is a fire pit on the way…

virgina thurston healing garden

New this Year: LiveWell for Cancer Survivorship

Through generous funding from the Community Health Network Area 15 (CHNA15) administered by Emerson Hospital, the Healing Garden in Harvard is excited to be facilitating the virtual  LiveWell for Cancer Survivorship Program.  CHNA 15 is a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, hospitals, service agencies, schools, businesses, boards of health, non-profit organizations, and citizens working together to improve the health of member communities. 

The Healing Garden’s  LiveWell program is designed to improve the well-being of cancer patients through a group-based healthy eating program that provides participants better access to fresh fruits and vegetables through a farm distribution program, nutrition education classes focused on nourishing, health-supportive meals and a virtual Livestrong™ group exercise program. The goal of this program is to improve the patient’s well-being through group-based healthy eating, regaining strength through exercise, weight management and fitness, and enhanced quality of life. We hope to help clients overcome issues including food insecurity, improve diet and exercise, overcome isolation, and ultimately produce lasting, healthy lifestyle behaviors that contribute to better cancer survival outcomes. 

Christine  Salovardos, LIVESTRONG Coordinator of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts in Westborough, MA, walks the clients through a variety of exercises to build muscle strength, increase flexibility, moderate energy levels, improve endurance, and elevate mood.  As part of the grant, participants receive an exercise kit that includes weights, resistance bands, and a yoga mat.

Twice a month clients receive a farm share from the Community Harvest Project in Harvard, MA and Grafton, MA which can include a variety of fresh produce like zucchini, summer squash, cherry tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, and blueberries, and of course apples in the fall. Clients then participate in virtual nutrition and cooking classes.  Chef Amy Noordzij provides a variety of recipes that highlight the fresh produce provided as well as the health benefits needed while in treatment, or post-treatment like anti-inflammatory qualities, flavoring to accommodate changing taste buds, and easily digestible foods. The Healing Garden is thrilled to partner with these other non-profits in promoting healthy living and cancer survivorship.

Chef amy noordzij recipe

Pasta alla Norma 

Inspired by the famous London Chef Ottolenghi this recipe can be doubled or tripled for prep ahead meals. Keeps in fridge for 5 days or freezes well. 

SERVINGS 4 

Ingredients 

• 3 eggplants (2 lbs) 

• 1/2 cup avocado oil 

• sea salt and black pepper 

• 3-5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

• pinch of red pepper flakes 

• 2 lb tomatoes, rough chopped or a 28oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes 

• 5 oregano sprigs 

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup 

• 1 lb spaghetti 

• large handful of basil leaves 

• Romano cheese, grated 

Cooking Instructions 

1- Preheat oven to 425 

2- Using a peeler, shave off alternating strips of the eggplant so that they look striped like a zebra. Trim the ends and cut crossways into 1/2 inch slices. Place in a bowl with 5 tablespoons of the avocado oil, 3/4 tsp of salt and a generous grind of pepper. Mix well and spread out on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roast for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and set aside to cool. 

3- In a large saute pan over medium heat, put 2 tbsp. of the oil and add the garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring constantly until garlic is golden brown. Watch carefully - burnt garlic tastes bitter! 

Add the tomatoes and their juice, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and a grind of pepper. Cook until sauce is thick, remove oregano sprigs and stir in the eggplant. 

4- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add spaghetti. Cook until al dente then strain- reserving some of the pasta water. Add spaghetti to the sauce and a few tbsp of the cooking water to thin out if necessary. Add in basil and cheese and divide into serving bowls top with any remaining cheese and small basil leaves.

Serving Instructions 

If you can find ricotta salata cheese, this is a drier, salter cheese that is firm and nicely shaved over spaghetti.

home-grown: a guide to the roadside farmstands of harvard

Harvard is an agricultural town. Our history is steeped in hundreds of years of farming. Harvard gems like Willard Farm, Westward Orchards, Carlson Orchards, Doe Orchards and Old Frog Pond Farm grace our town with everything from apples to peaches to pumpkins to works of art. However, outside of these commercial farm/orchard operations we have a tried and true staple of New England living: the roadside farmstand. Non-commercial farm-steading by local residents is a common practice in Harvard and many like to offer their bounty to local residents by way of a small stand or table at the bottom of their driveways/along the public roadside. All featured are honor-system based and many have moved into the 21st century with Facebook Pages sharing their daily offerings, Venmo for paperless payment and more. HGS recently interviewed 5 Harvard families on their roadside stand. Each has an array of offerings and some are even on their way to becoming full-time farmers. Keep reading to discover more about this New England tradition and support our Harvard neighbors and friends who generously share their bounty!

GOOD SPIRITS FARM 106 EAST BARE HILL ROAD

HGS: Where is your stand? How can folks find you?

Christiane Turnheim: Our stand is at 106 East Bare Hill Road. It is a self-service honesty based farm stand, open 24/7 from March to end of December. Our website is http://www.goodspiritsfarm.com/  (Still work in progress)

HGS: What do you grow throughout the summer season and what's coming up next for fall if anything?

Christiane Turnheim: Spring and Summer: Flowers (In spring, peonies, daisies and other. In summer, zinnias, sun flowers, calendula, bachelor buttons….) , honey, herbs, herbal teas made from plants with medicinal value, herb and honey based skin care products. We specialize in berries (raspberries, blackberries and blueberries) , tomatoes, and uncommon crops such as ground cherries, garden huckleberries, aronia, quince…. Fall: Raspberries until first hard frost (was last year November 1), tomatillos, ground cherries, tomatoes, jalapeno and other hot peppers, winter squash, herbs, herbal teas, skin care products and of course honey. In respect to flowers, dahlias are in season. After the first hard frost, we continue to offer herbs, herbal teas, honey, skin creams and festively decorated holiday arrangements (table top/ swags…)

We only use organic methods, no pesticide or herbicides used.

HGS: How does a customer pay?

Christiane Turnheim: Cash or check into money box.

HGS: Why did you start your Harvard roadside farmstand?

Christiane Turnheim: We love farming and I’m growing our fruit and vegetables for more than 30 years now. We want to spread the benefits of healthy living by offering fruits and vegetables that were organically grown and allowed to fully ripen in the garden before getting harvested. The plan is to turn the barn on our farm into a kind of mini education center with the hope to inspire more kitchen gardens and farmsteads in Harvard. We also hope that the town will give us permission to expand the farm stand next year and perhaps include products from other local farmers, e.g. eggs and maple syrup. See below for more.

HGS: Anything else you'd like to share with the community? Ups and downs of home farming? Organic? Best practices? Fun experiences? 

Christiane Turnheim: At this point, my husband [Rene Turnheim] and I still have our “day jobs” in IT and Higher Education. I’m also a member of the Agricultural Advisory Commission in Harvard. We are currently preparing for “retirement” by expanding our farm business. We are currently installing a perma- culture show garden, that includes native plants with medicinal value and which were traditionally used as healing herbs. We are open for impromptu farm tours. My husband is always happy to provide information about bee keeping and if the weather allows, to show visitors the inside of a hive.  I’m currently finishing up my certificate in sustainable food and farming at the University of MA in Amherst. The plan is to have workshops and talks in the barn (if there  is ever an AFTER the pandemic, hopefully already next spring) about starting homesteads or a kitchen garden, preparing soils, growing/ using medicinal native plants, installing a pollinator friendly flower garden etc….We will be happy to welcome visitors and offer educational farm tours focused on medicinal plants, perma-culture design and beekeeping.

Rene Turnheim (beekeeper) and Christiane Turnheim (flowers, medicinal herbs)

PORCHSIDE FARM 13 MASS AVE

HGS: Where is your stand? How can folks find you?

Robin Hu: Porchside Farmstand is located at 13 Mass Ave., the familiar yellow house with the porch across from the high school.  We can be found on Facebook, Instagram, or by just showing up from 8ish-5.  

HGS: What do you grow throughout the summer season and what's coming up next for fall, if anything?

We currently sell eggs, flowers, rhubarb, tomatoes, beans, honey, and jam.  As the weather gets cooler we hope to have eggs, some honeycomb, squash, greens (for as long as they last), and product from our own beeswax.   

HGS: How does a customer pay?

We prefer paperless payment via Venmo or PayPal, but also have a good old-fashioned cash jar.

HGS: Why did you start your Harvard roadside farmstand?

When I started planning to farm, I had hoped to have a spot at the Harvard Farmer’s Market.  It has since closed; and we’re knee-deep in a pandemic.  So, I landed on a farmstand with a Ring camera, IG & FB pages, and paperless payment systems, all managed from my smart phone.  (Not a bad way to go for an introvert.) Having a farmstand gives me something productive to do while being flexible enough to accommodate raising kids, remote schooling, and anything else that lands on my plate.  It makes staying home more interesting whether it’s because of the pandemic or because you’re raising children, and the children enjoy it too!   

HGS: Anything else you'd like to share with the community? Ups and downs of home farming? Organic? Best practices? Fun experiences?

We are not certified organic, but try to be as organic as possible.  We don’t use herbicides or pesticides, our chickens are pasture-raised, the chickens have a rainwater catchment system built onto their coop to conserve resources, and we try to create systems based on permaculture practices.

Recently, I’ve found myself backseat driving a lot of Zoom calls with my daughter.  She is bursting with personality, excessively friendly, and a bit of an over-sharer.  Last year’s class heard about my raising 30 chickens in my shower, which probably made me seem like a complete lunatic to all the other backseat parents and the teachers. In my defense, the shower is broken, tile is easy to clean, and the doors keep the cat out and the heat in, but then you don’t get to defend your thinking when it’s not your Zoom call.  Similarly, on “Q” day she brought my queen bee for show and tell in its tiny cage.  Then she proceeded to explain to the entire class that the old queen was not up to snuff, that I had squished her that morning, and that my husband had picked up a new queen curbside.  There is never a dull moment at our house.

87 OLD LITTLETON ROAD

HGS: Where is your stand? How can folks find you?

Tristan McKeever (9 years old, soon to be 10 in October): My stand is at my house, 87 Old Littleton Rd, and is next to the barn. I set things out in the morning of weekends. I don’t have a name for the stand but our barn says Ashcroft Farm.

HGS: What do you grow throughout the summer season and what's coming up next for fall, if anything?

Tristan McKeever: I grow winter lux pumpkins, (which make the best pies) butternut squash, and green heirloom squash that look like Cinderella pumpkins. Sunflowers with vining cucumber and nasturtium. Heritage corn with vining lazy wife beans and marigolds, lots of them.

HGS: How does a customer pay?

Tristan McKeever: A customer pays by cash. There is a jar on or near the table, usually with some change.

HGS: Why did you start your Harvard roadside farmstand?

Tristan McKeever: I started growing because there was a contest through 4H and to participate you could have a 10 x 10 plot, a raised bed or containers. There were 5 information sessions over zoom and I learned about watering, fertilizing, and pest control. I ended up with a lot of squash and pumpkins and because I do not really like squash I decided to try to sell them. My mother will keep the bruised ones to make yummy pie out of. I like the whipped cream more than the pie, but don’t tell her.

HGS: Anything else you'd like to share with the community? Ups and downs of home farming? Organic? Best practices? Fun experiences?

Tristan McKeever: This year a critter came and ate all but one corn stalk then ants cut it down, pay the cats more. If your mom says to check on something it’s probably time to harvest.  I let my pickling cucumbers grow to be a foot long but they still tasted good the skins were just tough. And next year I will grow spaghetti squash for the stand and maybe try corn again. I had a lot of fun watching it go from soil to a maze of vines. Our goats make the fertilizer right here on the farm and everything that they poop on seems to have a bit of the Midas touch. make sure you can get water to wherever you want to plant. This year we ran a hose through the barn and set up a drip system and it made it so watering was less of a chore (last year i had to use jugs and the wheelbarrow). I could work on making wooden boats in my shop while my garden was being watered. 

Tristan McKeever

(Edited and expanded by my mom, Rosemary McKeever)

Our beautiful vintage ball jars that line the cemetery wall are generously donated by the one and only Cadence Farm on Bolton Road. If you’re interested in dressage lessons, horse boarding or private training, Cadence Farm is the most idyllic facility around. Check out their website here. Thank you, Cadence Farm for bringing light into our lives and the patio!