In 2017, the Farm started hosting a monthly educational “speaker series”. The series of evening presentations aimed to spark discussion and learning around important issues. All topics, while related to the farm, are also highly relevant to everyone in our community, including issues surrounding nutrition, change in the food system, the environment, and creating healthy communities. Sadly, we had to stop in 2020 because of the global pandemic.
Now in 2023, we are delighted to once again to bring people to the farm to learn and connect!
A Few Things to Note About Farm Talks:
– Free and open to the public: everyone is invited to learn here!
– Talks start at 7:00PM, there will be a presentation for an hour, followed by Q&A
– Even though the Farm Talks are free, we do ask that you register so we can get an accurate headcount! Thank you!
2024 Farm Talks
October 3rd, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Author Event
One Tick Stopped the Clock: A Memoir
by Jennifer Crystal
Due to factors like climate change, tick populations are on the rise. Once considered a “woods of New England” problem, Lyme disease has now been reported in every state except Hawaii, with 476,000 new cases every year—more than HIV and breast cancer combined. Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can have potentially serious
complications, which author Jennifer Crystal learned the hard way. Join her as she
reads from her new memoir One Tick Stopped the Clock; talks about easy ways you
and your family can safely enjoy the outdoors; and answers your questions about tick-borne illness.
Books will be available for purchase at the event through Book Ends in Winchester.
Bitten by a tick at age 19 but not accurately diagnosed until her late twenties, Jennifer Crystal had to learn to create a new normal in the context of chronic illness. Now a writer and educator, she runs the Writing to Heal Immersive Program at Grub Street Creative Writing Center in Boston. For more than a decade, she has written about the chronic illness patient experience for the Global Lyme Alliance. She also serves as the Senior Writer and Patient Experience Representative for the Harvard Health Publishing Lyme Wellness Initiative. She holds a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.F.A. from Emerson College, and has completed a summer of study at the Bread Loaf School of English and a workshop in narrative medicine at Columbia University.
Learn more about Jennifer and her work by visiting her website.
Previous 2023 Presentations:
November 15, 7:00pm – 8:30pm The Rat Poison Problem: How Rodenticides Are Harming Wildlife, Pets, and People
In recent years, Massachusetts has been hit by a string of high profile wildlife deaths due to rodenticide poisoning, such as Mystic River watershed resident MK the bald eagle this past March. However, incidents like these point to a wider epidemic taking place out of the spotlight. Climate change, a construction boom, and increased human density have led to a dramatic rise in rats in metro areas like Boston. Rat poison usually is the main method for dealing with the problem. But these poisons are killing local wildlife and pets and endanger our young children, while not actually proving at all effective in reducing rodents. In this presentation, Save Arlington Wildlife founder Laura Kiesel will review facts about rodenticides and their effects on our health and the environment, while offering practical solutions people in Winchester and other towns can undertake to protect their communities from these dangerous poisons that will have positive ripple effects for the entire state.
June 1, 7:00pm – 8:30pm The Rebirth of Winchester’s Herring with John Kilborn
After a long period of reduced migration due to dams and pollution, the fish are returning in record numbers, improving the ecosystem and bringing back other wildlife like the birds who feed on them. Join WLF Board member John Kilborn for a fascinating discussion about the installation of fish ladders and cleanups helping to revive our waterways.
June 20, 7:00 – 8:30pm Panel: Green Communities and Green Households
Get practical tips on how to power your home while saving money and helping the planet!
Panelists: Joanne Bissetta and David Judelson
Moderator: Susan McPhee
July 26, 7:00pm – 8:30pm Panel: Heat Smart, Clean Heating & Cooling
Learn about alternative heating and cooling methods that will empower you to be comfortable AND responsible.
Panelists: Loie Hayes, Steve Jaslowich, and Ken Pruitt
Moderator: Susan McPhee
August 22, 7pm – 8:30pm Panel: Electric Vehicles
(6:30-7pm EV Showcase)
Come check out some EVs at 6:30 in the All Seasons Barn parking lot!
Parking: parking will be limited at the ASB so please plan on parking at Mullen Field (54 Ridge St.) and walking from there.
Demystifying driving electric! Hear from experts and owners about a variety of electric vehicles (EVs) on the market and get your questions answered! There will be a showcase of EVs (including EV lawn care) at the All Seasons Barn; their owners/drivers (and dealers from Bonnell Ford and Mirak Hyundai) will be available for any questions you may have.
Panelists: Anna Vanderspek and EV owners
Moderator: Susan McPhee
Anna Vanderspek is the Electric Vehicle Program Director at Green Energy Consumers Alliance, a local nonprofit working to speed the transition to a low-carbon future. Since 2016, she has run the Drive Green program, which educates consumers about electric cars and connects them with dealerships across the state to go electric. In addition to program work, Anna advocates for clean transportation policies at the state level.