We’re Gonna Make You A Star: Veggielution on NBC, in Sunset Magazine and The Metro
Veggielution has recently gotten some very good publicity! Our volunteer workdays got a small mention and a photo in the March 2010 edition of Sunset Magazine. Veggielution was also featured on NBC’s website in the Bay Area Proud section, which highlights community service events in the Bay Area. As a part of this, NBC sent out a camera man to shot footage of a med-March Saturday workday, which can be viewed on their Bay Area Proud website.
Lastly, Veggielution co-founders Amie Frisch and Mark Anthony Maderios were recently featured in The Metro’s “Top 25 under 25″, featuring young San Jose residents doing big things in the South Bay. You can read the spotlight on the Metro’s website. Good job Amie and Mark, and good job Veggielution!
VeggieYouth Spring 2010 kicks off!
After a winter of visiting schools, planning curriculum, and reading applications, the VeggieYouth Spring 2010 
program has come to fruit! For the next 8 weeks, 14 youth will be coming out on Thursday afternoons and during Saturday workdays as part of our extracurricular program. The youth include freshmen through seniors and come from 6 different high schools.
On Thursdays, the youth will focus on learning farming skills, tending rows in the original plot, exploring the food system, learning to cook and building community. Saturdays will give them an opportunity to join the workdays, meet volunteers and do some cooking. Youth program coordinators Jessie Nichols and Sally Neas are particularly excited to have teenagers back on the farm, as they now have a new audience for their jokes and antics. Please join us in welcoming them when you see them around!
Annual Report Completed
Veggielution published our 2009 annual report recently. The document summarizes Veggielution’s recent progress, operations, crop yield and financial status from 2009. It also includes a peak of our proposal to create a largescale community farm at Emma Prusch Park. You can learn more about the annual report and download a copy on our website.
Family Day Begins
On March 13th, Veggielution had it’s first family day. Parents from a dozen different families brought out small children to spend the morning exploring the operation of a farm. Activities, such as bug hunting, compost exploration and seed packet coloring, were organized for children.
The family day is part of a new tradition at Veggielution, continuing every 2nd Saturday of the month from 10-11. You can read more about it on our website.
Volunteer Spotlight: Will Chen
If there were a competition to log hours, Will Chen would easily take the cake. In March, he logged over 40 hours of volunteer hours- he might as well be considered a part time staff member! He has come at 8:30 on rainy mornings, and pulled marathon long Saturdays stretching to late in the afternoon.
Will first started volunteering at Veggielution for a class at De Anza Community College, where he is currently working on a degree in Environmental Studies. ”Zan made a presentation in one of my poli sci classes, so I decided to come out. It rained all the next week, so I didn’t come, but after it stopped started coming out.”
Since then, he has continued his noble service. He has made some solid friendships with staff and other volunteers. He comes out because he likes “seeing all of you guys”. Besides being a steady source of work, Will has taken on a great deal of leadership as a workday leader. Thanks for all of the hard work, Will!
State of the Farm Address
Things are blooming! Need we say more?
Perhaps not, but we will. The polinators are buzzing, and a variety of flowers are beginning to show their colors. Several hedgerows of California native wildflowers, planted largely by the Fall 2009 youth program, are starting to bloom. The fava beans, field peas, bell beans, and mustard are also adding to the onset of flowers out at the farm.
Along the theme of new life, production is starting to pick up. We are harvesting broccoli at least twice a week, the pok choy will soon be ready and, to the delight of both Portugese and non-Portugese staff members, the fava are starting to show their little productive pods. This is all added to what we are already harvesting: peas, lettuce, collards, spinach, garlic, and onions.
Let us not forget the greenhouse, which is literally teeming with life. Palates upon palates are lining both shelves and the ground with exciting varities of vegetable starts- collards, beets, lettuce, zucchini and cucumbers to name a few. Most notable of these starts are the Solanaceae family representatives- our tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. All of these have been carefully hot started under grow lamps in both the La Favre barn and staff members kitchen tables. Before long they will line the front half of the acre.
With all of this life comes a little death- the park staff recently helped us out by plowing down and turning in the cover crops in the front half of the acre. Volunteers then worked last Saturday to spread a giant pile of manure, making for a stinky but productive morning. Things are changing quickly out here, and the farm is literally buzzing with the anticipation of summer!
Veggie of the Month: Broccoli
Yet another member of the prolific Brassica family, the sprouting broccoli we grow at the farm sends out lots of little flowering stalks, instead of the single, large head that you may be more familiar with. All of the Brassicas do better in cooler weather, as summer temperatures strengthen their sulfuric taste and make them bolt into flower more quickly. Broccoli has been an important food in Italy since the time of the Romans.
Roasting is an easy way to prepare both broccoli and cauliflower; it caramelizes the sugars and brings out the sweetness in these healthy vegetables.
Roasted Broccoli
1 lb broccoli or cauliflower, either sprouting broccoli florets, or a large head broken into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a metal or glass 9 x 13 inch pan, toss the florets with the oil so that everything is coated. Roast at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until the edges start to char. Season to taste. Serve as a side dish, or use in pasta or a salad.
Supplies Needed
- plastic bags (for farm stand)
- strawberry baskets (for farm stand)
- 5 gallon buckets
- plates, utensils and cups for the potluck
- cookware of any kind
- lumber in good condition
Get Involved…
Please join us at our harvest or workday times!
Tuesday: Harvest 8:30a-10a
Wednesday: Workday 2p-4:30p
Thursday: Harvest 8:30a-10a
Saturday: Workday10a-12:30p, Potluck 12:30p-1:30p
