Farm Tours, Summer Camp and Dinner on the Farm



The CSA Season Has Begun!
Subscriptions Still Available
CSA Week 1 (Photo: Kayla Cook)
Subscribe to our CSA and support your neighborhood farm, local jobs, and diversity in our food system. Recent studies are starting to yield links between increases in inflammatory diseases and a decrease in biodiversity. Additionally, eating a diverse, organic diet improves the human microbiome. (Read the article here.) Make sure to say hello to your farmers this season when picking up or buying produce, and use the opportunity to learn more about how your food is grown.
Distribution of the 2018 CSA season began last week. However, there are still subscriptions available. If you don’t want to go another week without a fantastic selection of organic produce sign up today to get 10 or 20 weeks of fresh-picked organic vegetables.
Download the Registration Form or sign up online for certified vegetables and/or a fruit option, June through October. Several drop off sites available, but you may not want to miss u-pick crops available on the farm!
Week One Recap: 
Our Harvest:  Strawberries, Garlic Scapes, Arugula, Red Russian Kale, Romaine Lettuce, Red Butterhead Lettuce, Bok Choi
U-Pick: Strawberries! Snap peas, snow peas
Fruit Options: Begins in July with blueberries; start date TBD

International Festival of Arts & Ideas: Farm Tours
Thursday, June 21
5:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:30pm, 7:00pm
Join farm staff for a ramble around our dairy farm-turned-organic vegetable operation. Hear a first-hand account of what goes into managing this 100-year-old diverse farm in our community and how we manage the land with an eye on securing production for years to come. Free to attend; light refreshments will be served. Reservations are strongly recommended. Walk-up space limited. Reserve your spot here.
Note: Some uneven ground; closed toe shoes required. Family friendly.

Open Farm Days Are Here
Picking up your CSA share on a Tuesday or Friday? Just want to check out the farm?
Stop by the Learning Garden adjacent to the big red Dairy Barn for one of our Open Farm Days.
Time: 2:30pm-5:30pm
Friday, June 22nd
Tuesday, June 26th
Friday, July 6th
Tuesday, July 10th
Friday, July 20th
Tuesday, July 24th
Friday, August 6th
Join our educational staff in the garden for planting, harvesting, feeding the worms & chickens, or just plain digging in the dirt. Come see what is blooming, pick some veggies to take home, and check out what our chickens are up to. All ages are welcome, stay for five minutes or hang out for the afternoon.

Adult Farm Education Opportunities
Canning Your Veggies:
Wednesday, July 11 at 7pm
Jane from Jane’s Good Food will be sharing ways to can and pickle your

veggies all year round. The pickling process is especially easy to undertake during the summertime, particularly if you don’t have time for the multi-step boiling method. Jane will teach you the steps on how to make a good brine, and everyone will get to take home some quick pickled veggies. Hot canning methods will also be discussed. Make sure to sign up here as spots are limited and these hands-on workshops fill up quickly!
Save The Date: 
Beekeeping Workshop – Fall Hive Preparation
Saturday, July 21 at 9am and 11:30am
Hosted by the farm and conducted by the Connecticut Beekeeper’s Association. Advanced registration is not required. Beekeeping workshops generally run 75-90 minutes and have a suggested donation of $10/pp. Only steady rain cancels. In the mean time, you may want to check out Bill Hesbach’s Bee Talks, discussion groups held on the 2nd Tuesday of every month to talk about everything related to beekeeping.

Summer Camp Registration Now Open 
Woodbridge Rec Camp @ the Farm
Registration is ongoing for Summer

Camp at the Farm. Campers ages 6-10 are invited to the farm during the weeks of August 6-24 for this annual half-day program. Attendees participate in all aspects of farm operations including caring for the farm garden, exploring the nature trail, and new this year– taking care of the farm’s small animals. Discounts available for multiple siblings and multiple weeks. Download a registration form HERE and forward to Woodbridge Park & Rec to register. Please register by July 15, 2018.

Opportunities to Engage
Whether you have one day or many, Massaro has plenty of ways your extra hands help– from special events to weekly chores. We even have light duty tasks.
 
Would you like to 
– take part in our pollinator garden?
– make flyers for upcoming workshops?
– serve as ambassador during farm tours and workshops? 

 

YOU can have a say in what happens at the farm. Simply fill out the form here and tell us your availability. Or, check out this list of specific opportunities coming up in the near future where you can pitch in and be a farm ambassador. We are explicitly looking for assistants to be with us for a few hours each Tuesday at the Woodbridge Farmer’s Markets in July and August where we’ll have activities for kids along with produce for sale.
Thank you to ALL our volunteers who help fulfill our mission to Keep Farming, Feed People and Build Community.

Dinner on the Farm ~ Sunday, September 2!
Farm-to-table meal & silent auction
Tickets are now on sale for Massaro Community Farm’s farm-to-table gathering set among the flowers and fields of our historic farm. Each year, friends come together to enjoy a tour by Farmer Steve Munno, delight in the beauty of the farm, and partake in an exquisite meal prepared by Zinc owner and chef, Denise Appel.
This annual fundraiser is a primary source of funds that supports our food donation and farm-based education programs. Get your tickets before they sell out!

Sponsoring this event is a way to reach to support the farm’s community give-back efforts and reach our farm audience of 5,000 visitors each year.

The farm thanks its event & program supporters.   
Community Foundation of Greater New Haven
Valley Community Foundation
Special thanks to the anonymous donor who recently donated $10,000 to the farm’s efforts. We recognize and appreciate this wonderful gift!
The MFUNd * William & Jeannie Graustein
The La Tronica Family
(Fair Winds Farm, Lock Stock & Barrel & The UPS Store)
The Crippled Children’s Fund
PepsiCo
Paul & Judith DeCoster * Southern CT State University
Buckley, Wynne & Parese *
 Laticrete International  * Griffin Hospital
Real Living-Wareck D’Ostillio 
The Kayne Family
The Valley Community Foundation * Stihl
BIC Corporation * 
Coldwell Banker Real Estate
Hocon Gas, Inc. * Schaefer Inspection Services
Wells Fargo 

A-1 Toyota * Ciola Excavation LLC * Guido & Anne Calibrese * Nancy Daoud
Encon * Jacobi, Case & Speranzini PC * Serv-Pro of Milford-Orange-Sratford
Marcus Insurance *
 Stop & Shop