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

agriculture and flora

Winter at the farm (Lincoln Through the Lens)

The white barns of Codman Community Farms match their snowy surroundings earlier this winter. See this CCF blog post for a description of what goes on during the quieter winter months.

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

Farmers protest sudden end to lower water rates

By Alice Waugh

The Water Department recently stopped allowing rate caps for agricultural users of town water, but after farmers were taken by surprise and objected, officials decided this week to study the matter further.

The issue of water rates is a sore subject for the town. To help pay for an array of capital projects and new equipment, residents voted to approve bonding totaling about $2 million at Town Meetings in March and November 2019, and the department has been in a financial and staffing crisis for some time.

Because of the expenditures, water bills went up by 25% last year, and another significant increase is expected when next year’s rates are set. The Water Commission plans to propose the new rates on January 21 and hold a public hearing on February 4.

Everyone who uses town-supplied water must pay according to how much water they use each quarter. There are three usage tiers: 0–20,000 gallons, 20,001–40,000 gallons, and 40,001 gallons or more. As an incentive to conserve water, the fee climbs steeply from one tier to the next: $5.08 per 1,000 gallons for users in tier 1, rising to $10.71 for tier 2 and $25.03 for tier 3. Local farms can use more than 100,000 gallons per quarter in the growing season.

In keeping with Lincoln’s agricultural character, former Water Department Superintendent Greg Woods (who left about two years ago) capped the rate at Tier 1 for some farming operations in Lincoln. The policy was on an informal case-by case basis; Lincoln does not have a written policy regarding rates for agricultural water use.

Water Department Superintendent MaryBeth Wiser drafted a proposal with suggested criteria for an agricultural rate last year, but in June 2019, the commission voted not to adopt it and to discontinue the water rate caps for farms. Water customers were notified in their July bills that farms would no longer receive special treatment and would be charged according to water usage the same as everyone else starting October 1, 2019. Since farms use a lot of water, the change could mean added costs amounting to tens of thousands of dollars a year. The only alternative is to pay for digging a private well, which can cost upwards of $20,000.

Although the notice went out in July, some farmers didn’t realize a change had been made until they got their water bills in November, as there was no outreach or publicity from the Water Department aside from the notice in the summer bill.

“Agricultural water rates are important to the viability of farms in Lincoln,” Agricultural Commission co-chair Ari Kurtz said at the Water Commission’s January 7 meeting. “Farmers use town water to wash vegetables, maintain community gardens, and water crops when wells are not available or treated water is required. Building wells is a significant expense that many small farmers cannot absorb and would discourage small startup agricultural operations… If water conservation or the need for increased revenue for the Water Department were significant drivers of the decision to rescind agricultural water rates, we would like to have the chance to examine alternatives that are less damaging to the farming community.”

Kurtz was reading from a letter that he and Agricultural Committee co-chair Louise Bergeron wrote to the commission.

“These will be crippling rates for many people,” said Steven Kanner, who owns Kanner Family Orchard on Bypass Road, which supplies fresh fruit to customers including the Lincoln schools and Codman Community Farms (CCF).

“For us, the situation is critical,” said Pete Lowy, manager of CCF. “We would have to double or triple rates for garden plots.” CCF leases more than 100 community gardening plots to residents.

The Water Commission approved an interim agricultural rate structure in 2017, though it’s unclear who now qualifies for that rate. After extending an exemption for Brian Turnbaugh of 153 Lexington Rd., the commission approved an interim fee structure whereby Tier 2 would encompass 20,001–100,000 gallons per quarter. This was proposed as an “interim measure” by commission member Packy Lawler, who advocated a rate structure for agricultural use that encourages water conservation, according to meeting minutes.

“We’ve had agricultural water rates on our agenda or list of things to do for about five years,” commission member Ruth Ann Hendrickson said at this week’s meeting.

Wiser’s June agricultural proposal wasn’t useful for Lincoln, Hendrickson said. “It was sort of a generic proposal that MaryBeth had picked up from various sources on the Internet. It was really more appropriate to a place like the Midwest,” with its massive amounts of livestock and farming acres. “It was more complicated than we needed.”

As the commission was discussing the issue this week, it was apparent that they did not have current data on the number of farms in town, how a farm is defined, how much water they use, and which have separate water meters for agricultural uses such as watering animals and irrigating crops as opposed to regular indoor use. This stems in part from difficulties some officials have had in using Munis, the town’s financial data system.

 “What we really need is some data,” Hendrickson said. “How much water are we talking about? It’s a balancing act between supporting the town in its desire to have farms vs. asking to what extent do our customers want to subsidize the farmers. That’s the question we’re going to have to wrestle with… Every year we already overdraw our [state DEP] permit. We’re between a rock and a hard place.”

The commission decided to appoint a subcommittee to study the issue of agricultural water rates, chaired by member Michelle Barnes and including Agricultural Commission members. But they’re under a tight deadline, with the public hearing on new rates set for February 4.

Arnold Arboretum begins project to reproduce Lincoln’s catalpa tree

By Cathy Moritz

Sean Halloran, head of woody plant propagation for Arnold Arboretum, takes a cutting of Lincoln’s catalpa tree.

Sean Halloran, head of woody plant propagation at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, has generously agreed to attempt to reproduce a twisting offspring of the town’s beloved Northern Catalpa tree in front of the Lincoln Public Library. Halloran’s work is at the joint request of the Lincoln Garden Club and the Friends of the Lincoln Library.

The catalpa has graced the grounds of the Lincoln Library and sparked conversations in Lincoln since the early 20th century, but it’s well beyond the typical catalpa lifespan of 60 years and won’t live forever. The hope is to grow a genetically identical twisting “daughter tree” to plant nearby on the library grounds so future generations can enjoy the same beautiful tree we have. 

Arboretum staff are using several reproduction techniques. On July 22, Halloran and an intern took many cuttings of new growth up in the upper branches, and 115 of them are now planted in an Arboretum greenhouse under the best conditions. This fall, they will gather seeds from the tree before they fall to the ground where they can pick up disease.

Halloran has not located another catalpa in the immediate area. He believes that the tree is self-pollinating, so that its seeds are probably genetically identical to the parent tree. Next winter, one or more small limbs will be taken and grafted onto catalpa stumps, employing the same technique used to grow apple cultivars. Root cuttings, which can be dangerous to the tree, are under consideration but will not be used without further discussion and permission from the library trustees.

This project will take several years, and it may not be immediately apparent that any of the tree’s offspring will have the twisting characteristic. Halloran explained that tree genetics are even more complicated than human genetics and their expression is affected by the environment just as human genes are, so that there is no guarantee that any offspring will twist. But he assures us that the Arboretum staff will take whatever time is needed to complete the project. They are using it as a learning experience for their interns. Meanwhile, they’re also advising us on how to preserve the existing tree.

Coordinating the effort is the Lincoln Garden Club, with assistance from the Friends of the Lincoln Library; Barbara Myles, the library’s director; and the library trustees. Myles reported that town residents are very concerned about the tree and contact her frequently in the spring, when the month of May often goes by with nary a leaf appearing. In early June, the catalpa’s bare branches leaf out very rapidly. Halloran noted with interest that for unknown reasons, Lincoln’s catalpa blooms three to four weeks after the catalpas at the arboretum and is, quite literally, a “late bloomer.”

Drumlin Farms announces Fall Harvest Celebration

Explore the gardens and crop fields with Drumlin Farm staff, meet some of our native wildlife, create fun crafts, and enjoy fresh, delicious produce direct from the farm stand at its annual Fall Harvest Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Drumlin Farm teacher-naturalists will present family-friendly activities throughout the day to share the bounty of the fall harvest and help visitors discover how tasty sustainable agriculture can be. All activities are free with admission ($8 for adults, $6 for seniors and children 2-12, free for Mass Audubon members). Drop-in activities will run from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; the wildlife sanctuary will be open from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Schedule of free drop-in activities (weather permitting):

10 a.m.
Make an Herbal Bouquet
Use herbs from our garden to create a beautiful display to take home. 

10:30 a.m.
Farmer’s Foe
Meet a critter that likes to eat the vegetables in our gardens.

10:30 a.m.–noon
Pick Your Own Veggies
Harvest your own vegetables in Boyce Field.

11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
Cooking Demonstration
Join our food and farm educator as she uses Drumlin Farm produce to make easy, fun foods. And she might need some helping hands!

12:30 p.m.
Farmer’s Friend
Find some worms that help enrich the soil and learn why they’re important members of our ecosystem.

2 p.m.
Beyond Butter
Help shake cream to turn it into butter, and gather and add herbs to make it extra tasty.

2:30 p.m.
All About Bees
Learn about the science of bees and how pollinators make our crops possible.

3:45 p.m.
Get Crafty
Make a seed necklace.

All day:

  • Kid-friendly crafts
  • Scavenger hunt
  • Farm stand produce available for purchase

Open house at Codman Community Farms

Codman Community Farms will host an open house on Saturday, July 27 from 10 a.m.–noon, with tours of the farm, cold drinks in the barn, and a chance for Q&A with CCF staff and board members. It’s a great chance to learn more about the farm and how it produces meat and eggs using sustainable, ethical practices. The farm store will be selling pasture-raised chicken, eggs, beef, pork, raspberries, and vegetables.

Walking tours leave from the main barn next to the farm store starting at 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Longer and shorter routes will be available. RSVP on the farm’s Facebook page or by emailing jon@codmanfarm.org.

Codman Campout: an appreciation

By Ginger Reiner

Saturday night, June 15 — a full moon illuminates the barnyard and surrounding fields. Tents dot the landscape: in the community garden, on the grass in front of Barn B, and one right next to the lamb pen. A campfire is roaring, surrounded by farm friends singing (to the tune of “Country Road,” of course!):

Codman Road, take me home,
To the place, where I belong.
We’ve been thinkin’, that we love Lincoln,
Take me home, Codman Road

Further away, little flashlights flicker in and out as a massive game of flashlight hide-and-seek occupies most of the under-12 set. 

The Codman Campout has always been one of my favorite farm events. A low-key June dinner outside the barn, lots of kids playing lots of different games, a night under the stars. This year was made all the more special as we enjoyed Codman’s own beef, pork, and chicken for dinner. We ate farm-raised hamburgers, sausage, chicken drumsticks, hot dogs, and veggie sandwiches, plus brownies and s’mores for dessert!

Click on images below for larger versions and captions:
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”114″ gal_title=”Codman campout 2019″]

(See story and photos from the 2012 Codman Campout)

The moon remained bright, but eventually the guitar playing wound down, all the hiders were found by the seekers, and the whole farm, animals and humans, conked out for the night. We were up with the animals the next morning for bagels, orange juice, and lots of coffee for the adults, and an early-morning hide and seek game began again almost immediately.

A huge thanks to the Codman Board and volunteers for organizing this year’s spectacular event, I’m already looking forward to next year, and brushing up on my campy Codman songs

Ginger Reiner is the treasurer for Codman Community Farms.

Que solar solar! (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Codman Community Farm is about to go “net zero” in terms of energy use, thanks partly to the rooftop solar panels now being installed. It’s the first town building to host a solar project, though certainly not the last — the renovated Lincoln School will also be net-zero. Click here for more photos, and see the Lincoln Squirrel articles on April 7 and May 13, 2019 for more background.

Four-legged farm animals follow Codman’s chickens out to pasture

(Editor’s note: Click here to read an earlier story about Codman Community Farm by Sarah Cannon Holden.)

Abe Lowy, son of farmer Pete Lowy, makes friends with one of Codman Community Farm’s new sheep.

By Sarah Cannon Holden

Once there’s even a hint of spring, a farmer’s life is full of chores and challenges that keep him or her busy all day everyday for eight months until the snows fly in late November. Earlier this spring, the chickens were put out to pasture at Lincoln’s Codman Community Farm. Next up: Farmer Pete Lowy and his crew make plans for the large animals.

The farm workers have to transport the 30 head of cattle that wintered at the farm to Lincoln’s lush summer pastures, and it’s a mighty task. In the Wild West, cattle can be herded along a highway, but here in Lincoln, they have to be transported in trailers. This year the farm has 10 mature cows and one bull along with 20 one- and two-year-old calves calves. They’ve all spent the winter together, but come May when all the cattle are moved to pasture, the older calves are separated from the younger ones, which stay with their mother. The calves that are weaned from their mothers will head out to pasture and will eventually be harvested or kept as new breeding stock.

This cycle continues for the cows, which can get pregnant every year during the summer and have about 17 years of fertility and production. They give birth to their calves on pasture in the warm spring and summer months. Red Devon cattle are an old heritage breed from England and thrive in this climate with no help needed during calving. The gestation period for a cow is 283 days.

Soon, Pete will move the cattle to Farm Meadow behind Donelan’s. When Codman first approached Lincoln’s Conservation Commission about using that meadow, there was some concern about disturbing the bobolinks and other grassland birds that have nested there for years. We in Lincoln have a particular fondness for bobolinks, as some say that their name comes from the sound of their call – Bob O’Lincoln. They migrate each year from South America to breed and nest in North America in the summer. Their preference is for hay fields with ample tall grasses, where they make their cup-shaped nests on the ground. One can sit quietly in their nesting areas to watch them fly in and land on a blade of grass before returning to their nests.

Pete believed that there could be a solution that would allow the bobolinks and the cattle to thrive in peaceful coexistence. Though it appeared at first that the bobolink’s habitat covered most of Farm Meadow, it turned out that the birds’ primary habitat was closer to the center than the edge. With great care, Codman developed a plan for the meadow so that the bobolinks could happily settle in a circular fenced-off area at the center of the meadow (the “hubcap”), leaving the perimeter for the cattle to graze in the “wheel.” Movable solar-powered electric fencing can be installed, creating paddocks within the larger field. The Conservation Commission agreed to this plan, as did many in the community who attended a meeting on the subject a few years ago. It seemed a win-win for all.

Every two or three days, the paddock where the cows are grazing is shifted forward along the circumference of the circle, and the cows happily run to the fresh patch of grass. Once the cattle make it around the circle in the 12-15 separate movable paddocks, the rotation can begin again on fresh, fertilized and regenerated grasses. To give the cattle some shade, as there are no trees on Farm Meadow, Codman purchased a “shade haven” — essentially a giant umbrella, which moves around the meadow with the cattle and the water wagon.

The cattle are not the only four-legged animals overseen by Codman — the farm also raises scores of heritage pigs on pastures throughout town. There was a time when Codman’s ten pigs were kept at the farm, where they wallowed in mud and dug up anything they could find. Many will remember those pigs and know exactly why it is said that something “smells like a pigsty!” No longer. The farm now grows upwards of 100 pigs each year for harvest and sale at the farm store, which sells produce and other items including over a dozen sausage varieties, three different smoked bacons, roasts, pate and other items.

Nowadays, the pigs have a great life while living on the farm. They’re sent out to pasture each spring, where they root up and till selected areas of fields that have become overgrown and need renovation. The pigs do a fine job at this — it’s truly their passion! Anything to be found one foot above or below ground is their devouring and exploring specialty. They go after invasives, dandelions, and poison ivy, all of which can completely take over stone walls.

Pigs like roots best of all, so they go after stolon (plants with horizontal runners with a root system that’s full of carbohydrates). Once the animals have done their work in one spot, the farmers come in and work the soil and move the pigs along. There is constant rotation in an effort to get rid of invasives, which can be accomplished once the root system becomes weakened and finally gives up. Because the pigs are kept on the move and the soil is tilled, the smell is minimal.

Of course, all of this takes time. One could put pigs in a dusty and dark barn, but such a system would not be optimal for the pig, the land or, ultimately, the consumer.

This year there are plans for pasturing a small flock of lambs on some fields close to the farm. The 10 two-month-old lambs arrived on the farm about 10 days ago. They will graze pastures on hillsides and areas where it’s difficult to harvest hay or have the chickens graze. Other fields around town are being considered for other livestock rotations including Police Pasture behind the Public Safety Building, which will also host vegetables in the front portion along Codman Road. The back half of the pasture along the stone wall was recently cleared and will continue to be a grazing pasture.

The activities of Codman Community Farm are spread far and wide all over Lincoln. Why not take a walk or a bike ride to see if you can find the sheep, the cattle, the pigs, the chickens, and the vegetable gardens, and then stop by the Farm Store for fresh eggs or a pack of bacon.

To read more about Codman farming methods, see “Codman Community Farms grows by adopting modern practices” (Lincoln Squirrel, November 2, 2017).

Free heat pump brings Codman Community Farms closer to net zero

The indoor unit of Codman Community Farm’s new heat pump.

CCF Board President David Alperovitz, New England Ductless owner Joseph Wood, and CCF Farm Manager Pete Lowy with the heat pump’s outdoor unit.

Codman Community Farms has been selected as a recipient of a free cold-climate heat pump from New England Ductless, one of the installers for HeatSmart Carlisle, Concord & Lincoln (HeatSmart CCL), based on the success of that program.

HeatSmart CCL is community-led initiative to learn about and purchase clean energy technologies. New England Ductless of Milton was selected through a competitive solicitation as the air-source heat pump installer for the organization. In 2018, with support from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, HeatSmart CCL secured contracts to install 49 cold-climate air-source heat pumps and 23 ground-source heat pumps.

Also  In 2018, Codman Community Farms (CCF) began to work towards a goal of having the farm’s operational buildings becoming net-zero energy while simultaneously reducing the farm’s overall reliance on fossil fuels. With the completion of a 54 kW solar electric array expected in June 2019, this goal will be realized. CCF has taken other steps to meet the goals of its Green Energy Plan, including installing a solar hot-water system for egg washing and farm house staff, evaluating bids for the solar electric array, and applying for a state grant to support additional measures.

The farm had considered installing a cold-climate heat pump but did not proceed due to budgetary constraints. However, New England Ductless made this possible in April by installing a Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat cold-climate heat pump in Codman Farms’ 700-square-foot kitchen/dining area, which is used for cooking classes, nutrition education, farm luncheons and dinners, and other events.

The new heating and cooling system replaces an inefficient propane furnace and non-functioning central air conditioner, and makes the farm’s operational buildings fossil-fuel-free. When the solar array is operational, the heat pump will heat and cool the kitchen/dining area while producing no greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the installation allows CCF to remove two unsightly propane tanks and eliminates the need for propane deliveries.

The Lincoln Historical Committee was especially pleased that the company was able to conceal the heat-pump line set in the attic space to help preserve the historical character of the space.

HeatSmart CCL will host heat-pump educational events on Saturday, June 8 from 1:30–3:30 p.m. in the Concord-Carlisle High School learning commons and Tuesday, June 11 from 7–8:30 pm. in the Wayland Public Library. Click here for more information.