Fall Equinox Newsletter 2023

The “project”, as I sometimes call the farm, is still very much in its infancy. The idea to start a farm of some sort had been swirling in my head over the course of several summers spent working on other vegetable and smallscale diversified farms.

Sometime in spring 2021, in the thick of the pandemic, when nothing much else seemed to make sense anyways, I decided it was as good a time as any to give it a try. Feeling that the farm was going to be a work in progress for some time to come, and that farming, like most any other part of life, is always riddled with problems (the answers to which may only point to, or create, other problems).

I decided to call this project “Makeshift Farm.”

I broke ground later that summer, beginning with about an acre that would grow vegetables the following year to support a small, thirty-member CSA while providing some space to get a start on some perennial berries.

I didn’t come to farming with a clear sense that I wanted to be a farmer. I think of it more as something I started doing, and then kept on doing. There is a lot about farming that turns out to have worked pretty well for me: it’s gratifying work with concretely beneficial results (food!), it’s challenging and complex, invites a lot of creativity, and it still pretty much requires some level of connection with the forces that allow for us to procure our food.

Now in year two, with a CSA program that has grown to fifty members, the small farming team at Makeshift Farm is excited to be taking stock and trying to figure out which way the winds are blowing.

I would venture to say there isn’t a farmer who hasn’t at some point grappled with the problem of suddenly having more food than they know what to do with. It’s baked into the whole farming process. It may be a simple problem, at least on its face - too much food, need to connect with more people so it doesn’t go to waste - but even so, the task involved in addressing the problem is pretty demanding, and complex. So I think Salvation Farms must have come up at some point in my farming journey, because yes, the need for support in handling what would be (or was) wasted was pretty apparent at times. I wasn’t sure what was involved in coordinating with Salvation Farms when I found myself sitting on far too many onions through the winter after our first growing season at Makeshift Farm, but it was quite straightforward (and this is always pleasing to farmers, I would think).

We were, and still are working on developing outlets for the food we grow, but when it was becoming more clear that we really just had far too many onions, Salvation Farms made our lives a lot easier, and we slept better at night knowing that all those onions didn’t have to go on the compost pile. 

"We're really glad there's a well-established organization in the area doing this work that makes so much sense-getting the food to people who could use it- but which can be a heavy load for growers to carry at times."

We’ve also partnered with the St. Johnsbury Academy culinary program to have students prepare ready-made meals for our participants from some of the gleaned produce. This has been extremely helpful for the many people living in motels or camping due to the housing shortage. Families who “shop” at the Marketplace often comment on how beautiful the produce is and how they’re able to make their 3 Squares (food assistance) or paycheck money last longer because they can get good quality produce at the Marketplace. One woman who frequents the Marketplace cans the produce to get through the rough winter months so that she does not have to choose between paying for food or for heat. The variety of gleaned produce also has served as a catalyst for Marketplace participants to learn about the health benefits of certain fruits and vegetables and how to prepare them.

We post informative signs and recipes that encourage and support new culinary experiences. Thank you, Salvation Farms, for what has been a very beneficial partnership for NEKCA and, most important, for our program participants!

Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA) is one of five Community Action Agencies across the State of Vermont. Community Action Agencies are not-for-profit organizations that were established throughout the U.S. and its territories as part of the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act to eliminate poverty. NEKCA serves Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties, offering Head Start and other programs for children, youth, and families; housing support; heat and utility assistance; food and clothing; as well as programs related to money security and community/social justice.

Longtime Salvation Farms supporter, Janis Comb, regularly delivers produce to refugees in Stowe. “My favorite part, is being able to bring fresh produce, because many refugee families are used to only cooking with fresh products.” Janis started as a volunteer as a way to be of service to her community. Janis spends her time working in her own gardens when she is not helping deliver for Salvation Farms and the Johnson Food Shelf.

Lorinda embarked on her journey into farming after the passing of her husband, fulfilling her dream of having her own cows. She began milking cows by hand and breeding them. As her herd expanded, the question arose: what to do with all the milk? That’s when Charleen and her husband, Mel, became more involved. They started making cheese in their kitchen, following guidance from a book.

Their Jersey cow herd mainly consists of daughters of the same matriarch, and the family is committed to sustainable farming practices. They refrain from using chemicals on their pastures and diligently practice rotational grazing.

Their creamery produces a range of raw milk cheeses, with aging periods ranging from four months for the youngest cheeses to eighteen months for the oldest ones.

Yum! We’re excited to be working together.

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