Hiring: Field and Post Harvest Crew – Bardwell Farm

Bardwell Farm is seeking highly motivated people that are interested in agriculture, enjoy working outdoors, that
are not afraid of hard work, and adverse weather conditions. Individuals will report to the owner, manager and/or
supervisor and will work as a team and/or by themselves on a variety of different tasks throughout the work week.
Tasks will include, but are not limited to, planting, weeding, harvesting, washing of produce, as well as use,
cleaning, and maintenance of hand tools and/or equipment. Individuals must be willing to learn, collaborate and
grow with our small but busy farm.

Visit https://www.bardwellfarm.com/employment.html for a complete job description.

These are the best hospitals in Massachusetts, according to the 2021-22 U.S. News & World Report rankings

These are the best hospitals in Massachusetts, according to the 2021-22 U.S. News & World Report rankings

Baystate Medical Center in Springfield makes it to number 5 on the list of top hospitals in Massachusetts. Check out the MassLive article to see details: https://www.masslive.com/news/2021

Valley Bounty: Crooked Stick Pops

Daily Hampshire Gazette – July 24, 2021

By JACOB NELSON

“You know that feeling when you eat something and the taste buds in the very back of your cheeks go bonkers, and it almost hurts it’s so good?” says Julie Tuman, owner of the Easthampton-based Crooked Stick Pops. “That’s really what I’m going for.”

Crooked Stick Pops’ popsicles are Tuman’s creative, local take on this frozen treat. Recognizable from their off-angled handling sticks, which improve eating ergonomics, these “farm-to-face” products, as she calls them, are made almost entirely out of whole local fruit, and offered at stores, events, and via home delivery throughout the Valley.

The idea came from a popsicle shop Tuman and her husband visited in Florida, enjoying the refreshment of the cold pops without an overload of sweetness. First her husband toyed with opening a pop business back in Massachusetts, but when Tuman needed a change from her previous career, she decided to take the project on.

“Because I do so much at home with craft cocktails and creative food, it wasn’t too much of a stretch to hone a blueprint for really great pops,” she says.

Craft cocktails on a stick? The more Tuman describes her pop-making approach, the more the comparison falls in line. Like making a drink, she starts with a basic formula: “fruit, acid, something so it doesn’t freeze rock-hard, and flavor enhancers.”

“Fruit is my platform in the same way that alcohol would be the base of a cocktail,” explains Tuman. “Not fruit juice, but whole fruit that’s been blended.”

Sometimes the fruit base is the main flavor – blended strawberries, blueberries, or peaches, for example. For other pops, apple serves as a neutral, fruit-sweet canvas for more delicate flavors. “Every year we get an enormous number of apples from Apex Orchards in Shelburne, sauce them, and store that to use throughout the year,” she says.

Acids, often citrus juice, are added to brighten the flavor, and herbs or secondary ingredients add complexity. For example, “If I put lavender together with blueberries,” says Tuman, “suddenly it brings out all the floral notes of those blueberries.”

The last ingredient is something to soften the popsicle’s consistency As Tuman points out, “if you freeze fruit puree, you get a really delicious ice cube. You need something – either fat, alcohol, salt, fiber, or sugar – to impact the freezing texture.”

For their pops, she adds a touch of organic cane sugar. “That does it most efficiently,” she says. “Maple syrup will also do it, but I’d have to add four times as much.”

With that blueprint in her back pocket, Tuman then looks to what she can source locally and in season to inspire new flavors.

“All of our berries, stone fruit, orchard fruit, and herbs, and a lot our spices are grown in the Valley,” she shares. “With the exception of watermelon, if one of our ingredients grows locally, we only source it locally.” If it doesn’t grow in the Valley, Crooked Stick Pops tries to work with local businesses to source and process it.

While celebrating seasonal ingredients, Tuman acknowledges they also need to offer consistent products. So, they’ve struck a balance by offering 10 wholesale flavors year-round, supplemented by others featuring what’s ripe in the moment and past harvests stored away.

During the summer growing season, the rush is on to gather local ingredients while they’re ripe. “Now it’s blueberry season, so we’re making several different kinds of blueberry pops,” says Tuman. “Simultaneously we’ll be freezing and storing enough berries to get us through to blueberry season next year.”

At Crooked Stick Pops’ commercial kitchen at the Keystone Mills building in Easthampton, the process for making pops is quite simple. “My kitchen is just four stainless steel tables, a rack of kitchen equipment, a bunch of sinks, and a huge walk-in freezer,” says Julie.

The freezer holds pops and preserved local fruit waiting for its moment to shine. The main workhorse of the operation is a single pop-making machine – essentially a super chiller.

To make pops, Tuman first blends all the ingredients and pours the mixture into a rack of metal molds. The filled molds are then dunked in a super-chilled, food-grade antifreeze solution for 20-25 minutes. “Twenty-five minutes is exactly how long it takes me to wash and dry the previous set of molds, put sticks in the stick-aligners, bag and freeze the previous batch of pops, and pour the next batch into their molds so they’re ready to freeze,” she explains.

Working this way, she can produce around 1,200 pops a day, 3-4 days a week, either alone or with help from one of her three employees. Those thousands of pops make their way to customers via retail stores, their own pop cart at local events like farmers’ markets, and now home delivery. For a full list of locations and details, visit their website: crookedstickpops.com.

As the business develops, Tuman keeps looking for ways to further align Crooked Stick Pops with her values of environmental and social responsibility and supporting the local community. They recently switched to compostable wrappers, and next on her list is zero-waste stickers.

“I want to put as many of my business dollars as I can into our local economy,” she states. “Sometimes it costs a little more, but all that money is staying in Massachusetts, and I think that’s important.”

Tuman also feels their emphasis on celebrating local shines through in the quality of their product. “You can taste the difference,” she claims. “It’s awesome to be at the Green River Festival in Greenfield and say ‘Hey, that strawberry popsicle that you’re loving on? Those strawberries were grown just over those trees there.’ It helps people understand the value of where their food comes from.”

The end goal is simple. “I get to make happy people happier,” says Tuman. “It’s joy on a stick.”

Jacob Nelson is Communications Coordinator for CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture). To find more local summer treats, visit CISA’s searchable online farm and food guide at buylocalfood.org/find-it-locally

Dakin Humane Society: Kitten Street Team prevents feral suffering

Dakin Humane Society: Kitten Street Team prevents feral suffering

“The KST [Kitten Street Team] was formed in 2020 and in one year they have helped over 250 local cats and kittens. Adult ferals – unable to live as domestic pets – are returned to their colony site vaccinated and spayed or neutered, while kittens up to about 8 weeks of age — and not yet feral —- are adoptable.” Read the full article at MassLive.com.

Massachusetts fish consumption advisory 2021: List of freshwater fish you shouldn’t eat

Massachusetts fish consumption advisory 2021: List of freshwater fish you shouldn’t eat

“Before eating what you catch in a Massachusetts lake, pond or river this summer, check the consumption advisory list to see what fish Massachusetts health officials deem unsafe to eat.” Read the full article at MassLive.com.

Farmers try to weather the rain

The Recorder, July 17, 2021 By DOMENIC POLI, Staff Writer

No living thing can survive without water. But an abundance of it can wreak havoc on plants, especially crops that farmers depend on for income.

Nearly 8 inches of rain fell on Greenfield between July 1 and July 14, and the rest of Franklin County wasn’t spared from the heavy precipitation. Local farmers said the rainfall is just one more hurdle to clear, and is the polar opposite of another hardship ? drought.

Ryan Voiland, who owns Red Fire Farm in Montague with his wife, Sarah, said the rain has caused major problems.

“Things were growing quite nicely this year until 10 days or so ago, when it started raining just torrentially over and over,” he said Thursday afternoon. “It went from looking really good in the field to being oversaturated.”

Voiland said his fields with less-than-perfect drainage are in big trouble. He estimated that one-third of his fall carrots, planted when they were still germinating, are under water and will have to be abandoned.

“It’s like a swamp right now,” he said, adding that many of his tomato plants are damaged.

The farm’s properties in Sunderland and Granby are experiencing similar problems, Voiland added.

He said that, aside from the crops, heavy rainfall creates a lot of mud, which inhibits tractors, and large puddles make it impossible to kill weeds. He also said his irrigation pond is overflowing and his irrigation pumps near the Connecticut River were submerged in water when the river overflowed. He said he believes the pumps can be repaired, but that is yet another project added to the list.

Voiland said the rain will likely result in a 5 to 10 percent yield reduction.

“There’s no insurance that will help us with this type of thing,” he said.

David Wissemann, who runs Warner Farm in Sunderland with his father, Mike, said his business has likely suffered less than others in the area, but the heavy rain has delayed the harvesting of some crops.

“When it’s super dry, you can always add water ? you can’t take it away,” he said.

The Warner Farm’s main fall crop is the corn maze, referring to the 8-acre Mike’s Maze that is a popular fall attraction. The maze has been affected because its design carved into the cornfield by Rob Stouffer, of Precision Mazes in Lee’s Summit, Mo. ? has been delayed at least a week. His family has been able to literally weather the storm because in 2018 it acquired the Millstone Farm Market across the street. This has provided a consistent and unaffected revenue stream.

The heavy rainfall can be attributed to both the passing through of Hurricane Elsa and general tropical moisture from the south, according to Bill Leatham, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Norton. He said the rain has plagued much of New England, though the southeastern portion of Massachusetts is actually experiencing a mild drought because the western side of a storm typically contains more rainfall, whereas the eastern side experiences more wind. Leatham said the rain is expected to last through at least the weekend in Franklin County.

Leslie Harris, the farm manager at Quonquont Farm in Whately, said coming into the season she was expecting a drought similar to last year, when barely more than 3 inches fell in Greenfield in the first two weeks of July.

“I was beginning to worry because (the property is) not irrigated,” she said. “And now, suddenly, the rain won’t stop, it seems like. The good news is our rain barrels [which she got because of last year’s drought] are full, if it ever does stop.”

Harris said heavy precipitation puts all plants under a lot of stress, though more mature trees fare better because they have longer roots. The orchard grows peaches, strawberries and blueberries. She said harvesting is a wet task but “it’s better than having a drought.”

Voiland, Wissemann and Harris said perhaps the biggest concern pertaining to the excess water is the diseases and blights they can cause. Voiland is scouting carefully for fungal and bacterial diseases that can easily spread.

Wissemann said water mold can devastate crops like tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers and winter squash, and he has started to see a certain type creep into some of his fields. But, he said, Warner Farm is not an organic operation, meaning workers can spray chemicals to keep mold at bay. Organic farms, however, cannot do this and “nothing organically can prevent it.”

Harris said her biggest challenge is warding off diseases humidity can cause in plants.

“You can’t control the weather, so you work around it,” she said. “I’m hoping that things will even out and we’ll still have a great harvest season.”

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413772-0261, ext. 262.

Hiring: Harvest Crew – Kitchen Garden Farm

Harvest Crew

Kitchen Garden Farm is hiring for additional harvesters starting immediately and through the end of October, with the possibility of work through the winter. We are looking for highly energetic, motivated and passionate individuals who want to do the work necessary to provide our community with high quality organic produce. Must be able to lift 50 lbs. and work with speed, endurance, and good cheer in all kinds of weather. Hours are generally 7am-5pm M-F and 8am-1pm on Saturdays, up to 50 hours per week. Part time schedules (3-4 days/week) are also available. Previous farm experience preferred and responsibilities include harvesting, weeding, working in the washroom, and many other farm tasks. Valid driver’s license, strong attention to detail and communication, safe handling of equipment, ability to work independently and on a team, and eagerness to learn are all essential.

Wage is $15/hour plus overtime > 40 hours, plus farm lunch and unlimited vegetables.

To apply please send a letter and resume by email to info@kitchengardenfarm.com.

Following COVID closure more than a year ago, Springfield City Library branches reopen on Tuesday for limited hours

Following COVID closure more than a year ago, Springfield City Library branches reopen on Tuesday for limited hours

“Most Springfield library branch locations will reopen Tuesday on a reduced schedule, according to a recent announcement.” Get the details at MassLive.com.

Columnist Claire Morenon: COVID, climate change and farms

Daily Hampshire Gazette, July 28, 2021

The COVID-19 crisis was impossible to ignore because of the speed with which it upended every facet of our lives, along with its duration, and the global scale of its devastation. We are living through the early stages of another crisis — one with no end and which is going to be global and all-encompassing in its scale, although its creeping impacts on most American’s daily lives makes it easier to ignore: climate change.

Of course we shouldn’t be ignoring climate change, and many of us are not — climate scientists and activists have been ringing alarm bells for decades, and global leaders are focused to varying degrees on taking action. And climate change is becoming more visible as extreme weather events become more frequent — just this month, news sources brought warnings about severe drought in the American West and the terrible forest fire season that is likely to come.

Here in the Northeast, farmers can see and feel the impacts of climate change. At CISA, farmers tell us how things have changed: shifting planting seasons and growing schedules, increased pest and disease pressure due to warmer winters, and more extreme, damaging weather events.

The federal government’s Fourth National Climate Change Assessment, released at the end of 2018, supports these observations. Average annual temperatures in the state have increased nearly 3 degrees over the past century, and over the next two decades, the Northeast is predicted to experience the most significant warming in the contiguous United States. The past 10 years have been 13% wetter than the long-term average, and the number of extreme precipitation events (days with more than 2 inches) is up 30%.

Before COVID-19 hit, we were warned that a new pandemic was likely — until 2017, the Department of Homeland Security ran an annual analysis of pandemic models and their likely impacts. Still, when the crisis came, we weren’t ready. The Trump administration’s inadequate response failed to control the spread of the virus, provide necessary equipment to hotspots, and limit the effects of the pandemic on the economy, small businesses, and especially low-wage workers.

While the former administration’s response to COVID-19 was extreme in its dishonesty and inaction, what indication do we have that the Biden administration, or any future administration, is prepared to fully address the crisis that climate change promises to bring — either to mitigate its extent, or respond to its impacts?

COVID-19 losses were not borne equally in the United States. The AP reports that “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adjusting for population age differences, estimates that Native Americans, Latinos, and Blacks are two to three times more likely than white people to die of COVID-19.” The Pew Research Center also reported in the early days of the pandemic that Black and Hispanic Americans were the hardest hit by wage and job loss, which were compounded by racial discrepancies in multi-generational wealth and savings.

Environmental issues also disproportionately affect Black and brown Americans, from air quality to clean water access, and research predicts that the poorest communities will suffer the most economic harm due to climate change. COVID-19 both intensified and highlighted the ways that race and class make people more vulnerable to a crisis — will those lessons inform climate change responses with an eye towards greater equity?

Local farms need to make changes to adapt to climate change, and they also have an important role to play in climate change mitigation — both of which require costly investments that farmers need support to make. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, of which CISA is a member, is advocating that the federal American Jobs Plan must include funding that will help farmers tackle the climate crisis — investing immediately in renewable energy and sustainable growing practices on farms while conducting large-scale research on climate and agriculture.

At CISA, we’re hiring (as in, the job is open! Details at buylocalfood.org!) a new Farm Business Support team member to support farms in the Valley with climate change adaptation and farm sustainability.

The past 16 months have been a trial, and a sobering glimpse into the future. While climate change doesn’t start and stop with agriculture, a comprehensive response to the looming crisis must include farms — both to reduce the impacts that farms have on the climate, and to ensure that they can survive a changing climate and keep our food supply secure.

Claire Morenon is the communications manager at CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture).