[written by Sawyer Farm's Lincoln Fishman in late summer 2020] Some of you know that my dear cousin, Yupadee Kobkul-Bonsiri, died of COVID-19 on April 27th [2020]. She and my cousin Steve lived in Brooklyn, and spent a lot of time at their house here, next door to the farm. She was 51, in good … Continue reading The Deep State of the Farm
Category: Blog
A Matter of Degrees
First frost. Kind of. It's a matter of degrees. There are hundreds of variables that affect whether a crop gets frosted. Elevation, wind, sugar content, overall plant health, the plant's height off the ground, surrounding topography — these are just of few of the obvious ones. There's also something to be said for the natural … Continue reading A Matter of Degrees
Rural education in crisis
Half a century ago, regionalization in Massachusetts drove small towns across the state to ditch their old high schools and consolidate. Regionalization made it possible for small town kids to attend larger schools with a wider range of teachers and more sophisticated facilities and resources. But it also struck a blow to the New England … Continue reading Rural education in crisis
Asparagus/Climate Change/Woodchips/Washing Machine
by Lincoln Fishman, Sawyer Farm, Worthington, MA Lots of asparagus starting this week and going for the next few weeks. All the rain has made them very juicy and sweet. The endless rain and clouds have delayed the start of harvest, but this wonderful perennial seems happy and healthy anyway. That's about the only thing … Continue reading Asparagus/Climate Change/Woodchips/Washing Machine
Resiliency Summit Keynote Address
The speech that follows was written and delivered by my friend Minister Stephen Philbrick. He was one of a team I brought together to organize an event we called a Community Resiliency Summit in March 23, 2013. About 110 of our friends and neighbors showed up to hear a series of short talks followed by … Continue reading Resiliency Summit Keynote Address
A Farmer’s Serenity Prayer
My friend Lincoln Fishman farms Sawyer Farm in Worthington, Ma. He has built a strong local following for his produce. Using a team of horses to do much of work, he is demonstrating how intensive farming can improve depleted soil and provide excellent food. Perhaps most of all, he and his wife Hilary Costa have … Continue reading A Farmer’s Serenity Prayer
The New Rural Advocate 