The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

agriculture and flora

Farm store thief busted after being caught on camera — twice

Security camera images of the thief on his November 28 visit to the farm store (click image to enlarge).

A brazen thief who was twice caught on camera stealing food from the Codman Community Farms store — once when farmer Pete Lowy was in the room with him — was caught by police and banned from the store for life.

A security camera first recorded the unidentified man gathering various items and leaving without paying on November 28. The farm store does not have checkout staff and operates on an honor system whereby customers scan and pay for their items using a credit or debit card or put cash in an envelope through a slot. Lowy wrote about the first incident in a December 2 email to CCF members asking them to be on the lookout for the thief, and then breathlessly related the whole story in a December 15 e-newsletter to CCF members, along with some subtle plugs for the merchandise (scroll down for the latest):

It’s been a couple of weeks since we shared the news of the theft in the farm store. Many, many folks emailed us offering both support and a bit of concern about the way we handled this latest intrigue at the farm. It is never fun to share these complicated matters with the public, but we find it’s important to provide this information when the situation merits. In this case, it did, and as confident as I was about the intention of the theft at the time, some in the public were less inclined. Many offered their theories which were kinder and based on the supposition that we are all good people and no doubt this was an innocent mistake. Alas… I have most unfortunate news for those who thought this kind fellow was experiencing a mere lapse of judgment or perhaps some other more serious medical issue. In the end, we were right and this whole ordeal is about honesty and trust and well, it’s just another interesting Codman farm-life story.

And if you are reading this, you are also part of this story. Because you are part of our community. We are grateful to you all for your interest and your continued support and kindness.

Oh yes, and it’s still all about a dude stealing because he can — and our journey toward making things right. Read on for the conclusion of this winding tale… Kick back and enjoy. Cancel that morning meeting. Refill that cup of hot joe. I have a story for you…

OK, so here goes. As we all know, the original theft occurred on November 28th at 8:40 p.m. We have the camera footage and massive amounts of video showing that our friend did not pay for the items he took from the store. He walked confidently out of the store without any attempt to pay. We were unable to locate him or track his car and license plate so we turned to you, Joe Public, to assist us with finding him. We received lots of feedback and a tip of sorts that someone had indeed seen him in the store another time — but this person did not know him so, the lead was a dead end.

Until one day — December 6 at 1:01 p.m., to be exact — I, me, mwah (Farmer Pete) was just returning to the farm from a three-hour trip bringing some pigs into freezer camp. I was a bit tired from the long drive and was walking home to refill my coffee and sit down for a few minutes to relax. But as I was walking through the parking lot towards the house, I noticed a car pulling into the parking lot. I did a double-take and thought to myself, “Hey, that car kinda looks familiar — it looks like the car that guy was driving that fateful night.” The car had the same profile, brake lights, wheel rims, and so on. As I maintained my gaze at the car and watched the driver’s door slowly open, out came our gray-haired friend in his same blue puffy jacket!

I nearly dropped my empty coffee cup. My stomach turned in knots. Wait, what!? This could not be — I just happened to get back to the farm and happened to be walking in the same direction as the guy whom I had been searching for, and he happened to be getting out of his car right as I was walking by? No way. The gods of petty larceny were shining brightly on me that day! Without a hint of hesitation, I approached him as he walked towards the store. “Excuse me,” I said. He looked down at me (I’m not very tall). I said, “I believe you were here last week and didn’t pay for your items.” (It never pays to be a total jerk; I like the kinder approach to accusing someone of being a thief.) He said, “Oh, really? No problem, I’m happy to pay for the items now.” I also said, “We can also call the police if you like.” And he replied, “Oh no, no need for that.” I then did the smartest thing of all — I said, “OK, before we head into the store, I want to take a photo of your license plate.” And I did.

OK, people, now is not the time to think “See, I told you, it was an honest mistake, Pete… he did mean to pay, he just forgot. You are such a mean guy for thinking he was dishonest!”

My reply would be, “Don’t be naïve — what else would someone who intentionally stole say? Come on! Do you think he would blurt out, ‘Oh dang, busted! I did steal that stuff, and I was gonna steal again just now, but I guess I won’t because you caught me.’” No, what he said is exactly what I would expect him to say. He acted slightly surprised but with a bit of contrition. I asked him to follow me into the store so he could pay for the items, and he did.

Once in the store, I quickly gathered my thoughts and went into the farm kitchen to grab the piece of paper where I previously made the list of all the items he stole. I saw Tillie and said, “He’s here! The guy who stole, he’s here!” She was like, “Wait, what, he’s here?!” The drama, I tell you! Dripping with drama!

I gathered my list [of the items stolen in November] which included the boneless breast (pasture-raised), steak (grass-fed), Side Hill yogurt (whole milk), SAP seltzer (made with local maple syrup), bacon (OMG tasty), and a few other items totaling around $80. While I was running around, our friend decided to do a bit more shopping — he grabbed an empty Side Hill farm yogurt box and moseyed around the store grabbing apples (from Apex orchard), random bulk produce (organic), Brewers Crackers (up-cycled from brewers’ grains), and he even went into the inner farm store to grab a half- gallon of very fresh High-Lawn milk — before coming back out to where I was gathering my info. As I got my sh*t together so he could pay for his last non-purchase, he decided to self-check out for the new items he had gathered into his box. Oh wow, he appeared to know how to use the scanner and system. Shocked, I tell you! I saw him scan the items one by one, then eventually press the button to “pay by check or cash using envelope” — which means you actually are paying by cash or check, and then, most importantly, you deposit the money/envelope into the pay box. That is kinda the point, right? You actually then pay for the items? OK, just checking you understand the system.

Next chapter…

After I saw him get a receipt, he went and found an envelope and I even saw him put the receipt (around $19) and a $20 bill in the envelope. I was relieved that he planned to pay for these items. He then followed me into the inner store so I could scan in all the items from last time and then he would use his credit card to pay. He was kind enough and followed me. I then scanned all the items while he stood patiently behind me with his box of items sitting on the butcher block table. Once all the items were scanned in, he then came up and inserted his credit card into the terminal and completed the transaction. Easy peasy! I reminded him that we operate an honor store so he needs to pay for all his items from now on; he agreed and then grabbed his box of goodies and swiftly left. Whew, I thought. I caught the guy, he paid, and I warned him not to do it again. No way he would do that again, right? All is good in the world! Let the sun shine! Case closed. Time for a drink!

Oh, well, um, not so fast…

What happens next is truly the stunner. The cherry on top. The icing on the cake. The pièce de résistance (say this last bit with your best French accent).

I walked away from the whole transaction feeling good, but in the back of my head, I had a little kernel of doubt. I could not quite pinpoint this feeling so I just let it pass. Until, until… just the other day, when I went to collect the envelopes from the previous week. We usually do this once a week or so since most folks pay using credit these days and so we have relatively few envelopes to collect. So I went and collected the envelopes from both payboxes and started to tally up the sales, and I noticed something odd. I could not find the envelope that I knew should be there. The $19 from our friend. For sure I saw him put the receipt and money into the envelope. Where could it be? I checked the boxes again, the pile of envelopes… nope, nothing. Not there. What the…?

So what did I do? I went back to the security cameras, and there, voila. I found it. In the video footage, I found myself running around like a nut case getting my list together, his shopping, me talking to him, him self-checking out and putting the money into the envelope. I knew I wasn’t crazy, I did see him pay and put the money in the envelope. But I still didn’t know where that darn envelope went. But then, I did see what happened. I could not believe what I was seeing. As I was scanning items into the system for him to pay, he was waiting behind me… still holding the envelope. Okay, I thought, that’s curious, why is he still holding the envelope? Why didn’t he already put it in the pay box? And then it hit me. He never intended to pay. And then, boom, there it was…

He coyly looked at the cameras, then down, then at the cameras again, and then, slowly, then quickly and smoothly, the envelope moved from one hand to the other. And then? And then? Is your heart sinking? Are you ready for this? Seriously? What did he do? He quickly folded the envelope in half… and stuffed it into his puffy jacket pocket. Yes! You heard me right! Just as he was about to be asked to pay for the items he stole last time… he stole again right behind my back! OMG. Are you freaking out? I was! I still am. When I saw the footage my heart truly sank. I could not believe it. It was — and it is shocking.

This is where I must tell you, and I don’t take pride in saying this: I told you. I was right. I knew it all along. He stole intentionally. And here he is, he stole again. He’s not honest. It was not a mistake. All is not always good in the world. Some people do bad things. But hey, I’m sure he is otherwise a really nice dude. But to us, in this situation, he did something wrong. That’s the fact, Jack.

After feeling totally despondent and informing some other staff at the farm, who were equally shocked and dismayed, I contacted the Lincoln police. It was time to get the police involved and stop this from ever happening again. And God love our Lincoln police officers —especially my go-to police officer, who knows who he is. Love him! He quickly came to the farm and took care of things. He went to our friend’s house in Weston, and long story short, our gray-haired, blue-puffy-jacketed friend will not be visiting the farm again, ever. We hope. He and his family know he was caught in the act, he has paid up, and he has been warned to not visit the farm again. Case closed! (until next time…)

* Epilogue *

What a story, right? Crazy.

We share all of this because it’s true. It’s the life we live here at Codman Farm. We share what we live, the good the bad, and the ugly. It’s exactly these tales that make life on the farm so interesting, each and every day. We work hard, we care about each other, and we care about you and the community. We value deeply the land we manage, the animals in our care, the soils beneath our feet that feed us. And we care about your interactions with us. We trust you, and we hope you trust us. For we are a community farm after all and we need to rely on each other so we can achieve our greatest goals together — eating well, living a healthy life, and sharing good times and bad. We understand sometimes people do dumb things. Folks make mistakes. We get that. We forgive and forget. But honesty is truly the best policy. We hope you agree.

We remain grateful to you, to each other, to our community. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday! Onwards!

Click here to watch the video of the second theft. The sequence where he pockets his cash envelope without paying starts at the 1:40 mark. 

Police Chief Kevin Kennedy said on December 15 that when confronted by police, the man paid for all of the stolen items and was not arrested. “He ended up making full restitution and I believe the farmer did not want to pursue it. They were made whole,” he said. If the thief is seen again at the store despite the ban, “we could probably charge him with trespassing,” he added.

The thief (a Weston resident who drives an Acura, according to Lowy) appeared to be unfazed by being caught red-handed. “I told him we had cameras. And he saw me take a photo of his license plate and I told him I was doing so — right in front of him,” Lowy told the Lincoln Squirrel on December 15. “I can’t say why he didn’t pay the second time — probably thought he was smarter than me, I guess. I don’t know why people do this other than they think they can get away with it.  Obviously not a very honest guy.”

Educational pavilion planned for Codman Community Farms

An architect’s drawing of the side view of the pavilion.

Codman Community Farms plans to build an open-air educational pavilion as a precursor to a future project to install a fire suppression system in the main barn.

The three-season pavilion will serve as an educational space for workshops, classes, demonstrations, and small gatherings. The farm, which recently created a new staff position to grow its educational and community outreach, has hosted dozens of schools and corporate groups, and volunteers. Some of those events have included demonstrations to teach farming techniques to Boston-based nonprofit farming organizations and others.

“Teaching agriculture may start with a class discussion or a demonstration before heading to the fields. Thus, agriculture work takes place in the fields and in the classroom,” the farm board wrote in a narrative describing the project.

A map showing the location of the educational pavilion (click image to enlarge).

The one-story, 20-by-40-foot educational pavilion will go on the site of the maple sugar shack, which will be relocated to another location on the farm. It won’t house animals or equipment but it will have a commercial-grade pizza oven for events using Codman ingredients. “It could be used after a canning class when participants could pick their own tomatoes, peppers and onions, and create a pizza of their own making,” according to the narrative. A deck on the north side will offer views of grazing livestock as well as additional gathering space.

“I think it’s a great addition and supports a very important function of Codman,” Planning Board member Ephraim Flint said when the board approved the project on October 24. The plan has also gotten the OK from the Conservation Commission, Historical Commission, and Select Board and just needs a building permit to start construction. CCF is funding the project in full.

Over the years, CCF has hosted gatherings in the main barn, but this can’t continue — the town building inspector and fire chief have told them they can’t have any more activities in that space without a fire suppression system, CCF farmer Pete Lowy told the Select Board on October 30. The farm has a preliminary design for the system, which involves building a small heated room in addition to sprinkler plumbing and could cost anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000, he said.

CCF will ask voters at Town Meeting in March to help pay for the fire suppression system, though who will pay how much is yet to be determined; Select Board members noted that Community Preservation Act funds helped pay for the farm’s recent driveway project at the farm, but the sprinkler system is a code-mandated improvement in a public building, so there’s an argument for the town contributing a portion of the cost.

My Turn: Codman Community Farms celebrates 50th anniversary

By the CCF 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign Committee

On the 50th anniversary of the founding of Codman Community Farms (CCF), we have much to celebrate. Created as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1973, the farm has evolved over time, but our mission has always been to operate a working farm that preserves Lincoln’s rural character, highlights the importance of local farming, features heritage breeds and locally sourced food, and invites community involvement through educational opportunities and access to this unique historic property. 

The original Codman family farm was established in the early 19th century on the former estate of Chambers Russell, one of Lincoln’s founders. The original farm had been in continuous operation for over 150 years, with respectable dairy, vegetable, and fruit operations. It was one of only a handful of working farms in Lincoln remaining after the Second World War.

When Dorothy Codman died in 1967, her will provided for the transfer of the barns and the surrounding acreage to the Ogden Codman Trust. In 1970, the town purchased the property and in 1973 voted at Town Meeting to create a nonprofit, Codman Community Farms, Inc., to run its operation. Since then, the town has owned the land, the barns, and the adjoining farmhouse comprising the 17-acre farm in the heart of Lincoln upon which CCF operates. 

Over the past five decades years, the farm has been a vital part of our community. For 50 years, we have engaged children in our agricultural mission as they watch piglets come into the world, collect fresh eggs from the chickens, feed a goat, or marvel at our beautiful Red Devon cattle munching on sweet grass. For 50 years, we have gathered together in the fall to celebrate the harvest with a Harvest Feast and Fair – young and old alike. Yet we continue to grow and welcome new events and new traditions as well. 

None of us can take the farm for granted. Since 1973, the farm has seen many tough years, with significant financial uncertainty due to an outdated farming model, aging equipment, and deteriorating infrastructure. In 2016, after a particularly tough stretch of ten years, the farm hired Pete Lowy as our farm manager, and the improvements since then have been nothing short of amazing. Pete came to us with a clear vision of what was possible and the energy and drive to accomplish those goals. The farm has made great strides under Pete’s leadership along with the support of an active board of directors, a stellar staff, and a talented and dedicated group of volunteers.

To celebrate this special anniversary, we have launched the 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign: Growing Community to raise $1,000,000 to seed and secure the future of Codman Community Farms. The goals of the campaign are to build educational programming and our community engagement, to expand gathering and educational spaces, to protect our historic structures, and to enhance building and grounds safety for all. 

As such, we have just completed the new Codman Community Courtyard in front of the main barn to create a safe, non-vehicular gathering space for all to enjoy. Next, we plan to expand our educational gathering spaces by building an educational pavilion behind the main barn, which will be the hub for most of the farm’s educational classes and workshops.

A wheelchair-accessible door will soon replace the narrow side entry to the main barn, and we are working with the town to install a fire suppression system in two historic barns. Once the sprinkler system is in place, we hope to move the farm store to the back of the barn so that we can once again hold community events in our beloved main barn. 

As a small community farm trying to accomplish many tasks at the same time, it is incredibly valuable for us to have partners that are willing to join us in investing in local agriculture, soil health, community, and education – the pillars of Codman Community Farms. 

Please consider a donation to our 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign – Growing Community, and join the many friends of the farm that have already contributed as we inch our way closer to our goal. Here is a link for more information and a way to contribute. 

Members of the 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign Committee are Carol Carmody, Nancy Fleming, Pete Lowy, John LeClaire, Jeff Patterson, Ginger Reiner, and Nick Whitman.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Field Notes: Support local farms this summer with a CSA

By Rachel Neurath

Field Notes is an occasional feature highlighting climate and environment work in town and spotlighting Lincoln residents and staff. Rachel Neurath is a soil microbial ecologist, co-leader of Lincoln Common Ground, and a member of Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan Working Group. 

There’s nothing quite like a fresh tomato, bursting in an explosion of flavor, or the sweet crispness of a sugar snap pea, just picked off the vine. Lincoln has an incredible abundance and diversity of small farms. This summer, consider supporting one with a CSA share. Buying local food is good for our community, good for the planet, and delicious!

CSAs are community-supported agriculture shares. Each farm operates a little differently, but with all of them, you sign up in advance for regular shares of seasonal produce. This helps farmers plan ahead. Picking up produce lets you get to know where your food comes from and is a great way to interact with our incredible local farmers. Not only are the farms in Lincoln taking impressive steps to operate sustainably, but many Lincoln farmers are working toward food justice.

Below is information on how to sign up for CSAs. Lincoln also has the Codman Community Farm store which offers local produce for sale 24 hours a day.

Hannan Healthy Foods

Hannan Healthy Foods is a family farm centered on the core value that healthy food is not a privilege, but a right. Originally from Bangladesh, Mohammed Hannan and his team grow wide varieties of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, including many unique and delicious varieties from Southeast Asia. Mohammed looks forward to sharing a diversity of certified organic, sustainable, and affordable produce with the Lincoln community. This summer, Hannan Healthy Foods is offering a variety of CSA shares and is also piloting an innovative project to improve soil health with a focus on compost, which should help draw carbon out of the atmosphere and store it in the soil while at the same time increasing ecosystem biodiversity and resilience.

Drumlin Farm

The CSA at Drumlin Farm is offering ten half or full shares. For an additional cost, you can have pick-your-own and fruit share add-ons. SNAP (the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) users can buy shares. People can also work in exchange for CSA work shares. Drumlin Farm continues to expand its sustainable agricultural activities.

The Food Project

The Food Project is not offering summer CSA shares this year, but they are planning a 2023 fall harvest CSA. The Food Project is deeply rooted in youth development and food access work. Supporting their farm helps to advance their work towards equity in our local food system. Farm manager Rob Page says, “What I love about farming in Lincoln is the community interactions I get to have with residents and other farmers — there’s a gratitude and humility for farming held by the people who live and work here, which is really special.”

Lindentree Farm

Lindentree Farm was one of the first farms in eastern Massachusetts to offer CSA shares. Ari Kurtz and Moira Donnell have been pioneers in organic agriculture and many crew members at Lindentree have gone on to start their own farms all over New England. After 29 years, Lindentree Farm discontinued their CSA program in 2021. They still offer periodic “popup” shares throughout the spring, summer, and fall. If you are interested in being on the mailing list, please email lindentreecsa@gmail.com.

Codman Farm Store

The Codman Community Farms store is open every day and they exclusively carry local food products.  Their market garden is expanding with a wide variety of popular veggies like greens and tomatoes. They also carry a wide variety of local protein raised sustainably and ethically on Lincoln land, including eggs, pork, beef, chicken, and turkey.

My Turn: Vigilance urged after theft at Codman farm

By Pete Lowy

(Editor’s note: This account was included in the latest Codman Community Farms member newsletter from farmer Pete Lowy. On Friday, March 31, Lincoln police said they are still investigating the incident and have some leads, and may have something to report by the end of next week.)

As many know, our awesome Farm Store is open 24/7 and is fully stocked with a highly curated selection of the best local foods that can be found in the region. Our dedication to remaining open at all times AND operating on the self-serve/honor system has been one of our pride and joys and certainly something that makes us very unique.

Unfortunately, this aspect of our store can be taken advantage of. We are very sad to report we had quite a large theft late one evening this past week. A large amount of chicken and other high-value items were stolen from our store. This is always deeply saddening to witness and makes all our hearts sink. We work so very hard to grow the best quality products we can and to then see folks take advantage of our honor store is very depressing.

The good news is that our robust video surveillance system which records all activity 24 hours a day captured the entire theft including the license plate of the suspects. The Lincoln Police Department has been notified and they are in the process of hopefully recouping the value of our loss. We are always grateful for the support of the Lincoln Police Department whenever these situations arise. In the future, if folks are shopping in the store at odd hours and see something suspicious or just “off” — say something, call the police if it’s after hours, or let our staff know as soon as possible.

We hope in the future we won’t have to up our game and solicit the help of AI Farm-Chick-Bots to begin patrolling the grounds, as seen in the photo below. We are beginning to work on prototypes with Lincoln Labs just in case…

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Grants available for Lincoln growers to supply the SVdP food pantry

The Agricultural Commission is offering funding to Lincoln growers who can supply fresh produce for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston (SVdP) food pantry.

The commission is offering a limited number of grants ranging from several hundred dollars to over $1,000 to qualified Lincoln growers. Grant recipients in the Farm to Food Pantry Program must deliver (or have their products ready for pickup) to the Lincoln food pantry early on at least one day on Wednesday morning, or the Tuesday preceding for nonperishable items.  

Applications are due by Monday, June 27. If you would like to participate, contact Ari Kurtz at arikurtz60@gmail.com. Specify the type of crops you wish to grow, quantities, and expected delivery dates.

The food pantry also recently received $3,000 as part of the Sudbury Foundation’s 2022 round of grants to 31 area nonprofits totaling $374,595. Another grant recipient: the Lincoln-based Food Project, which received $15,000 to redesign its website.

Summer is particularly challenging for food-insecure families with children at home. The food pantry especially welcome donations of Cheerios or Honey Nut Cheerios (which are versatile since they’re gluten-free) and salad dressings of all kinds, including oil and vinegar, since they can source the necessary produce. Other items that are always in demand: canned solid white tuna in water, Chocolate Ensure, and pasta sauce.

The food pantry serves neighbors who live, work, or attend school in Lincoln or Weston and are in need of food or emergency assistance, regardless of their religious affiliation or background. It’s located behind St. Joseph Church at 142 Lincoln Rd. in Lincoln.

Codman Farm plans to improve driveway, install forecourt

If all goes well, the muddy and cramped driveway at Codman Community Farms (CCF) will be resurfaced and expanded to allow easier access to the farm store, and there will be a new public gathering area in front.

Plans for driveway improvements and a new forecourt (in red) at Codman Community Farms. Areas shaded in yellow are not part of the upcoming project but are part of the farm’s five-year plan (click image to enlarge).

Voters approved spending $210,000 in June 2020 to fix problems due to driveway erosion, poor drainage and lack of sufficient parking, but those plans were stalled by the pandemic. The farm is now requesting an additional $119,950 to create a car-free forecourt in front of the main barn and add an ADA-compliant entrance at the side of the attached barn to the north. The CCF is putting up another $50,000 for both projects from its own budget.

CCF already had approval for the driveway project from the Historic District Commission, but they will need to go before the HDC again to get approval for the ADA-compliant entry and other above-grade work that may include small stone walls around some trees, gates, and other small items, said Nancy Fleming, president of the CCF board of directors. The Select Board and Capital Planning Committee have expressed overall support for the project.

The forecourt that the farm plans to install in front of the main barn in an area now used mostly for parking.

Fleming and others from CCF appeared before the Select Board in February to report on the last couple of years and outline the driveway project as part of their presentation of the five-year plan for the town-owned farm. Like everything else, public activities at the farm were shut down during most of 2020 due to the pandemic — but the self-service farm store tripled its income as people sought to avoided crowded supermarkets, and it now provides the majority of funding for farm operations.

In 2021, the farm brought back some public events (modified for Covid-19 safety) and launched a market garden to grow and sell produce and flowers. Coming soon: a recently completed commercial kitchen, and new sales terminals in the farm store that are more user-friendly and will allow customers to pay using SNAP food assistance funds.

The farm now has a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee and four full-time employees: Farm Manager Pete Lowy, Assistant Farm Manager Jared Martin, plus a farm store manager and market garden manager in addition to a part-time HR and office manager, education and outreach coordinator, and seasonal staff. 

Looking ahead over the next five years, CCF hopes to move the farm store to the rear of the main barn to free up the front area for community events and workshops. They’re also thinking about building an educational pavilion with an integrated outdoor cooking area with a wood-fired pizza oven for food-related events and educational classes, constructing a crosswalk from the bike path on the other side of Codman Road, and installing a fire suppression system in two of the barns. The vegetable garden may also expand, pending approval from the Conservation Commission.

Before Low was hired six years ago, “we had some quite difficult years at the farm” in which the board had to borrow from its endowment to cover operating costs, Treasurer Carol Carmondy said at the Selects meeting. “That has all turned around,” mainly due to store income, grants, and Lowy being “very smart about running an efficient farm,” she added. The pandemic “generated a lot of demand that seems to be lasting for local and sustainably grown food.”

The farm is not looking to scale up its livestock operation but will focus its energy on improving the land through reseeding and other measures as well as expanding its educational outreach and volunteer activity. “We want to do a better and better job of maintaining the pastures and fields around town, have more events, more ways to engage the community, and more ways to teach people about where our food comes from,” Lowy said.

Flints and Hannan spread Lincoln’s farming bounty at dinner

Two farming concerns in Lincoln — one centuries old and one very new — recently collaborated on a farm-to-table event to raise awareness of local agriculture and the Flint Homestead Project.

About 65 guests were treated to food made from Hannan Agro Farms produce prepared by Lincolnite Brianno Doo and helpers (both Doo and Mohammed Hannan donated their time and effort). Codman Community Farms also helped by loaning a grill and chairs.

Tom Flint and Mohammed Hannan (left) address the guests at the Flint homestead dinner. (Photo by Ose Schwab)

Sponsors arrived early for private tastings, a half-hour tour of the Flint fields, and gift bags hand-sewn by Tom’s wife. After dinner, everyone enjoyed music and learned about Hannan’s journey from Bangladesh to Lincoln in a short film produced by Tom Flint, a filmmaker and the latest in a line of Flint owners dating back to the 1600s.

“The event went swimmingly, and it was a real tribute to Lincoln’s agricultural heritage,” Flint said.

Guests also learned about the Flint Homestead Project, which aims to preserve the 1709 Flint farmhouse and barn dating from the 1750s on the north side of Lexington Road (Matlock Farm, also owned by the Flint family, is on the south side of the road). On the day of  the dinner, organizers turned the barn into a pop-up museum displaying historic artifacts from the family and items borrowed from the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust.

The Flint family did some repair work on the buildings that was deemed critical by a 2014 conditions assessment, though the trust fund devoted to maintaining the property is almost exhausted and much more work remains. They’re also exploring other options including donating the homestead to a nonprofit or turning it into a museum, but the maintenance costs have been an obstacle, Flint said.

The family has connected with a preservation consultant to help Tom and his sisters Sarah and Susanna (all three inherited the homestead in 2013) to help formulate financial and repair strategies. She previously arranged a charrette with about a dozen people specializing in history preservation, fundraising, archeology and museum curation. The Flints had hoped to have an open house two years ago but weren’t able to, so “Saturday was the first opportunity to showcase the project and speak to a larger group of people,” Flint said.

Police log for Sept. 8–19, 2021

September 8

Scott Circle, Hanscom AFB (4:04 p.m.) — Caller reported a fake Instagram account was set up in her name. An officer spoke to the party, who reported the account was deleted.

North Commons (6:41 p.m.) — Caller reported their neighbor was stomping around the apartment making noises. They do not want a police response, just a log entry. Similar reports at 9:47 p.m., September 9 at 5:55 a.m., and September 12 at 8:42 a.m. and 9:08 p.m.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (10:28 p.m.) — State Police called reporting a crash with injuries on Route 2. Police units assisted the State Police; Fire Department transported one party to Emerson Hospital.

September 9

Boyce Farm Road (2:21 p.m. and 5:29 p.m.) — Officer attempted to make contact with the resident to serve court paperwork.

Concord Road (2:59 p.m.) — Caller reported several pigs walking in the roadway near Old Concord Road. Officer checked the area; none found. (Editor’s note: Farmer Pete Lowy of Codman Community Farms included this report in his weekly email to CCF members).

Assistant Farmer Spencer Coady Bronk (left) and Pete Lowy herding the escaped pigs.

Last week we had a bit of excitement when a customer came flying into the parking lot in her car to let us know that the pigs were out and running down the bike path on Route 126. Sometimes when we shift the pig fencing to new areas without getting pre-authorization from the pigs, we find ourselves in a bit of trouble. The pigs can be very routine in their ways, and can become used to a certain area of a field… and when we shift the fencing, they don’t quite realize it. Often by accident, they run right through a new fence line we have created because they were either daydreaming or viewing their Instagram feed while walking and thus didn’t see the new fence.

A fugitive pig enjoys one of Lincoln’s trails.

When the pigs went on their walkabout last week, Spencer [Spencer Coady Bronk, Assistant Farmer] had just shifted the fence an hour or so before. When they “escape” and find themselves newly liberated they just go wandering. So, the farmers need to then find them and help coax them back to home base. So after I got word that the pigs were out, I called Jared and Spencer and then raced to the scene to find four pigs enjoying a lovely stroll down the bike path on Route 126 right near Old Concord Road. With wetlands on one side of the path and cars driving down 126 on the other side, it was easy to get them to turn to make an about-face. But then they made a louie and turned left onto the hiking path adjacent to the wetlands. This is when I pulled out my phone and snapped a few photos of the chase down the walking paths. It was equally frustrating and amusing. The reality that the pigs could have explored the 80 miles of paths in Lincoln was ever-present in my mind as I was trying to coax them back to their home field.

Luckily, pigs do not excel at running for long periods of time. When being chased they quickly start panting and get tired and are ready for a snack and nap! So with some running to and fro for a while, we were able to get them where they needed to go. Holding long fiberglass rods to extend our waving arms helped a great deal to coax them along. Thanks to all who called the farm to let us know they were on the loose! Hopefully, it’s the first and last escape of the season.

September 10

Tower Road (9:00 a.m.) — A family member called looking for assistance in locating a missing resident who was out of the country. An officer assisted the family member with notifications to appropriate Department of State contacts.

Codman House (3:44 p.m.) — Caller reported someone in a red pickup truck dumped debris on the property. Officers made contact with the resident who was responsible, who returned and picked up the items.

September 11

Tower Road (3:34 p.m.) — Caller asked an officer to check the area as they believed an ex-boyfriend was in the area. Officers checked the area but the party was not seen.

September 12

Lexington Road (12:45 p.m.) — Caller was concerned that she couldn’t get in touch with her teenager who was at a car show on the Waltham town line. Officers checked the area and passed the information to Waltham police. Waltham police located the teen, who called home.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (4:30 p.m.) — Caller reported that a party was dropped off on the side of Route 2 by a family member who was having a medical event inside the car and continued driving. State Police were notified. An officer met the caller on Route 2 and transported him back to the station to be picked up by a family member. State Police located the driver on Route 95 South and assisted them.

Tower Road (9:22 p.m.) — An Eversource employee working at the pump house reported a male party came walking out of the area of the pump house and seemed out of place. Officer checked the area but were unable to locate. Water Department notified.

Concord Road (9:39 p.m.) — A family member called to check on a resident who they hadn’t been able to contact. The resident was fine and said they would make contact with the caller.

September 13

Sandy Pond Road (1:02 p.m.) — Caller reported that landscaping truck was taking up a lane of travel. Officer responded; the company was done working and was leaving.

Mary’s Way (9:04 p.m.) — A family member was unable to make contact with a resident and requested a well-being check. Officers went to the residence but the party and their vehicle were not there. The officer followed up with the caller and checked the residence again at 12:40 a.m. but the resident was still not home.

September 14

Nothing of note.

September 15

Weston Road (7:48 a.m.) — Caller was looking to speak with Animal Control about a skunk on the property. Animal Control officer notified to handle.

Mackintosh Lane (8:19 a.m.) — Caller reported that a vehicle had been parked on the road daily for the past week and they were concerned about emergency vehicles getting by. Police checked but the vehicle was no longer there.

Tower Road (9:21 a.m.) — Caller wanted to speak to an officer about a possible scam involving gift cards. Officer spoke to the party and took a report.

Mary’s Way (9:58 a.m.) — Management company asked an officer to do a walk-through of an apartment because the resident hadn’t been seen for a few days. Officer walked through the apartment but no one was home.

Mary’s Way (12:36 p.m.) — A walk-in to the station reported being involved in a crash with a trash truck on Mary’s Way. Officer followed up with the truck driver and took a report.

Indian Camp Lane (8:38 p.m.) — A walk-in to the station said their car broke down and was towed to Doherty’s garage, and they requested a ride to their residence. An officer brought them to their residence.

September 16

Tower Road (9:25 p.m.) — Caller requested information regarding a civil matter. An officer spoke to the party and advised them of the civil process.

Old Winter Street (10:32 p.m.) — Sudbury police called looking for Lincoln police to check a residence for a missing party. Officers spoke to the homeowner but the missing party was not there.

September 17

Ballfield Road (3:22 p.m.) — A Lincoln School staff member called to report a child was missing from a school program. An officer went to the residence and the child was safely home; there had been a miscommunication.

Langley Road, Hanscom AFB (4:01 p.m.) — Hanscom Office of Special Investigations was looking for assistance on an investigation. Assistance provided.

Tower Road (4:48 p.m.) — Officers spoke to the resident regarding an ongoing civil matter.

Heritage Road, Hanscom AFB (11:22 p.m.) — Hanscom Security Forces requested assistance with an assault and battery that occurred on the base. Officers responded to assist; Hanscom Security Forces will be handling the investigation.

September 18

Tower Road (1:47 a.m.) — Caller reported that he lost some items sometime in the beginning of August. He believes someone on the property is responsible.

Drumlin Farm (7:44 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing loud bangs in the area. Officers checked; it was coming from Bedford’s fireworks display.

Lincoln Road (9:53 p.m.) — Caller wanted to speak to an officer regarding an encounter she had with a former resident. An officer spoke with the party and took a report

September 19

South Great Road (7:55 a.m.) — Caller reported a turtle in the roadway. Officer located it and moved it to the side of the road.

Wells Road (10:45 a.m.) — Caller reported being locked out of their apartment. The Fire Department responded to assist.

Lexington Road (4:28 p.m.) — Caller reported a party walking along Route 2 near Lexington Road north. State Police were contacted and officers checked the area but were unable to locate the party.

Wells Road (10:40 p.m.) — Two callers reported hearing a loud bang from inside the building. Officers and Fire Department responded; the source was a boiler. Management was contacted to handle.

Lincoln’s newest farmer hopes for organic growth

Mohammed Hannan and his wife Kaniz at their farm stand.

Mohammed Hannan grew up on a family farm, but it was thousands of miles away and very different from where he now works the land in Lincoln.

A lot has changed for Hannan, 46, since his days as a boy in rural Bangladesh and as a college student earning a degree in wildlife and conservation biology from the University of Chittagong. He came to America in 2008 on a fellowship from Duke University and now works full-time as a research scientist at Harvard Medical School. But it was food that drove him back toward agriculture.

“Right after coming here, I honestly didn’t have enough money, so I was buying food from Market Basket, Haymarket, and so forth. I quickly realized I needed access to good food but I didn’t have the money for Whole Foods,” he said. He thought of growing food himself but wasn’t sure how to make that happen while working full-time, but he volunteered on a farm on weekends one summer, “and after that I realized it was a lot of fun as well as hard work.”

Hannan learned the ins and outs of New England farming with the help of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. He graduated in 2020 from the program, whose mission is to improve local and regional food systems by training the next generation of farmers to produce food that is sustainable and nutritious, and making this food accessible to everyone. While he was learning to farm in Beverly, he won fifth place in an agricultural contest in the “heaviest tomato” category with a Yellow Brandywine weighing in at just over two pounds.

Now Hannan commutes from his home in Cambridge to manage his crops in Lincoln, where he’s been growing vegetables on the Ricci conservation land off Route 2A since 2018. On Saturdays, he and his wife Kaniz also run a farm stand on Route 117 (the Umbrello hay field, site of the former Blue Heron Farm). During his journey, he’s benefited from an ongoing Lincoln connection — New Entry director Jennifer Hashley also helps run Codman Community Farms with her husband Pete Lowy and continues to advise him.

Hannan Agro Farms has also gotten help through a CSA work-share program and WWOOFers—visitors from the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms program who help out in exchange for produce and learning about organic agriculture. 

During its successful first year, the farm has grown array of traditional veggies and some not-so-familiar produce. These include luffa gourds, which Hannan used to eat in curries back in Bangladesh (the plant can also be dried and used as a sponge). In the future he hopes to include more East Asian gourds and melons, amaranth, and perhaps basil from Ghana. “I’m trying to incorporate quite a bit of stuff from back home and a few other countries,” he said.

Hannan leases both plots of land from the town, which has been very helpful in helping him get started and providing a potable water source on the Umbrello plot, where he brings each week’s load of produce, washes and refrigerates it before arraying it on the tables for sale. He also sells through New Entry’s Food Hub.

Next year, Hannan hopes to use some of the Umbrello land for gourd tunnels — open-ended structures in which the plants grow vertically and the emerging gourds hang upside-down. Salad greens and early-season microgreens are also on his wish list.

“At this point I’m expanding the operation very slowly, taking the time to do this experiment and see where I can take it — see if I can make a living at it,” he said. “To me, I think it’s really, really important that we know our farms and where our food is coming from. During this pandemic, we learned a hard lesson about how the food supply chain can be broken easily. Convenience always comes with a cost. We have our PCP, and we should also have a food care provider — the local farmer.”

Juggling a farm, a full-time job, and a family is rewarding if not always easy. “I believe that whatever you do, if you make a living from what you really like and you have the power of helping other people, it’s really refreshing,” Hannan said.

The Hannan Agro Farms farmstand in the Umbrello hay field opposite 275 South Great Rd. is open on Saturdays from 11 a.m –6 p.m. until late October.