Ambler Farm

News Channel 12 reports on Ambler’s apprentice farmer program

Gillian — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:04:18 +0000

Check out this segment on News 12 Connecticut featuring Program Manager Kevin Meehan and the Ambler Farm apprentice program:
http://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=317894&position=1&news_type=news

Ambler’s New Farmer Doesn’t Stand Alone

Gillian — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:21:44 +0000

This Wilton Patch article features Jonathan Kirschner. Jonathan Kirschner was welcomed as the farm’s first Director of Agriculture in early March of this year, and the Friends of Ambler Farm—the board that oversees operations at the 200 year old, town-owned working farm—is excited about the kind of change he’ll bring. Click here to read the full article

Wilton’s Ambler Farm Sowing Seeds of Change

Gillian — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:16:14 +0000

In this Wilton Patch article, the first of a two-part series on what’s happening at Ambler Farm, Patch takes a look at how planned renovations of the Raymond Ambler farmhouse will be funded and what the Friends of Ambler Farm—the operating board of the Farm—sees for the future of this town-owned property. Click here to read full article.

Jonathan Kirschner featured in the Wilton Villager

Gillian — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 01:52:28 +0000

Jonathan Kirschner, Ambler Farm’s new Director of Agriculture, has been featured in an article in the Wilton Villager. Jonathan will manage all agricultural operations, including the organic garden and greenhouse and harvesting produce for the weekly farm stand and Wilton Farmer’s Market. Jonathan will also help develop agricultural-related programs with Kevin Meehan.

Photo by: Alex von Kleydorff/The Wilton Villager

Click here to view Wilton Villager article.

Kevin Meehan Recognized

Gillian — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:35:46 +0000

Heather Borden Herve, a columnist for the Wilton Patch, recently recognized Kevin Meehan with a “MOMMY Award” for commitment, dedication and demonstration of care for Wilton’s families and children. She states:

Science teacher, Ambler Farm program coordinator, Pied Piper—no matter what title he sports, Kevin Meehan rules the roost as a favorite of Wilton kids and families. He’s an innovative, engaging educator, and students at Cider Mill often say that science is their favorite subject, largely because of how tangible and exciting he makes it. Perhaps he’s created some sort of energy formula in his lab, because Mr. Meehan excels at his second full-time job, running the educational programs at Ambler Farm as well. He teaches everyone about making syrup, organic farming, animal care and all things agricultural, as well as runs one of the most popular summer programs in town and an incredible apprentice program. It’s no wonder kids of all ages agree—they love Mr. Meehan!

Click here to read full article

Ambler Farm’s Apprentice Program

Gillian — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:31:18 +0000

Ambler Farm’s apprentices are gearing up for spring on the farm! Last years work of building over 95 (yes, you read that correctly, 95) raised beds means the farm is ready for its crops of berries, pumpkins, garlic, beans and peppers to name a few!

To learn more about the work done last year by the apprentices and Kevin Meehan, click here.

Kevin Meehan

Gillian — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:12:25 +0000

Congratulations to Kevin Meehan, who was listed in Wilton Magazine’s 50 Most Influential People in Wilton article.

Kevin was acknowledged for his roles as the Cider Mill Science Resource Teacher and the property manager for Ambler Farm, for which he has spearheaded many educational programs, including student internships and the annual maple syrup project, which supports Ambler Farm’s mission to provide the community with a place to connect with the land and Wilton’s agrarian past. Click here for information about Ambler Farm’s maple syrup program .

Dan + Liz Riley

amblerfarm — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:59:36 +0000

Congratulations to long-time Ambler Farm supporters, Dan + Liz Riley, who were listed in Wilton Magazine’s 50 Most Influential People in Wilton article.

Co-chairs of Ambler Farm’s annual Greens Sale for six years running, this husband and wife team has been instrumental in making this event one of Wilton’s most beloved holiday activities, and one of the farm’s most successful fundraisers.

Photo courtesy Peggy Garbus Photography

At the Farmstand

amblerfarm — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:10:30 +0000

You can stew it, fry it, braise it, grill it, mash it with herbs and spices. You can stuff it, stew it, steam it or roast it. In India its versatility has earned it the title “king of vegetables.” At the Ambler Farm farmstand, we call it, simply, eggplant. Farmer Ben has grown two varieties this year: the larger and more familiar egg-shaped fruit, wonderful for slicing, painting with olive oil and grilling; and a slimmer, narrower Asian eggplant, great for frying. Actually, you can’t go wrong with either of these kingly eggplants no matter how you use them. And in case you can’t make up your mind, we are very pleased to offer two recipes provided by Sally Maraventano, who has been sharing her love and knowledge of Italian cuisine at her Cucina Casalinga cooking school right here in Wilton for the past 28 years. Meanwhile, don’t forget all the other members of the Ambler royal family:

Beans
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Chard
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Flowers
Garlic
Herbs
Kale
Mixed Lettuce Greens
Peppers
Radishs
Scallions
Summer Squash
Squash Blossoms (for a recipe, look here and scroll down a little)
Tomatoes
Zucchini (for a recipe, look here)

Do come early for the best selection. Bring the kids along to visit with Raymond + Betty (our goats), Nutmeg + Clover (our sheep) as well as the rabbits, chickens and baby chicks. Dogs are always welcome, too.

The Farm Stand is open on Saturdays from 10:30am to 5:00pm at the Farm at 257 Hurlbutt Street in Wilton, Connecticut. Friendly volunteers are always on hand to help you make your selection. You can also visit us at the Farmer’s Market at the Wilton Library on Wednesdays from noon to 4pm.

We look forward to seeing you. And as Sally likes to say,Buona Cucina!

Great day for the Farmstand

amblerfarm — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:36:56 +0000

Please mark your calendars for next Saturday, September 17, for the Honey Bee Jamboree, presented by the Backyard Beekeepers Association at Ambler Farm from 10 to 3. There’s more information about the Jamboree on the Calendar of Events on our website.

Our farmstand is open today from 10:30 to 5, and you’ll find all your fresh-picked, organic favorites including tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, basil, fennel, cucumbers, scallions, carrots, beets, lettuce mix, swiss chard and, with any luck, fresh soybeans that turn into delicious edamame after just 7 minutes of steaming. How about using fresh tomatoes to make a light, oven roasted ratatouille? Please see below for a recipe kindly provided by Michele Bennett.

For those of you visiting Ambler Farm in the late afternoon today, please note that our Field + Farmer + Fork event takes place this evening, which means there will be more cars parked at Ambler Farm than you’re accustomed to seeing. While we’re on the subject of traffic, be advised that tomorrow the annual CT United Ride, a 9/11 tribute motorcycle ride, comes through town. The ride begins in Norwalk at 11:30 am and is expected to enter Wilton via Rt. 33 (Westport Rd) around noon. The motorcycles will travel north on Rt. 33 to the junction with Rt. 7 where they will continue northbound until turning onto Rt. 107 in Georgetown. This ride attracts many motorcyclists and has the potential to cause some significant traffic delays.

We suggest you stay off the road tomorrow and try this recipe:

Traditional ratatouille is not only time-consuming to prepare, but also requires about a cup of olive oil just to sauté the vegetables! Here is a quicker, lighter version (based on a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen) that really lets the individual flavors of each veggie shine through.

Ingredients (serves 4 as a side. Easily doubled.)

1 large eggplant (a pound or so), peeled and cut into cubes
2 medium zucchini or summer squash (1 pound) cut into ½ inch cubes
1 red or Vidalia onion, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 (28-ounce) can diced organic tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes combined with canned tomatoes, drained with ½ cup juice reserved
4-5 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried. You may substitute fresh or dried basil per your preference.
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar (the recipe called for it to be drizzled after roasting the vegetables, but we poured it on them before, resulting in a sweeter flavor)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
Spread onto a 9 x 13-inch baking dish (or two if doubling – the dish shouldn’t overflow)
Roast for about an hour, or until the vegetables are tender and browned in spots – give the vegetables a stir about halfway through cooking time and add the reserved tomato “juice”.

Excellent topped with freshly-grated parmesan and served with crusty bread. Freezes beautifully. Also great as a hearty pasta sauce, atop a baked potato, and room-temperature as a leftover.

We hope to see you at the Farmstand today. You are always welcome at Ambler Farm!