Welcome to our blog! Learn about our farm operation, public programs, and the people behind our work through the Notes from the Field and Education sections. Peruse the Recipes section for some staff favorites.
Waltham Fields Community Farm (incorporated as Community Farms Outreach, Inc.) is a nonprofit farming organization focusing on sustainable food production, fresh food assistance, and on-farm education. For more information about Waltham Fields check out our website!
A monarch butterfly on a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther to a stigma of the same or another flower or from a male cone to a female cone in coniferous plants. Successful pollination leads to fertilization, which in turn leads to the production of a plant's fruit and seeds. Pollination may be performed by insects, birds, bats, wind, and humans. Here are some pollinators and flowers we spotted at the farm this summer.
Unknown flowers at GROW (above)
Cosmos with a bee (above)
A sunflower with a bee (above)
Marigolds and a big bee (above)
A female Eastern Black Swallowtail landing on a zinnia (above)
Media (text and image) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.
One of the most successful snacks we tried this summer was our homemade sorbet. Although there are other methods for making this dessert, we used ice cream balls to "churn" the fruit mixtures into sorbet. If you have a blender or food processor, feel free to use these to puree and blend the mixture prior to churning. Keep in mind that the more fruit you add, the chunkier your sorbet will be; the more liquid, the smoother it will be. The options are limitless as far as flavor and ingredient combinations, but here's what we tried out this summer:
Fresh produce (select one or more fruits):
strawberries, diced
raspberries
blackberries
watermelon, diced
cantaloupe, diced
peaches, diced
nectarines, diced
mint, chopped (optional)
Essential Extras:
water or fruit juice
liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, or simple syrup)
lemon juice
And for the ice cream balls (not to be consumed):
lots of ice
rock salt
How to Make It:
Wash and chop all produce as instructed. In a bowl, mash fruit with a fork until pureed. Add your preferred sweetener, water or juice, and a splash of lemon juice to the pureed fruit. Blend well and pour into the metal container of the ice cream ball (the mixture should reach about an inch below the rim of the metal container in the ice cream ball; add more water or juice, if needed). Seal tightly!
Flip over the ice cream ball and add ice until the ball is about 2/3 full with ice. Sprinkle in a couple tablespoons of rock salt* and tighten the lid. Shake the balls continuously for at least 10 minutes or until sorbet becomes solid.
Enjoy alone or with toppings of your preference!
*The rock salt is required to melt the ice but keep the water at freezing (32 degrees F) so that the sorbet will congeal (change from liquid to solid).
Other flavor/ingredient ideas to try at home:
coconut milk or flakes
banana, mango, papaya, kiwi, or another exotic fruit
chocolate (pieces or cocoa powder)
mocha (chocolate and coffee/espresso)
citrus (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit)
Shake it!
Media (text and image) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.
Green Rows of Waltham(acronym: GROW) is a city-owned community garden located at the UMass Field Station alongside eight acres of Waltham Fields' farmland and the Boston Area Climate Experiment (acronym: BACE). GROW provides Learning Garden participants the opportunity to see what other people are growing locally and is a great place to test out plant identification skills! We also examine the individual garden plots for ideas to bring to our Learning Garden.
Who's teaching who?
Media (text and image) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.
An herb is any plant used for its flavor, scent, medicinal, or other qualities other than its food value. Although many automatically associate the word "herb" with "leaf," herbs come from a variety of plant parts, including leaves, roots, stems, barks, flowers, seeds, resins, and berries.
We grew THREE herbs in our garden this year.
Can you identify the TWO herbs in the picture to the right?
HINT: One is usually used when making pickles; the other is often used in Italian cooking.
Can you remember the ONE other herb we grew, seen here with our cantaloupe sorbet (left)? HINT: This herb makes your mouth feel cool (no sorbet necessary!)
The answers are below!
Can you think of any other herbs or spices we used this summer?
ANSWERS: The two herbs in the top photo are basil (light green leaves) and dill (wispy green leaves and little yellow flower heads). The herb in the bottom photo is mint.
Other herbs and spices we used: chives, cilantro, cumin, curry (contains a number of spices), ginger, pepper, and thyme.
Media (text and image) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.
From a Farm, Not From a Farm is a simple game we like to play in the Learning Garden. The kids are divided into two teams. At the starting line, one member from each team is given a product (often represented by an empty food package); the child must race to the "From a Farm" and "Not From a Farm" buckets, deciding along the way in which of the two buckets to place the item.
Help from team members is welcomed.
After all items have been given and the final participants have returned to the starting line, we sit down and discuss the results.
The exercise is a great reminder of the necessity of farms to humans for food and other products we use in our daily lives. It helps teach the children how to identify plant and animal-based products and packaging apart from synthetically-made materials.
Decision made!
Media (text and image) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.
Another favorite snack amongst the kids this summer was our rendition of crostini and bruschetta. It's a quick and easy snack that can double as a fancy hors d'oeuvre (pronounced "awr-durv," meaning "appetizer" in French).
*Gluten-free alternatives: non-wheat crackers or bread
Preheat your oven/toaster oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash and cut fresh items as instructed. Combine fresh ingredients in a bowl and gently toss with olive oil (just enough to lightly coat the tomatoes). Put aside.
Thinly slice the baguette or preferred bread (bread that's going stale works great, too!). With a basting brush or clean finger, lightly coat both sides of each slice with olive oil. Place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; toast for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with a spoon full of bruschetta.Bon appétit!
Media (text and image) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.
A monarch butterfly on a purple coneflower
Unknown flowers at GROW (above)
Cosmos with a bee (above)
A sunflower with a bee (above)
Marigolds and a big bee (above)
A female Eastern Black Swallowtail landing on a zinnia (above)
