Philippines RPCV Dina Brewster raises crops organically at the Lounsbury Road farm



After graduating from Yale University in 1998, she joined the Peace Corps in the Philippines, where she trained inhabitants how to teach English. In 2001, she returned to the United States and for the next six years taught English in the Bronx. It wasn’t until last March, after the death of Farmer Otto, that Ms. Brewster took over. Although she had to give up teaching to run the farm, she believes that both lines of work run parallel. “Both involve cultivating,” she said. “It’s a changing field, and you’re constantly responding to new ideas. You always have to update your knowledge, and you’re on your feet all day.” She added that both fields require optimism. Since she had spent much vacation time helping out at The Hickories during her childhood years, Ms. Brewster learned at a young age to value the exhausting amount of time and labor put into farming. The late farmer Otto Gravesen, better known as “Farmer Otto,” was her teacher and mentor. It’s an incredibly hard job,” she said, “involving late nights and early mornings. ... I’ve pulled four all-nighters, which I never did in high school or college.”

Philippines RPCV Dina Brewster raises crops organically at the Lounsbury Road farm

FOOD: Farm provides locally grown fruits and veggies

You don’t have to live on a farm — or even in farm country — to get fresh produce. But buying your fruits and vegetables from The Hickories, Ridgefield’s last working farm, can also have environmental benefits.

“With oil prices not getting better, local food supplies are more important now,” said the farm’s manager, Dina Brewster, who raises the crops organically at the Lounsbury Road farm.

She also values the preservation of working land. “There’s been a mass extinction in farmland,” she pointed out. “Land is the only thing that people aren’t making more of.”

According to Ms. Brewster, the average American dinner travels 1,500 miles to get to one’s plate. So it’s no suprise that growing locally conserves both fuel and money.

“Why buy a head of lettuce ... have it shipped all the way from California, when you can purchase it locally and avoid the energy consumed to fly it here?” said Jay Whelan, farm volunteer and president of Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment, or RACE.

Full-time volunteer Rob Kelly takes pride in the “local aspect” of this agricultural enterprise.

“When you know the person who’s growing your food and you can stop by and say hello, a binder full of organic regulations isn’t as important,” he said. “You can see for yourself how your food is being grown.”

Cultivation

Since she had spent much vacation time helping out at The Hickories during her childhood years, Ms. Brewster learned at a young age to value the exhausting amount of time and labor put into farming. The late farmer Otto Gravesen, better known as “Farmer Otto,” was her teacher and mentor.

“It’s an incredibly hard job,” she said, “involving late nights and early mornings. ... I’ve pulled four all-nighters, which I never did in high school or college.”

After graduating from Yale University in 1998, she joined the Peace Corps in the Philippines, where she trained inhabitants how to teach English. In 2001, she returned to the United States and for the next six years taught English in the Bronx.

It wasn’t until last March, after the death of Farmer Otto, that Ms. Brewster took over. Although she had to give up teaching to run the farm, she believes that both lines of work run parallel.

“Both involve cultivating,” she said. “It’s a changing field, and you’re constantly responding to new ideas. You always have to update your knowledge, and you’re on your feet all day.” She added that both fields require optimism.

Community

Her optimism is fueled by CSA, or “community supported agriculture.” Essentially, it allows her to gauge interest in her crops before she even plants a seed.

“That’s what helps me sleep at night,” Ms. Brewster said, “knowing I’m not doing this alone.”

In addition to volunteering, Mr. Whelan takes part in CSA.

“It’s a rewarding experience when you can participate in growing the produce that you’ll be purchasing,” he said. “To work with the earth is very soothing.”

Growing community involvement has spurred growth of the farm.

“The community has leapt up to support our farm,” Ms. Brewster said, “with everything from ideas to actual backbreaking labor to simply sharing their enthusiasm.”

In fact, The Hickories relies heavily upon local volunteers who chip in whenever they can.

Fresh produce

Despite the hard work, Ms. Brewster relishes her new lifestyle.

“I’m working closely with seasons, people, food, and nature,” she said. “It’s so much fun to be outdoors, too.”

In the future, she hopes to attract more volunteers and conduct business with local restaurants.

The Hickories will be selling produce directly off the farm starting tomorrow, Friday, June 22, via its stand at 126 Lounsbury Road.

For more information, call The Hickories at 894-1851. Free membership, which yields monthly newsletters and updates on upcoming farm events, is available online at www.thehickories.org.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: June, 2007; Peace Corps Philippines; Directory of Philippines RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Philippines RPCVs; Agriculture; Organic Food; Connecticut

When this story was posted in October 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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