Archive for July, 2010

Our 2009 Online Yearbook is now live! Check out the huge amount of work our roving, wilderness, park, school, and community crews completed in 2009. We built new trails, removed thousands of pounds of invasive species, ran Elmore and Quechee Vermont State Parks, repaired heavily-eroded natural areas, and helped preserve Vermont’s beautiful landscapes for generations to come. Thank you to all of our alumni and staff who worked long hours to make this happen!

On Wednesday, July 28 VYCC Community Crews will host friends, families, and visitors at their end-of-season open house presentations. Crews will discuss the work they have accomplished and the lessons they have learned throughout the summer. Below are details for each crew:

Burlington Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Catsey and Ryan)
- 5 pm at Starr Farm Park in Burlington

Richmond Career Development Crew (Crew Leaders: Nate and Marissa)
- 5pm at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond
- Potluck!

Rutland Career Development Crew (Crew Leaders: Nigel and Tyler)
- 2 to 4pm at the Pittsford Recreation Area
- Potluck!

Woodstock Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Marie and Erik)
- 5 to 7pm at the Forest Center in the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, Woodstock

Montpelier Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Carly and Brit)
- 1:30pm at the Ricker Pond parking lot in Groton State Park (Rt 302 East, turn onto rt. 232, can only go left, towards Ricker Mill)

Questions? Call (802) 434 – 3969 x200 or email info@vycc.org.

Second session crews begin July 24! All Roving and Wilderness Corps Members should meet at the West Monitor Barn between 9:30-10am for registration. Please remember to bring either your valid passport or your driver’s license/learner’s permit and social security card or birth certificate. We will double check your medical form, corps member agreement, and have you fill out W-4 and I-9 forms. Afterwards, we will circle up as a community and start forming crews! Parents will be able to attend a short parent info session after the circle up and then can head out. For more information, email info@vycc.org

Driving Directions to the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT:

If driving north on I-89, take exit 10 (Waterbury). From the exit ramp, turn left on Route 100 South (towards Waterbury). Route 100 will dead end in one mile. Turn right on Route 2 West. The West Monitor Barn is located on the right side of Route 2, one mile after Jonesville.

If driving south on I-89, take exit 11 (Richmond). From the exit ramp, turn right on Route 2 East (towards Richmond). The West Monitor Barn is located on the left side of Route 2, two miles after the light in the town of Richmond.

Check out these great pictures from our first session Wilderness and Roving crews! On Saturday, July 17 first session crews returned to the West Monitor Barn in Richmond for a final community circle up. The session was a great success with crews based throughout the state, from the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Swanton to the Appalachian Trail outside of Stockbridge. Thank you to all of our corps members, crew leaders, sponsors, partners, and VYCC staff who made the crews possible!

With one session finished, the next session is just around the corner! Our second session crews start this Saturday, July 24. If you have any questions about crew start up or would like to visit a second session crew, email info@vycc.org.

It is hard to believe that is the middle of July already, even though the weeds and the heat can attest to it every day.  Here’s a brief (well, as brief as I can make it) synopsis of what is happening out back on the farm.  If you haven’t had a chance to look around, it’s a great walk during lunch.  I promise you won’t be disappointed!  And thank you for reading…

Field

Everything has taken off, especially the weeds, so it will be a busy few weeks playing catch up. However with our stellar, hard-working farm team, no doubt those weeds will be tackled sooner than later.  Zucchinis and summer squash are coming in strong, with cucumbers soon to follow.  Corn is waist high, potatoes are flowering, beets and carrots are getting bigger and we even have some winter squash the size of footballs!  And those are just a few examples of what’s out there.  We have, unfortunately, found traces of an unwelcome visitor to the fields: deer.  So far they’ve only eaten some beet greens but we’re starting to devise a plan to keep them at bay.

PYO

The pick your own garden is growing and flowers are blooming.  It is quite a beautiful spot back there and I highly encourage anyone in need of a break from their computer to stroll up and enjoy the flowers. We have sunflowers, calendula, snapdragons and zinnias blooming, just to name a few.

Greenhouse

The greenhouse is full, and I mean FULL, of beautiful looking green tomatoes.  We’re hoping they’ll begin to ripen any day now.  The plants are growing so fast it is almost as if you can watch them grow.  We’ve got full size peppers and basil plants in there as well.  Think tomato, basil, and mozzarella. Ahhh, that is summer.

CSA and Markets

We’re heading into our 5^th week of CSA pick-ups and so far they have been a great success.  Folks are enjoying the pick your own garden and our new composting system.  With the help of Chittenden Solid Waste District we’ve given all interested CSA members 4-gallon buckets to fill with their food waste and bring to the farm to compost.  Farmers markets are going well, although a bit slow to develop in Waterbury.  If you live close to Waterbury, or know anyone who does, please send them our way on Thursdays between 3-7 on the green.  You can also visit us at the Richmond market on Fridays from 3 – 6:30.

Broilers

We just processed close to 300 (our second batch) of our broiler chickens this past Monday.  They’re a bit smaller this time around (between 3 -4 lbs) which I think will be good for markets, considering our last batch averaged around 6 lbs. We’re selling them fresh all week so if you’ve always been curious to try one out, now is your chance!  Email or call me. Our third batch of broilers is almost one week old and all are doing well in their brooder.  They’ll be ready for pasture in another week.

Layers

Our laying hens are amazing.  They are growing, happy birds and we think they’re getting ready to lay very soon.  We’ve all placed bets on when the first egg will arrive.  We think sometime between now and mid-August.  We’ll keep you posted because soon you’ll be able to purchase eggs when you come to work!

New and Updates

Every Wednesday for the month of July we’ll be hosting the Our Community Cares campers.  Led by farm interns Kelly McQuade and Melissa McNell, the campers are learning about different aspects of farming, playing games, harvesting vegetables, holding chickens and having fun.  The camp, along with the Richmond Food Shelf, receives produce from the farm every week.  Last week, the camp made pesto with our basil for pizza.

I’m sure there is a lot more to add to the list of accomplishments on the farm but I’ll leave it here.  A special thank you to the VYCC Farm Crew: Ben, Angela, Melissa and Kelly who bring their hard work, dedication, knowledge and patience to the farm every day.  The farm program, in its first year, would not be as successful without them.

Until next time, when we’ll surely have tomatoes to brag about…

Amanda

Roving 10′s open house is tonight, July 13 at 7pm at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond. The crew will share their work accomplishments with visitors and tell stories from their last three weeks on the trail. For more information or directions to the barn, please call 802.434.3969 x200.

Saturday, July 17 is closure for first session Wilderness and Roving crews. Parents and guardians should plan to arrive at the West Monitor Barn (directions to the barn in Richmond, VT below) at 11am. Please do not come any earlier as all crews will be working hard to unpack their equipment, sharpen tools, and reorganize themselves! At 11am, we will gather for a last community circle up and then say our farewells. Friends and families can expect to leave by noon.

If you are interested in carpooling please leave a comment below, with your town of departure, either offering or asking for a ride.

See you on Saturday!

Driving Directions to the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT:

If driving north on I-89, take exit 10 (Waterbury). From the exit ramp, turn left on Route 100 South (towards Waterbury). Route 100 will dead end in one mile. Turn right on Route 2 West. The West Monitor Barn is located on the right side of Route 2, one mile after Jonesville.

If driving south on I-89, take exit 11 (Richmond). From the exit ramp, turn right on Route 2 East (towards Richmond). The West Monitor Barn is located on the left side of Route 2, two miles after the light in the town of Richmond.

On June 27 the VYCC hosted Herbie and Henry, two (huge!) draft horses who work at Maple Wind Farm. Owner Bruce Hennessey presented a workshop on using draft horses in the field, after which folks big and small had the opportunity to give it a go. Check out the slideshow to see the fun!

Celebrate our crews’ accomplishments by attending open houses! Each session VYCC crews invite friends, family members, and supporters to visit their camp sites, learn about their work projects, and share crew stories. Most 4-week, first session open houses are July 7, but check out each crew’s plan below for specific details. (Hint: Crews love it when you bring food!)

If you have any questions, please call Cailie Burns at (802) 434 – 3969 x113.

Roving 1 Co-ed Leadership Development Crew (Crew Leaders: Marcus and Mo) – AUGUST 11 – 2:30 to 4:30pm at Seyon Lodge State Park, 2967 Seyon Pond Rd, Groton

Roving 2 All-female Leadership Development Crew (Crew Leaders: Heather and Briana) – AUGUST 21 – Closing weekend (time and day TBD) at the West Monitor Barn

Roving 3 LEAP (Crew Leaders: Elon and Heather) – JULY 11 – Potluck at 4-7 pm, West Monitor Barn

Roving 4 (Crew Leaders: Erin and Kateri) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30pm at Moosalamoo Campground, sites 17 & 19, Goshen

Roving 5 (Crew Leaders: Cyndi and Brigitte) – JULY 7 – 4pm to 8pm at Silver Lake Campground, Leicester (next to Goshen, note this is NOT the Silver Lake State Park near Woodstock)

Roving 6 (Crew Leaders: Nikki and Dom) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30 pm at Hapgood Pond in Peru, VT

Roving 7 (Crew Leaders: Katie and Matt M) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30pm – 8:30pm; meet at the Manchester Ranger Station and we’ll caravan to Grout Pond Campground

Roving 8 (Chris and Elizabeth) – AUGUST 11 – Potluck and snacks, at 4266 VT Rt 14, South Royalton. Time TBD

Roving 9 (Crew Leaders: Ashley and Shane) – JULY 7 – 6pm at North Hero State Park

**UPDATED** Roving 10 (Crew Leaders: Emma and Pat) – July 13 – 7pm at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT(either in the Hay Mow or outside on the deck)

Roving 11 (Crew Leaders: Cara and Dave) -JULY 7 – Dessert Potluck, 7pm at Valley Cares in Townshend, VT

Roving 12 (Crew Leaders: Vanessa and Pete) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30pm at Montshire Museum, Norwich

Wild 1 (Crew Leaders: Carrie, Rick & Maureen) – JULY 7 – 5:00pm, Meet at the gate on Forest Service Rd 58 in Peru, Vt (off of Mad Tom Notch Road, toward Griffith Lake) Be prepared to hike! Festivities will start at the gate, but if people want to see the work or campsite, they should be expecting an hour hike over easy terrain

Wild 2 (Crew Leaders: Claudia and Lisa) – JULY 7 – Potluck at 5:30 – 8:30 pm. Meet where the crew parks their emergency vehicle on Lottery Rd, in Shrewsbury, VT. Be prepared to hike! Festivities will start on the road, but if people want to see the campsite, they should be expecting a twenty minute hike over moderate, wet, muddy terrain

Wild 3 (Crew Leaders: Meg and Thorin) – JULY 7 – Potluck at 6pm, Crew campsite off of Stony Brook Rd, Stockbridge. Look for a silver Honda Civic parked on the left side of the road about 15 minutes up the road. The crew campsite is beyond a meadow located directly behind a rickety footbridge going over a stream on the Appalachian Trail. Stony Brook Rd is gravel, and bumpy! Go slow! At some point you might think you haven’t gone far enough but keep going until you see the silver Honda on the left!

Burlington Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Catsey and Ryan) – JULY 28 – 5pm at Starr Farm Park, Burlington

Richmond Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Nate and Marissa) – July 28 – 5pm at the West Monitor Barn, Richmond

Rutland Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Nigel and Tyler) – July 28 – 2pm; Elfin Lake Recreation Area. Meet at the beach by the new rain garden that the Rutland Community crew built!

Woodstock Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Marie and Erik) – July 28 – 1pm – 7pm, Forest Center at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock

Montpelier Community Crew: (Crew Leaders: Carly and Brit) – July 28 – Time and location TBD. Details coming soon!