What could be more natural, and pleasing in nature, than standing outside your door listening to birds, especially this time of year when robin bellies swell with eggs, and nests materialize under eaves and in lean-tos?  Really, let’s face it, if we take the time, birds and their sounds can be as compelling as a mystery to solve.  What is that species with the neat trill, the brilliant swatch of orange around the neck?  Who are the ones who swoop in droves and disappear at the instant they land?  Curiosity got the best of me this year, and I finally signed up for a bird watch, trying to dispel my own limited belief that I’d be part of an aged crowd.  You know the image, corny Bermuda shorts, wide brim hats, brandishing oversized camera lenses and pricey binoculars while rattling off erudite observations honed over years of bird-gazing with their retiree side-kicks.

In Provincetown, an area of spectacular spring migration, the Beech Forest at Race Point is the meeting spot for a weekly bird tour around the grounds.  Led by an Audubon expert, a group of eight of us (of varied backgrounds and ages, by the way!) took off on foot for a two hour adventure, seeking out the gorgeous sounding warblers, the flirty fly catchers, the territorial kingfishers.  As we circled a large fresh water pond at the center of Beech Forest, we caught glimpses of the native spotted sandpiper, a snapping turtle laying eggs, and winding, decorative sand tracks sculpted by painted turtles, also on their baby-making missions.  A few birds of note gave us glimpses into their habitat and song, namely a red-winged blackbird happily lording over a marsh, and a lone northern oriole, which made me feel proud as I’d already identified an oriole that performs in branches outside my Cape house.  Our barefoot instructor carried with him the “Peterson Bird Field Guide” and said this, along with many others, is a good one for beginners.  Whistling, chirping, and hooting, he mimicked birds so that we could appreciate a distant sound even though the bird in question opted for elusiveness.  Making their presence known while hiding out in trees, bushes, and sand dunes were towhees, Carolina wrens, chipping sparrows, and phoebes.  Except for occasional swarms of mosquitoes, our early morning jaunt gave me a new slant on sounds that we often take for granted, and embellished my day with a larger, more generous perspective of the outdoors.  All this and more for $7!  Oh and by the way, the retiree crowd on hand could easily outmaneuver me on the trail!  Check out the Wellfleet site and reserve. You won’t be disappointed.

Our fundraiser was a great step towards ensuring a successful upcoming Market season!  All of the proceeds go directly to the operations of the HFM and include scholarships to help local farmers, families in need, insurance, local advertising and more.  It does take a village to feed a village, so if you weren’t able to make it to the festivities but would like to contribute in some way, please click the paypal icon on our website OR a donation can also be mailed to P.O. Box 317, Harvard MA 01451.  If you would like to join this FUN organization, let us know…helping hands are always needed, and at the very least, it’s worth joining for the delicious local food we have at every meeting!

Be on the lookout over the next few weeks for puzzle answers and more fabulous pictures.  Also make sure you become a Friend of The Harvard Farmers’ Market on Facebook for a full slide show of our hilarious teams.  Good times, good times…   Already can’t wait to start planning next year’s adventure…..

Spring has sprung and the faire maidens of the market have been busy planning our Second Annual Harvard Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser. Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, May 1st, 2010
Time: 4:00pm registration – Hunt starts at 4:30pm -sharp!
Place: Starting and Ending at Billiards Cafe on Main Street in Ayer, MA.

Details:  Hunt ends as 8:00 at followed by judging, food, give-aways, and music provided by local musicians, Pandemonium.

Registration:  Download your team registration form Here:

Click here to download your form.

Return it by April 28th for pre-registration 25$/pp.  After the 28th and up until the guns go off..$30/pp.

We look forward to seeing you there and challenging you with our new and improved (and even trickier) May Faire inspired hunt!

Peace, Love, and Good Food,
Jen, Rochelle, Lisa and Davida

She’s visited us for several years running, sometimes blending vegetables, sometimes slicing squash, sometimes shopping the stalls for her infamous homemade raw tomato sauce and gazpacho. The HFM’s great friend and supporter Kelly Bollman of Simple Balance returns again this year with her green smoothies…this time with a challenge for us! Join fellow cleansers and green food lovers around the area and pledge three weeks of green smoothies.    The cost: only $10 with half the proceeds being donated to the HFM! For info on the Challenge, to register, to find recipes, get nutrition tips and more, go to Kelly’s website at www.aboutsimplebalance.com And be sure to share some good  smoothie tips with us; we’d love to post them. Cheers to good health and all things green!

Nonetheless, here is to wishing that today’s kick off of the Vermont Ave Farmers Market, located just a couple blocks from the White House and created due to the support of the Obama family is a rousing success.

In this photo: Mark Femino of the band Pandemonium

From 11-1 this Saturday, the HFM proudly features the band Pandemonium. These Harvard boys include Mike Geezil on bass & vocals; Jonathan Williams on drums & vocals; and Mark Femino on guitar & vocals. Although the band is new, members have spent time on the road in years past recording and touring. This progressive rock band has been influenced by the classic rock and grunge bands of the last few decades. We are all ready for some serious jammin’ Saturday morning, boys…ROCK ON!

Hailing from Bolton, MA, this local duo is remarkable not just for their musical talents but for the fact that they tap into their dreams as the source of their inspiration. Dan and Faith have been busy playing open mikes both locally and in the Boston area. Their music spans folk, blues, and instrumental genres. To hear the Dan and Faith Band, go to their myspace page or better yet, hear them at the Market Saturday, September 19 from 9-11.

This week at the HFM we welcome Kelly Bollman of Simple Balance.  She’ll be preparing  “Angel Hair Pasta and Marinara” made with all raw ingredients – it’s delicious!  Visit Kelly to taste a sample and learn more about the health benefits of raw food. You can get most ingredients at the Market to make your own at home!  
 
Kelly’s Angel Hair Pasta with Marinara
 
Pasta:
4 zucchini
 
Marinara Sauce:
2 ½ cups tomatoes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, dried
12 sundried tomatoes, soak until soft
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons, parsley, fresh
3 dates, pitted, soak if not soft
Using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler, make the angel hair pasta. Pour pasta into a large bowl.

Using a food processor, combine all of the ingredients for the marinara sauce and blend until smooth.  Pour sauce over angel hair pasta and serve.

I hope folks will come to the Market this Saturday to enjoy the fabulous food and camaraderie … but also to meet some rescued dogs who are looking for forever homes.  Great Dog Rescue New England will be at the Market this week from 11-1, and it is a treat to see all of the beautiful dogs and pups who have been given another chance for a happy life by GDRNE.

GDRNE is a wonderful and successful organization – I can’t say enough good things!  Everyone working there is completely dedicated to the care and careful placement of the hundreds of lucky dogs that come through each year.   Please come and meet some of them this weekend!

To learn more or to get an online application, visit www.gdrne.com.

- Lisa Frackiewicz, Market Manager (and GDRNE volunteer)

We are thrilled that local singer/songwriter/guitarist Ashley Jordan will be joining the Market once again to share her incredible talents with us. She has spent a busy year writing, recording, winning awards, and playing venues from Massachusetts to Florida. Her setlist includes acoustic covers and originals…songs from Neil Young, Bob Dylan, CSN, the Beatles and more will be sure to enchant shoppers and farmers alike! Look for her on myspace…or better yet, we invite you to hear our incredible young friend in person this Saturday from 11-1.