Winter On The Farm
A sunny and strangely warm February day with Farmer Steve Munno of The Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge, CT just minutes from the city of New Haven.
What's happening out on the farms of the Northeast during the frosty months of winter? Well apparently, a lot more than you might expect! For this episode, I visited Massaro Community Farm just outside the city of New Haven, CT to talk to farmer Steve Munno about slowing down in the winter months, growing and harvesting greens in February, munching on pickles and kimchi and hanging out with chickens... and just incase we weren't being serious enough, I share some reflections on white privilege and food access at the end...;-)
For New Haven area folks, if you are wanting to get onto a farm that's close by you can check out the events and field trips page for Massaro Farm. For other farms in New Haven check out Common Ground School, Urban Farm and Environmental Center, New Haven Farms, or BuyCTGrown.com for listings of farms across the state. For folks outside of CT or even the USA, one of my favorite find-a-farm sites is www.pickyourown.org.
The unusually warm February temperatures this year (hitting up into the 60's!!) has got the snow melting away, and the preparations for spring seedlings happening.
Above from top left: Chickens graze happily on cover crops in one of the seven high tunnel structures at Massaro farm, a fresh laid egg, the mobile chicken coop, the "4 year plastic" torn to shreds in it's 5th season by sustained 30+ mile an hour winds, purple kale growing through the winter in the solar heated high tunnel, the remote digital thermostat, a modern day farmer's essential tool (especially when it's located in their kitchen!).
Click the images below for more info on each of these great upcoming events. Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm will deliver the Keynote on "Ending Racism and Injustice in the Food System" at the CT NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) winter conference held on March 11& 12. The Just Food conference in NYC has an incredible line-up of workshops and speakers on March 12 & 13th.
The beauty of this farm visit was not lost on me. I am so grateful for the opportunity to get out into nature for a bit and walk the land. The privilege I have as a white person (and as a European heritage Jew that is seen just as white) allows me to go out into mostly white rural areas and move about easily and not be seen as a threat or as not belonging. At the end of the Winter on the Farm podcast I share some more thoughts and reflections about this. Both of the conferences listed above will have opportunities to discuss issues of race and food access as well, and get engaged in working on solutions to these systemic problems.
Farm Pickles & Kimchi
And we can't have a conversation about winter on the farm with out pulling out a jar of fermented veggies made during the height of the harvest season. These kimchi style fall pickles were absolutely fabulous. Click the pic for the recipe.
