Category: Events

Categories
Events

Press Release: Friends of Boulder Knoll Announces Upcoming Farm to Table Dinner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Friends of Boulder Knoll Announces Upcoming Farm to Table Dinner

Friends of Boulder Knoll
PO Box 1329
Cheshire, CT 06410
(203) 651-8620
www.friendsofboulderknoll.com

Dan Groberg
Fundraising Chair
dgroberg@friendsofboulderknoll.com
(802) 488-4303

CHESHIRE, Monday, July 29, 2013 — Friends of Boulder Knoll, Inc., a local educational and advocacy group, announces its upcoming “Farm to Table Dinner.” The evening, a fundraiser for the organization, will feature an elegant multi-course farm dinner experience showcasing a seasonal menu using farm-fresh produce and hosted at the beautiful Boulder Knoll Community Farm in Cheshire. The event will take place on September 18 at 6pm.

The evening will include a dinner created by critically acclaimed chef Jason Sobocinski, host of “The Big Cheese” on television’s The Cooking Channel and owner of Caseus Fromagerie and Bistro as well as Ordinary in New Haven.

The dinner will also feature wine pairings provided by Southend Wine and Spirits of Cheshire and craft-beer pairings provided by Mikro Beer Bar of Hamden. Attendees will also enjoy a silent auction featuring extraordinary items donated by local businesses and live music by On Call, Connecticut’s premier musical duo.

Tickets are $85 prior to August 1 and $100 after August 1 and are available for purchase online at www.friendsofboulderknoll.com/dinner.

All proceeds from the event will benefit Friends of Boulder Knoll’s educational programming and donations of healthy local produce to area soup kitchens.

The event is presented with generous support from Caseus Bistro of New Haven (www.caseusnewhaven.com), Southend Wine and Spirits of Cheshire (www.southendwine.com), the Connecticut Community Foundation (www.conncf.org), Murray’s Chicken (www.murrayschicken.com), and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (www.cfgnh.org).

About Friends of Boulder Knoll

Friends of Boulder Knoll is a non-profit organization based in Cheshire, CT that is dedicated to sustainable agriculture and sustainable communities. We are committed to involving local people of all ages, abilities, and levels of experience in working with, understanding, and enjoying the land and its natural resources. Through our community farm (Boulder Knoll Community Farm in Cheshire), we provide hands-on educational opportunities and grow healthy produce for farm shareholders and neighbors in need.

For more information, contact Dan Groberg, Fundraising Chair at dgroberg@friendsofboulderknoll.com or (802) 488-4303.

## #

Categories
Events

First Education Events of the Year!

Three Sisters Gardens
May 13, from 5:30-6:30pm
Recommended ages: 12 and under

What do you get when you cross Native American lore, mutualistic relationships and farming? A Three Sister’s Garden!

Bring the kids down for an afternoon of storytelling, sowing seed and fun! You get to bring home your very own Three Sister’s Garden to watch and learn how these siblings get along.

Spring Hike
May 23, from 5:30-7:00pm
All are welcome!

What’s coming out of the ground? Can you spot the intruders?

Join us at the farm for a spring Walk-N-Talk and see what native plants are emerging from the ground and, how they need to fight for their rightful place among the dreaded invasive plant species.

Freshwater Fishing
May 31, from 5:30pm-when we catch some fish!
Recommended ages: 7-12

Lets discover the common freshwater fish species in our area!

We’ll learn about anatomy, habits and life cycles of our water loving friends. We will also make a minimalist’s fishing pole and learn some basic fishing techniques and see what we can catch at a local pond minutes away from the farm. We will meet at the farm and drive over to the pond, caravan style, so be prompt! Fish On!

Email us at educator@boulderknollfarm.com to RSVP to any of our upcoming free educational workshops.

Categories
Events

Harvest Celebration and Friends of Boulder Knoll Annual Meeting

Harvest Celebration and Friends of Boulder Knoll Annual Meeting

When: Friday, Oct 5th, 6 pm until 9 pm (or whenever)

What: Bring a dish to share (to feed about 8 people) and a good appetite. Main dishes, side dishes, salads, desserts are welcome. ( fyi: We don’t have any way to heat them up.) Beer and wine too!

We’re also hosting a stuff give-away. If you have a decent item (or 2 or 3!) that you’d like to re-home please bring it to the celebration. Anyone is welcome to bring items or adopt items. No money, no hassle, just a way of finding a good home for something that you don’t need anymore. You just need to take your item back if no one claims it. Put your name on the item somewhere so interested people can talk to you. If you have perennial plant divisions to give away, please bring those too.

Our short and sweet annual meeting includes a short report about the CSA and the education work at the farm, and then the members confirm the selection of new Board members and officers.

Where: Bob Giddings’ barn at the top of the hill overlooking the farm. Park at the farm or in Bob’s yard. Look for the signs.

Categories
Events

Our Casual Evening on the Farm

Thank you for the tremendous evening! Check out the photos below, from Lauren, Deb, Meredith, Jeff, and Cheshire Patch.

Here’s the Patch’s article about our event: http://cheshire.patch.com/articles/farm-dinner-beats-the-heat

And the New Haven Register wrote a great article beforehand: http://nhregister.com/articles/2012/07/08/news/metro/doc4ffa47e24849f059239278.txt

Categories
Events Updates

We’re in the New Haven Register

Thank you to the New Haven Register for your story on our upcoming Casual Evening on the Farm!

Community farm in Cheshire in the market for members, money
Luther Turmelle, New Haven Register, July 9, 2012

CHESHIRE — Now in its fourth growing season, the Boulder Knoll Community Farm is continuing to expand its membership in much the same way it grows its vegetables: organically. Read more ->

Categories
Events

Upcoming Educational Events at the Farm

Upcoming Events at Boulder Knoll Community Farm!

Free events and workshops at a local farm and natural area.
All activities take place outdoors. Please dress appropriately!

2-4pm, Saturday, May 26th
Immersive Nature Walk (All are welcome)

We’ll start with a “Sit Spot” where we’ll begin to learn about and embody a “sense of place”, inviting native wildlife to join us, followed by a stroll around Boulder Knoll Community Farm and learn about the ecosystems on the farm.  Bring your imagination and be prepared to share interpretations, questions, and personal interests regarding our great communal venture.  Free event but please RSVP!

1-3pm, Sunday, May 27th
Organic Vegetable Gardening for Beginners (All are welcome)

Memorial Day Weekend is the usual date when for warm season crop seedlings become available. Come by the farm on Saturday for a workshop on how to get started. You’ll participate in hands-on demonstrations and have a chance to ask your questions! We’ll talk about site preparation, sun and water factors, soil structure and health, and plant selection. Free event but please RSVP!

5:30-7:30pm, Wednesday, May 30th
Edible Wild Plant Walk (All are welcome)

Bill Duesing, (Executive Director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association – CT NOFA) will lead this workshop and share how the Native peoples of America thrived on wild food stocks for hundreds of years. Many of the plants we consider weeds are actually delicious and healthy foods. We’ll walk around the farm and into the forest to explore what kinds of wild foods occur where and how to eat them. Bring an open palate, we will be taste testing! Bill will also share the mission and history of CT NOFA as well as review the Farmer’s Pledge, which Boulder Knoll Community Farm adheres to.  (Rain date 5/31) Free event but please RSVP!

CANCELED 5:30-7:30pm, Wednesday, June 6th
Introduction to Soils (All are welcome)

Building on Organic Gardening for Beginners, join us as we plunge into the earth for a look at soil ecology, decomposition and soil makeup! Using maps that indicate Boulder Knoll’s soil types, we’ll dig soil pits at different locations, compare their composition, and talk about how forests and farmers use different techniques for building soil. Free event but please RSVP!

5:30-7:30pm, Wednesday, June 13th
Introduction to Composting (All are welcome)

Building on Organic Gardening for Beginners and as part of our “Springing into Nature” series, join us as we learn about composting.  Composting is the controlled biological decomposition of organic matter.  Compost creates humus which is then used as a soil conditioner.  In our case, we’ll review the use of yard and kitchen waste to create a beneficial soil additive while at the same time, reducing materials that end up in our municipal waste streams. Free event but please RSVP!

1-3pm, Saturday, June 23rd
Introduction to Permaculture: Ethics & Principles (All are welcome)

Permaculture is a design science based on observations of nature, and is focused on taking challenges and transforming them into intelligent and learning based solutions.  Considering that mankind is nature, rather than something separate, and considering just how far we go, and how hard we work to control nature, Permaculture is a thoughtful process which aims to reintegrate natural thinking and ecological design back into our being using a practical set of ethics and principles. Free event but please RSVP!

Upcoming workshops and educational opportunities: TBA

  • Build a Water Catchment System (Rain barrel/Cistern)
  • Build a Bat Box
  • Worms eat my garbage!  A workshop on Vermicomposting
  • Edible Landscaping
  • Forest Gardening
  • Fermentation
  • Canning and Preservation
  • Growing Mushrooms at Home
  • Permaculture Mapping & Design

RSVP FOR ALL EVENTS TO EDUCATOR@BOULDERKNOLLFARM.COM

Park in open lot next to the farm.  We gather in the white hoop house.
We look forward to seeing you!

Categories
Events

Join us and view Farmageddon

We hope you can join us at what promises to be a terrific event!

Categories
Events

Support Us at Art in the Gardens

Categories
Events Updates

Farm Reunion and Membership Dinner

Farm Reunion Potluck Dinner +
Annual Meeting

Join us for a potluck farm celebration on Sunday, October 2nd from 4 to 7 pm.

Festive food, including cheese from Caseus Fromagerie and Bistro, and a silent auction will be set up in Bob Giddings’ barn, next door to the farm. We’re planning for live music and/or a dance on the second floor. Sound like fun? Put it on your calendar, plan a yummy dish, and bring an empty stomach and any libations you may desire.

We’ll also be officially selecting our new Friends of Boulder Knoll board for next year.

It’s our last fundraiser for the season; we’re suggesting a donation of $20/adult and $5 for kids over 5 yo. All who are part of our farm community in any way are welcome regardless of ability to make a donation.

RSVP

Let us know if you are coming and if you have guests.
Categories
Events

Upcoming Events at Boulder Knoll

You’re invited to attend these upcoming educational workshops and events at Boulder Knoll Community Farm:

Planting Anne’s Garden
Friday June 24th 4-6pm

Join us in honoring the life of Anne Giddings, wife of Friends of Boulder Knoll Board President Bob Giddings, by planting a memorial garden on the farm. We will be planting an array of annuals and perennials and will follow a collaborative design that will greet every future visitor to the farm. Light refreshments, gloves and tools provided.

Exploring Ecosystems on the Farm Part II
Tuesday June 28th 4-6pm

Farm Educator Julia will lead a hike around the Boulder Knoll property, through forests, fields and wetlands. In this guided interpretation, we will examine what has changed in nature since our spring walk and examine unique landscape features, plants, trees, wildlife, and folklore. Please wear long pants and be prepared for uneven ground!

Beyond the Basics: Organic Gardening
Tuesday July 5th 4-6pm

Already begun a garden? Want to take it to the next level? Farmer Brenda will lead this workshop in going beyond the basics of organic gardening. Using examples from the farm and drawing on Brenda’s years of hands-on experience in the field, we’ll cover many aspects of farming. Participants are encouraged to come with questions!

Whats Buggin’ You?
Saturday July 16th 10-12am

The CT Agricultural Experiment Station’s Kim Stoner will lead this morning workshop on insect ecology. Dr. Stoner, an expert in local pollinators and entomology, will help us discover different insects, their relationships to plants and their purpose on the farm.

Friend or Foe? Invasive Plants and You
Saturday July 23rd 9-11am

Join horticulturist and invasive plant expert Rose Hiskes of the CT Agriculture Experiment Station in understanding the plants that are threatening our native ecosystems. Brief lecture followed by a walk around Boulder Knoll farm and forest in search of invasive plants.

Events are free and open to the public. Bring your enthusiasm and dress for the outdoors!