Boston Flora

Tag: Local Farm

  • Saturday, January 23, 1:00 – 2:00 pm – The Locavore Way

    Join author Amy Cotler at The Bookloft, 322 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, Massachusetts (near the Price Chopper) on Saturday, January 23, beginning at 1 pm, for a book signing of Amy’s new book The Locavore Way,  an event which will include appearances by local food vendors.  Amy will also be signing at the West Stockbridge Library, 21 State Line Road (Route 201) on February 5 at 7 pm, and will be with Slow Food Boston during the first week in May, details to be announced.  For a complete calendar of signing events, log on to www.amycotler.com.

    Amy Cotler brings 3 decades as a culinary professional (AKA food fanatic) and farm to table advocate to her books and other offerings.  A  longtime advocate of seasonal cooking and local eating, she is the founding director of Berkshire Grown, which became an early model for local farm and food advocacy. She consults, teaches and lectures nationally on food and farm to table issues.

    Ms. Cotler worked as the web food forum host for The New York Times and her food articles have been published in periodicals, including Fine Cooking, Kitchen Garden, Cook’s and Orion.  She has written 5 cookbooks, including Fresh from the Farm: The Massachusetts Farm to School Cookbook, a training tool for schools, which was distributed to every school Massachusetts and is now available free on-line.

    Her new book, published in November 2009, brings together her culinary and local food advocacy experience. The Locavore Way, Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Foods is a people’s solution to The Omnivore’s Dilemma, a hands-on guide to becoming someone who seeks out and savors local foods.

    A veteran chef and cooking teacher, Ms. Cotler has taught home cooks and professionals at Institute for Culinary Education and Culinary Institute of America, where she also researched and wrote text for their professional cookbook.She has developed close to 1000 recipes, including many for the Joy of Cooking. Her media appearances include The Television Food Network and National Public Radio.

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  • Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association

    The goal of Massachusetts Christmas tree growers is to produce a quality “Real Christmas Tree” for the retail and wholesale markets.  While visiting their member farms, they encourage you to enjoy “the experience,” create memories, and develop cherished family holiday traditions. To find a local farm near you, log on to www.christmas-trees.org and click “Find a Local Tree Farm.”  You may also call 978-365-5818, or email info@christmas-trees.org.  All the information—location of farm, how to select and care for your Christmas tree, and the environmental benefits of choosing a “real” tree—is at your fingertips.  Find the nearest spot to cut your own, as well.

    Nearly all Massachusetts Christmas trees are grown as a farm crop for the primary purpose of harvest.  Your choice of a fresh-cut tree continues the natural cycle of planting, nurturing, and harvesting trees in our state.

    Growing Christmas trees properly can be ecologically beneficial—one acre of Christmas trees provides enough fresh oxygen for 18 people. Young trees actively cleanse the air we breathe and create green belts in urban areas providing clean air for all of us. In addition, Christmas tree plantations preserve open space and provide homes for bird habitat, insects, and wildlife.

    1. After the holidays, consider giving your tree a second life as compost, mulch or chips to be used later in a garden or at a landscape project.
    2. Clip the branches from the tree and use them as a protective cover on garden plants.
    3. Use the tree as a birdfeeder which can also be a cover shelter and a shield from harsh weather.
    4. If you prefer, transport your tree to a recycling center.

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