Treleven in October

Mentors with Enid Wonnacut, NOFA CEO and Abbie Nelson, FEED program director.

This month we began two wonderful new partnership projects. We are now working with NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) and Hogback Community College. We expect that both of these partnerships will help to expand the opportunities to share the land and the skills of our Board members with an increasingly large community.  The NOFA Farm to Community Mentors provide a variety of services to both the farming and non-profit/educational communities. They help to link farmers to school classrooms through the Farmer Correspondence Program (which culminates in a farm visit for the students in the spring). They promote the value of sustainable agriculture through projects such as AG Literacy Week (Nov 17 – 23 this year). And they work on special projects; for our county we  hope to promote availability of fresh local produce for residents of our many mobile home parks. Treleven was honored to be the site of this year’s annual strategic planning session for the NOFA mentors. We look forward to learning from those in other parts of the state!

Stories Participants with Don Mitchell

Our partnership with Hogback Community College began with the course: Stories in the Land, taught by John Elder and Don Mitchell. The first session of the 5 session class included a walk through the farm fields to the wolf oak tree under a beautiful full moon. Students have been working on place-based memoirs and their essays will soon be available on the Treleven Programs tab. (you can view one example here already).

Acorns

On the farm front, we are wondering what the coming year will bring? When our friend Bob Cyr came to the farm to process the lambs, he said the wooly bears are only a bit more accurate than the Farmer’s Almanac. Who is to know? We have heard that big mast years (lots of nuts on the trees) are a way that trees can overcome the drain of rodents eating their nuts. But Audubon is not so sure. Who is to know? At least we have the pleasure of knowing that each season brings incredible beauties to the farm and we hope that you will join us to share in them.

Autumn Color: the old sugarbush