Farewell to Spring Valley

Greetings Friends both Old and New,

It's been about 3 weeks now since I said 'see ya later' to the place I've called home for the majority of my college career.  It was a tough goodbye and came only after trudging through the snow in crocs around the perimeter of Spring Valley bidding farewell to all that has become so familiar to me.  I was flooded with nostalgia as the cold air blew across my face and my feet unsurprisingly became wet.  It wasn't until I circled around the back gate after passing the garden beds, herbs, chicken coop, our greenhouse and shed when I was stopped.  I took a quick seat on our rock wall that supports the asparagus patch and began to think long about the years that had just passed.  I looked at the frozen ground, plants and roots of the farm and was drawing similarities between the many fond memories stuck in time only to be unearthed and thawed out by those who shared them alongside with me.  Realizing at this point, that my time spent at Spring Valley Student Farm has been nothing short of a journey. 

When I arrived about three years ago, I was oblivious to what was ahead.  I had no idea the opportunity presented in front of me would shape me so much into the person I have become today.  I came to Spring Valley with practically no farming experience and minimal exposure to living with a group, aside for one year in the dorm.  For me though, I was ready.  Ready to live on my own, ready to start cooking for myself and beginning a new time of personal and spiritual growth.  Looking back on these years I am so grateful I listened to that little bird on my shoulder telling me this would be a good choice in the long run.

What SVSF has taught me far exceeds simply when to plant and harvest garlic, or how to sort through seed catalogs without going crazy deciding on the perfect cultivars, or even how to pick up and raise a chicken.  The experience here has shown me so much on where I fit into the dynamic of a growing community.  I've learned a ton about myself and others, too- that everyone is here for their own reasons.  I might've been here to become more independent, get off campus and learn some life skills.  Someone else might be here to develop a deeper understanding of the ecological interactions of our own backyard.  Others might be here just to enjoy the peaceful quiet and fresh air, maybe even just to birdwatch.  The point is, whatever the reason, no matter who the person is, how vocal or silent they are, how passionate or seemingly lazy they are, everyone has a skill to bring to our community.  What makes a successful community is being able to identify those things that each person brings to the table and how to efficiently allocate all the energy that we are putting into this system.  The success comes with a greater understanding of each other so we can get a greater understanding of the land and the projects at hand.  SVSF truly has been a shining light on my college experience, and I feel unbelievably lucky to have been a part of this adventure. 

That said, I want to quickly thank everybody who has made the farm what it is today.  Thanks firstly to UConn Dining Services and all those in ResLife who deal with our requests and support our projects.  Without them, the farm would not be able to function.  To all past and current farmers, volunteers, friends just hanging out, you are what makes the bond at SVSV so strong, and will keep the spirit of the farm alive.  To Julia, our farm manager, mentor and friend, there aren't enough thank you's I can type for what you have done for the Spring Valley and all of us down here.  You have been a wealth of knowledge and a true backbone to our community.  It takes a lot to continuously stay organized and put up with a dozen college students that may or may not want to wake up on an early cold Sunday morning in October to harvest kale or turnips.   Thank you thank you all!

OK, OK this concludes my sappy farewell to my farm family.  BUT, before I hit post, I'd like to put a few of my favorite pictures from my time here (thank you to those whose few photos I did borrow).  Cheers and as always, Sunny Wishes!

Be Well, 

Andrew Lyons

Snow Chicken 2012

Hives

Buzz Buzz

Summer 2013

Broccoli!

Grafted Tomatoes

Reggie!

Farm Noobs

   

Coming Soon: Canning Demo at EcoHouse (Salsa Sneak Preview....)

Howdy Howdy!

So following up on our inspiration from Black Eyed Susan's, a few of us have been thinking of experimenting with more canning and preservation! Ultimately we will be running a demonstration or perhaps a small-group workshop in the kitchen at Sprague. Andrew Brown was kind enough to lend his hot-water canner for this first round of experiments  - - making our own salsa! I had never even made my own salsa before, and had never canned anything, so this was a leap into the unknown (ok maybe not that dramatic....)

But! There certainly quite a lot of little details to remember while the canning process is unfolding....and I was lucky to have some more experienced canning friends come over to the farm on Friday night to lend a hand (all of them members of UConn's Soil and Water Conservation Society - be sure to check them out!)

Anyway, the final product was DELICIOUS and we ended up with 3 quart jars! They all succesfully "popped" following their hot water bath, which means that they will all successfully keep in the pantry until they are opened! It is hard to imagine this first experiment going any better. I look forward to a little more practice and research.... and then bringing what I've learned to EcoHouse!

Yay. Happy Salsa :)

Kelsey

MOVIE NIGHT!!

Hey Guys - come join the EcoHouse showing of "Forks Over Knives" this Thursday (the 21st) at 7 in the EcoHouse Lounge.

Forks Over Knives is a documentary looking at the effects of diet on our health. The two featured dietitians promote a plant-based diet as a means of controlling cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Come learn about the health benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet in honor of No-Meat November!

Check out the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ijukNzlUg

Despite the apparent success of the dietary approach, some critics say eating this way is extreme.

Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.: Now, with the western diet, this guarantees there's going to be what, a half a million people in this country this year who will have to have the front half of their body divided, their heart exposed, then veins will be taken from their leg and sewn on their heart. Some people would call that extreme.

Meat the Problem

Hey all,

Shout out to all of you EcoHousers who came out to our veggie event. The vegetarian bacon seemed to be a huge hit!

Here's the video narrated by Paul McCartney (this time with some sound to it!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTifP6idBPs
Enjoy my favorite Beatle!

Jamming with Black Eyed Susan

     This Sunday a few of the farmers were treated to a FREE jam-making workshop by Susan Wilkerson of Columbia. Seven of us made the short drive to Susan's beautiful country home, where she and her husband maintain a large vegetable garden, chickens, and Susan's home-making/crafts studio known as Black Eyed Susan's (I know - so cute). Susan is a champion of all things home-made and her delightfully decorated house is filled with knitting projects, baked goods, and crafts that she has made - including lots of jams and jellies! With berries from Susan's own garden, we chatted with our hostess as she demonstrated the proper process of canning using a boiling pot of water. I personally found the workshop very inspirational - it showed me how easy it is to make jam! You don't even necessarily need to purchase a canner (although that would be ideal) - a large pot will do as long as it is heavy-bottomed and has a wire rack set inside so that the glass jars do not contact the pot. The water-boiling method can be used to can anything that has high enough acid (such as tomatoes and fruits) or anything that is made with vinegar (such as pickled vegetables). I believe that preserving food is just as important as learning to grow it, and I hope that in the near future the farm will be able to purchase its own canning equipment, including a pressure-canner which would allow us to preserve meats, seafood, and vegetables (without vinegar). This would help to make our education as farmers more well-founded and complete, and would allow us to host workshops for the UConn community as well! Susan was very keen on the idea.
     I have already contacted Susan about the possibility of a knitting workshop on another Sunday in November, or possibly December! You should see the beautiful things she has made. Susan's Aunt taught her how to knit when she was 10, she has been doing it for 60 years and still loves it! More to come on this, although definitely let me know if you are interested in attending!


Jam On!

Kelsey

No-Meat November

To start the month, EcoHouse is kicking off No-Meat November, a month long vegetarian challenge that hopes to raise awareness for sustainable lifestyles while also highlighting the humanitarianism, environmental, and heath benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet.

Here’s 6 reasons to go vegetarian and take back our planet!

1. Lower your carbon footprint. CO2 produced from livestock, slaughterhouses, packaging and transportation is one of the biggest contributors to our carbon emissions. One year of eating meat has the same CO2 emissions as driving a car for an entire year!

2. Reduce methane and nitrous oxide production. Cows and sheep produce 37% of methane. Methane and nitrous oxide are two of the largest contributes for global warming. Keep our planet cool by going meat free!

3. Water conservation. Water estimations to produce one kilo of wheat is between 1,000 to 2,000 liters whereas one kilo of beef is between 13,000 to 100,000 liters!

4. Reduce water pollution. Hormones, antibiotics and animal waste used in factory farms find their ways into our rivers, streams, and oceans. Farmed animals have 130 times more waste than the entire human population!

5. Topsoil/tropical rainforest and endangered species conservation. Much of our land – 30%! – is used for farming animals. Farming can cause soil erosion, desertification and deforestation. This deforestation ruins land for native animals, and results in long term harm of the natural wildlife.

6. Reduce chemical usage. Growth hormones, antibiotics and other harmful chemicals are used in large qualities for meat production. These harmful chemicals have long-term negative effect on the health of our environment.

A day at the farm

At four weeks into the school semester I think it’s safe to say I’m beginning to adjust to life at Spring Valley Farm. Really, living here is no different from living any other place on or off campus. 

As in most places, mornings start with the autumn sun rising lazily over the horizon. 

On a good day I check the chicken coop for eggs and pick fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden. 

I lay a skillet on the stove and fry myself up an omelet accompanied with freshly baked bread, and a hot cup of tea. 

And if there are no early morning classes to worry about I sit out on the hill, next to our house, and sip at my tea while the gentle buzzing of bees in our apiary warms my ears. 

Like I said, no different from any other place off or on campus. 

And every Friday, on our volunteer days, students from campus get to experience a day at the farm for themselves. During these volunteer days, students assist in all manners of task from harvesting green peas to uprooting potatoes.

For new visitors to the farm we usually offer a tour. We take students, volunteers and visitors around our acre of land and give them a look at what we have growing that season. We also take them around a smaller plot of land by the farm's upper house and our newly emerging edible forest garden. 

After showing our guest around we usually allow them to try a hand at some farm work if interested.

 Last week students got to take part in pulling out the smaller plot I mentioned (next to the upper house), harvesting it for spaghetti gourds, green peas, and corn, and then preparing it to be replanted with cover crop.

Whatever task we take on for that day we always make a fun time of doing it. So if you haven't been down to the farm and want to see what's up, volunteer days take place on Friday from 4-6 and transportation leaves from Sprague parking lot to bring you there.

Swing by! 

Borage anyone?

Something very exciting happened the other day- the borage came out! (and I am it's number 1 fan)

Borago officinalis or "Starflower" is an herb that can be use in a few different ways. Traditionally cultivated for medicinal or culinary uses, it now is used for make oilseed as well. Here at SVF we plan on harvesting it for Chuck and Augies (...and ourselves) as a beautiful, edible, flavorful (cucumber like taste) garnish. Indulging in the flowers was so new to me! It's like flower-candy.

Getting my first taste on camera:

An older flower:

Younger flowers appear pinker, like this one. 

Always something new at the farm to make you appreciate the small things... 

Try planting it at home for a guaranteed, "oooooh ahhhhh!"