Newsletter June 2025
The Crowded Table Collective
June 2025
Happy Pride Month!
Here at the farm we celebrate pride all year long but especially in June and always right up until the last day of the month. Nature teaches us that being queer is beautiful. With all that is happening in the world, when you feel tired or lonely or scared we implore you to turn to nature, recharge and then keep moving forward. One foot at a time. Right Foot. Left Foot. We got this.
This months blog focuses on the irreplaceable feelings of summer.
Read it here and go soak up the sun:
Person, Plant, Place
Each month we highlight an incredible person, plant, and place! Keep reading to learn about this month's selection.
Our person of the month is Nigar! Originally from Azerbaijan, Nigar was an amazing volunteer and we already miss her. She was an incredible chicken aunt, shower bucket inventor, and head WWOOFer! Volunteering with us during our busiest season is good hard work and Nigar faced every challenge with optimism and good humor. We are so grateful for her time and energy and we can't wait until she comes back to visit. Read all about her stay here:
Our plant of the month is Gay Wings! This native perennial loves moist woods and most often blooms in April, May, and June. Gay Wings have a very unique system of seed dispersal called myrmecochory. The seeds have nutrient rich attachments to them which attract ants. Ants carry the seeds back to their nests, eat the nutrients but usually leave the seed intact leaving it to plant its self far from it's parent plant. This mutualist relationship is a wonderful example of nature showing us that we can grow stronger when we work together.
Our place of the month is the Kindling Collective! As summer arrives and you start planning trips and making gear lists, think about recreating and borrowing gear from the Kindling Collective. They are a Queer and BIOPIC focused organization with trips designed to spark curiosity and joy in the great outdoors! There are a few spots left on their summer trips and they just added some snazzy new canoes to their gear library. They are doing some truly awesome work, check them out here:
Know Thy Shelf Book Club
This month we read a little less and spent a little more time outside participating in our favorite summer activities. When we were reading we focused on beautiful, funny, and joyful queer stories.
Happy reading and happy pride!
Upcoming Events
Our next event is Maine Open Farm Day! This event was started to bring folks in Maine out to the farms where their food comes from. We're so excited to be participating and will have tours and activities running all day! This is also a great opportunity to come shop in person for eggs, veggies, bouquets and local pork, beef, and chicken. No need to RSVP. Hope to see you at the farm on July 27th!
Project of the Month
This month we are focusing on our new chicken barn! The chickens are moving a little further back on the property so they will be motivated to roam into the forest instead of into our garden beds for a bite to eat. The new chicken barn will also include a stall where we can move any of the other animals in case they need any extra attention. We are super excited that this project is starting! If you want to join in the build please reach out to Molly.
