What Your Unhealthy Food Cravings Mean

Sure, we all have moments in which we crave junk food. But do you know what your body is actually trying to tell you? We found this gem over at Natural News about what your unhealthy food cravings mean. Read on and be amazed!

Chocolate: magnesium
Chocolate is the most commonly-reported craving in the Western world, so it shouldn't surprise us that it is linked to a nutrient in which a huge number of us are unknowingly deficient: magnesium. According to recent statistics, up to 80 percent of Americans are lacking in this essential macromineral, which is needed for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including reactions that relate to relaxation. In fact, magnesium is nicknamed the "relaxation mineral," since anxiety, irritability, insomnia and high blood pressure are its main deficiency symptoms. This is the reason why magnesium-deficient people temporarily feel better after eating a chocolate bar: the small amounts of magnesium in it (derived from its cacao content) relaxes them. But, of course, there are far healthier sources of magnesium than processed chocolate. Dark leafy greens, seeds and nuts, fish, beans and blackstrap molasses are all excellent sources of magnesium and will help end chocolate cravings.

Sugary foods: chromium, carbon, phosphorus, sulfur and/or tryptophan
The second most commonly reported craving in the West is high-sugar foods. This is the most complex craving to pin down, since deficiencies in no less than five nutrients could be causing it: chromium (helps to regulate blood sugar levels), carbon (one of the elements from which sugar is made), phosphorus (helps the body produce energy), sulfur (helps remove toxins) and tryptophan (a serotonin regulator). Therefore, the best way to end incessant sugar cravings is to simply improve your diet, which will help remineralize your body in all areas.

Refined carbohydrates: nitrogen
A craving for refined carbs like pasta and bread signals a deficiency in nitrogen. Nitrogen compounds are an essential component of nucleic acids and protein, and deficiencies in them can result in malnutrition due to a related protein deficiency. Therefore, if you find that you're craving a lot of refined carbohydrates, add more nitrogen-rich foods to your diet. Most foods contain nitrogen in organic or non-organic form, but fruits and vegetables are especially rich in it.

Other cravings
The following cravings are less common than those detailed above, but are still regularly reported in today's society:

Oily and fatty foods: You are deficient in calcium. Good sources of calcium include raw milk, cheese, turnip greens and broccoli.

Ice: You are deficient in iron. Eat more iron-rich foods like leafy greens, meat, blackstrap molasses and sea vegetables.

Salty foods: You are deficient in chloride and/or silicon. Try adding more fish, nuts and seeds to your diet.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ruled.me

http://eatwiseteens.org

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://www.tandurust.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

About the author:

Michael Ravensthorpe is an independent writer whose research interests include nutrition, alternative medicine, and bushcraft. He is the creator of the website,

Spiritfoods

, through which he promotes the world's healthiest foods.

Rescued Chicken Update

Rescued hens!

Two weeks ago, we saved 27 "spent hens"—or, what the egg industry considers spent hens. 

Never having been outside, these girls are enjoying the fresh air and eating green grass every day. The hens are starting to get color back in their crowns, and they also are starting to grow their feathers back (several are now sporting furry butts covered in down). When we first got the hens they were really quiet. But after just a day or two, they started talking to each other and clucking away.

Spent-hen rescue committee.

Right now we have the hens in a big, fenced-in area where we are working on getting the new hens to go up into the coops every night. This is still work in progress, but once they understand to go up in the coop every night we will let them walk around freely. Twelve of the hens will be adopted off once we get them in a bit more rehabilitated—probably in the next week! The birds are so happy to have gotten a new lease on life. Here are few photos of the rescue operation:

Washing one of the hens—a very, very dirty job.

Checking out grass for the first time in her life.

In time, this chicken's crown will turn from this pale pink to a bright red.

We will keep you guys updated on our new hens. In the meantime, you can get involved by sponsoring one—or several—of these lovable girls. Click here for more information.

BetterArts Gets Grand Tour of NCPR Studios

A professional radio broadcast setup in one of NCPR's rooms.

The team at North Country Public Radio last week invited board members from betterArts out to the NCPR studios in Canton, N.Y., for a tour of the facilities, meet 'n' greet, and brainstorm session with some of NCPR's heaviest hitters in order to offer betterArts some insight as it forays into broadcast with its newest project, Better Radio.

Based in Canton, NY, in St. Lawrence County, NCPR informs, enriches and connects the region-on air, online and in local communities. The organization operates a network of 32 transmitters broadcasting to the entire Adirondack North Country, western Vermont and southeastern Ontario. The commercial-free format includes a wide variety of programs from National Public Radio including All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Fresh Air and more. NCPR's award-winning news team can be heard weekdays at 8:00 am with regional news broadcasts, features and interviews. The station also airs an eclectic mix of locally-hosted music programs.
 

Last Thursday several betterArts board members were treated to a sit-down meeting with several station hosts, reporters, producers, and managers to go over Better Radio plans. We discussed funding options, content, FCC rules and licensing arrangements, and even the potential to work together on future projects involving content-shares and more. BetterArts also got the grand tour of a variety of broadcast rooms to get some design ideas for Better Radio's main station at Better Farm.

Many thanks to everyone at NCPR, including Jackie, Natasha, Radio Bob, Sarah, Ellen, and Martha for being so supportive, informative, and helpful! For more information on how you can get involved with or support Better Radio, click here.

BetterArts Adds Pavilion to Festival Grounds

BetterArts' new pavilion is taking shape!

In time for this year's Better Festival June 21, betterArts volunteers and board members have been working hard to improve festival grounds and add a pavilion.


The project involved ripping down an old shed:

...using an excavator to rip out old cement from a 19th-century barn that was torn down in the 70s:

...and of course, to construct the gazebo:

For all the latest on the Better Festival and information on reserving your campsite, visit www.betterarts.org/better-festival.

Cold-Hardy Hatchlings Arrive at Better Farm

We wrote back in March about the incoming flock of Better Farm babies: a batch of cold-hearty birds designed to improve and diversify the gene pool back at the ranch. In short order, here's a Who's-Who of our newest feathered roomies:

Read-Shouldered Yokohamas:

German Spitzhaubens:

Buff Orpingtons:

Light Brahmas:

These birds will be integrated into the larger, Better flock: a couple dozen rescued Leghorns, a crew of Barred Rocks, last year's Ameraucana/Leghorn/Barred Rock hybrids, and a couple Ameraucanas. You can get in on the chicken fever by sponsoring one of our rescue hens, stopping in to pick up a fresh dozen eggs ($3/dozen), or simply coming by to visit and see these wonderful birds and interact with them.

Gallery Opening of Works by betterArts Resident Lilli Fisher May 31

This larger-than-life burdock sculpture by visiting artist Lilli Fisher utilizes on of North Country's most notorious invasive species to become a giant, interactive piece of art. Fisher's work will be on display in Better Farm's Art Barn in Redwood Saturday, May 31.

BetterArts resident Lilli Fisher will show her ongoing series of three-dimensional pieces made from flora and fauna in the North Country at a gallery opening 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31, at Better Farm in Redwood.

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

She has been staying in Redwood for the month of May through a betterArts residency held at Better Farm. Her residency has focused on temporary 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 has been to question human-environmental relationships.

"My work is a physical process of searching,” Fisher said, “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.” At Better Farm, Fisher focused on gathering invasive plants to make book works and larger sculptural pieces. She made pigments and dyes out of spices, herbs, and dirt.

“I interpret these culturally disparate substances as part of a globally interconnected ecological system in which we are all participants,” Fisher said. “My aim is to provide a sensual experience, removed from the boundaries of language, which encourages the viewer to question their paradigms.”

The betterArts Residency Program offers lodging, studio, and gallery space to artists, writers, performers, and musicians at Better Farm, a 65-acre sustainability campus in Redwood. 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. Artists are encouraged to interact and participate in the goings-on around the property, and to help out with chores and farm-related responsibilities during their residency. At the conclusion of each residency, artists present completed and ongoing works to the public in gallery shows, readings, and performances.

"BetterArts is unique among residencies in that it provides not only an artistic community but also a community of people devoted to living sustainably,” Fisher said. “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 has helped me make the work I really want to make, and to gauge the reaction it receives against a diverse group of perspectives and backgrounds.”

Lilli Fisher's work will be on display in Better Farm's Art Barn at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31. The event is free and open to the public. Better Farm is located at 31060 Cottage Hill Road, Redwood. To see more of Lilli Fisher's work, visit lillifisher.com. For more information about betterArts residencies, visit www.betterarts.org.

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
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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.