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nic Report to the Lexington Board of Selectmen
June 8,2015
2014 Review
A. Farming
1. 212 CSA Shares
2. Farm stand offered seedlings, produce from fields, and other local products
3. Farm operated using organic practices
4 Farm operated by Waltham Fields Community Farm Organization (CFO) in 2014
B. Education and Community Engagement
1. 100 volunteers and over 1000 volunteer hours worked on farm; many more
volunteered behind the scenes
2. Volunteers helped with farm work, site improvement and maintenance,and with
the running of the non-profit
3. Weekday farm tours
4. Volunteer-led educational programs for all ages
C. Food Access
1. 5,700 pounds of produce donated with a value of$13,000—10%of produce grown
on farm
2. Donations to Lexington Food Pantry,Arlington Food Pantry, and Boston Area
Gleaners
D. Site Improvements
1. Capital improvements:office trailer, stabilization of farm stand structure and new
roof, energy efficient lighting, interior painting, pickup truck,tractor and related
equipment
2. "Build the Farm" campaign raised $125,000 for capital improvements and first year
operations: 150 Farm Founders contributed at$250 or above; over 400 households
participated in the campaign overall
E. Growing the Organization
1. 550 members
2. Members from primarily from Lexington, but also from Arlington and other
surrounding towns
3. Interim Executive Director served February-December in 2014
II. What we learned in first year on farm
A. Infrastructure needs improvement
1. Water from artesian well is not potable;water requires filtration for use in
greenhouse due to salinity
2. Irrigation system is laborious to operate
3. Greenhouses would benefit from weatherization
4. Older heating systems without heat circulation technology
5. Broken drainage tiles in lower fields resulting in sitting water
6. Rented equipment from Dennis Busa will need to be replaced in near future
7 Limited storage for equipment and vehicles
B. Soil needs attention
1. Extreme weed pressure
2. Soil diseases affecting the brassica family of vegetables
***Dedicated to addressing using organic practices***
III. 2015
A. Farming
1. Hired farm manager and seasonal farm stand manager in 2015
2. Spring seedling sale
3. Farm stand with produce from LexFarm and other local farms
4 20 week CSA starting in June- 180 shareholders
5. Produce from Picadilly Farm
6. Pick-your-own vegetables from LexFarm
7 Flower shares
B. Education and Community Engagement
1. Weekly volunteer drop-in hours and regular volunteer roles in fields,farm stand,
and to improve property
2. Weekly tours
3. Expanded our volunteer-led education programming for all ages
C. Food Access
1. Excited to continue donating food in 2015
— 2. Will work again with Lexington Food Pantry,Arlington Food Pantry, and Boston-area
Gleaners
D. Site improvements
1. By cover cropping,we are focusing on our commitment to be stewards of this land.
Fitting, because 2015 has been named International Year of the Soil.
2. Our farm manager is working with Natural Resources Conservation Services and
other partners to answer questions about how much of the land to rest and for how
long. important to note this is not a situation unique to LexFarm. All farms, and
even your backyard garden, can benefit from rest and rejuvenation.
3. Active property committee doing short term projects to clean up and maintain site,
as well as developing long term vision and plans for the site
4. Getting a federally funded energy with an eye towards sustainably improving
operations at the farm
E. Growing the Organization
1. Increasing membership
2. Building board committees
3. Refining mission and strategic planning
4 Hiring Executive Director
5. Developing relationships with many local organizations
IV A community farm is for everyone—visit us at the farm and get involved!
1. Take a tour
2. Shop at farm stand
3. Sign up for newsletter at lexfarm.org
4. Become a member
5. Attend an education programs
6. Volunteer on the farm or behind the scenes
7 Go to www.lexfarm.org or email officePlexfarm.ore for more information
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• Sign up for newsletter at • Volunteer on the farm or
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• Become a member
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Contact Information
Allison Guerette Carolyn Goldstein
President of the Board of Vice President of the Board of
Directors Directors
Contact us atoffice@lexfarm org
For more information , go towww lexfarm org
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SPRING 2015 PROGRAMMING
Farm Babies A program for the 15-months-and-under set and Dirt Scouts A program for grades 2 5 to help operate our
their caregivers to play, sing songs, listen to farm stories, and community farm. Students will help with chores around the
explore what happens on a working farm. Adults will engage in farm, including planting, weeding, preparing the farm stand,
prompted discussion about sustainable parenting. making signs to educate the public about what is growing in our
Meets; Fridays, May 29-June 26,9-9.45am. soil, and setting up the CSA. Students will receive an ice cream
Price:$8 per week per family voucher at the conclusion of each week.
Meets: Wednesdays, May 20-June 24,4-5pm.
Dirt Play A program for 1-5 year olds and their caregivers to put Suggested donation:$36 for six-week session
hands in soil, meet new friends, help in the Learning Garden, and
do crafts. Farm Educators in Training An opportunity for middle and
Meets: Fridays,May 22-June 26, 10-11am. high school students to help with programs on the farm. Farm
Price: $10 per week per family Educators in Training will help with Dirt Scouts, Multi-
Generational Gardening,and other programs.
Meets: To help with Dirt Scouts: Wednesdays, May 20-June 24,
Special Programs and Workshops 3:45-5:OOpm. To help with other programs, sign up to receive
Lexington Community Farm A 'Hidden Treasure" information when available.
Live music and art on the farm as part of Lexington's
Price:Free!
Hidden Treasures town-wide free event. Multi-Generational Gardening
Date: Saturday May 16, 1-3pm Spend an hour each week in the Learning Garden. Part
informational, part support group, part social. You will plant and
NEW!Soil and Sustainability Education Share tend the soul as well!
Visit the farm stand each week beginning June 10 for new Meets. Wednesdays and Fridays 9-10 a.m. beginning June 3.
information and a hands-on activity related to soil and Suggested donation:$8 per week.
sustainability. -Free!
Composting 101-Workshop Stay tuned for updates
Want to compost your food scraps but have lots of and for summer programming
questions about how to do so? This workshop will coming soon!
answer them. Date: Saturday,June 20 from 3-4:30
Price: $18 members;$20 non-members.
Lexington Community Farm
is located at 52 Lowell Street In Lexington, MA
(next to the Abington.Reservoir)
(781)325-4170
Lexington Community Farm(LexFarm)is a working farm where the community comes to learn about and enjoy food,
sustainable farming, and nature.In 2015,Lexington Community Farm is focused on soil health.LexFarm is managed by the
non-profit Lexington Community Farm Coalition.
For questions about educational programming,contact office@lexfarm.org.
To register for programming,go to: http://lexfarm,or&education/
LexFarm welcomes individual,family,and civic/corporate group volunteers:To learn about opportunities to volunteer on
the farm or for our non-profit,contact volunteer@lexfarm.ore or go to http://lexfarm.ore/eet-involved/
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2014 Annual Report
Lexington Community Farm Coalition's (LexFarm's) mission is to Our Members and Volunteers In 2014, LexFarm membership
preserve and make sustainable a seven-acre historic farmland increased to nearly 550 members from Lexington, Arlington,
and offer access to and education about local food and farming Cambridge, Somerville, and other neighboring towns. More than
for all community members. In 2014, its first year on the former 100 volunteers gave more than 1,000 hours, helping to plant
Busa family farmland, LexFarm made significant progress seeds, pull weeds, harvest vegetables, do construction, clean up
towards achieving this mission. the farm,and fill roles behind the scenes.
On the Farm 2014 was a bountiful growing season for Lexington Lessons Learned in 2014 In Fall 2014, CFO shared that, while
Community Farm. Farm Managers Dan and Erinn Roberts from soil fertility was high, the older infrastructure, rocky soil, soil
Waltham Community Fields Organization (CFO) provided disease, and prevalent weeds at LexFarm made organic farming
community supported agriculture (CSA) shares to 212 particularly challenging at Lexington Community Farm. CFO
shareholders, generating over $100,000 in revenue. The CSA decided not to continue farming in Lexington,and recommended
combined market-style pickup of vegetables in the farm stand reducing production and cover cropping about half the arable
with pick-your-own vegetables, herbs, and flowers in the fields. land to address the issues CFO encountered.
The farm also offered a pick-your-own flower share. The farm
stand was stocked with seedlings, produce from the farm and LexForm in 2014 by the Numbers
other local farms, and local products such as eggs, cheese, jams, • 550 members•212 GSA shares• $100,000 in farm stand
and granola. CSA members and other customers enjoyed getting sales• $13,000 of produce donated • over$125,000 raised
to know Dan, Erinn,and the rest of the farm operation team. to build the farm and organization • 100 volunteers and over
Providing Access to Healthy Food for All Community Members 1000 volunteer hours
LexFarm donated 5,700 pounds of produce (10 percent of the
farm's produce, valued at $13,000) to area food pantries. The ALook Ahead at 2015 In response to lessons learned in 2014,
farm stand also accepted SNAP/EBT payments. LexFarm will employ its own farm manager in 2015 to actively
manage soil health and weed control, and to produce a reduced
Growing an Organization LexFarm's founding President, Janet quantity of produce for sale. Lexington Community Farm will
Kern, served as Interim Executive Director leading the provide 200 CSA shares, with market-style produce provided by
organization through 2014, its first year on the farm.The Board of Picadilly Farm in New Hampshire and pick-your-own crops at
Directors grew in number and expertise, as did the organizations Lexington Community Farm. A farm stand manager will be hired
committees on finance, development, property, education, and and seedlings, produce, and local products will be sold in the
communications. LexFarm raised over $125,000 in membership farm stand.
fees and donations, in particular through the Build the Farm
campaign,which included the September Art for the Farm event. LexFarm will continue to be a largely volunteer-run organization
supported by membership fees and other donations. The Board
Educating LexFarm offered educational programming to dozens of Directors will continue to build its committees while initiating
of members and visitors to the farm, Adult members learned to a strategic planning process and taking steps towards hiring an
compost and garden at workshops held on and off the farm, and executive director LexFarm will again offer volunteering and
children enjoyed getting their hands in the soil at the Dirt Play educational opportunities—with a focus in 2015 on soil health—
class in the farm's Learning Garden. and continue to grow LexFarm's food access program.
Lexington Community Farm
52 Lowell Street in Lexington, MA
(781) 325-4170
Lexington Community Farm is a working farm where the community comes to learn about and enjoy food,sustainable
farming, and nature. Lexington Community Farm is managed by the non-profit organization Lexington Community Farm
Coalition (LexFarm).
For more information,go to:www.lexfarm.ora or contact officetMlexfarm.ore.
To become a member go to: www.lexfarm.org/membership/