is a small organic farm with two locations in Peterborough, NH. We lease land from and work in partnership with a co-housing community, Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm, and a K-8 school, the Well School. We grow over a hundred varieties of vegetables and herbs, along with fruit, flowers, and, in 2013, a few pigs. We distribute what we raise primarily through our CSA program, which, this year, will have about eighty members. Our members include residents of NNF, Well School staff, as well as members of the general public.

Here at Walkabout, we steward over seven acres of farmland, using compost, cover crops, and mineral amendments to build soil fertility. Our agricultural methodology prioritizes soil health because we believe that healthy soil produces healthful, great-tasting food. We also recognize that healthy soils perform important ecological functions. Living soils store carbon, keep our rivers clean, and reduce the need for external inputs, which cost significant amounts of energy to produce and transport. Since about half our country’s land is working land—used for agriculture, forestry, or ranching—farms play a critical role in managing our nation’s landscape. Here at Walkabout Farm, we hope not only to preserve, but to improve, the sour, granitic soils that give us so much each year.

If you have any questions, or would like to check out the farm, you can reach farmer Todd Horner at (207) 251-6163 or todd@walkaboutfarm.org

Community

Supported

Agriculture

Community supported agriculture [CSA] is a food production and distribution model that directly links farms with people who eat. Members buy a share of the harvest at the beginning of the growing season, and receive a portion of what comes out of the field each week. The upfront investment helps small farms provide their constituents with fresh, healthful food at a fair price. Members often volunteer on the farm, learning about gardening and enjoying the company of their fellow shareholders.

What's in a share?

Although the vegetables included each week in each share depends on the vagaries of our New England climate, the list below will give you a sense of what to expect in 2013. I'll be in touch via email each week to let members know what's coming in from the field. Note that we often grow multiple varities of a single crop,

May & June

arugula, scallions, kale, Hakurei turnips, French breakfast radishes, pea tendrils, peas: snap, snow and shelling, fava beans, bok choy, early cabbage, broccoli, beets, carrots, parsley, dill, cilantro, head lettuce

July

more peas, fresh garlic, spring onions, carrots, beets, head lettuce, scallions, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, string beans, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, cabbage

Aug.

Fingerling potatoes, onions: yellow, red, and sweet, heirloom and paste tomatoes, sweet corn, carrots, beets, edamame, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatillos, more bean (including haricot vert, yellow wax, and burgundy), garlic, bulb fennel, cucumbers, peppers (hot and sweet), kohlrabi, more zucchini (including Italian tromboncino)

Sep.

Tomatoes, eggplant, pumpkins, winter squash (including delicata, red kuri, butternut, and acorn), mesclun, head lettuce, carrots, broccoli, cabbage (including red and savoy), potatoes, sweet potatoes, leeks, shallots, more onions, garlic

Oct.

parsnips, carrots, beets, Jerusalem artichoke, mesclun, radicchio, leeks, onions, shallots, winter squash, pumpkins

Share Options

Walkabout Farm offers a variety of shares to accommodate the needs and preferences of different households.

Full share: $650 [$29.50/week for 22 weeks]

The full share is our most common share. Members with a full share receive a wide variety of vegetables over the course of a 22-week season, which begins in late May or early June, and ends in October. The full share provides, on average, enough vegetables for a family of four. It’s also a good choice for vegetarian couples or smaller households that want to preserve some food for the off-season.

Half share: $350 [$15.90/week for 22 weeks]

Same season and same variety as the full share, but about half the size. Appropriate for a single person or an omnivorous couple.

{Note: if you want to split a full share with another person, thereby saving $50 between the two of you, that’s okay so long as a you pay with a single check and collect your share in one bag.}

Peak season shares

Peak season shares are the same as the standard big and small shares, but the pick-up schedule runs for 12 weeks, from mid June through mid September. A great option for those who want a taste of what our CSA is like before committing to a full season.

Full: $400 [$33.50/week for 12 weeks]

Half: $250 [$20.80/week for 12 weeks]

Work Trade Discounts

Full-season, full share members have the option to volunteer in the gardens in exchange for a reduced share price. Helping out on the farm is a great way to meet your neighbors, get some fresh air, and learn a bit about gardening. Usual activities include, but are by no means limited to: weeding, harvesting, trellising, processing produce, and prepping for special events.

Working members have many opportunities to get their hands dirty. In 2013, Walkabout will regularly host work sessions every Saturday morning from 9am-12pm and on Tuesday afternoons from 4-6pm. Working members also help harvest, wash, and package vegetables early on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, from about 6:30am-9:30am.

Work trades have two usual formats:

10 hrs/season of volunteering in the garden for a $75 discount off of the $650 list price

2 hrs/week of volunteering in the garden for a $225 discount off the $650 list price

While most work-trades hew to these two options, Walkabout is open to other arrangements. If you have time and interest in being part of a CSA and gardening for more than two hours/week, feel free to contact farmer Todd Horner. We’re especially interested in working with folks who have gardening experience, carpentry skills, accounting chops, mechanical prowess, or any other capabilities that might benefit a small farm

All new work-trade members must come by the farm to read and sign a waiver prior to signing on for the season. We make this request so that we have the opportunity to greet new members and ensure that we’re all on the same page.

Registration

Thanks for you interest in joining the CSA at Walkabout Farm. To sign up, please fill out and submit the following form. After you've registered, you can use your login info to check on which day you're picking up your share, as well as your outstanding balance. Please note that membership is confirmed with the receipt of a $150 deposit, made out to Walkabout Farm and mailed to 25A Steele Rd, Peterborough NH 03458. If you have any questions please email farmer Todd Horner or call him at (207) 251-6163.

If you've already mailed in a deposit, or paid in full, please fill out the form below, so that we have your contact info on record, and know which day you plan to pick up your share

Barter members and Well School staff, please check the appropriate boxes in the "deposit" section.

Payment for shares is due in full by June 1st. The farm is open to arranging alternative payment plans, upon request.

If you're signing up someone else as a gift, please enter your own contact information and the recipient's info in the appropriate fields. Thank you!

Login Info

Contact Info

I've already put down a deposit for my share(s).

Is this share a gift?

Who's it for?

Share type (choose one)

Work trade (completely optional!)

Pick-up day

Do you want a second share? [$50 off]

Second share type (choose one)

A second work trade?

Second pick-up day

Jobs

Walkabout Farm is currently seeking two full-season apprentices. Apprenticeships come with housing, farm food, a stipend, and educational opportunities.

Farm apprenticeships are challenging and rewarding. If you're interested in applying, please click here for a full job description. If you have additional questions, feel free to email farmer Todd Horner at todd@walkaboutfarm.org. You can also reach him by calling 207-251-6163