Loyal Farmbedded readers may have noticed of late that my blogging here has become more and more infrequent.
Indeed, the time has come to unbed.
I moved into the Howell Farm farmhouse on February 26, 2008. My original plan was to remain at Howell for three months, the duration of my internship. As it turns out, I stayed 10, staying on to revamp the farm newsletter and eventually moving into the cozy intern house. It was a pleasant and most welcome extension, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
It’s the end of December, however, and now I’m moving out – to an apartment in nearby Hopewell, NJ.
Although I’m bringing my Farmbedded blog to a close, I plan to stay very much involved at Howell Farm. I will be working here part time to continue writing and editing the farm newsletter, and I hope to also do some writing for HowellFarm.org that will be similar to the content once posted here.
My blogging days will continue in other ways as well, both at my personal blog – JTFLESHER – and for an excellent new New York Times blog called Green Inc. So keep reading!
Happy holidays everyone, and here’s to a healthy and productive new year.
Cheers,
Jared Flesher
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Silver-Zinc Batteries
My latest for the New York Times' Green Inc. blog:
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/battery-maker-is-betting-on-silver-zinc-for-laptops/
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/battery-maker-is-betting-on-silver-zinc-for-laptops/
Monday, November 10, 2008
SOLAR-HYDROGEN HOUSE STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS
Read my latest post Green Inc. post at nytimes.com:
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/solar-hydrogen-house-still-a-work-in-progress/
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/solar-hydrogen-house-still-a-work-in-progress/
Saturday, November 1, 2008
BACON DAY
This is the way “Bacon, Sausage & Scapple Making Day” day is described on the Howell Farm website:
If you work all week to bring home the bacon, sausage and scrapple, but don't really know from whence they come, visit Howell Farm on Saturday, November 3. You will see these and other pork products made before your eyes.
Farmers will work from 10:00am until 3:00pm rendering lard, making pork products and showing visitors the origins of different cuts of pork. Cracklins' and other delicacies will be free for the asking, and pork sandwiches will be available for sale.
And here are some breaking photos of the event:
If you work all week to bring home the bacon, sausage and scrapple, but don't really know from whence they come, visit Howell Farm on Saturday, November 3. You will see these and other pork products made before your eyes.
Farmers will work from 10:00am until 3:00pm rendering lard, making pork products and showing visitors the origins of different cuts of pork. Cracklins' and other delicacies will be free for the asking, and pork sandwiches will be available for sale.
And here are some breaking photos of the event:
Friday, October 31, 2008
POWER PLANTS, FARMS AND MINES
Here's a story worth reading in today's Washington Post:
A Last Push to Deregulate
A Last Push to Deregulate
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
New Jersey's 7th District: Too Green to Call
A link to my first post for The New York Times Green Inc. blog:
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/new-jerseys-7th-district-too-green-to-call/
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/new-jerseys-7th-district-too-green-to-call/
A TRIP TO THE FARMERS MARKET
This article is slated to appear in the upcoming edition of The Furrow:
One job of an intern at Howell Farm is to help grow food. Another job is to help sell it.
Participants in Howell Farm’s internship program traveled to a local farmers market in Hopewell, NJ, this year in order to peddle select farm products – including honey, maple syrup, black beans, wheat flour, and cabbage.
Internship coordinator Rob Flory said the trips to the market served several good aims.
“They give interns some hands-on experience with farm stand operation,” he said. “They also help in promoting farm activities such as our weekend programs and the corn maze.” Alongside the food products, Howell Farm’s table featured flyers and farm calendars that shoppers could take home with them.
For many market-goers, a trip to the Howell Farm table proved educational.
“So you’re growing stuff out there, too?” asked the day’s first visitor.
Intern Matt Schofield said he enjoyed the feeling of community the market seemed to promote.
“When you go to the grocery store, it’s on a ‘I’m going to get what I need and leave basis,’” he said. “But at the farmers market, the people who I saw would stay for a while, chitchat, talk about the weather. So I learned a little bit more about trying to market to people on an individual basis. As a small farmer, sometimes you need to build personal relationships with people in order to sell your product.”
Schofield said he also liked seeing the end result of the farming process.
“I really enjoyed the fact that I was able to help with a certain product from start to finish,” he said.
Another benefit of the market experience for the interns was that it allowed them to network with and learn from farmers, interns, and business owners at other local farms and shops. Sellers at the Hopewell market have included Griggstown Farm in Princeton, the Village Bakery in Lawrenceville, North Slope Farm in Lambertville, WoodsEdge Wools Farm in Stockton, the Highland Company Gourmet Market in Kingwood Twp., Olsson’s Fine Foods in Lawrenceville, and Cherry Grove Organic Farm in Princeton.
“People come to the market to meet other people,” said Rudie Smit, owner of Olsonn’s Fine Foods. “It’s almost like a coffee shop.”
But that good feeling of community among sellers and shoppers isn’t the sole reason these businesses attend the market. A resurgence of interest in eating local food and supporting local food producers has also made these markets profitable.
“I do five markets a week this year,” said Village Bakery owner Bo Child. “I can sell more bread at a small market in one day than I could sell in an entire week at my shop."
Andrea Chiotti, an intern at North Slope Farm, said being present at the market gives her the opportunity to communicate with customers about the true cost of food.
“A woman said to me last week that $5 for a bag of salad mix is way too much,” Chiotti said. “But I was able to tell her about the process involved in growing it and bringing it to market. After we had the conversation, she understood why it cost $5. And she did buy the salad mix.”
Ben Avila, owner of the Highland Company Gourmet Market, said his customers also want to know more about the products they are buying than just what they cost.
“The main question I get from my customers is where does the food come, especially with the animals, and how are they treated?” he said.
Kate Douthat, an intern at Cherry Grove Organic Farm, explains it this way why many of her stand’s customers have become regulars:
“They come because they know us,” she said.
The Hopewell Farmer’s Market is open Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the parking lot of the Hopewell railroad station. During the winter, the market moves inside to the adjacent railroad shed.
One job of an intern at Howell Farm is to help grow food. Another job is to help sell it.
Participants in Howell Farm’s internship program traveled to a local farmers market in Hopewell, NJ, this year in order to peddle select farm products – including honey, maple syrup, black beans, wheat flour, and cabbage.
Internship coordinator Rob Flory said the trips to the market served several good aims.
“They give interns some hands-on experience with farm stand operation,” he said. “They also help in promoting farm activities such as our weekend programs and the corn maze.” Alongside the food products, Howell Farm’s table featured flyers and farm calendars that shoppers could take home with them.
For many market-goers, a trip to the Howell Farm table proved educational.
“So you’re growing stuff out there, too?” asked the day’s first visitor.
Intern Matt Schofield said he enjoyed the feeling of community the market seemed to promote.
“When you go to the grocery store, it’s on a ‘I’m going to get what I need and leave basis,’” he said. “But at the farmers market, the people who I saw would stay for a while, chitchat, talk about the weather. So I learned a little bit more about trying to market to people on an individual basis. As a small farmer, sometimes you need to build personal relationships with people in order to sell your product.”
Schofield said he also liked seeing the end result of the farming process.
“I really enjoyed the fact that I was able to help with a certain product from start to finish,” he said.
Another benefit of the market experience for the interns was that it allowed them to network with and learn from farmers, interns, and business owners at other local farms and shops. Sellers at the Hopewell market have included Griggstown Farm in Princeton, the Village Bakery in Lawrenceville, North Slope Farm in Lambertville, WoodsEdge Wools Farm in Stockton, the Highland Company Gourmet Market in Kingwood Twp., Olsson’s Fine Foods in Lawrenceville, and Cherry Grove Organic Farm in Princeton.
“People come to the market to meet other people,” said Rudie Smit, owner of Olsonn’s Fine Foods. “It’s almost like a coffee shop.”
But that good feeling of community among sellers and shoppers isn’t the sole reason these businesses attend the market. A resurgence of interest in eating local food and supporting local food producers has also made these markets profitable.
“I do five markets a week this year,” said Village Bakery owner Bo Child. “I can sell more bread at a small market in one day than I could sell in an entire week at my shop."
Andrea Chiotti, an intern at North Slope Farm, said being present at the market gives her the opportunity to communicate with customers about the true cost of food.
“A woman said to me last week that $5 for a bag of salad mix is way too much,” Chiotti said. “But I was able to tell her about the process involved in growing it and bringing it to market. After we had the conversation, she understood why it cost $5. And she did buy the salad mix.”
Ben Avila, owner of the Highland Company Gourmet Market, said his customers also want to know more about the products they are buying than just what they cost.
“The main question I get from my customers is where does the food come, especially with the animals, and how are they treated?” he said.
Kate Douthat, an intern at Cherry Grove Organic Farm, explains it this way why many of her stand’s customers have become regulars:
“They come because they know us,” she said.
The Hopewell Farmer’s Market is open Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the parking lot of the Hopewell railroad station. During the winter, the market moves inside to the adjacent railroad shed.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
QUILTING DAY
Tomorrow is quilting day at Howell Farm. I don't claim to know a lot about quilting, but here's the pertinent information:
http://www.howellfarm.org/calendar/quilting/quilting.htm
http://www.howellfarm.org/calendar/quilting/quilting.htm
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
FALL FESTIVAL
One of the highlights of this past weekend’s “Fall Festival” at Howell Farm was a 10-ton Case steam engine powering a large wheat thresher. The spelt grain that was threshed will be used as horse feed, and the leftover stalks will be used as straw for bedding.
According to farm historians, these giant wheat threshing rigs and their crews rumbled through the Mercer County countryside circa 1900, stopping at all the local farms who hired out their services. An alternate plan some farmers employed was to commune with their neighbors to buy a shared thresher, which they took turns using.
Below are a few pictures of the action. Follow this link for a lot more (though unedited) shots taken at the festival:
http://picasaweb.google.com/JTFlesher/FallFestival#
According to farm historians, these giant wheat threshing rigs and their crews rumbled through the Mercer County countryside circa 1900, stopping at all the local farms who hired out their services. An alternate plan some farmers employed was to commune with their neighbors to buy a shared thresher, which they took turns using.
Below are a few pictures of the action. Follow this link for a lot more (though unedited) shots taken at the festival:
http://picasaweb.google.com/JTFlesher/FallFestival#
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