Celebrate September with Better Farm's Bag Sale

One of Better Farm's $20 bags of freshly picked, organic produce.

To celebrate September, Better Farm is kicking off a month-long $20 bag sale of mixed organic produce.

The Better Farm bag sale is equivalent in size to about three full, plastic shopping bags. We've got peppers, cabbage, tomatoes, squash, greens, herbs, carrots, potatoes, beans, eggplants, beets, radishes, corn and much much more!

All you have to do is call or email anytime this month to reserve a bag and select a pick-up time. We'll do all the legwork of picking all the produce for you. The result? One enormous share of delicious, nutritious, organic fruits, veggies and herbs for you to enjoy. 

Better Farm Partners with Local Businesses for Children's 'Explorers Passport' Program

A new program put on by local businesses offers Explorers Passports to children living in and visiting the Thousand Islands Region of New York State.

In the Explorers Passport, children have the opportunity to answer trivia questions, have their "passports" stamped by various local businesses in and around Alexandria Bay, and create their own keepsakes to bring home.

Participating businesses throughout the town of Alexandria (including Redwood!) designate themselves with "Explorers Passport Participating Partner" signs on front entranceways. Passports are available at these stops along the trail.

Those visiting Better Farm are invited to visit our farm stand, take a tour of the grounds, hang out with the chickens, and even do some arts 'n' crafts in our studios.

Better Radio Wants YOU!

BetterArts is seeking reporters, musicians, show anchors, volunteers, story tellers, gardeners, savantes, and local personalities for its new station, Better Radio WBTS 88.5 FM.

The low-power FM station, set to go live at the annual Better Festival June 20, 2015, is getting ready for its launch by archiving content throughout the winter months.

Better Radio will feature an NPR-like format that showcases everything going on in the North Country; from original music to gardening advice to fishing and hunting reports, conservation efforts, news and weather, political roundups, health and wellness programming, and much much more.

A series of workshops will be slated throughout the winter to offer free training to any interested volunteers in the basic mechanics of sound engineering, editing, uploading, and syncing files for use on-air. Anyone interested in renting a recorder to create sound files (original music, funny jokes, personal narrative, or interviews) is welcome to do so free of charge as long as he or she has had a basic training session in how to use the equipment.

Here is a list of programming planned so far. If you have interest in contributing as a guest, musician, interview subject, reporter, sponsor or otherwise, please email

info@betterarts.org

. Until we go on-air in J

une, we will be pre-recording segments, renovating o

ffice space to s

erve as station studio, and creati

ng connections with local organi

zations. This is a great time to get in

volved

with th

is exciting new project! We are also accepting

betterArts res

idents

interested in

New Me

dia, broadcast journalism

, or sound engineering. Musicians applying to the residency program additionally now have the opportunity to host their own show

during their

time here or contribute their music to the station for airtime.

Daily Programming

•  
• “On the Spot” interviews and coverage of local events
•  
• Upcoming events listings for area organizations, school performances, etc.
•  
• “On This Day in History” tidbits
•  
• Daily Farmers Almanac
•  
• Weather
•  
• News

Music Exchange

•  
• Local bands' original tracks
•  
• Trade our local music with music from other LPFM stations and artists around the world

Better Health & Wellness

• Eating local and in season
• Recipes
• Diet and lifestyle advice
• Herbals, homeopathy
• Encouragement, Inspiration

Spirituality Programming

• Worship services
• Yoga sessions
• Guided meditation
• Inspirational stories of synchronicity and coincidence

Outdoor Show

•  
• Interviews with reps from outdoors-based organizations in the North Country
•  
• Fishing/Hunting Report
•  
• Water temps in local lakes, river
•  
• Survival/wild edible plants/foraging

Kids Broadcasting

• Naptime storytelling/reading children's books
• Interviews with children
• Programming for kids(sing-a-longs, re-aired public use kids' segments)

Open Mic

•  
• Recorded poetry readings
•  
• Interviews with Local Authors
•  
• Storytelling/Personal tales
•  
• Jokes, puns, listener quetsions and call-ins
•  
• Interviews with local artists

Love Line

•  
• Dear Abbey Advice
•  
• Call-in advice with guest panel

Green Thumb

•  
• Interviews with gardeners
•  
• Interviews with farmers for growing tips and tricks
•  
• Guest speakers from Cornell Cooperative Extension, local nurseries, etc.
•  
• Composting
•  
• Planting Guides

Beyond the Garden Gate: Wild Plant Classification Part I

It was a day as fine as any to bushwhack through the Better Farm wilds in order to classify some native plants! Putting aside their pesky tendency to pop up in the garden rows, wild plants have value that make them well worth knowing. Here is the first installment of the plants I discovered on my romp.

Wild Plant Identification:

Staghorn Sumac

Sumac is native to the Mediterranean, but now grows in abundance throughout the Northern United States. Sumac flowers contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, citric acid and antioxidants; while the bark is useful medicinally as an astringent tea for anti-diarrhea purposes. Staghorn sumac is also antibacterial. Middle Eastern chefs dry the berries, and then grind them up into a spice powder that lasts all year without refrigeration. The spice can be sprinkled on rice, hummus, or kebabs. Sumac tastes slightly sour, tart and citrus-like, very similar to a lemon. Sumac fruit can also be turned into lemonade: Simply put the berries in cold water, rub them to release the juice, and then leave them for several hours to soak and infuse into the water. Strain and drink it. The liquid can also be frozen in ice cube trays and used year-round like lemon juice. (Information from Firstways.com)

Red-Panicled or Grey Dogwood

Historically, American dogwood has been used to treat malaria instead of the drug quinine. American dogwood is still used today as medicine for headaches, fatigue, fever, and ongoing diarrhea. It is also used to increase strength, stimulate appetite, and as a tonic. Some people apply American dogwood directly to the skin for boils and wounds.

Elderberry Tree

Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995, and has historically been widely used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health, and as a remedy for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections, and tonsillitis.  Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell. People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster than those who did not. Elderberries contain organic pigments, tannin, amino acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, sugar, rutin, viburnic acid, vitaman A and B and a large amount of vitamin C. They are also mildly laxative, a diuretic, and diaphoretic. Flavonoids, including quercetin, are believed to account for the therapeutic actions of the elderberry flowers and berries. According to test tube studies2 these flavonoids include anthocyanins that are powerful antioxidants and protect cells against damage. In Israel, Hasassah's Oncology Lab has determined that elderberry stimulates the body's immune system and they are treating cancer and AIDS patients with it. The wide range of medical benefits (from flu and colds to debilitating asthma, diabetes, and weight loss) is probably due to the enhancement of each individual's immune system.

Butter-and-Eggs

 

Butter-and-Eggs serve as a diuretic, purgative and astringent. Leaf tea can be used as a laxative, strong diuretic for dropsy, jaundice, enteritis with drowsiness, skin diseases, piles, liver and bladder problems. Ointment made from the flowers is used externally for piles, skin eruptions, sores, and ulcers. A “tea” made with the plant's milk may also be used as an insecticide. (From MedicinalHerbInfo.)

Jewelweed

Toadflax, Common Toadflax, Yellow Toadflax, Butter-and-Eggs, Wild Snapdragon -
Knapweed

Spotted Touch-Me-Not

Jewelweeld has been used as a treatment for eczema, insect bites, rashes, and spring tonics. It is also an effective cure for poison ivy. Flowers can be rubbed on skin as a natural insect repellent.
Burdock

Burdock Root contains a number of medicinal properties that have been used for hundreds of years. Most traditionally, herbalists use it as a blood purifier. The root also overs relief from abscesses, acne, carbuncles, psoriasis and eczema. The herb increases circulation to the skin by helping to detoxify epidermal tissues. Burdock Root has additionally been reported to destroy bacteria and fungus cultures. It is a popular detoxifying agent that produces a diuretic effect on the body which aids the filtering of impurities from the bloodstream. By promoting perspiration, Burdock Root eliminates toxins through the skin. Burdock Root contains inulin, a carbohydrate that strengthens the liver. The high concentration of inulin and mucilage aids in the soothing effects on the gastrointestinal tract. The high concentration of inulin is helpful for individuals afflicted with diabetes and hypoglycemia as it provides helpful sugar that does not provoke rapid insulin production. Inulin is aromatic, stimulant, expectorant, tonic, stomachic, and antiseptic. Burdock Root can also be used as a mild laxative that aids in the elimination of uric acid or gout.  

Burdock root helps the kidneys to filter out impurities from the blood very quickly. It clears congestion in respiratory, lymphatic, urinary and circulatory systems. Burdock  releases water retention, stimulates digestion, aids kidney, liver and gallbladder function.  It also functions as an aperient, depurative, and antiscorbutic. Decoctions of Burdock have also been historically used for soothing the kidneys, relieving the lymphatic system, rheumatism, gout, GI tract disorders, stomach ailments, constipation, catarrh, fever, infection, fluid retention and skin problems. An article in Chemotherapy identified the chemical arctigenin contained in Burdock as an “inhibitor of experimental tumor growth.” European and Chinese herbalists have long considered burdock root's "lightly warming, moistening effect an excellent tonic for the lungs and liver.  It reportedly stimulates toxic waste through the skin and urine, improving digestion and is good for arthritis and rheumatism.
A recent study showed that Burdock blocked dangerous chemicals from causing damage to cells, suggesting to the possibility that burdock may help decrease the risk of developing cancer from toxic chemicals. And finally, despite Burdock’s reputation as a noxious weed, it is the source of several very palatable foods. Edible components of the Burdock plant are its roots, seeds, and its young stems. Young stalks are boiled to be eaten like asparagus, raw stems and young leaves are eaten in salads. Both the root and leaves are used in herbal remedies, but most recipes call for the root which has a sweetish and mucilaginous taste. Fresh burdock root also has a distinct aroma. It has been used, after chopping and roasting, as a coffee substitute. Originally cultivated in China for medicinal purposes, this unique root has become a sought-after specialty in Japan. Flavorful and crunchy, burdock is an excellent source of fiber, along with the vitamins and minerals. Its nutty taste is delicious sautéed in combination with carrots or just some soy sauce and a bit of sugar, or it can be deep-fried in a tempura batter. Avoid rinsing this brown-skinned vegetable until you're ready to use it.  In markets, it's sold with the dirt still lingering on the roots because it is quick to wilt when washed. The white flesh immediately discolors once peeled. You'll want to soak it in a mild vinegar solution until you're ready to cook it to maintain the color. Its hearty flavor is a little like that of potatoes, although it’s related to artichokes. Mashed roots can also be formed into patties and fried.  The white pith can be added to salads or simmered in syrup to make candy or soaked in vinegar  to make pickles. (Information from Herbal Legacy.)

Chicory

Chicory as a homeopathic remedy is used for sluggish digestion that may lead to headaches. Herbally, chicory is a bitter used to increase appetite and promote digestion. As a culinary herb, young chicory leaves are used in salads. Chicory root is best known as a coffee substitute. (From Holistic Health Careers)

Milkweed 

Milkweeds secrete latex containing cardiac glycosides that are medicinally valuable in the treatment of heart disease. This same latex is an old home remedy for warts. These compounds are also part of a chemical defense that the butterflies deploy against birds who would prey on them, explaining in part their fascination with these plants. Milkweed serves as a major nectar source for butterflies and bees; both of which have been in rapid decline in large part because of herbicides like Roundup, which kills virtually all plants except crops genetically modified to survive it. As a result, millions of acres of native plants, especially milkweed, an important source of nectar for many species, and vital for monarch butterfly larvae, have been wiped out. One study showed that Iowa has lost almost 60 percent of its milkweed, and another found 90 percent was gone. The agricultural landscape has been sterilized. You can help! Become an active participant now. Make a difference today. It all starts with one seed...and you to plant it. (From Annie's Remedy)

To read Part II of this study, click here.

Throwing a Zero-Waste Party

One of the obvious hazards of having a bunch of wonderful people over is dealing with everything those wonders leave behind.

So few of us want to spend time with loved ones washing dishes and cleaning, we often opt for what seems easiest: disposable everything.  Yet, we just threw a party with six bands and hundreds of people and ended up with less than one full bag of garbage. How on earth did we pull that off?

First, the problem.

From Styrofoam plates to plastic cups, we are so accustomed to throwaway meal items that we barely give a second thought to utilizing stuff that we only use for minutes (sometimes seconds) before tossing it along on its dead-end course with a landfill. Here are the facts (from reuseit.com):

• In 2009, the United States generated 13 million tons of plastics waste from containers and packaging, and 7 million tons of nondurable plastic waste (for example plates and cups). The combined total of nondurable disposables exceeded the 11 million tons of plastic durable goods, such as appliances [EPA]. Only 7 percent was recovered for recycling.
• Plastic cutlery is non-biodegradable, can leach toxic chemicals when handled improperly, and is widely used. Worldcentric.org estimates 40 billion plastic utensils are used every year in just the United States. The majority of these are thrown out after just one use.
• 3,460,000 tons of tissues and paper towels wound up in landfills in 2008.
• The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 780,000 tons of plastic and polystyrene cups and plates were discarded in 2008.
• Americans produce enough Styrofoam cups every year to circle the earth 436 times. These cups are completely non-biodegradable, deplete the Earth’s ozone layer, waste enormous amounts of landfill, and are deadly to marine life.
• The Container Recycling Institute claims that 2.81 million juice boxes were sold in the U.S. in 2006, most of which cannot be recycled due to the inseparability of the cardboard, plastic, and aluminum foil used in the product.
• According to the EPA, Americans discarded about 2.7 million tons of aluminum, the largest source being used beverage and packaging containers. And in the time it takes you to read this sentence, more than 50,000 12-oz. aluminum cans were made. 
• The Container Recycling Institute estimates that supplying plastic water bottles to American consumers in one year requires more than 47 million gallons of oil, the equivalent of one billion pounds of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. 

So what's the solution?
At last week's Summerfest, we welcomed hundreds of people to Better Farm to help support betterArts' mission of arts and cultural outreach against a backdrop of responsible environmentalism and practical sustainability.

So what did we do to steer away from such a disposable-obsessed culture?

• Instead of Styrofoam plates, we went with compostable ones that will turn into dirt by next spring.
• We opted to invest in real silverware and cutlery, along with heavy-duty plastic tubs for bussing dirty silverware.
• We utilized real glasses for iced tea, lemonade, water, beer and wine.
• We ditched all the single-serving bottles. That means no water bottles, no bottles of juice. We filled pitchers and loaded people up with glasses.
• We put out carefully marked garbage pails: compost, burnable, washable, recyclable. That left cigarette butts and empty bags of ice as the party's only actual trash items.
• We made our food from actual ingredients, not pre-packaged or store-bought stuff. That meant no cellophane, Styrofoam, or even plastics to contend with. As a bonus, most of the side-dish items came from just a few feet away in Better Farm's garden!

For a party of several hundred people over the course of 12 hours, there were about six trips to the kitchen sink to wash glasses and cutlery. We divided up the responsibilities on this, so no one was stuck doing it more than once. The few minutes it took to clean everything and bring it all back to the party makes the investment more than worthwhile—over the course of several years, betterArts is saving hundreds of dollars by not having to buy disposable items. That's more money that can be spent doing arts outreach in the North Country—and less junk clogging up the environment. We can all feel good about that.
Got some great ideas for throwing zero-waste parties? Email us at info@betterfarm.org.

Redwood Firemen's Field Days Parade 2014

Better Farm's WINNING float!

The most wonderful time of year has come and gone yet again in Redwood, N.Y.—the Redwood Firemen's Field Days.

Three days each August for the last 56 years, Redwood and neighboring hamlets and towns come together to support Redwood's Volunteer Fire Department at the organization's biggest fundraiser of the year. An auction, barbecue, carnival, parade, live bands, and and tons of merriment are among the main—but not only—attractions at the event.

The Redwood Volunteer Fire Department does much, much more in the community than putting out fires. These men and women are pillars of North Country culture; coming out to support other organizations, offering neighborly services to people near and far, and giving their time selflessly at events throughout the region. These folks even helped to hose down the Better Mud Run course back in July.

Better Farm has developed a particular fondness for the Field Days Parade, held during the last evening of Field Days and boasting a cavalcade of antique cars, fire trucks, and floats for organizations, businesses, political candidates, nursery schools, and more. We've been in the parade every year since 2009; and each year, we've inched higher on the totem pole as we scored third place in 2010,  second place in 2012 and 2013. This was our year! But it would take a whole lot of preparation...

Like, about 40 years' worth. Here's the Better Farm float in a parade back in 1974-ish:

 

We opted to repeat that theme with a stars-and-stripes motif on our float and in our outfits. For half of our float participants, we used striped fabric and stars to make Uncle Sam costumes:

For the ladies on the float, we decided to invoke some Rosie the Riveter spirit:

Here we all are putting the final touches on the float and heading downtown:

...and here's the parade in motion!

Thank you Redwood Volunteer Fire Department for all you do! See Better Farm's full Redwood Field Days album by clicking here.

New Partnership Brings Fresh Produce to Redwood Food Pantry

The belles of Better Farm transport Redwood's Community Greenhouse to its new home.

A new partnership has turned the Redwood Community Greenhouse into a produce operation that will supply fresh greens and veggies to the Redwood Food Pantry.

Local organizations Hearts for Youth, Redwood Neighborhood Association, and Better Farm have teamed up to provide volunteer hours that will cultivate fresh, organic produce earmarked specifically for use by the Redwood Food Pantry in order to provide local residents with healthy, local food.

Redwood Community Greenhouse.

To that end, the Community Greenhouse has been relocated to Better Farm in order to receive the round-the-clock attention and watering a summer greenhouse requires; while also taking advantage of the extended growing season a greenhouse can provide. In the greenhouse's former home along Route 37 in downtown Redwood, raised beds have been constructed for public use. Now a community garden, it is the hope of these partnered organizations that people within the hamlet who do not have access to a garden will take advantage of the Redwood Community Garden to grow veggies from corn to broccoli.

Xuan Du and Kathryn Mollica fill raised beds in Redwood's Community Garden.

For more information or to volunteer at the greenhouse or community garden, call (315) 482-2536 or email info@betterfarm.org.

'Better Buckets' Compost Initiative Kicks Off in Redwood

Redwood's three-tier compost bin.

Volunteers on Saturday gathered behind Redwood's Community Greenhouse to construct a three-bin compost system available for public use as part of the recently launched "Better Buckets" initative.



Better Farm has partnered with the Redwood Neighborhood Association and other local groups and individuals to kick off a new campaign that will turn natural waste into soil and help preserve and expand the natural beauty of the area.


“Better Buckets” allows individuals and families in the Redwood area to isolate food scraps from the waste stream in order to benefit their community. Better Farm will deliver five-gallon pails to those who have signed up and make regular visits to empty the buckets—or individuals can bring their full buckets to the community compost bin at anytime. Over time, the food scraps will become healthy soil perfect for fertilizing flowers and produce grown in the community greenhouse. Redwood residents are invited and encouraged to participate in the process of growing plants in the greenhouse, which is operated and overseen by members of the Redwood Neighborhood Association. Plant sales and giveaways throughout the summer months will help to nourish residents and beautify the hamlet. This program is brought to the community at no cost to participating individuals.


How the Three-Tier Compost Bin Works
 

All your dead leaves, grass clippings, twigs, hay, and kitchen food scraps get tossed into the first section of the compost bin until it's a full, big pile. When that bin is full, you shovel it all into the second bin (top-to-bottom). Then you go back to filling the first section of your compost bin. When it fills up again, you move everything from compartment 2 to 3, and from 1 to 2. Then you start over. When all three compartments are full (this should take the average household a full year or even longer), the third bin should be ready to be shoveled out into your garden.

How it works is that over time, the materials in each bin will be decomposing. The process is sped up by your twice-yearly aeration (manually shoveling the pile into the next bin), rainwater falling from overhead, and the natural aeration that will occur by oxygen reaching your pile from the nice big spaces between the wood of the pallets. Also, because you're leaving a bare earth floor, worms and other bugs have easy access to your compost heap.

If you're worried about backyard pests like raccoons or coyotes, be sure to install a hinged door on the front three sections of your compost bin. And of course, if you live in suburbs or the city, you may be subject to zoning or community board laws that would require a closed compost container such as a tumbler. For the rest of you, here's how to have your own three-tier compost bin for less than $20 to cover the cost of screws and chicken wire.

What You'll Need:

• Pallets (12 feet of pallets for back wall, four 4-foot pallets for the walls. Check with your local hardware store, contractors, big box stores, or your local transfer station. Free pallets are in abundance!)
• Galvanized Decking Screws (longer is better)
• Chicken Wire
• Optional: Three "front doors" for your compost sections with hinges (each door should measure 4x4)

Directions:

1. Screw the far left wall into the back wall with screws every six inches or so, driven from back to front.
2. Repeat with the second wall (if pallet is wide enough, screw it into both sections of back wall. If not, you may need some additional pieces of wood to create a solid back to screw into. We were fortunate enough to find a very long pallet to have one continuous back wall).

Many thanks to volunteers from the Redwood Neighborhood Association, Better Farm, and individuals living locally to make this vision a reality. To participate in the Better Buckets program, email info@betterfarm.org.

Compost Initiative Kicks Off in Redwood with Workshop, Hamlet Cleanup

In partnership with the Redwood Neighborhood Association, Better Farm's "Better Buckets" initiative kicks off at 12 p.m. Saturday, April 19, with a workshop to construct Redwood's community compost bin, seed-planting and basic maintenance in the Community Greenhouse, and a trash-pickup project in downtown Redwood.

Those interested in participating in the inaugural year of Better Buckets may also stop in that day to pick up their free compost buckets; 5-gallon pails that will be filled with an individual's or family's food scraps and picked up (or may be dropped off at the community greenhouse) on a weekly basis throughout the year. The dirt produced in the Community Greenhouse's compost bin will be available for free to the public.

Here's a little background on Better Buckets:

Composting is the process of turning food scraps into nutrient-rich soil. With up to 40 percent of all landfills comprised of otherwise biodegradable food scraps, composting is a simple way to cut a huge amount out of the waste stream while benefiting backyard gardens, homegrown produce, and increasing amounts of topsoil.

To that end, Better Farm has partnered with the Redwood Neighborhood Association and other local groups and individuals to kick off a new campaign that will turn natural waste into soil and help preserve and expand the natural beauty of the area.

“Better Buckets” allows individuals and families in the Redwood area to isolate food scraps from the waste stream in order to benefit their community. Better Farm will deliver five-gallon pails to those who have signed up and make regular visits to empty the buckets. Waste will be brought to Redwood's Community Greenhouse for processing (and overflow to Better Farm), where over time the food scraps will become healthy soil perfect for fertilizing flowers and produce grown in the community greenhouse. Redwood residents are invited and encouraged to participate in the process of growing plants in the greenhouse, which is operated and overseen by members of the Redwood Neighborhood Association. Plant sales and giveaways throughout the summer months will help to nourish residents and beautify the hamlet. This program is brought to the community at no cost to participating individuals.

A similar program kicks off in the coming weeks throughout Queens and Brooklyn in New York. Click here to read about that initiative.

If you have questions or would like to pre-register, please email info@betterfarm.org or call (315) 482-2536.

Better Mud Run Signups Now Available!

Sign-ups are now open for the First Annual Better Mud Run July 12 in Redwood, N.Y.!

The Better Mud Run will be held at 12 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at Better Farm. Money raised at the event will fund sustainability and wellness outreach in the North Country, with a portion of proceeds donated to USO-Fort Drum to benefit service members and veterans.

Sign up here!

Featuring more than 20 obstacles, the Better Mud Run invites the fiercest  athletes and thrill-seekers to the Better Farm campus for agility obstacles, wall-climbs, scaling mountains, and—of course—getting really, really muddy. Here's a preview of a few obstacles planned for that day:

• Warrior Carry
• Pond Crawl
• Mud Slide
• Tire Toss
• Hay Bale Jump
• Trench Warfare
• High Stepper

Get all the event details—and the sign-up form—at www.betterfarm.org/better-mudder.

Everyone who signs up to participate in the Better Mud Run will get an event shirt. All who finish the course will get a headband and free drink! Following the course, visitors are encouraged to stay for some food and refreshments that will be available for sale next to the Art Barn, where we will have live music and entertainment to enjoy.

Better Farm is located at 31060 Cottage Hill Road, Redwood. If you would like to sign on as a volunteer to construct the course or help out day-of, please contact us at info@betterfarm.org.