The community gardens are thriving, in spite of some minor damage from Tropical Storm Isaias. Just a few days ago, an enthusiastic child stopped by the Griffin garden excited to harvest squash. Many of the garden beds are just now reaching the peak of their production with produce going to neighbors and nearby food pantries. As some of our volunteers return to work and school, we welcome new volunteers for the fall. No experience necessary!

Food for Good:

Dinner from the Farm

Annual Gala

This year, we honor our front line workers who grow food for hundreds of families across our region. Get your tickets today for this annual gala, Dinner from the Farm, Saturday, September 5, brought to you by farm partners Olmo, Seasonal Catering, Small Kitchen Big Taste, The Farm Belly and Zinc. Proceeds support the thousands of pounds of fresh produce we donate to hunger relief each season.

Pick up your five-course dinner from the farm on Friday, September 4 and join us online Saturday, September 5 at 6:30pmfor a virtual program, including:

September Workshops:

Beekeeping

Ditch Your Lawn

Virtual adult workshops continue in September with Ditch Your Lawn, a course on assessing the resources used and environmental impacts of maintaining a traditional lawn. Then you’ll get a Master Gardener’s overview of reclaiming even small patches of lawn for pollinators, native species and an edible landscape.

Join us for the last beekeeping workshop of the season out in the farm apiary. Whether expert or novice, follow along with veteran beekeeper Ted Jones as he walks you through the steps to prepare your hive for Winter.

Fall on the Farm:

What You Can Look Forward To

Fall is a wonderful and bountiful time on the farm: days cool down, we’re harvesting LOTS of produce, birds migrate, colors change. We’re going to do our best to bring you activities allowing you to enjoy being outside before winter sets in.

Keep an eye out for registration info for a movie out on the lawn, small-group ranger programs, goat hikes, virtual field trips and self-guided education for alternate schooling options, commonly referred to as pods.

Article Highlights the Importance and Challenges of Small Farms in the Wake of Covid-19

Earlier this summer, author Elizabeth Henderson penned an article featuring Massaro Community Farm as an example of how valuable small farms are to our communities amid the presence of Covid-19. Businesses like ours were able to pivot quickly to meet community needs and fill gaps left by national distribution chains. The article was picked up by two other news outlets. Please enjoy reading Henderson’s article, “Community-based Farms Rise to the Occasion as Big Food Supply Chains Stall.”

Elizabeth Henderson farmed at Peacework Farm in Wayne County, New York, for more than 30 years. She is a member of the Board the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) of New York, and represents the NOFA Interstate Council on the Board of the Agricultural Justice Project. Elizabeth is the lead author of Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture (Chelsea Green, 2007), with a Spanish language e-book edition in 2017. She maintains the blog The Prying Mantis.

Special thanks to the following supporters for their generosity in 2020

The Werth Family Foundation

Valley Community Foundation

Community Foundation of Greater New Haven

CGM Resources LLC

William Graustein

Keith Colburn

Valley United Way

Anthem CT

Southern Connecticut State University

MFUNd

The Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation

Jill and Glenn MacInnes

Diane King

Greg Melville

John Grim & Mary Evelyn Tucker