Also, although my husband, Dr. Bob Giddings, has been heavily involved with the Friends of Boulder Knoll and the Community Supported Agriculture program that the Friends have started on the town-owned farm next door to our home, I am not a member of either group. I just volunteer at the farm and donate plants to the program. This is the type of operation that I believe in. Grass roots volunteer efforts to provide a source of locally grown vegetables and educational efforts with students. Having survived the mud traps during the rainy season (was that all summer?), I enjoy weeding the herb garden and working with the Waterbury youth who learned about gardening. It is important to use the wonderful open space that the town has preserved, and this is one good way to do so.
Anne Giddings, wife on Friends of Boulder Knoll Board member Bob Giddings, discusses Boulder Knoll Community Farm on Tim White Listens.

Attend this year’s Community Farming Conference on Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, CT from 8:30am to 4:00pm. Visit http://tr.im/wTrE for more information.

You can now find Friends of Boulder Knoll in more places! Visit us on Twitter at twitter.friendsofboulderknoll.com and on Facebook at facebook.friendsofboulderknoll.com.

Friends,

We have changed the date and time of the FBK Plant and Tag Sale to
Saturday, August 29th form 8-3 PM at 474 Maple Avenue (Greg Melville’s
house in Cheshire).

WE’VE GOTTEN A NICE START ON ITEMS…BUT, WE’D LIKE TO HAVE A LOT MORE,
AS OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE $1,000!

ITEMS WE’D LIKE:

Art, books, clothes, sports equipment, games, toys, small appliances,
electronic and office equipment and home furnishings and furniture –
all in good or decent condition. Don’t forget the bric- a brac, school
supplies and anything else that you have that needs a new home.
Perhaps you are ready to part with that fabulous antique that Aunt
Mollie gave you for some occasion and has never been out of the box. 🙂

And: Perennials from your garden(s) that you would like to split or remove and donate to the Sale, as well. I have hoses here for watering.

SO:

PLEASE, BRING YOUR CLEAN & TAGGED ITEMS TO ME HERE, IF YOU WISH TO
DONATE & INCLUDE THEM – AS SOON AS YOU CAN, AHEAD OF THE SALE…Plants
should come SAT. ideally, but earlier is o.k., if necessary.

NOTE:
GREG WILL BE AROUND MOST OF THIS WEEK & NEXT, SO:  JUST GIVE GREG A
SHOUT @439-7003 OR SUSAN @ 988-1844 – or email us at
gwmelville@earthloink.net or foxerlich@aol.com.

THANKS & Hope to see you.

– GREG & SUSAN

Susan Fox
101 Patton Drive
Cheshire, CT 06410
Cell: (203) 988-1844
Email foxerlich@aol.com

Friends,

We are planning on having a tag sale to raise money to support the Boulder Knoll farm on Sunday, August 30th from 8 AM to 3 PM at 474 Maple Avenues. We will have a rain date of Sunday, September 13th.

Please start collecting items that you can donate for the sale — and ask your friends, neighbors and family for donations.  Starting next week I can either pick items up from you, or you can drop them off in the garage at Greg Melville’s house at 474 Maple Avenue.    We will have a table for books and one for clothes (please clean them first), in addition to everything else.  If there are items you think should have a firm price, please label them as such.  Otherwise, I will price everything and anything that does not sell by the end of the day will be donated to Goodwill.  From 3 PM to 5 PM all items will be offered at 1/2 price.

We will also have a table to sell perennials that have been recently divided.  If you have a picture of the plant — either a photo or one from a catalog, that would help.  Please put in pots and label everything, as I want to make sure that aggressive growers are clearly marked.  I can pick plants up at the same time as any donated items.

I am looking for volunteers for the following:

1. Making signs and putting them out the night before on Route 10.
2. Making flyers and putting them up on bulletin boards at churches, grocery stores and other businesses the week before.
3. Putting ads in local papers and asking organizations to list them on their activities lists.
4. Setting up early on Sunday AM.
5. Cleaning and pricing items the week before.
6. Working at the tag sale such as helping with the cash box, wrapping items, providing information about Boulder Knoll.
7. Helping to clean up at the end of the day.

Email me if you can help, and/or if you have any suggestions. Does anyone know if we need a permit for a tag sale in Cheshire?

We will also need plastic grocery bags for items, folding tables and a tent to put the plants under.

The farm has been a great success this year, despite the rainy weather.  Donations of produce, educational opportunities for city kids and delicious produce have all been orchestrated by Farmer Brenda and her crew. There have been some large upfront costs, and there remains quite a lot to be done.  I think the tag sale will earn us some money (all money will be donated to Boulder Knoll Farm) and give us another opportunity to tell folks about all the exciting events occurring at the farm.  Please help us make it a success!

Best,
Susan Fox-Erlich
foxerlich@gmail.com

It’s Harvest Season For CSA Shareholders At Boulder Knoll

July 26, 2009 by Josh Morgan, The Cheshire Herald

On a muggy Thursday morning, a group of green thumbs were busy cutting chard, picking peas, and gathering garlic at the Boulder Knoll farm.
The group was preparing bundles of fresh-picked vegetables, 12 packages in total, for shareholders of the community supported agriculture (CSA) project at Boulder Knoll. Every Monday and Thursday, crops are harvested on a two-acre portion of land that the Friends of Boulder Knoll has leased from the Town. The garden is enclosed with deer fencing and arranged in different groups, such as tomatoes, chards, kale, peas, potatoes, and herbs. The group began planting in April and has had twice-weekly harvests throughout the season, which will last until early to mid-October. Brenda Caldwell was hired to be the lead farmer of the property, but shareholders also come and help harvest, weed, or plant crops.

To continue reading, please click here.

Eileen Weber of CT Green Scene writes,

In Cheshire, the Friends of Boulder Knolls [sic] is new this year and off to a running start. The CSA planted their community beds on open space leased from the town. They hired Brenda Caldwell, a local CSA farmer, to help get it off the ground. Within a matter of weeks, they sold out all 35 shares in the group.

For the full article, please click here.

Friends of Boulder Knoll Minutes April 23, 2009

Initial discussion started with finances.  Carol had receipts from Brenda for the NOFA order, soil testing, and other items totaling $1923.  Ian will bill at the first of May for the shed materials.  The cost will be $1450.27.  A final quote for a Porto potty has yet to be provided.  It was agreed that Brenda’s expenses be reimbursed as soon as possible.

Carol reported that the Apple Valley Bank account balance is $10,397.33 and the foundation has approximately $2600.

We have a waiting list for the CSA.  It was decided to inform people on the waiting list of their number and of our intension to add about 10 more July shares depending on production.  Also, it would be a good time to measure their interest for one of these shares.

The discussion then focused on compensation for Brenda.  Tim recommended structuring the agreement with Brenda as an independent contractor.  The board agreed to the independent contractor structure.

Tim also presented options for Workman’s Compensation Insurance for Brenda.  The Board agreed to purchase the significantly higher coverage for about $100 more costing $1168.  Our general liability insurance policy is due in July ($406).  The subject of Harvest insurance came up.  The restaurant requires it; Tim will look into the coverage.

The contract discussion then led to formalizing our communication with Brenda with a Board Liaison.  Bob Giddings was nominated and accepted for the position.  The Liaison’s primary responsibility is to maintain clear communications between the Board and the Farmer and to ensure issues and needs are addressed promptly.

The Board also agreed to establish a committee to evaluate the performance of the CSA, to identify any operational changes that are needed to improve the CSA’s performance for next year.  It was suggested that the Board should include one Board member (Bob Giddings), one CSA member and one outside person.  Anne Giddings was suggested as an outside member who could head the committee.

The board then discussed the issue of establishing FOBK as a 501c.  Greg volunteered to call Wiggins and Dana in regards to a pro-bono filing.

The discussion then continued to a membership list that perhaps Jill has.  There was a suggestion that we should get this list to Susan who is keeping a database for FOBK.

Kim then presented some announcements from Brenda.  There will be a Brownie troop at the farm Saturday planning potatoes and making row markers.  There will be a workday on May 31^st that the Kol Ami members can attend.  Brenda is also scheduling a potluck kick off for the CSA members.

Education programs are to be discussed more fully in future meetings.  Kim is collecting a natural inventory team and is aiming for evenings to perform these surveys.

Paul Hammer then presented his fundraising proposal for our involvement in a Tour de Farms bike tour on September 12^th.  A Bio-diesel Bus would transport riders from New Haven to Middletown.  They would ride from Middletown past our Farm and then to the Rail Trail and ending at Edgerton Park during CT Folk Fest.  FOBK responsibilities would be to try to get pledges, encourage people to ride and get a sponsor.

Hi Friends:

The meeting will be at 7 pm on May 28, at Fellis Jordan’s house (Fellis, you did say that was ok, didn’t you?)

Here are the agenda items I know about.  Let me know if there are others.

Sign hanging and unveiling.  It looks as though the sign will be hung on two cedar posts that were given to Brenda by friends of the farm.  Sinking the posts sounds like a lot of work, so I expect Brenda would like help with that.  She is arranging an event for the kids who painted the sign to come and see it, tentatively June 8.

Lease – we have supplied everything requested.  I’ll check with Milone on status.

Brenda’s contract has been signed. I’ll bring a couple of copies for the treasurer and the records.

Insurance:
A bill should be coming soon for liability insurance -$406
I have forms for exclusion from workers’ comp. for all officers of FOBK to sign.
Status of workers’ comp for Brenda?

Money:
I would like a current report from Carol about money in the bank and at the Community Foundation, and bills we know will need to be paid.  Unless our fundraising letter has resulted in significant contributions, we will run out of money before the end of the season, and we need to figure out how much money we need to raise and by when.

Fundraising plans:
Paul Hammer has been talking with the Tour des Farms, which may or may not raise any money for us.
My idea is that we might make a specific request to all the CSA shareholders that they become members of FOBK, and that we go ahead and send out membership renewals to all the current members, whose memberships would expire in October, and also to all former members.  Since there are currently no tangible benefits to membership (other than voting at the annual meeting), I thought we might want to give members priority in signing up for the CSA next year.

Marianne Lusk:
She has proposed two projects involving Boulder Knoll.  One is an arrangement where a K-12  school in Waterbury (with 89% of the students having reduced price lunches) would buy food from our farm with grant money to supplement the vegetables in school lunch.  I told her this would have to wait until next year (at least) since all the food we are growing this year has been spoken for.  The other is an offer to have 12 teenagers work on the farm for six weeks from the end of June through July.  I have talked to Brenda a little about what jobs she might be able to find for 12 teenagers for six weeks!  We would not be paying the teenagers – their pay would come from a program in Waterbury.  We might be able to arrange a smaller period of time, and share the teenagers with other organizations.

Community Farming Conference – Oct. 31.  Bill Duesing has proposed that we have a tour of Boulder Knoll Farm after the conference.

Natural Resource Inventory.  Step 1 – first insect survey – on June 1.

Meeting with Cheshire Land Trust – put off to this summer, which is coming soon.  When to meet, what to talk about.

Planning ahead – set dates for upcoming meetings and for the annual membership meeting.

Hello to CSA members and Friends of Boulder Knoll Board!

WORK DAY COMING UP A work day will take place on Sunday, May 31 from 1-4 p.m. We will be weeding out the perennial flower garden, painting our fantastic tool shed (which was built by member Ian Meakin with assistance from an able team of members), and maybe organizing the inside of the veggie distribution building, in addition to other tasks. Bring water, sunscreen, hat and work gloves if you have them. 

Farm Tour and Lunch Potluck Let’s get to know each other by having a potluck lunch on Saturday, June 20, 12 noon to 2:30ish. We’ll be offering tours of the gardens and you’ll get a peek at the veggies that will be in your share the next week. We’ll orient you to our CSA distribution procedure and answer any questions you may have. Friends and families are very welcome!  Leashed dogs are fine, just not in the garden. Please send me an email if you plan to come and what you might bring. We won’t assign food catagories – just bring something you’d like to share. We’ll have paper goods and utensils, but you can bring your own to cut down on waste.

First Distribution is Monday, June 22 or Thursday, June 26 Some CSA members have not yet chosen a standard pick-up day (Monday or Thursday). You should expect an email or call asking you to tell us your preference. You have the option of switching days occasionally, but we want you to pick a regular day. If you are open to a Monday pick-up day, that would be helpful to us. We’ll be publishing a list of members with their towns so folks can combine pick-up trips if they want.

Wish List Leaves (bags are fine) – We need leaves badly – put them on the right side of the compost pile.
Wood chips – please call Brenda if you or someone you know can supply some
Kitchen waste for compost pile (no meat please) Platform or spring scale
Large coolers – latch can be broken – rescue them from the side of the road!
5 bags of concrete to go under the sill in the shed and to anchor the posts for our welcome sign  bag of greensand

WORKERS! As you may recall, all Boulder Knoll CSA shares are asked to contribute at least 12 hours of work during the season. There are also 4 work intensive shares who are working 60 hours over the season. Thank you very much to those members who have weeded, worked on the fence, planted, prepared garden beds, hauled compost, and organized the toolshed. Thank you to Annmarie Golioto who has been organizing the workforce for us. Please let Annmarie know if you would like to do some work. Work done early in the season is” advantageous for us, especially on a new piece of ground like we’ve got!

Our Welcome Sign Thank you to 60 hour member Kathryn Frund who spearheaded the creation of a most beautiful welcome sign for our farm. Kathryn, an experienced artist, conceptualized the piece and created the lettering. Joan Pilarczyk designed, and a group of young students at Artsplace in Cheshire painted the gorgeous image. We will invite you to the official unveiling when we have a firm date.
Hope to see you all on June 20th for the potluck lunch and tour!
Your farmer,Brenda Caldwell