Wright-Locke Farm

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July 19, 2021 by Kimberly Kneeland

Introducing our New Farm Chef, Kelcy!

July 2021

“Hello Everyone! It is with great pleasure and honor that I introduce myself as Chef Kelcy Scolnick, the new Farm Chef and Kitchen Manager for the Wright-Locke Farm All Seasons Barn! I am so grateful to be joining this amazing farm and working with some seriously passionate people. Already in my first week I have seen how important food, community, and education are at the farm and know that I am going to fit in quite well.

Accepting this job has been a 10 year journey for me that started as a nanny working in the kitchen with the kids. I was there for 5 years and in that time I saw my littles go from simply making popsicles or helping me layer a lasagna to them being able to make their own pasta and sauce from scratch and bake angel food cake (no easy feat). It was also during this time that I started to dive deeper into exploring food education and programming in my area. I stumbled across Mill City Grows and their family food education programs and that was it for me. I was hooked on teaching people how to cook amazing fresh food and knew what I wanted to do with my life. 

After that realization I have been working steadily to build my name and business. I’ve worked with a local kitchen business to create wonderful farm to table cooking classes that focus on working together as a team to make a beautiful meal that we would all sit down and enjoy together as friends, even if we all had just met. I worked with different food education companies to run classes for people of all ages ranging from 2 years old to 90 years old. And of course I have continued as a nanny, working closely in the kitchen with all the children I have had the pleasure of caring for, helping them cultivate their love of cooking and respect for food.

When the pandemic hit I had to pivot (like so many of us) and decided to work towards leaving nannying to work full time in food and education. I started my own business, Chef Kelcy, and through this I have taught people all over the world how to cook from the comfort of their own home and helped them become more comfortable and confident home cooks; truly a rewarding experience! Now that the world is opening back up I’ve begun private home dinner parties and kids cooking events. I’ve also expanded my business to include baking for local shops and, as of this past weekend, had my very first (and very successful) pop-up market! 

And now, after this incredible journey, I get to come to Wright-Locke Farm and literally live out my dream of creating food educational programing and events that are centered on eating with the seasons, respecting our food, farmers, and land and most importantly connecting with the community. I can’t wait to get the kitchen up and running, start hosting some amazing events and workshops, and have the chance to meet all of you wonderful people! 

As we swing into summer and I plant my feet here at Wright-Locke Farm, I have decided to share with all of you one of my all time favorite summer recipes, Brown Butter Blueberry Peach Crumble. Blueberries and peaches are the stars of this simple dessert that always reminds me of being barefoot in the fields picking fresh fruit and enjoying the sun on my shoulders. 

I invite all of you to partake in this wonderful ritual to gather your own ingredients, but if you want to check out Farm to Go blueberries are in and peaches start this week! 

Drop a comment if you have any questions or want to let me know how your dessert came out. 

If you want more information on me or to join my mailing list, check out my website here. I can’t wait to see you all in the kitchen soon and happy cooking friends! 

~ Chef Kelcy   (Email: farmchef@wlfarm.org)

​​Brown Butter Summer Crisp

By: Chef Kelcy Scolnick 

 Brown butter and thai basil give this classic summer dessert and new and unexpected twist

350° for 20-30 minutes

Ingredients  

For the filling      

  • 10 peaches peeled and sliced
  • 1 pint blueberries
  • 1T brown sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ t vanilla bean paste

For the crumb 

  • 8T butter browned
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • ½ cup flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ t cinnamon
  • ½ t salt
  • pinch fresh nutmeg

For the topping

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ t vanilla bean paste
  • 2 T powdered sugar or honey 
  • ¼ cup chiffonade thai basil

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. Start by peeling your peaches. To do this, slice an x on the bottom and put them in a pot of boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove and immediately put in an ice bath. Once they are cool the skin will peel right off!  
  3. Mix sliced peaches, blueberries, and sugar in a bowl and set aside for at least 30 minutes (this allows the juice to start coming out of the fruit) as you make your crumble 
  4. Make the crumb 
    1. Start your crumb with browning your butter. To do this place the butter is a light colored skillet or small saucepan (this ensures you can see the coloring of the butter) and cook it at a low temperature until you see small brown flakes starting to form on the bottom of the pan
    2. Quickly remove from heat to keep the butter from burning and mix it with the rest of the crumb ingredients. 
  5. Once your crumble is made go back to the peach and blueberry filling and add flour, lemon zest and vanilla, stirring until flour is absorbed
  6. Place filling in a greased baking dish, top with crumble (which you lightly pat down) and bake at 350 for 20- 30 minutes. 
  7. Make the whipped topping by combining the cream, vanilla bean paste, and sweetener of choice and whipping it until you get the consistency of soft ice cream. 
  8. One you see the fruit bubbling and the crumb beginning to brown, remove your beautiful an amazing smelling crumble from the oven and let it cool a bit before serving. 
  9. Top with basil and whipped cream, enjoy!

Filed Under: Blog

January 18, 2021 by Kimberly Kneeland

Update on our Work Around DEI Issues

“While this past year has illuminated continued acts of racial injustice and atrocities, the Wright-Locke Farm staff and Board has been grappling with issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at the Farm. We recognize, and have focused more attention on, our status as a privileged organization in a privileged community and are examining how to best be an ally in the dismantling of systemic racism.
A first, and critical, step has been for each of us to share our Sociocultural Perspective on race formed from our own personal circumstances and experiences. With a better understanding of our histories, identities and attitudes on race, we then focused on formulating individual and organizational goals to target areas in which we can be more inclusive–in our language, policies, programs, and overall operations.
The Farm staff and Board, through a series of ongoing meetings, have been discussing issues surrounding DEI and related topics of economic justice, food insecurity and environmental degradation. As a result, six specific initiatives have been identified as areas in which the farm could have a positive, albeit small, impact on these broad societal issues. Over the next twelve months, the Farm staff and Board will be developing these ideas and implementing initiatives where possible.
Initiatives include:
  • Providing DEI training for our staff and Board
  • Recognizing and celebrating the Indigenous history of the farm and environs
  • Intentional education to our community on Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) topics, and outreach to BIPOC groups and BIPOC-owned businesses
  • Addressing diversity in our educational program offerings for all ages, such as outreach in our local communities, and examining more closely the meaning and importance of diversity in nature education
  • Examining accessibility of our goods and programming, to allow broad participation by all.

Our hope is that we can be authentic and intentional in what we do and how we play a part in abating the impacts of toxic injustices and inequities in our society, most notably racial and economic. We recognize that this is an ongoing process of learning and listening. We invite you to share your thoughts and wish to involve the community in our discussions as we continue along this journey. Please feel free to direct any comments or suggestions to Archie McIntyre, Executive Director, at amcintyre@wlfarm.org or any member of our Board or staff. We look forward to engaging with these important issues.

Sincerely,

The Wright-Locke Farm Team

Filed Under: Blog

August 17, 2020 by Kimberly Kneeland

On-Farm Education, Summer 2020

By our Sustainable Agriculture Interns: Sophie Lewis, Melissa Gordon, and Rachel Marston (Introduction by Director of Education, Erika Gorgenyi)

The farm was fortunate enough to host three hard-working field interns for ten weeks this summer, who helped us a great deal but also learned quite a bit as well. We put in long, hot days of weeding, harvesting, chasing goats, feeding chickens, moving tarps, washing veggies, packing boxes, and much more! Additionally, we had thoughtful, meaningful discussions about farming and the food system, as well as critical issues of food justice, racial equity and climate change, among others. These conversations challenged and enlightened me, as each student brought depth and insight from their own personal experiences and fields of study. 

Below we’re honored to share excerpts from each of our interns, speaking in their own words about their time at Wright-Locke, to give you a snapshot of their summer at the farm. We’re so grateful for their time with us and we’ll miss them!

Sophie Lewis (Undergraduate Student, Bowdoin College):

When I decided to apply to be one of the interns at Wright-Locke for the summer, I didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into. As a neuroscience major, immersed in pre-med classes, I had not thought much about our food system, or sustainable agriculture and farming, beyond just enjoying visiting small farms and eating local produce. I expected the internship to be interesting, but I did not anticipate it would be as much of a learning experience as it turned out to be. The internship almost felt like an intimate college class to me — with Erika acting as our wise and supportive instructor. I also learned so much from my peers, Rachel and Melissa, who both study in areas that more closely align with our focus for the summer than myself. We three interns and Erika had many thought-provoking conversations about sustainability, equity, farming, and the broader field of agriculture. We all brought different perspectives to these conversations, which made them more interesting. 

One of my biggest takeaways from the summer was understanding the tremendous amount of work it takes to go from seed to product. While farmers might say, “yeah, duh,” many people, including myself, who do not study or work in the field of agriculture or environmental studies more broadly, do not regularly think about how our food ends up in grocery stores and on our kitchen tables. A moment at the farm where this became apparent to me was the first time we interns helped package the CSA boxes. It was our second or third week on the farm, and the three of us were excited to have a hand in setting up and filling the farm-fresh vegetable boxes. After we filled them up with that week’s share, I peered in a box and two thoughts came to my mind: First, that it all looked delicious and healthy, and second, how much work it took to get the food from initial seeds into this packaged state. Just on that specific Thursday, we had spent hours harvesting, washing and sorting. In the weeks before, the beds where that produce came from needed to be weeded regularly, have an irrigation system set up, and needed extra care like stringing or searching for pests. Even before the produce made its way into the ground, the seeds needed to be purchased and often started in the greenhouse before planting. This chain of events was not apparent to me before I saw it first-hand on a farm. Safe to say, we could all benefit from witnessing how food is grown since we all consume it. I feel really lucky to have had this opportunity to learn and get a little grittier.

Melissa Gordon (Graduate Student, Tufts University, Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy):

It was our third day on the farm, week two, and the carrot and beet beds needed to be rid of weeds. The farm crew was already positioned around the beds, and we were tasked with joining them to move the irrigation tape out of the way so Adrienne could pass on the tractor, and then put it back in place so it wasn’t in the way of the next row. After hours of sitting together (us three interns and our supervisor Erika) hand-weeding the cilantro and dill, it was a joyful change of pace to work on a job with the whole team. We shouted to each other from opposite ends of the bed and watched Adrienne riding high on the massive vehicle, adept at ensuring the tires stayed in the aisles, and the forks stayed between the rows of baby plants. Though moving irrigation tape out of place and returning it wound up being one of my least preferred jobs on the farm, the fact that we were doing it as a part of the full farm team made it one of my favorite afternoons. Later in the summer we worked with the farm crew on a rainy day to bundle the garlic and hang it from the Squash House ceiling, and on our last day we joined together to assist with the honey extraction from the beehives. I love feeling part of a community and a team, working together to achieve a goal!

There was also a different, but equally memorable, sense of accomplishment on another day: the first time Adrienne assigned us each individual tasks. “Rachel: fill these clamshells with big basil leaves; Sophie: harvest mint from next to the barn; Melissa: pick some more chamomile flowers.” It was an indication she trusted us and believed we could take on responsibility to be the one person providing a certain item for the market later that afternoon. As the summer continued, and Adrienne gave us less direction for some tasks—only needing to name the crop to harvest—I felt this sense that she could rely on us to know what to do. Of course, with just one part-time summer under my belt, there are infinitely more jobs I need detailed direction for than ones I can do on my own. And to be sure, though I liked jobs on my own and with the full crew, what kept me looking forward to every day on the farm was working alongside my co-interns—I was really pleased that I enjoyed their company and collaboration so much. Over these ten weeks, we’ve learned a lot, and both as individuals and a team, we’ve become a part of the workings of Wright-Locke Farm.

Rachel Marston (Undergraduate Student, Tufts University):

Every day, I came home from Wright-Locke covered in dirt from head to toe. I’d run straight for the shower to rinse it all off; sometimes there was so much it’d leave a nice layer of dirt in our poorly draining tub, much to the dismay of my housemates. This was what had always deterred me from farm work as a young adult. I’d never been much of an outdoorsy kid – let alone one who liked to get dirty. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved nature, but growing up as an only child in the sweltering south had meant I’d spent more time seeking air-conditioned sanctuary rather than digging in the dirt. I didn’t discover my affinity for the outdoors until my teenage years, eventually settling on an environmental studies college major and slowly edging towards a focus on sustainable agriculture. That’s what brought me here, to Wright-Locke, to inform my studies and experience farming in practice rather than merely through a lecture hall.

This summer – instead of seeking solace indoors, as in my childhood years – the dirt became strangely comforting to me. As a disclaimer, I don’t want to romanticize agricultural work – it’s far from a pastoral fantasy – and I possess the privilege to embrace the difficulty of farm work as a positive aspect of the experience. As Sophie mentioned in her post, one of my main takeaways from the summer is the immense amount of labor it takes to successfully grow a single vegetable, let alone a full CSA box or a field full of various crops. Yet, it was precisely this difficulty of the work, the grind of the day, that became so soothing to me. Perhaps it’s the ex-endurance athlete in me or my need to constantly be doing something productive, but the task-oriented, nose-to-the-grindstone nature of farming was good for me even whilst wrecking my body. Beyond my own mental and physical reactions to farm work, this internship provided a concrete idea of what it takes to run a farm. Aside from labor, it takes an immense amount of teamwork and trust to keep a farm running. I learned that this intensity and togetherness creates incredible bonds amongst the farm crew; I feel so grateful to have worked with such lovely people who always challenged me to think outside my comfort zone. I definitely learned as much from the people as I did from the land. Looking forward, this summer’s amalgamation of experiences has definitely encouraged me to continue to zero in on food systems work, centering on equity and anti-racism in agriculture. Though Wright-Locke, as a small, event and education-oriented New England farm, occupies a quite specific role in the food system, I feel fully able to apply what I’ve learned this summer on a broader scale. I feel much more ready to engage in informed thought about sustainable, equitable agriculture on all scales, from small farms to big agribusiness!

Pictured Left to Right: Rachel Marston, Sophie Lewis, Erika Gorgenyi, Melissa Gordon

Thank you Rachel, Sophie, and Melissa for everything you contributed to Wright-Locke Farm this summer! – The WLF Crew

Filed Under: Blog

August 3, 2020 by Kimberly Kneeland

Important Discussions at the Farm

Written in collaboration by WLF Staff and Board Members
We recognize that Wright-Locke Farm is a refuge for many — a breath of fresh air amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, even more so during the crises we are all facing. However, the Farm is still very much a part of our evolving society and we (as the Farm and as individuals who make up its community) are committed to being engaged and active participants in making our world a better place for all. We wanted to take a moment to address where the Farm stands when it comes to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”).
In the wake of the George Floyd murder, the continued killings of unarmed persons of color, and the ensuing anti-racist protests, we, at Wright-Locke Farm, have started a long-overdue conversation and self-reflection on racial injustice and our role and responsibility as a predominately white and privileged organization. The Farm staff and several of our Board members have convened an ongoing weekly meeting – our first meeting of each work week – to explore these broad issues around our own racial identities and biases, first as individuals, then as a larger farm organization.
Our first impulse is to act, to do something to lessen the systemic racism that at once is a by-product and a cause of our society’s income inequality, food insecurity, and environmental degradation. But we feel that a truly genuine response that’s reflective of our organization can only occur if we first challenge ourselves to examine how a lifetime of experiences has influenced our attitudes and perceptions of race. Our first step has been for each of us to share our socio-cultural perspective on race formed from our own personal circumstances and experiences. It’s refreshing to say that in this short series of meetings, we have learned more about each other than in several years of working together.
As Wright-Locke Farm grows and matures, we want to make sure that the organization and all the individuals supporting its operation have a solid foundation and the tools to make decisions that will help promote equity and the ability for all to enjoy this beloved space and its programs. We believe that educating ourselves, developing our language around inequality, and providing dedicated time and space to discuss and listen to these issues is the first step of our journey. With our individual identities and experiences with race openly shared and better understood, our next step is to formulate individual and organizational goals to become more anti-racist. Our hope is that we can be authentic and intentional in what we do, and how we do our small part to be accountable to ourselves, each other, and communities outside of our own to lessen the impact of racial injustice and economic inequality.
As we go through this process, we will periodically report on our progress. It is our desire to be transparent and honest about this process and we hope to open this discussion to the rest of the farm community in the future. Please feel free to contact any of our staff or Archie McIntyre, our Executive Director, or Lia O’Donnell, our Board President, with any questions, comments or thoughts.

Filed Under: Blog

May 18, 2020 by Kimberly Kneeland

Wright-Locke in the Globe

Despite pandemic, Winchester farm presses on with modern-day barn raising

By Naomi Kooker, Globe Correspondent, Updated May 18, 2020

 

Wright-Locke Farm put the roof on its new 8,000-square-foot barn in February. The mechanical systems and doors should be installed by the end of this month.Wright-Locke Farm put the roof on its new 8,000-square-foot barn in February. The mechanical systems and doors should be installed by the end of this month. JONATHAN WIGGS/GLOBE STAFF

At Wright-Locke Farm, a 20-acre patch of paradise 8 miles north of Boston as the crow flies, a planer screeched, halting conversation. It was the second week in a modern-day barn raising.

A tour of the nonprofit Winchester farm in late February revealed a timber-frame building in progress. Exposed beams pushed against the cobalt sky. Sawdust fell from the rafters like confetti.

But it was too soon for a party. Within weeks, the novel coronavirus arrived in Massachusetts and Governor Charlie Baker issued his stay-at-home advisory. There’s more money to raise ― about $700,000 — to meet the $3.35 million goal for the project, but the pandemic has made meeting with donors all but impossible.

Yet organizers remain undeterred in their drive to finish the all-seasons barn, which they say will help secure the farm’s future and maintain its 382-year legacy.

“Winchester is a very densely developed suburb,” said Philip “Archie” McIntyre, executive director of the Wright-Locke Farm Conservancy, which oversees farm operations. “This is our only remaining farm, so it’s really struck a chord in the community as a treasured resource that’s not only open space but it’s active open space — people can come and get involved.”

The new 4,500-square-foot barn will have eco-friendly bathrooms, a commercial teaching kitchen, event space, and heat, allowing the farm to move from a seasonal schedule to year-round operation. The farm plans to expand its educational programs and book more weddings and other revenue-generating events.

Though construction has slowed due to the pandemic, social distancing protocols have kept things moving. The roof is up, and mechanical systems and doors should be installed by the end of this month.

Nor has the farm shut down completely. True, its spring educational programs and events are canceled through June, but “casual visitors” (with masks while social distancing) stroll the grounds and Farm-to-Go Meals have families pulling up Friday afternoons to pick up their pre-paid online orders that are popped in the trunk.

“This is a period we’re going through,” McIntyre said of the protocols enforced under the pandemic. The barn “is going to be transformative in terms of our own financial strength and stability. We still see it that way.”

In 2007, the town of Winchester purchased the entire property for $14 million and leased 7.5 acres, including the farm’s historic buildings, to the Wright-Locke Farm Conservancy.

In 2015, the Wright-Locke Land Trust raised $8.6 million to buy the 12.5 acres of remaining land from the town. “We were able to preserve the land in perpetuity,” said McIntyre.

“It has a very strong link to our past and it also creates a connection to local food and the importance of stewarding the land and the environment — all of this is kind of restorative and healing, if you will,” he said. “That connection is really fundamental and beneficial to all the members of the community.”

While the original barn, built in 1827, has been a popular venue for the farm’s speaker series, weddings, and parties, it has its limitations.

“Nobody wants to be in that barn in January,” said Sally Quinn, president of the Wright-Locke Land Trust.

McIntyre and Quinn decided years ago that an all-seasons barn to host events year-round was key to bringing in new revenue. Products made in the kitchen could be sold at the farm stand and donated to food programs.

Now, everything is being discussed through the lens of “social distancing.” McIntyre has joined forces with nearby farms and New England vendors to provide the Farm-to-Go meals. Soon, the program will be revamped to Farm Stand Plus, offering more locally sourced staples like cheeses, meats, produce, and farm products.

“We’re kind of serving as a food hub,” said McIntyre. Customers place orders by Wednesday night for the Friday pickup. The farm stand will operate this way through the end of this year’s season.

“People need to eat,” said McIntyre. “And local fresh organic food, seems to me, will be very much in demand.”

Wright-Locke Farm sits along Ridge Street. The dirt driveway leads past the Federal-style farmhouse to a cluster of white clapboard buildings. Walking trails skirt a pond and head into conservation land. There are goats and chickens. Oak and maple trees dot the hillside.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn about a farm and such a special place so close to Boston,” said Winchester resident Erin Dubovick, who was out walking with her three young daughters in late February. “So few and far between ― so peaceful here.”

Situated on a flattened rise in the northeast corner, the all-seasons barn looks south to the old barn and the sprawling farmland. To the west is the cistern on the hill.

“It’s the best view of the farm,” said Quinn, looking out from where three double doors will open to grass and a patio.

Hundreds of individuals already have contributed to the barn’s capital campaign, giving anywhere from $25 to $1 million. The farm is still fund-raising and accepting in-kind donations of equipment for the teaching kitchen and event space.

“I think there’s a much wider perception now in town [that the farm] is a real asset,” said McIntyre. “We’ve come a long way, but we still have significant challenges in front of us. We’re confident this will work out.”

Naomi Kooker can be reached at naomikooker@gmail.com.

“Winchester is a very densely developed suburb,” said Philip “Archie” McIntyre, executive director of the Wright-Locke Farm Conservancy, which oversees farm operations. “This is our only remaining farm, so it’s really struck a chord in the community as a treasured resource that’s not only open space but it’s active open space — people can come and get involved."“Winchester is a very densely developed suburb,” said Philip “Archie” McIntyre, executive director of the Wright-Locke Farm Conservancy, which oversees farm operations. “This is our only remaining farm, so it’s really struck a chord in the community as a treasured resource that’s not only open space but it’s active open space — people can come and get involved.” JONATHAN WIGGS/GLOBE STAFF

Filed Under: Blog

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