Lexington Community Farm Coalition

Thank You, Russ Cohen and Karen Masterson

janetk — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:23:00 +0000

A big “Thanks” to Karen Masterson and nourish restaurant for bringing Russ Cohen to Lexington for another of his “Wild Edible Walks” to help support LexFarm’s work! We learned a lot from Russ about how to responsibly forage and eat well at the same time! After the walk, we enjoyed lunch and great company at nourish. Credit for pictures here go to Mark McMinn at LexMedia.org. If you want to catch another of Russ’s walks, click here fo a schedule.

Thanks to Daisies

janetk — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:17:12 +0000

We had some great help from Daisy Girl Scout Troop 65197 with some important spring work at LexFarm’s goat yard yesterday. Under the direction of Farmer Charlie, they raked out, mixed up, turned over and shoveled all the compost (including wonderful, rich goat manure) that had been collected over the last several months. Pretty soon, we’ll be able to use the compost to enrich some soil to plant goat forage. After their hard work, the troop enjoyed some time with Ionia and the rest of the herd.

If you would like to bring your group to LexFarm’s goat yard, just to visit, or to help with a service project, please visit our “Group Visits” page.

Goat Yard open today!

janetk — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:05:08 +0000

Pepper (left) and Salt (right) practice their head butting technique.

The LexFarm goat yard will be open to the public today from 1 – 3 pm. Come meet the 5-week old baby kids, Salt and Pepper! Park at Busa Farm (now open for the season), 52 Lowell St in Lexington, and walk straight back to the red barn. Please, no dogs!!

Your community farm will be a reality…

janetk — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:35:39 +0000

Lexington's Community Farm ...

With this unseasonably warm weather, and as the word spreads that Lexington will have its own community farm, here is a montage of photos to further capture your imagination for our future together on this land…(click on photo to enlarge)

Community Farm approved!!!

janetk — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:00:15 +0000

After almost three years, hundreds of letters, phone calls and statements, Lexington’s Board of Selectmen finally gave the nod to a community farm tonight. There will be some as-yet-to-be-determined amount of affordable housing along the view of the farm, but there is no longer any doubt that most of the land will remain a farm and benefit of our community for generations to come! THANK YOU to all who have been a part of this extraordinary effort!

Bill McKibben writes in support of a community farm in Lexington

janetk — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 23:31:28 +0000

Bill McKibben, Lexington native, author, activist and founder of 350.org wrote to the Lexington Minuteman this week in support of a community farm on the Busa Property:

“Since I grew up in Lexington, I’m always pleased to hear about how the town is joining the growing movement away from suburban sterility and towards sustainabiliy and engagement. I was particularly pleased to hear that a committee appointed by the Board of Selectmen recommended that the Busa Farm be left a community farm and not turned into more playing fields.”

“This strikes me as very far-sighted. Since I spend a great deal of my time on various college campuses, I know that there’s a strong move towards engagement with agriculture at most of them, including some of the very best. There are, within the last decade, hundreds of college farms; now, where schools once favored athletes or musicians, there’s at least equal interest in kids who know how to garden and grow. The number of farms in America is on the increase for the first time in 150 years – that’s one of the best statistics I know.”

“It’s exciting to think of Lexington poised to help accelerate this revolution, and of the engaged and involved young people (and old people!) that the farm will produce in the years ahead. I’ll look forward to seeing it in operation, and to seeing the people it inspires move out into the world to do good!”

Bill McKibben, Schumann Distinguished Scholar, Middlebury College

Jumping over Mom

janetk — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:45:43 +0000

Here is a new video of one of the new baby goats trying to jump over Ionia … enjoy!

If you want to see the latest videos from LexFarm as they are posted, you can subscribe to LexFarm’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/lexfarm

It’s a Girl…and a Boy!

janetk — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:34:25 +0000

We are delighted to announce the birth of two beautiful healthy goat babies — a doeling (girl) and a buckling (boy) — on Sunday evening, March 11, 2012. Ionia, her new babies, and her triplets from last year (Ella, Naya, and Sapphire) are all doing very well. As you can see, the new kids look just like their mom! Special thanks to Ben Schlosser and Sofia McDonald Games for providing a safe, healthy environment for the herd and our new additions! Subscribe to our newsletter for more details and pictures to come.

Selectmen site housing on viewscape

janetk — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:03:39 +0000

Ignoring presentations, petitions, letters, phone calls and statements from hundreds of Lexington citizens for almost three years, Lexington’s Board of Selectmen chose on Monday night to site affordable housing along the only view of the farm, and leave open all options, including ballfields, for the remainder of the property.

While Chairman Hank Manz had set expectations in the previous meeting that all the uses would be decided before any siting decisions, in his absence due to illness, Selectmen Norman Cohen led the discussion and votes in a different direction. With a site plan for recreational ball fields on screen for the entire 1.5 hours of public comment and discussion, the Selectmen had very little to say that would encourage all those expecting their voices for a farm to finally be respected.

If you would like to see the Board of Selectmen’s meeting for yourself, follow this link to LexMedia onDemand. From there, select “Board of Selectmen” from the Categories, then select the the meeting from 3/5/2012. .

Decision tonight on Busa Farm

janetk — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:11:50 +0000

Tonight at 7:00 pm, at Cary Hall, Lexington’s Board of Selectman will finally make their decision about the use or use(s) of the Busa Farm property. We are hopeful that they will decide in favor of a community farm, at least in part, and acknowledge the widespread support and desire for this public resource in our community. This will likely be the last opportunity for public comment before the decision is made. If you’d like to be inspired by what others have said (and sung) about this, please click on the picture and watch the video!