Article: Vineyard Conservation Almanac

The Farm Institute, under new management, promises lots of fun and hard work!
By Marnie Stanton

“The vastness of the prairie with its undulating grasses is very reminiscent of ocean waves – but not quite the same thing,” said Matthew Goldfarb, the new Farm and Education Director of The Farm Institute. “What I was missing was the real thing, the ocean and that is what brought me back to the east coast and ultimately to Martha’s Vineyard.” In June of 2005, Matthew was hired on as the farm manager for The Farm Institute and later in 2005 became the new Farm and Education Director.

Matthew is a man of vision who is currently overseeing the renovation of the farm, from the creation of a new building to house teaching activities and staff offices, to a large makeover of the working barns from cow stanchions to larger open pens for the variety of livestock grazing in the big open pastures.

Looking over the sweep of pastureland, he gratefully acknowledges the vision of another man from a different time. Bob Woodruff, then director of the Vineyard Conservation Society in the late 70’s, along with town leaders and state-level partners, saw the tremendous opportunity and benefit in permanently protecting the Katama farm property, and worked tirelessly to secure the land so that farming could continue into the future. Even now, when Matthew reviews plans for managing the various pastures, he’s keenly aware of what could have been. Old assessors maps showing dozens of tiny building lots laid out in the 19th century attest to a land-use outcome that was more likely than not, had the town and conservationists not succeeded nearly 30 years ago.

“The farm is the school,” he notes. “We use the farm as a tool to teach social skills, the value of hard work and a conservation and agrarian ethic. This leads to emotional and academic growth as well as helping children build self-esteem while learning to become team players.”

The Farm Institute is set up as a non-profit organization with a board of directors, and is working hard to sustain their ambitious agenda. Initially, The Institute looked to the farm operation as a primary revenue generator, supporting the many needs of the teaching program. Now, after a careful evaluation of their mission, they are looking at the farming component more as a tool for teaching broader concepts of sustainability and self-sufficiency.

The Institute is committed to being an economically sustainable business, and supports their day-to-day operations with the help of grants and donations. One goal is to work towards making the operation self-sufficient through the sale of farm products, education programs and special events. They are committed to raising their crops and livestock in the healthiest way possible without the use of pesticides and chemicals, though formal qualification as a certified organic operation has yet occurred. The Institute’s cattle and sheep are pasture-fed and they practice field rotation. The vegetables are grown without chemicals, and companion planting techniques are employed as a natural way to support healthy yields. A good variety of egg layers are also part of The Institute’s flock of chickens. “Heritage breeds” of animals are also raised, including a small herd of Belted Galloways (black cattle with a white vertical stripe) a flock of Navaho Cherro sheep. This spring, watch for arrival of several Old Spot pigs.

Generating good will with neighbors, the Island educational community and other partners like the YMCA is also a priority for Matthew and The Institute as he looks to the future. The Farm Institute is particularly fortunate to have Melinda Rabbitt De Feo serving as their new Education Program Manager. She is working hard daily preparing the various curricula for the spring and fall programs as well as all the many activities associated with the Institute’s summer camp program.

“Farm chores are the most popular part of The Farm Institutes program,” she says. Children of all ages can participate in the many daily activities necessary to run the farm. By participating in the daily chores, the children learn, for example, about the lifecycle of sheep from birth to death, and how wool is gathered and used to make a sweater. Kids help in the vegetable planting and learn how farm foods make it to their tables. In the summer, they harvest the various crops and sell the farm products right at the farm stand. Through these many activities and hard work, the children learn about the complex web of life and the value of healthy farm foods.

Melinda is also committed to supporting the teachers classroom curriculum by introducing “eco-literacy”. She is a great supporter of the Slow Food Movement and is interested in getting local foods into the various schools on island. “It is time to rethink the school lunch, with a “wellness policy” of good health and nutrition,” she says.

The skills that the children are learning today at The Farm Institute will create informed consumers, and environmental advocates tomorrow. In this day and age when so many kids have no idea where milk and eggs comes from, it is wonderful to know that the Farm Institute is succeeding in its educational mission and declaring that its OK to get your hands dirty!

Go to the Farm Institute web site for much more information. www.farminstitute.org

The FARM Institute - Post Office Box 1868 - Edgartown, MA 02539 - (508) 627-7007