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After completing the spring garden deliveries, the Transition Town team—Dave, and Laura—set out to reconnect with the young gardeners to see how their gardens had fared. They were eager to learn about the children’s gardening experiences, including what they grew, how their plants thrived, and whether they enjoyed managing their own gardens. We successfully followed up with 6 of the 12 contest winners, discovering a rich tapestry of gardening stories filled with both triumphs and challenges. These reflections echoed the common ups and downs of gardening that we all experience.
A follow-up discussions covered important seasonal preparations. The team offered advice on how to "put their garden to bed" for the winter, helping the young gardeners plan for the off-season and ensure their gardens are well-prepared for the next growing year. This proactive approach will set the stage for a successful and vibrant gardening season when May arrives in 2026. Elizabeth Had a good summer in the garden. Her garden had a lot of bees this year. She wanted to grow a lot of flowers. The garden was overrun with the delicata squash and found a good size carrots in amongst the squash leaves. She loves to eat the carrots and put them in her salad. Had to put a fence around the garden to keep out the rabbits. There are a lot of flowers on the cucumber patch and talked about the male and female flowers. The fruit under the flower indicate the “girl” flowers. Talked about the cucumber beetles and how they can infect the flowers on the cucumbers. Looked at the delicata squash and determined that many of them are ready to eat. Mom makes a “squasage” for dinner which is not Elizabeth’s favorite. Had some corn that was undeveloped for this late in the year, so won’t produce much. Next summer will pay attention to spacing and not grow things so closely. Eila- The garden got a slow start this year. The starts did well, but the seeds did not germinate very well. Eila grew edible flowers, cherry tomatoes, basil, ground cherries, carrots, and chard Planning on using the basal to make pesto. Nesturcians, Merigolds, but some of the animals helped themselves to the foliage The ground cherries are small, and be sure to take the “wrapper” off and eat the cherry inside Next year she will not plant chard and may try zucchini. Isaac Had good summer that flew by. He and his Grandpa worked together on the project. Carrots were still growing and have yet to pick them. The animals got to the radishes early on and ate them. The garden overall got a slow start. The beets were growing well. Summer squash did also did well. Isaac liked the project and spent once a week in the garden during the summer. Did not like the fact that he had to weed. He would do growing next year and do pretty much the same thing as this year Dominique and Adriana Got most of the planting done in May soon after the garden delivery. The peppers were small for the length of time in the soil. Also planted green beans, basil, carrots and melons. There was some mildew blight on the melon leaves, and talked about how you can prune the infected leaves and keep the mildew at bay. Talked about garlic for next season and that planting time will be in the late fall. Adriana also planted Zinnias for cut flowers. Also grew some sunflowers that the bees really liked. Talked about the sunflower seed and using them for eating or seeds for growing next year. Oscar and Wallace Oscar planted Cherry tomatoes in the garden this year. Also had carrot and basil which was very big. Also grew beans and Marigolds. The tomatoes looked very healthy as they were spaced out and branches were thinned to allow for good air flow and keeping the leaves dry. Had a very slow start to the growing season, so plants were on the small side. Was challenged by the lack of rain and being away a lot for the summer. Lesson learned to space out the carrots and thin them when they got bigger. Will want to add more soil to the garden for next season.  Laura here:
Dave Clift led an informative presentation at the community center in late August, called “Idea to Action: the JU Food Hub Journey”. A member of the steering group for Transition Town Jericho, Dave is also part of the newly formed Board of Directors for the JU Food Hub. The fledgling group recently obtained 501c3 nonprofit status. Dave began with some history, citing how in 2023, Transition Town Jericho got the go ahead at Town Meeting to form a task force to explore food hubs, ultimately leading to the formation of a joint food hub the following year with sister town of Underhill. In just over a year, the joint food hub has already done ample moving and shaking in both towns. Besides developing a website, JUfoodhub.org and facebook page, the food hub has published guides which have been mailed out to town residents. The guides celebrate local farmers, makers and producers. Activities of the food hub have included organizing seasonal community meals featuring local food, summer workshops around growing and food topics, and a farm-to-school pumpkin venture. Food hub organizers help maintain a community potato patch, pizza nights at Jericho Elementary School, a Garden Contest, and area food sheds, among other things. Dave reported that most recently, the food hub met to have a visioning session, to unify goals and help propel the group into the future. Among the many questions that came up were: -Would developing a community kitchen be helpful for processing, having classes, etc? -How can we connect (new) farmers to unused town land? -How can we grow our number of local producers? -How do we finance the food hub; grants, an endowment, other? Before the Q&A, Dave showed a video he created of the many and assorted food hub activities in the area. All in all, it was a lovely, informative presentation that surely inspired many in the audience to get involved! The JU Food Hub meets fourth Wednesdays at 6pm at the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library; all are welcome to attend! Dave here: We’re thrilled to congratulate the ten young winners of this year’s Transition Town Jericho Garden Contest! Ranging in age from 4 to 12, these budding gardeners are helping build a more resilient, self-sufficient community—one raised bed at a time. Thanks to generous funding from the Town of Jericho and support from Geoff Cole, Jeff Coulson, Curt Belton, and Brad Vietje, the project was a joyful success once again. From hauling soil to building and delivering garden frames, this team effort brought learning and excitement right to the doorsteps of local families. It was a delight to see the children’s enthusiasm as we arrived with their 4x6’ raised beds. Some raced out with wide eyes and laughter; others took on the role with quiet seriousness. They showed us their chosen garden spots—some perched with scenic views, others nestled into sunny corners—and shared their plans for watering and protecting their plants from curious wildlife. Gardening teaches adaptability, and these kids are up to the challenge. Their planting goals range from classic Vermont crops like peas, carrots, and tomatoes to showy sunflowers, squash, corn, and even flowers just for beauty’s sake. We invite you to meet this year’s winners below. Hover over each photo to see what they’re planning to grow. Here’s to a season full of growth, learning, and joy! Laura here: Transition Town Jericho has been around nearly ten years and appears to be going through its own transition! Since our beginning days in late 2016, other local groups are doing amazing work re: resiliency such as the Jericho Energy Task Force, Affordable Housing, and Diversity/Equity & Inclusion Committees, to name a few. Combining forces with Underhill, the budding Jericho Underhill Food Hub has taking on farmer support/food security, through its many activities. TTJ projects such as the public education series, the Kids Garden contest, and Extra Row for farmers are now largely under the umbrella of the JU Food Hub. It thus begs the question, what role does Transition Town Jericho now have in our town? Please share your thoughts here, readers. If you think Transition Town Jericho should continue its efforts, what does that look like to you? Do you envision any particular projects that would strengthen our community? We welcome all feedback, so please send your comments to: [email protected] Meanwhile, TTJ’s most recent public presentation, covering climate change effects on maple sugaring, can be viewed on You Tube, thanks to the team at MMCTV. You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAhSke5NSUo&t=14s No matter what the future holds, many thanks to fellow steering members, Dave Clift and Adam Wechsler for all of their efforts in maintaining TTJ. Most of all, thanks for striving to be resilient in these most challenging of times! *Announcement below on Transition Town founder Rob Hopkins’ latest book, soon to be released:  Laura reporting:
Melissa Needham focuses on Healthy Communities in her role as public health specialist with Vermont’s Department of Health. Good to know there are such dedicated public servants in our state government, as she demonstrated in her talk on Food As Medicine at TTJ’s February resiliency talk. You can view her full presentation here: https://youtu.be/sJ9Oc6VlUSA Melissa started with an overview of chronic disease, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes among others. Vermont, though healthy by US standards, is facing an increase in chronic diseases along with the rest of the country. She said if one is food insecure, they are statistically at higher risk for chronic disease. She added that 12% of youth in Vermont are considered food insecure. She mentioned ‘modifiable risk factors’ which lead to food insecurity such as living in food deserts, convenience of unhealthy and/or junk food, psychological stresses and lack of nutritional education. Food as Medicine programs enable health compromised and/or financially challenged individuals to get a medical prescription for CSA shares, giving them access to organic vegetables and other foods. Programs might also include recipes, cooking classes, nutritional counseling and other things benefiting health. She said Vermont’s Farm to Plate initiative, in conjunction with Healthcare Communities of Practice, *CoPs oversee five Food as Medicine programs currently in Vermont: 1)Acorn 2)UVM’s Medical Center’s Farm Shares for Health 3)Healthy Roots Collaborative: Sheldon NW Farmacy CSA 4)VT Farmer Food Center Farmacy Project (Rutland) 5)VT Youth Conservation Corp’s Health Care Shares (Richmond) Melissa also mentioned three NOFA programs aiding community food access: -Farm Share: half-price CSA shares to those in need -Crop Cash: discounts at farmers markets for participants -3SquareVT farm stand match: discounts at farm stands for participants *CoP has regular zoom meetings which are open to the public, and bring together existing food farmacies and Farm to Plate organizers. If interested in attending, contact: Kelly Dolan: [email protected]  Laura here:
Rosemary Rochford, newcomer to Jericho, gave a very informative talk "Why Climate Change Matters to our Health” to about 25 of us at the community center in late January. Some tidbits are mentioned here; for the full video go to: https://youtu.be/iYROqlb_IPM In the early 2000s, Rosemary was in Kenya, doing malaria research. There she studied anopheles, a climate sensitive mosquito. Thus began her fascination with climate driven infectious diseases. Ultimately in 2015, she became co-director of the Colorado Consortium on Climate Change and Health. Rosemary talked about ice core labs for studying climate change. In locations such as the Arctic and Antarctic, researchers drill down about two miles deep for ice cores which are then stored in tubes. Going back as far as 800,000 years, the cores enable scientists to study gases trapped in the ice. Co2 can be measured to study trends over time. For example, in the 1860s levels started to rise with the industrial age. From a previous 360 ppm average, it reached 417 ppm as of 2022. Rosemary touched on the Paris Climate Accords; how a goal of keeping temperature increase to 1.5 degrees has been shattered, and that 2024 was the hottest year on record. When studying climate change effects on health, Rosemary said that heat index is actually a more important measurement than temperature, as it takes in the humidity factor as well. She mentioned numerous effects on the body, including core temperature rise, nervous system instability, dehydration, and blood vessel inflammation. She added that outdoor workers may take a heavier toll as 'wet bulb globe temperature' comes into play; how being exposed to sunlight adds heat stress to the body. She talked about Vermont specifically, how it's getting getting hotter and wetter here. Vermont averages six more inches of precipitation per year than in the 1960s. These days Vermonters are also effected by wildfires from Canada. Rosemary talked about the danger of fine particulates; smaller than sand, they are in the air from fires and can get into the lungs and even the bloodstream, causing undue damage. Rosemary spoke of the effects of climate change on food. She said that while most greenhouse gases are caused by burning fossil fuels, roughly a quarter are caused by food production; transportation, cows, and land use, etc. She talked about a so-called planetary heath diet, quoting the EAT Lancet Commission: "food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health and environmental sustainability on earth." She went on to recommend a "plant forward diet" which minimizes meat in the diet and prioritizes plant based food. *Many thanks to the folks at MMCTV for videotaping this presentation!  The band, Leaky Faucet greets Community Dinner folks Anne Clift reporting:
Jericho/Underhill Food Hub hosted a community meal on January 8, at Browns River Middle School, bringing together over 150 local residents for an evening of good food, music, and community spirit. The event also included outreach for the food dependent, as leftovers were shared with local seniors, unhoused individuals and Food Not Bombs. The festivities began as guests entered the school; students in a jazz band known as the Leaky Faucets from BRMS, played lively music in the foyer. Their wonderful performance set an upbeat tone as guests settled in to enjoy the meal. The menu was a hearty celebration of local ingredients, with dishes made possible by the generous contributions of local farmers and a local baker. The meal featured butternut squash mac’n cheese, beef & lamb shepherd’s pies, tuscan bean and vegetable soup, a fresh salad, and a delicious apple crisp for dessert. Local bread, provided by Mountain Rise Bakery, was also served to accompany the meal. The local farms and bakery that contributed to the meal included: ● Moose Mountain Farm - Underhill ● Settlement Farm - Underhill ● The Farm Upstream - Jericho ● 2GALS Farm Works - Underhill ● Bone Mountain Farm - Jericho ● Jericho Settlers Farm - Jericho ● Chapin Orchards - Essex ● Mountain Rise Bakery - Underhill ● Davis Farm – Organic Valley - Jericho The generous donations of root vegetables, beef, lamb, salad greens, microgreens, apples, squash, dairy, and bread allowed the meal to showcase the flavors of the region, reinforcing the importance of supporting local agriculture. The event featured a demonstration on how to grow microgreens, with attendees having the option to take home a microgreens growing kit. Special thanks go to Gail Saseen and Leigh Girouard from 2GALS Farm Works for guiding people through the process and to the UVM Medical Center’s Culinary Medicine Team for providing the kits for people to take home. The evening was enjoyed by community members. Livy Strong shared, “What a meal! All was eaten with the camaraderie of our great community, eager to enjoy each other's company.” Laura Seman said, “Thank you so much for the delicious meal last evening! I appreciate the work, and exposing the community to the wonderful local food.” Angelike Contis reflected, “That dinner was great. The food was so amazing! It was fun, felt almost like going back in time being in the school cafeteria with friends and neighbors.” The Jericho/Underhill Food Hub and its Community Meal Committee extend a heartfelt thank you to the many volunteers who helped; everything from preparing the meal to cleaning and wrapping things up after the event. Billi Whitehill, from BRMS Food Services worked tirelessly to help make this event a success. The Food Hub looks forward to more opportunities to host such events, bringing people together around locally sourced ingredients. For more information on upcoming events or to get involved, please email [email protected] or join the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/share/g/15Umv4rF4s/.  Telling stories is a way to boost our imaginations about the possibilities for the future. As an example, space travel to the moon was imagined and written about almost 100 years before it actually happened. Those early stories prepared us for space travel actually happening in the late 1960s.
As Rob Hopkins says, "What we cannot imagine, cannot come into being, as the future must enter into you a long time before it happens." At the Jericho Community Center on October 28th, Transition Town Jericho presented the YouTube video “I've been to the future & we won! Rob Hopkins Ministry of imagination”, that was presented on September 9th in Copenhagen. The 30 minute video, I've been to the future & we won! Rob Hopkins Ministry of imagination @Copenhagen 12/09/2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awjoWhcDOGs illustrates the power of storytelling to prepare us for the kind of future we would like to see. Rob Hopkins' talk invited the question: If we do everything we can now, what kind of future will we have in 2035? He also said, that to have a future we dream about, we should have “longing” for that better future and we should be asking “what if” questions to help us imagine what our future could be. After viewing the video, our group shared these ideas about what they thought was important for the future, as they envisioned it.
 Dave here: The Extra Row Project is in its 4th year as a cooperative effort between local farmers and Transition Town Jericho (TTJ). Our main participant is Tucker Andrews of Bone Mountain Farm. Tucker provides the space in his field, plants the squash and ensures that the plants are healthy and watered. The Transition Town Jericho team then harvests and distributes the yield. Without both these teams working in support of each other, this opportunity would not be available. TTJ provided over a dozen volunteers on a late summer day in September, including families and children that worked like a hive of bees; one listening closely may have heard a distinct buzz of excitement and possibility! We were able to pick 350 squash this year. Distributions included: Aunt Dot's - 80 Heavenly Food Shelf Essex Junction UCC - 90 Family Room - 90 Jericho, Underhill, Essex Food shelf - 90 Thanks to Chantal O'Connor for providing the pictures for this blog. This past July, Tucker’s farm and home was flooded and most of the farm crop was destroyed. The squash plants did survive, but two thirds of the farm produce were lost. Even with this loss, Tucker still believes that the mission to support the community is vitally important. Transition Town Jericho is one of many groups and individuals that have contributed to Tucker in recovery support. If interested in making a contribution, here is the contact info: Farmer: Tucker Andrews Email: [email protected] Address: 3533 Nashville Rd, Bolton VT 05465  Laura here: “I hope one day a tree is planted here, and it will be the source of nutrition” “Instead of depressing it was strangely life affirming” ”It seemed so normal…so natural” These are just a few quotes from people who’ve experienced green burial of a family member. On September 23, representatives from the Vermont Forest Cemetery (VFC) came to the Jericho Community Center to present on Vermont’s first and only green burial ground, located in Roxbury VT. About 20 of us were present; we watched the film From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America and heard from presenters Jim Hogle and Andrea Stander, both VFC board members. In green or natural burial “the un-embalmed body is placed in a biodegradable container or shroud...then placed directly in the soil at least three and a half feet below the surface...” according to the VFC brochure. Jim said family members are encouraged to be part of the process, and may choose to physically help place the departed’s body into the earth, saying that the involvement often aids in letting go, aiding the grieving process. Besides having its first green burial site, much has evolved in Vermont around death and burials in the last few years. Andrea said that cemeteries can legally put aside space for green burials, and laws have changed around home burials as well. There are death cafes around the state (one here in Jericho!) and one can now study at UVM to become a death doula. Michelle Acciavatti, founder of the VFC has presented at transition town meetings in the past; thus, many of us in Jericho can appreciate how her dreams have come to fruition! Regular VFC tours are offered and for more info, go to www.cemetery.eco  |
