Wakeman Town Farm: A Special Place Grow & Connect
Wakeman Town Farm is a true Westport gem — a place where kids get in touch with nature and learn about where their food comes from and adults learn how to plant an organic garden and preserve their harvest. Feed the goats, pet the chickens, walk the grounds and find out what we’re all about. WTF is an historic family farm brought back to life by a grassroots group who wanted to create a special place that harkens to simpler time, where homesteading, farming, sustainability and composting were not buzzwords but, rather, ways of life. We were fortunate to cajole Mike Aitkenhead, a Staples Environmental Studies teacher, Teacher of the Year-Award Winner and two-time “We Green Westport”-Award Winner and his family to take on the roles as farm stewards here at the farm. Under their care, the farm is rapidly growing into a verdant oasis, an escape from the hustle-bustle of daily life. Kids unplug from their devices and get out in the fresh air and sunshine, and adults stop and chat when they pick up their weekly organic produce in the farm’s thriving CSA program. Wakeman is all about community. Whether it’s a chili cook-off, a pancake breakfast, a chicken coop tour, a farm service day or a seasonal celebration, we’re all about bringing together the good people of Westport and surrounding communities in a place that is both kicked back and inclusive. In keeping with our agrarian roots, Wakeman Town Farm provides a place to experience hands-on homesteading practices, encompassing time-honored and cutting-edge methods, such as composting, succession planting and solar and wind power technologies. Wakeman Town Farm offers a wide array of educational programs and camps in agriculture, land stewardship and animal husbandry, for both adults and children. The programs and the farm are intended to engender community and preserve farming traditions while modeling new ways to create a more sustainable future. We are always seeking to expand our team of advisors, interns and volunteers — both young and old. We can use a hand with so many things, from planting and watering to graphic design and fundraising to events planning and animal care — and so much more. Let us know where your interests and passions lie. We’re gearing up for our popular spring and summer farm camps (check out our offerings through the Spring/Summer Westport Parks & Rec catalog), as well as a really cool environmental boot camp for Middle and High Schoolers in conjunction with Earthplace, as well as a wide range of community events and adult programs, outlined below. Highlights: Wakeman Town Farm—2014
Tentative Community Events Calendar: Major Events Bolded
- Barn Dance – Weston’s Norfield Grange (February 8th)
- NOFA Winter Conference (Sat. March 1st)
- Staples Lacrosse Team Service Project (Sat. March 15th)
- Minds in Motion (Sat. March 22rd)
- Barnes & Noble? (March 8th, 29th, or April)
- Volunteer Days April Break (April 12th-20th)
- Westport Minimaker Faire (Sat. April 26th)
- Fairfield Earth day/Food for Thought Expo (Sat. April 26th)
- Westport GreenDay (Sat. May 3rd)
- Castles in the Sand (Sat. May 10th)
- Chicken Coop Tour (May 17th)
- School Field Trips (May 19th – June 6th)
- Westport jUNe Day (Sat. June 21st or 28th)
- Family Fun Day & BBQ (July 13th)
- Summer Potluck (June or August?)
- Fall Harvest Dinner (September 13th)
- Sukkot (Sun. Oct. 5th)
- Fall Festival: Pancake Breakfast, Stone Soup, Chile Competition,
Halloween TBD (October 11th, 18th, 25th)
Weekend Workshop Series:
- Planning the garden & Seed Starting (Sat. March 29th)
- GREEN DAY (Sat. May 3rd OR Sun. May 4th) w/ sq. foot garden sales & sheep shear
- Chicken Keeping Workshop @ Coop Tour (Sat. May 17th)
- Canning & Sauce (Sat. August 9th)
- Bread & Soups (Sat. September 20th)
- Cheese-making (Sat. November 8th)
- Wreaths & Greens w/ Sal Gilbertie (Sat. December 6th)
To Contact Us:
page: https://www.facebook.com/WakemanTownFarm
Website: http://www.wakemantownfarm.org
Phone: 203-557-9195
Email: [email protected].
