Better Farm Spring 2014 Newsletter

Hello, Friends of Better Farm!
On this day in 1970, my Uncle Steve signed papers that would make a little farmhouse in Redwood, N.Y., his. He called up his closest family members and friends, and invited them to take part in a great experiment at this special place he'd decided to lovingly name Better Farm. Take part they did: making the trip to Northern New York from throughout the Northeast to put an addition on that tiny house so it could hold a dozen or more people at a time, furnishing it with electric and indoor plumbing, and starting a tiny garden off to the side of the property that grew small potatoes, carrots, and greens.

They couldn't have known then that 44 years later, Better Farm would boast a sustainability program inviting people from all over the world to Redwood for a premier green-living education. No one could have expected an artist residency program that would attract some of the most talented painters, musicians, performers, sculptors, and writers to create—and share those creations with people living in Redwood and the larger Thousand Islands Region. Who'd have imagined Better Farm with a radio station, partnerships with top-notch restaurants along the St. Lawrence River, a host of awards and recognitions, and, finally, a tell-all book?

But all these things have, miraculously or unmiraculously, happened—and continue to happen. Better Farm has been an organic unfolding, with its increasing popularity and visibility a true testament to the people who have come to this most special of places and turned it into something that is ever-evolving, ever-growing, and always, simply, better.

I'm reminded of the history of this place every time I move between rooms or dig in the dirt outside. As betterArts launches a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for Better Radio, or we foray into backyard beekeeping, or our music festival circuit grows to include some of the most popular bands in the North Country, I recall the history of Better Farm as passed down through stories told to me by my father and mother, grandparents, friends, and of course, by my Uncle Steve. There are so many good ghosts in this place, and so many more stories to come.

In this newsletter, we're inviting you to help us Build a Better Radio—an initiative that will bring cutting-edge, independent journalism to you on-air and online, a showcase of North Country talent, talk shows, gardening tips, fishing reports, and all the movers and shakers that make this part of the world so provocative. We've also got a workshop schedule that will keep you tapped into your creative side all summer, enough art galleries, performances, and arts showcases to shake a stick at, a Better Mud Run extreme obstacle course, and a CSA program for all you North Country locals to join that will provide you with weekly shares of fresh, organic produce straight from Better Farm.

As always, stay tuned to our blog to follow all Better Farm's adventures. And thank you so much for ushering in Better Farm's 45th year in style. It is because of all your support that this place is so sacred.
 

Until next time, better be.

Nicole Caldwell
Executive Director and Co-Founder
Better Farm


Better Farm News - Spring 2014:

• News: All the Buzz Around the Farm!

• Help betterArts Build a Better Radio!

• Upcoming 'Better' Events and Initiatives

• Summer Sustainability Education Program

• betterArts Residency Program

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News: All the Buzz Around the Farm!

People from Better Farm and non-profit betterArts have stayed mighty busy this year with community outreach activities, projects around the farm, and new initiatives. Here's a review of all recent things "better":

• Kickoff of Better Farm's CSA—Community-Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs, are designed to bring individuals and families living locally weekly shares of fresh produce at extremely affordable rates. Better Farm's CSA runs through the last week of November and invites members to stop in on a weekly basis to pick up their shares of produce. Learn more and sign up at www.betterfarm.org/CSA.
• Better Radio Student Outreach—BetterArts kicked off Better Radio, a new FCC-approved, low-power FM station, with outreach work that equips students throughout the North Country with New Media skills such as making and editing digital recordings, broadcasting, and archiving. Projects created by students at Indian River High School and Sackets Harbor Central School will be broadcast on-air and online via podcast. This outreach project was made possible by a Best Buy Community Grant. Click here to learn more.
• Tree-Planting Partnership with DEC—Better Farm entered its third year of a tree-planting partnership with the DEC in which 50 white spruces were planted on the Better Farm property to encourage responsible land stewardship and provide educational opportunities in conservation for young people visiting Better Farm.
• BetterArts Kids Room at Irish Festival—For the second year, betterArts hosted a successful Kids Room at the North Country Goes Green! Irish Festival held in Watertown. Volunteers offered arts 'n' crafts stations where kids could make leprechaun planters, caterpillars, leprechaun ears, and rainbows made from recycled items; game booths where children could try their luck at bean bag tosses and fishing games, a face-painting station, jewelry making, and more.
• Muse Presentation Features Music by betterArts Board Members—The North Country Arts Council's annual multi-arts presentation "MUSE" this year featured music by betterArts board members AmberLee Clement and Erin Fulton. The song was written by AmberLee for the family of Walter Boname, local hunting and fishing guide and friend.
• Better Buckets Compost Initiative—In partnership with the Redwood Neighborhood Association, Better Farm's "Better Buckets" initiative invites individuals and families living locally to fill 5-gallon pails with food scraps that are then picked up (or may be dropped off at the community compost bins) on a weekly basis throughout the year. The dirt produced in the compost bins are available for free to the public.
• Shop AmazonSmile, Support betterArts—AmazonSmile is a new program allowing a portion of all your Amazon purchases to be donated to betterArts in order to support arts and cultural outreach in the North Country. Here's how it works: You visit smile.amazon.com (or simply follow this link) and plug "betterArts" in under charitable organization. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon marketplace you're used to—except a percentage of your purchase amounts will be donated to betterArts.
• Local Outreach Work—Better Farm and betterArts in May participated in the One District, One Book Initiative, H.T. Wiley L.I.F.E. Event, Macsherry Library Garden Day, and the Mustard Seed Organic Market's Annual Earth Day celebration.
• Better Bees!—Thanks to a generous donation by the Mollica family, Better Farm has forayed into backyard bee keeping! The young bees purchased from local bee keeper Ted Elk have transitioned into their hive and are producing honey like mad. You can read about this new venture here.
• Spent Hens Rescue Mission—For the second time, Better Farm has rescued a flock of "spent hens" from an egg factory and is working to rehabilitate and rehome the birds so they can enjoy the rest of their days out from behind bars. Learn how you can get involved here.
• Better: The Book!—Better Farm's Executive Director Nicole Caldwell has signed a contract with New Society Publishers to pen a book called Better. Chronicling her own experience transitioning from cubicle to country and the mission of Better Farm, Better is one-part memoir, one-part call to environmental action, and one-party instructable with DIY projects for everything from aquaponic fish tanks to upcycling. Better is due for release in Spring 2015.

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Help betterArts Build a Better Radio!

With your help, we can get Better Radio on-air and online with groundbreaking, grassroots content ranging from sustainability to art. A new Kickstarter campaign by betterArts invites you to make Better Radio a reality by helping to procure necessary funds for a transmitter, antenna, and other equipment. Visit the Kickstarter page and pledge your support here.
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Upcoming 'Better' Events and Initiatives

Summer music festivals, extreme obstacle courses, and workshops galore: Here's your guide to everything Better in the coming months! Visit our upcoming events page for more information.

MAY

• 31 Dragonfly Festival—The Redwood Neighborhood Association, Indian River Lakes Conservancy, betterArts, and Better Farm present the First Annual Dragonfly Festival. Held at the public pavilion in the center of Redwood, this event features live music, a cook-out, arts 'n' crafts, costume contest, homemade wine tastings, and more.

JUNE

• 21  Better Festival—Enjoy live performances by local and regional bands, a gallery showcasing artwork by painters, sculptors, and photographers, booths featuring art and handmade items for sale, tours of the Better Farm campus, information about Better Farm and betterArts 2014 programming, arts and crafts for kids (and adults!), freshly prepared and locally sourced food, a refreshments tent, games, bouncy castle, and more! Click here for all the information.

JULY

• 12  Better Mud Run—The first annual Better Mud Run kicks off at high noon. Hosted by Better Farm and featuring more than 20 obstacles, Better Mud Run invites the fiercest  athletes and thrill-seekers to the Better Farm campus for agility obstacles, wall-climbs, scaling mountains, and—of course—getting really, really muddy. Click here for info.
• 18 Open Mic Poetry Reading—No cover, all poets welcome! Pre-registration encouraged, pre-register by emailing netague@gmail.com.

AUGUST

• 2 Upcycling Workshop—This all-ages workshop invites students to transform old items into something new. Furniture, clothing, or anything else you find is welcome! Crafts supplies like glue, needle and thread, embroidery floss, and others will be available. There is a suggested $5 donation for this course. Email info@betterarts.org to pre-register. Instructor: Stephanie DeJoseph of La Mia Designs
• 16 Redwood Field Days Parade—Cheer Better Farm and betterArts on in their annual Redwood Field Days Parade float! Parade starts at 6 p.m. on Route 37 in Redwood.
• 18-23 Blast Off With Piano—This introductory piano camp is held for 45 minutes Monday through Friday. Students will learn fundamentals of rhythm reading and keyboard geography, and how to play with others through board games, ensemble piano playing, and other age-appropriate activities. Children will be divided into three age groups: Ages 5-6/10-11 a.m., Ages 7-8/11 a.m.-12 p.m., and Ages 9-10/12-1 p.m. There is a 6-student max for each age group. On Saturday, students are invited to perform at 12 p.m. to kick off the annual Summer Fest, a music festival held at Better Farm. Students do not need a keyboard instrument at home to practice on. The camp studio is equipped with enough keyboards for in-class use. Cost: $70, pre-register by 8/11 at info@betterarts.org. Instructor: Jason Comet of Watertown Piano Lessons.
• 23 Children's Weaving— Children from second through fourth grade are invited to this two-hour class to learn two types of weaving. Students will acquire basic weaving knowledge, gain hands-on experience, and discuss basic weaving vocabulary. Students may additionally bring old clothes, fabric, or yarn for their projects if they like. Cost for class: $5. Email info@betterarts.org for more information or to pre-register. Instructor: Local artist Alyssa Curley is a fiber-working expert. She earned a BA in Art Education from SUNY Potsdam.
• 23 Summerfest—Get the full rundown at www.betterarts.org/summerfest!

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Better Farm's Sustainability Education Program

Better Farm’s Sustainability Education Program was created to offer individuals an immersive, introductory crash-course in sustainability initiatives. Those enrolled in the program receive a hands-on education in a myriad of seasonal topics related to sustainability and environmental issues. Instead of a traditional working farm with acres upon acres of one or a few different crops, Better Farm has many gardens demonstrating different styles of small-scale farming and stressing the need for diversity of crops instead of mono cultures. Better Farm equips students with a variety of solutions to real-world agricultural issues, including small spaces, temperamental soils, pests, and climate change. The aquaponics, hydroponics, layered gardens, fruit orchard, and forests on the property are extremely varied so students coming from all over the world will learn real-world tools that can be applied back home. The Sustainability Education Program runs in one- to three-month intervals. Those attending receive daily assignments and chores all related to sustainability initiatives and organic farming, as well as the opportunity to design and implement projects on their own. Upon completion of all units and responsibilities, participants will receive a certificate from Better Farm. College students may additionally receive course credit for completion of Better Farm's Sustainability Education Program. To learn more and to apply, visit www.betterfarm.org/sustainability-internship.

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betterArts Residency Program

betterArts offers a unique opportunity to artists, writers, performers, and musicians with a residency program based out of Better Farm. Residencies are designed to offer artists of every discipline space and time to work on specific projects; whether a series of paintings, a composition, book, set of sculptures, or album. A private room, 24/7 access to a fully stocked communal kitchen, linens and towels, WiFi, parking, and round-the-clock access to the Art Barn are all included in a low stipend required of all residents. betterArts residents are encouraged to interact and participate in the goings-on around the property, and to help out with chores and farm-related responsibilities between three and five hours each week. These responsibilities may include working in the gardens, participating in arts-related community outreach projects, helping with house chores, cooking, or assisting with other odd jobs. At the conclusion of each residency, an artist is required to present his or her work to the public in a gallery show, reading, performance, or via some other appropriate medium. Residencies are for two weeks, three weeks, one month, or two-month periods. Basic facilities at Better Farm will be provided; but betterArts residents are expected  to provide the majority of materials and equipment they would need for the production of their work. For more information about the betterArts Residency Program and to download the application, click here.

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Better Farm
31060 Cottage Hill Road
Redwood, NY 13679
315-482-2536
info@betterfarm.org

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Climb Aboard Our Spent-Hen Rescue This Friday!

Former residents Sally Jane Kerschen-Sheppard and Matt Smith clean up one of the Rapunzels after our first rescue in 2012.

A year after their rescue, the Rapunzels in 2013 still laid on average one egg a day apiece. And check out those colors!

This Friday, do double diligence by pledging to produce your own healthy, local eggs right in your back yard—while also rescuing a hen who has had it with being a factory girl. We're embarking on a rescue mission tomorrow to save some white leghorn chickens who've been cooped up their whole lives without so much as the simple pleasure of walking around outside. Our "knight in shining armor" move comes just in time, as all these girls are fated to have a meeting with a processing plant June 1.

All that is about to change.

With your help, we are going to bring a flock of birds to Better Farm for some TLC and organic rehab. After that, your sponsorships—and adoptions—will ensure these girls enjoy their retirements in clean, cozy, spacious conditions.

A spent hen is a bird who is a little more than a year old and whose egg production has dropped by industry standards. By normal standards, however, these birds are mighty egg layers—in fact, two years after adopting our spent hens, they still (at almost 4 years old) outproduce any other member of the flock, aging in range from 9 months to 5 years.

Here's how it works.

We go to the egg farm tomorrow and transport a bunch of factory girls destined for dog food to Better Farm. Once here, we will clip their toenails, wash their skin, introduce them to water bowls and food dishes, and admire them as they walk for the first time outside. Here's a video clip of what that process is like:



It takes about two weeks to get all the gunk out of their bodies, and all the good stuff (worms, bugs, food scraps, and laying mash) in. After a couple of weeks, they will be ready for adoption. These girls will make the perfect addition to your existing flock (if ours are any indication, your adopted leghorn will outlay any existing bird you've got), or you can adopt them and start a new flock where there wasn't one.

These hens are unbelievably gentle (though quite skittish, understandably), quiet, and make loving, hard-working birds you will never regret taking under your wing. If you've been toying with the idea of having backyard birds (or indoor—a chicken doesn't need sleeping space any bigger than a parrot cage), why not rescue a hen who's worked for the last year in an egg factory and who deserves a beautiful retirement? Email us at info@betterfarm.org or call (315) 482-2536 to reserve your bird—each adopted bird means another bird we pick up tomorrow!

Don't feel like taking on the responsibility of owning your own hen? Then how about rescuing one anyway and sponsoring her at Better Farm? The Redwood Tavern has already taken the lead on this initiative, sponsoring one of the birds we pick up tomorrow. That allows us to keep one more hen from her fated "processing" June 1. Sponsorship is $5/month, or $60 for the year. You can sponsor a hen online by clicking here.

As for the eggs...

Let's face it: Store-bought eggs just ain't what they're cracked up to be. Hens kept in tight, cramped conditions fed only cheap grain or pellets and never given the chance to run around outside are simply not happy birds. And unhappy birds without a varied diet and exposure to fresh air are not going to produce the best eggs.

In fact, even store-bought eggs from so-called "cage free" hens don't come close to comparing with backyard eggs. Check out the evidence:

Backyard Better Farm egg, left, organic "cage free" hen egg from store, right.

Here are the numbers:
Backyard eggs have approximately 25 percent more vitamin E, 75 percent more beta carotene, and as much as 20 times the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids as do factory farmed eggs. Perhaps best of all for those who avoid eating eggs due to worries about cholesterol, backyard eggs contain only about half as much cholesterol as factory-farmed eggs.

Please be part of the solution! And stay tuned for video footage of tomorrow's rescue!

Bee-ginner's Beekeeping at Better Farm

Artist-in-Residence Lilli Fisher gets acquainted with our newest roommates.

Better Farm last Thursday picked up its newest batch of roommates; several thousand honey bees and a queen from beekeeper extraordinaire Ted Elk in Hammond, N.Y.

Ted has a great backyard beekeeping setup, and sells honey, bees, and other related equipment out of his business Many Flowers Honey Company. Excited by the prospect of purchasing local bees already acclimated to the North Country seasons, we jumped at the opportunity to partner with Ted for this project.

Ever inventive with how we do things around the farm, Director of Education and Programming Katie Mollica picked up the honey bees with her hatchback car (you can imagine the ride back to the farm...). Ted talked her and a few other Better residents through the care of said bees and how to transfer the nucleus into a hive.

When you start out with backyard beekeeping, you purchase a nucleus set of worker bees and a queen, called a nuc. This initial group of bees begins the process of reproducing in a large cardboard box holding several rows of trays. These look a bit like hanging files in a cabinet.

Once you take the bees home with you, you want the opening in the box to face true east in order to protect bees from prevailing winds. You need to wait a couple of days before transferring your bees into the hive in order to let them acclimate to their new surroundings and get over the stress of the move.

This morning, betterArts resident Lilli Fisher volunteered for the task of the Better bees' first transfer from box to hive.

First, she suited up in this amazing bee suit Ted let us borrow (we'll be buying a new one from Better Bee this week). She also put on a light-colored pair of heavy-duty work gloves (bees are more inclined to sting if you wear dark colors, which they don't like. This is why all bee suits are white). Check out the duds:

Lilli moved the nucleus box over a couple of feet and put the bees' hive in the exact place the nucleus box had sat. Honey bees have a ridiculously strong sense of direction (they're said to be able to find their way home from as far away as 1.5 miles), and that sense is so precise that if their hive is moved so much as three feet away they might not go inside it.

Then, Lilli lifted the lid off the nucleus. We were surprised to find the bees had already produced so much honey that there was one frame stuck to the top of the nucleus box. No problem: Lilli expertly separated the parts and began to slide the nucleus frames into the hive.

Not a single bee sting to boot—even for the photographer, standing nearby. Here's the finished product:

Lilli left the nuc box and lid next to the hive in order to allow the honey bees to find their way into their new home. Here's an action shot of the bees doing their thing:

If you'd like to come see all the buzz in person, email us at info@betterfarm.org. We will be checking on the bees and growing their hive every two weeks.

Better Farm, betterArts Participate in Organic Market's Annual Expo

This year's betterArts-Better Farm project at Mustard Seed: Paint your favorite vegetable or fruit!

Every year, Watertown's organic market Mustard Seed hosts a day-long Earth Day event featuring free samples, locally sourced foods, activities, raffles, and more—and for the last several years, they've extended an invitation to betterArts and Better Farm to participate. This year the event was held a few weeks after Earth Day in May—that's what happens when you live in the North Country and winter takes a particularly long time to heave off.

Lilli and I wanted to engage with the kids at the event, so we decided to ask them to paint their favorite vegetable or fruit; thereby drawing attention to healthy living—and pushing the little ones' artistic sides. We started out painting our own favorite produce to show the kids some ideas. 

Using mat board donated by the Whimsical Pig and acrylic paint, I made a tomato and Lilli made beet and summer squash. Kids were excited about paint their favorite vegetable like carrot, eggplant and tomato. We also talked to the parents about what Better Farm and betterArts are all about and how we are bringing art to the north country and also teaching people about organic farming. We talked to them about upcoming events like Better Festival that is June 21, and how it's kid-friendly with live music, food, games, tours of the farm, and arts 'n' crafts. 


Here are some photos of the day:

Tea-Party Tree Trunk

What's a girl to do when National Grid swoops through the yard and takes down a dead tree blocking the power line?

Stack that wood for next winter, turn that trunk into a table, and start planning an epic tea party.

Not every trunk has to be removed from its place in your yard—a simple plywood circle attached to the trunk with galvanized decking screws and a coat of exterior paint is enough to equip you with the most perfect table for an outdoor checkers match, picnic, or Mad Hatter tea party complete with log seats.

Do you not LOVE this?! Stay tuned for pics from the obviously impending matches of bocce ball and croquet with sides of tea and cucumber sandwiches in all the seersucker, linen, and party-dress fare we can get our hands on.

Sauna Gets Roof, Walls

A group of volunteers yesterday revived last year's sauna project at Better Farm, adding a roof and starting work on exterior walls.

Begun last summer, Better Farm's sauna is an exercise in upcycling. All components are reused from something else: a pallet floor, exterior walls reclaimed from a demolition project this winter, and even a tree stump left after a windstorm knocked down a giant tree back in 2011. What couldn't be reclaimed was purchased from the sawmill next door.

Here are Bob Laisdell, workshop instructor (left) and one of last year's sustainability students Jacob Firman, getting things started:

 After Day 1:

 

Here's the sauna taking shape, with some of the pallet flooring complete:

The crew yesterday trimmed up and finished the roof, which is now ready for metal sheeting (also reclaimed from the winter's demolition project), completed the pallet floors (pallets plucked from the dump), insulated the floor (reused hard foam insulation), and added one of the exterior walls (reclaimed tongue and groove). Once the exterior walls are done, it will be time to add a window or two, put in the front door, and get started on the inside benches, wood stove, vent, and changing room. Here are some photos from the day:

 

Measuring the roofline.

The tree stump will become a bench in the sauna's changing room. Cutting pallets to fit around said stump? Not a fun project.

 

 

To learn more about the projects and upcoming events at Better Farm, click here.

betterArts Supports One District, One Book Initiative

betterArts last Thursday supported the One District, One Book initiative throughout Jefferson County at Watertown Case Junior. The event was hosted in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County to bring together local youth and explore arts and animals from the chosen book The Adventures of Humphrey.

One District, One Book is a program begun by Read to Them, an organization dedicated to "Creating a Culture of Literacy in Every Home". From Read to Them's website:

 Picture an entire community embracing the same book.  The conversation among students and teachers and parents spreads out to include other members of the community – within the school (custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria personnel) and without the school (churches, libraries, grocery stores).  From that simple premise, your families will learn how – will acquire the habit  – of reading aloud together on a regular basis.

Fingerprinting was a fun self-expression project that betterArts spearheaded to encourage creating a culture of literacy for our local youth. If you would like additional information about this initiative check out www.readtothem.org.

BetterArts directors Erin Fulton (left) and AmberLee Clement get in the spirit of things!

To learn more about betterArts, click here.

Wild Plant Foraging: Ramps

Allium tricoccum, otherwise known as ramps or wild leeks.

Wild leek season is upon us! The Allium tricoccum (otherwise known as ramps, spring onions, ramson, wild leeks, wood leeks, or wild garlic), is a wild onion that appears in early spring across much of the eastern United States and Canada. Ridiculously yummy and easy to prepare, ramps are a growing favorite among chefs in restaurants—and this weekend you can enjoy some of ours on the Mother's Day menu at Bella's in Clayton!

The broad, bright leaves on wild leeks make them easy to spot along hillsides in wooded, rocky areas:

A grove of wild leeks.

A group of foragers took to the woods yesterday to harvest more than 20 pounds of the tiny delicacy, which goes great in soups, on salads, in flat breads, or pickled and canned.

Here's the bounty, which will be part of this week's CSA:

A pound of wild leeks will cost consumers, on average, between $9 and $20 with leaves and roots on:

But you can get wild leeks from us for just $4/pound (while supplies last!):

To enroll in Better Farm's CSA program, click here. Many thanks to the Tulley family for allowing us to forage in their woods!

Better Bees!

Could there bee a more perfect company for Better Farm to partner with?!

Thanks to a generous donation from the Mollica family in Maywood, N.J.,

Better Farm

will be foraying into the world of beekeeping this summer.

Yes, that means Better Honey will be coming soon!

We've selected a winter-hardy beginner's bee kit from a company called

Betterbee

(get it?!) because obviously this is the perfect company for us to work with...):

TheBeeMax Beginners Kit comes complete with EVERYTHING you need to get started right away.

Introduced in 2000, Betterbee® started this line of ultra-insulating polystyrene hive equipment to give honeybee colonies a better chance at overwintering in extreme Northern temperatures, while also helping to keep the colony cool in the hot summer months due to the material from which it's made.

This Complete BeeMax® Beginner’s Kit is sold unassembled, but takes less than 30 minutes to put together. The beginner's kit includes:

BeeMax® Telescoping Outer Cover for BeeMax®Wooden Inner Cover for BeeMax®BeeMax® Hivetop Feeder for BeeMax™2 BeeMax® Medium Supers20 Medium Plastic Frames2 BeeMax® Deep Hive Bodies20 Deep Plastic FramesBeemax Bottom Board w/ Built-in Varroa Screen10" Hive Tool Stainless Steel Smoker w/Heat ShieldBeginning Beekeeping BookLeather GlovesHard Plastic HelmetRound Tie-Down VeilPlastic Queen Excluder

The bees and kit should be arriving at the farm next week; shoot us an email at info@betterfarm.org if you'd like to come out on delivery day to see how backyard beekeping is done.

Work in Progress: Living and Decaying Art

For one of Lilli Fisher's projects, she has stitched together a book; the letters of which are cut from leaves (this page) and pine needles.

One week into her betterArts residency, visual artist Lilli Fisher has started work on several projects utilizing the natural landscape: a handmade book with letters created from leaves of trees, weeds, and flowers; an installation utilizing invasive plants; and a 3-D piece made entirely out of burdocks.

Lilli, a MICA graduate specializing in sculptural works, pigments, and creative writing, will be working on temporary outdoor installations featuring living and decaying works that may create habitats, be consumed, or be built by organisms in the ecosystem. The intention of her work is to question human-environmental relationships.

Local flora and fauna experts last night teamed up with Lilli on some plant identifications:

Here are some shots of her bookwork and plant collections as they take shape:

 Lilli Fisher will present her final projects, utilizing living and decaying organic matter, in a show Friday, May 30, at Better Farm in Redwood. Check out more of her work at http://lillifisher.com. To learn more about the betterArts residency program, click here.

Inspiring Young Loraxes in the North Country

Volunteers helped to plant 50 white spruce trees on the Better Farm campus in the last week.

In its third year of a partnership with the DEC, Better Farm over the weekend planted 50 white spruce trees to help educate North Country youth about conservation and land stewardship.

The Department of Environmental Conservation's School Seedling Program seeks to encourage young people to learn about the natural world and the value of trees in it. We use the tree-planting to provide visitors to Better Farm with the knowledge of how beneficial trees are to the environment.

Each year, we pledge to plant at least 100 trees on the property of Better Farm and in its surrounding environs. This process replenishes our local habitat and compensates for the loss of trees throughout the year due to a variety of factors (namely ice storms!). We also harvest standing-dead trees on the property, which makes way for new growth. In the last two years, we've planted 150 trees from the DEC, dozens of fruit trees, weeping willows, transplanted at least 30 pine trees, and started from seed more than 150 black walnuts. We have 50 more trees to plant this spring—email us to get involved!

Most of us recognize the beauty of trees and their many other values. Trees provide food and shelter for wildlife and prevent erosion. They help protect our streams and lakes by stabilizing soil and using nutrients that would otherwise wash into waterways. Trees help moderate temperature and muffle noise. They even help improve air quality by absorbing some airborne compounds that could be harmful to us, and by giving off oxygen.

When students plant tree seedlings, they can see for themselves the structure of trees, learn what they need, and how they grow. Reps from Better Farm  use the planting process to discuss the benefits trees provide, while including many subjects that their classes are studying. As seedlings mature, the young trees can be a continuing, personalized way of relating what they've learned in books to visible, living examples. We'll be utilizing mulch and compost while we plant, so students gain the added benefit of learning about how their food waste can help nourish other plants.

Better Farm's sustainability students will provide ongoing care to the young trees throughout their development.

here's one of our volunteers reading an excerpt from Dr. Seuss' classic book, The Lorax.

Join us May 11 for Better Farm's Volunteer Day! Click here for more details.

What's Growing at Better Farm

Seedlings and seeds enjoy some fresh air on (yet another) rainy spring day.

In spite of the perpetually crummy weather outside, spring is upon us at Better Farm. Asparagus, chives, garlic, leeks, strawberries, raspberries, peach and fig trees, and many many more plants and herbs throughout the gardens have been waking up each day and spreading new, green leaves. Inside, seeds are sprouting every day and we're getting regular shipments of new exotics like dwarf pineapple trees, coffee plants, and Mediterranean olive trees.



With evenings just starting to offer the sustained warmth necessary to harden seedlings off in the greenhouse, we've been getting the babies ready for the great outdoors by exposing them to the elements during daylight hours on the back deck. This late season hasn't reaked any havoc yet in regard to the health of our preemies—but it has certainly been inconvenient! Usually by this time of year, all the plants are living full-time in the greenhouse, potatoes are in the ground, and we're starting in on onions. Regardless; here are some photos of all the activity afoot:

Asparagus heads poke up out of the wet soil out back.

Tomato seedlings reach for the sky.

A preview of what's to come: eggplant, celery, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and cauliflower make their grand entrances.

Our CSA begins today; but there are still spaces left if you'd like to sign up for weekly shares of fresh produce throughout the season. We also offer amended CSAs to those who are only in the North Country on weekends; or those who would like a bulk rate on what's in-season but can't commit to a weekly pickup. Our updated list of produce this season:

Vegetables (all organic)

Artichoke—Imperial Star Organic

Asparagus

Beans—Black Coco, Monachelle di Trevio, Envy Soya, Garbanzo, Great Northern

Beets—Lutz Green Leaf

Broccoli— Belstar

Brussel Sprouts—Royal Marvel Hybrid

Cabbage—Derby Day

Carrots—Purple Haze Hybrid, Rainbow Blend, Yaya Hybrid

Cauliflower—Veronica Hybrid

Celery—Redventur

Corn—Northern Xtra-Sweet Yellow

Cucumber—Lemon

Eggplant— Rosa Bianca, Japanese White Egg

Kale—Red Russian

Leeks— Giant Musselburgh

Lettuce—Buttercrunch, Sunset

Okra

Onions— Yellow Sweet Spanish

Peanuts—Jumbo Virginia,

Peas—Little Marvel Shell Pea

Peppers—Green California Wonder, Italian Sweet Red

Potato—Yukon Gold, Red, Sweet

Pumpkin—Shishigatani/Toonas Makino, Connecticut Field

Quinoa—Shelly

Radish—Pink Beauty

Rosemary

Swiss Chard - Bright Lights

Soybean

Squash— Thelma Sanders' Sweet Potato, Crookneck-Early Golden Summer, Caserta Zucchini, White Bush Scallop, Argonaut Hybrid Butternut, Black Beauty Zucchini

String Beans—Compass Bush Bean

Tomatoes—Ananas Noire, Purple Calabash, Better Farm heirlooms

Watermelon—Sugar Baby

Fruits and Trees

Apple

Apricot

Dwarf Banana (indoor)

Blueberry

Catalpa

Cherry

3-in-1 Citrus (indoor)

Coffee Plant

Fig

Kiwi

Mediterranean Olive (indoor)

Peach

Dwarf Pineapple (indoor)

Raspberry

Strawberries

Herbs

Basil—Large-Leaf Italian Basil, Lime

Borage—Blue

Chives

Cilantro

Dill

Garlic

Lemon Balm

Mint

Nasturtium—Mixed Dwarf Jewel

Parsley

Ramps/Wild Leeks

Rosemary

Sage

Salad greens—various

Flowers

Mammoth Gray Stripe Sunflower

Kochia Scoparia Grass

25 Giant Allium

“Red Sun” Sunflower

Various wildflowers

To join Better Farm's CSA and enjoy a weekly share of fresh produce all season long, please email info@betterfarm.org or visit www.betterfarm.org/csa.

Introducing betterArts Resident Lilli Fisher

"Silent Birth" by Lilli Fisher, tarlatan and dirt, 40" diameter, May 2011

Lilli Fisher is a visual artist and sculptor from Alexandria, Virg., arriving tomorrow for a month-long betterArts residency. During her time at Better Farm, Lilli will be working on temporary outdoor installations featuring living and decaying works that may create habitats, be consumed, or be built by organisms in the ecosystem. The intent of her work will be to question human-environmental relationships.

 

Lilly in 2012 earned her BFA in painting and creative writing from Maryland Institute College of Art. Her sculptures, drawings, and paintings have been featured in multiple galleries along the east coast and in São Tomé and Príncipe. She has worked behind-the-scenes for studios and graphic designers; and participated in several community art projects.

In her own words:

"My work is a physical process of searching in which I investigate my existence in the context of contemporary life. I collect discarded human-made objects before they are swallowed back into the earth. I gather waste from industrial production and daily consumption. I apply ancient materials in the creation of contemporary symbols. Spices, herbs and dirt are my pigments. I interpret these culturally disparate substances as part of a globally interconnected ecological system in which we are all participants. My aim is to provide a sensual experience, removed from the boundaries of language, which encourages the viewer to question their paradigms... During my betterArts residency I intend to gain a personal understanding of human-ecosystem interactions through organic farming, create pieces that are integrated into the living fabric of their environment, and take advantage of the valuable feedback I can receive from the Better Farm community."

Overcast, plastic bags and coal, dimensions variable, 2012

The Alligator Never Sleeps, items found in the Jones Falls River, 72" x 18", 2012

Here's what Lilli had to say about her specific interest in a betterArts residency:

"BetterArts is unique among residencies in that it provides not only an artistic community but also a community of people devoted to living sustainably. This type of community is an invaluable resource for me because of the mode of artistic experimentation I want to explore. The feedback I receive will help me to make the work I really want to make, and to gauge the reaction it receives against a diverse group of perspectives and backgrounds. I intend to take full advantage of the opportunity to converse, contemplate, and collaborate with the community of Better Farm."

Be sure to stop in and check out Lilli's works-in-progress throughout the month! Completed works will be on display for the public to enjoy at the conclusion of her residency—stay tuned for more information!

To see more of Lilli Fisher's work, visit lillifisher.com. For more information about betterArts residencies, click here.