27 Crescent Street

Weston, MA 02493

Tel 781.893.1162

www.landssake.org

LAND’S SAKE 2015

ANNUAL REPORT

Page 1

2015 ANNUAL REPORT To Our Community

2015 was a big year for Land’s Sake in many ways. Not only did we have a knockout year on the farm, in the

woods, and in our education programs, but we began to sow the seeds of our future. How did we do it?

Through the hard work of our staff, Board members, volunteers, and community members of course! The

following factors allowed us to have another great year, and to set ourselves up for success in 2016:

• A bountiful harvest on the farm. With thorough planning, hard work, and creative solutions to a very

dry season, our farm team harvested a tremendous amount of fresh, healthy produce.

• Increased awareness of our education programs. Through different partnerships, more and more

students are learning about the natural world through programs and visits to the farm.

• New ways to interact with forestry. In addition to our volunteer days, we launched a forestry walk to

help educate visitors on the unique trees at Land’s Sake.

• Improved infrastructure. As our work has grown, so too has our need to support it, with everything

from an additional truck to tomato flats that increase storage and efficiency.

• A completely committed staff. No matter what Mother Nature may throw at them, they always keep

the Farm running.

But our work’s not done yet. As we enter the 2016 season, it’s now time to maintain and build upon last year’s

success. In 2016 we will be working on not only growing our programs, but also growing ourselves. Last year

our community helped make a long-term lease at 90 Wellesley Street a possibility. We will continue to explore

that possibility in 2016, and just what that opportunity means for Land’s Sake. We are also moving into the

new season with a new team structure in place, and with a new Executive Director not far behind.

So stay tuned, and join us on the farm this summer. We have lots to do, new things to show you, and we can’t

wait to see you! And of course, thank you for your support not just this year, but every year. We do what we do

for you, our community.

Cheers,

Holly Ameden

Board President

Board of Directors

Holly Ameden, Board President | Kristina Lukas, Vice President & Co-Treasurer | Michelle Hipwood, Co-

Treasurer | Nathalie Thompson, Secretary | Alix Mackey | Jordan McCarron | Ned Rossiter, Emeritus |

Caitlin Salyer | Steve Weeple | Jonathan White | Barrett Yates-Mack | Elizabeth Young

Advisory Board

Joseph Berman | Bob Brack | Barbara Burgess | Bill Burgess | Brian Donahue | Pamela Fox | Beth Keane |

Brian Keane | Meg Kelly | Jana Lesser | Tracey Morzano | Susan Tamoney | John Thompson

Page 2

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

Farm Highlights

Under the leadership of Farm & Forestry Manager Erik Baum and Assistant Farm

Manager Sara Rostampour, the farm had another successful season. By the

numbers:

• 115,000 pounds of vegetables were grown for the CSA, Farmstand, and

Hunger Relief program.

• 22,000 pounds of this produce went to seven different Hunger Relief

agencies in and around Weston, a 35% increase over our 2014 produce

donations.

• 307 families joined us at the CSA tent, our largest CSA year ever.

• 200 different varieties of 50 different vegetables were featured across

all programs, plus an additional 45 varieties of flowers.

In addition, the Farm team made strides this year to increase their stewardship,

efficiency, and capabilities:

• We used cover cropping throughout the seasons to rejuvenate our soil

and combat unwanted weeds.

• We added a new truck to the farm fleet to expedite harvesting and

transport from field to field. The Farmstand began accepting credit cards

for the first time, and had another successful partnership year with the

Weston Council on Aging.

• We planted a new pick-your-own garden, filled with annual and perennial

herbs for the CSA and Farmstand.

• We tested tomatoes and cucumbers in our high tunnel for the first time,

which help us grow both crops earlier in the season.

None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our 2015 farm

and farmstand crew members: Emma Chinitz, Anthony Defelice, Nick Defelice,

Liam Donahue, Tiffany Dumont, Aidan Fleming, Ali Grupe, Olivia Kefauver, Sarah

Kulbersh, Cordie Lyon, Alana Martel, Suzanne Mello, Liza Potter, Nina Rogowsky,

Sydney Schaeffer, Annie Scozzafava, Maia Simpson, Ken Skudder, Melissa Sullivan.

From Our CSA Shareholders

“So FRESH AND DELICIOUS” “I love this CSA!”

“I’ve gotten so used to having fresh herbs that I’m not sure how I’m going to go back

to just using dried ones again.”

“Love the beauty of the farm and consistent improvement each year.”

“Friendly and close” “Lovely and convenient”

Page 3

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

Education Highlights

In 2015 Education Manger Amy Christiansen and Assistant Educator Anna

Cohen focused on delivering the highest quality programs possible, and

expanding awareness of all that Land’s Sake has to offer children and families.

By the numbers:

• 3,545 children visited Land’s Sake for field trips, after-school

programs, summer programs, special classes, and more

• 50+ organizations requested our educators this year for outreach

programs, classroom visits, field trips, volunteering, and more.

• 0 dollars is the amount that over 200 families spent attending Open

Farmyard, our free drop-in program that remained free and accessible

for all for another season.

In addition, the Education team made numerous improvements to their

offerings and infrastructure, including:

• Offering free classes at the Council on Aging focused on home

gardening and fresh cooking.

• In conjunction with hard working volunteers we built a new chicken

coop and the Land’s Sake flock expanded to 15+ chickens.

• The Education Garden continued to grow and now includes a portion of

field for larger, specialty crops grown by our students.

• In partnership with the Weston Public Schools, we developed new field

trips for all elementary school students.

• We installed new signs at several locations around the farm to help

educate families about all that Land’s Sake does.

Although Amy has since moved back to Chicago, Anna has taken the reins for

2016 as our new Lead Educator, and will inspire and educate Land’s Sake’s

visitors in new ways in the months ahead along with new Assistant Educator

Isabel Neal.

Looking Ahead to 2016

Education is ever-changing as we develop new ways to engage and teach people.

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming this season:

• An outdoor tent to create a dedicated home base for all our programs.

• New garden beds and equipment in the Education Garden.

• More learning opportunities with our farm team.

• A new rabbit adoption program.

• More volunteer opportunities for all ages.

Page 4

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

Community Events Highlights

Each year the Land’s Sake community comes together for a variety of

events that celebrate connecting to the land, and to each other. 2015

was filled with fun events. Here are just a few of the many events we

hosted:

• Sugaring Off Festival: Our After-School Maple students

showed off their newfound knowledge by giving tours of the

Sugaring House, making this the perfect end to the maple

season.

• Farmstand Opening: We had our biggest opening day yet,

and we even ran out of vegetables! Luckily our farmers were

on hand to harvest more, and we had a grand unveiling of

the new chicken coop.

• Summer Solstice Dinner: This new event built on the

success of our popular Supper Club series, and featured a

delicious dinner under a beautiful sky on the farm.

• Summer Picnics: From our Members’ Night to Checkered

Blankets, we celebrated the dog days of summer in relaxed

style, with delicious homemade picnics and refreshing

beverages.

• Harvest Dinner: We held our biggest Harvest Dinner yet,

and this fundraising dinner helped Land’s Sake end the year

on a great note.

• Pre-Thanksgiving Sale: Although it was a chilly day, the sun

came out and kept our community warm as everyone

stocked up on vegetables and turkeys for the holiday season.

• Cut-Your-Own Christmas Tree: We had 30 families join us in

the woods to pick and cut their very own Land’s Sake tree,

and make some great family memories.

• Volunteer Days: Whether it was planting onions, mulching

the flower garden, or tapping maple trees, our volunteers

were out in full force this year, helping to keep everything

running!

Page 5

2015 ANNUAL REPORT Forestry Highlights

Last winter’s weather aided Forestry Manager Aaron Lefland in having a banner

year out in the woods for the 2014-2015 season. By the numbers:

• 82 gallons of maple syrup were produced by both our forestry team

members and our After-School Maple students.

• 50 cords of firewood were produced, all harvested from the woods of

Weston and using sustainable forestry methods.

• 40 volunteers joined us in the woods to help with sap collecting,

splitting, stacking, and more.

• 1 awesome Sugaring-Off Festival! We had a great time celebrating the

maple season with our annual festival that had over 150 attendees.

Aaron has since departed Land’s Sake to pursue his Masters at Yale University.

When Aaron left, we took some time to evaluate this core program. After much

consideration, Forestry is now overseen by our Farm Manager Erik Baum. This

will enable us to create year-round positions that will teach both farm and

forestry skills, both of which are crucial to four-season farming in New England.

2015 Donors & Supporters

Our community has consistently gone above and beyond with their support of all that we do, and 2015 was no

exception. In addition to our 550 Members who supported our work with their Membership dues, we had over 100

volunteers assist us with a variety of programs, and numerous donors who made financial contributions to keep our

programs running. We cannot thank our community enough. We wish to offer special thank yous to out-going Board

members Alyson Muzila and Drew Pappone, and to the individuals listed below.

Land’s Sake Committee Members

Beth Pendery, Susan Casler, Nina Danforth, Kim Mai, Matt Mitchell, Alyson Muzila, Drew Pappone, Faith

Rand, Alex Selvig, Rees Tulloss, Remke Van Zadelhoff

Leadership Donors, $1000 or more in giving

Alison & Jack Barlow, Jennifer & Kyle Betty, Robert Brack, Jennifer & Jay Bradner, Erik Brooks, Barbara &

Bill Burgess, Sheila & Gregory Burkus, Sharon Cantor & Joe Berman, Lauren Chacon, Coldwell Banker,

Clover Nicholas & Rex Dupont, Natalie & Sam Finley, Betsy & Patrick Flanagan, Pam Fox, Brooke & Peter

Freeland, Holly Ameden & Dave Gold, Ashley & Albert Hanser, Katie Harding & Tim Nickel, Elizabeth &

Harold Hestnes, Leila & Herbert Hooper, The Janey Fund, Beth & Brian Keane, Meg & Jonathan Kelly,

Christine & William Kendall, Vicky & Ken Lang, Alix & Alex Mackey, Annie & Matt Mittelstadt, Tracey &

Greg Morzano, Alyson & Peter Muzila, Jessica & Charles Myers, Diane Savitzky & Michael Pappone,

Jennifer & Jonathan Paul, Heidi & Casey Piche, Lise & Dan Revers, Sarah & Ned Rossiter, Kirsten &

Graham Schena, Julia & Seymour Gross Foundation, Caitlin & Stuart Salyer, Luanne Selk & Jon Skillman,

Daina & Alex Selvig, Polly Slavet, Debbie & Bob Slotpole, Susan & Drew Tamoney, Nathalie & John

Thompson, Tina & David Treadwell, Paula Waxman, Charlotte & Steve Weeple, Jonathan & Joyce White

Page 6

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

Community Donors

Alicia Abad, Cindie Mattox & Bob Anacreon, Michele & Richard Beasley-Maloney, Laurie Bent & Joel Angiolillo, Jean &

Parrish Arturi, Kaja Autler, Pam Banks, Hillary & George Berbeco, Eli Berlin, Beatrice Bezmalinovic, Joyce Bischoff &

Ellis Neufeld, Emily Blackwell, Marcella & Pieter Boelhouwer, Heather & Travis Borden, Debbie & Harvey Boshart,

Betsey & John Boyd, Jen & Kevin Bradley, Bill Brady, Mary Brinton, Cynthia & Todd Brisky, Melissa Brokalakis &

Wayne Johnson, Mimi & Tom Brome, Susan Bush, Elizabeth & Frederick Cabot, Marty & Roger Carlock, Jane &

Christopher Carlson, Lyn Carlson & Jim McManus, Catherine Cave, Carol Cekala, Cynthia & Steven Chapra, Pat & John

Chory, Anne & Andrew Clutz, Rhoda Cohen, Melinda Constable, Jeri & Michael Cooper, Nancy & Gregg Cosimi,

C a r o l y n C o r b e & M i c h a e l M u r r a y , John & Carolyn Craven, Harley & Bill Creelman, Hilary Crowell, Kathy &

Peter Davidoff, Catherine Stabile & Michael Day, Elizabeth & Philipe De Montigny, Polly Dickson, Eleanor Dosick,

Marilyn & John Doyle, Rebecca Leong & Mark Drew, Amy Edmondson & George Daley, John Emery, Patricia &

Robert Enzmann, Teresa & Donald Epperson, The Ott Family, Susan & George Fazio, Loren & Jeff Feingold, Kate &

Dan Fink, Marisa Fisch, Mary Lou & Kevin Fitzgerald, Michelene & Jim Flanigon, Mary-Lynn & Anthony Flynn,

Parvine and Momo Fotuohi, Charlotte & Harold Frank, Karen & William Gallagher, Julia & Mack Ganson, Laryn & Alan

Gardner, Melissa & Jim Gerrity, Lisa Gieger, Paula & Nicholas Gleysteen, Natalia Gormley, Deborah & Wyatt Gotbetter,

Halcott Grant, Keely & Vernon Gray, Mary & Daniel Gregory, Lara Gund, Ed Hagenstein, Judith & Jeffrey Harris,

Maureen Joyce & Michael Harrity, Ann Wiedie & Keith Hartt, Brenda & Anthony Helies, Janet Heywood & Gloria

Cole, Anne Hildreth, Michelle & Charlie Hipwood, Elizabeth Hochberger, Laura & Robert Hockett, Jennifer Horton

& Dave Regan, Emily & David Hutcheson, Julie & Pete Hyde, Lydia & David Icke, Sally & Yutaka Ishizaka, Ann &

John Jacobs, Pat & Jim Jensen, Joanna Horobin & Alan Joachim, Marian & Josh Johnson, Meredith & Christopher

Jylkka, Helen Kampion, David Karp, Jenifer Kasdon, Barbara & Bob Keller, Donald Kelly, Elizabeth Kent, Marilyn &

Jake Kerwin, Colleen & Franklin Kettle, Allegra Manacher & Curt Kohlberg, Tricia & Richard Kosowsky, Douglas

Krupp, Deborah & Christopher Kurz, Gina Ladocsi, Cheryl & Eliot Lappen, Jane & Robert Lash, Nina Lepak, Sharon

& Ben Levitan, Amy Lipton, Lenore & Elliott Lobel, Kristina Lukas & Kevin Sullivan, Cynthia & Kent Lundberg, Caitlin

MacLeod-Bluver, Jean MacQuiddy, Beanie & Andy Marvel, Eileen Fava & Michael McCarthy, Jessica McCoy, Margaret

Randle & James McDaniel, Cara & Mike McGrath, Chris & Philip Minervino, Laura Mintz & Eli Levine, DJ & Matt

Mitchell, Anne Cook & Jeff Mitchell, Vicki Modest & John Burress, Deborah Moore, Julie Driscoll & Bob Morsilli,

Alanna Muldoon, Kamala Murali, Marion & David Mussafer, Rosie Richardson & Michael Natan, Margaret & Joseph

Newhouse, Wendy & Adam Newman, Kathleen O’Connell & David Scadden, Linda O’Connor, Marion & John Packs,

Lynda & Thomas Paine, Gail & Tom Palmer, Drew Pappone, Candy & Chris Paquin, Biz Paynter, Anne Peacher,

Elizabeth & David Pendery, Denise Petersen, Andrea & Paul Pettinato, Nancy Upp Potter, Jennifer & Jeff Potter,

Collette & Darren Powell, Judy Price, Mary Pughe, Rosemary Quinn, Isabel Phillips & Peter Ramsey, Allison Kelley

& Andrew Reed, Susan & Dusty Reeder, Bernadette T. Rehnert Charitable Trust, Lisa & Robert Reitano, Adrienne

Richard, Ellen & Steven Roth, Kathy & Bill Rousseau, Joan & Ken Sands, Addie Fiske & Dennis Saylor, Michele &

Clint Schukel, Carolyn & Tom Selldorff, Heather & Dan Shrimpling, Diana Smith, Leslie & John Stonestreet, Caroline

& Alan Strout, Joan & Herman Suit, Mary & David Sullivan, Lynn & Ed Taff, Tessa Taylor, Meredith Taylor, Sarah Tenney,

Holly & Paul Tolley, Remke & Marc van Zadelhoff, Stacy Vezina & Chris Houston, Peter & Suzanne Vocatura, Bruce

Wenning, Nancy Wittenberg, Ruth Wohlfeld, Katherine & Marvin Wolfthal, Shann & Larry Wood, Carolyn Wood,

Barrett Yates-Mack & Tim Mack, Elizabeth & David Young, Susan & Greg Zacharias, Margaret & Paul Zusky