Patch had a chance to visit Farah's Farm recently, and what at first glimpse looked like a modest vintage house under a canopy of tall pines, quickly revealed itself to be a hive of activity.
The farm's namesake is Farah Masani. Originally from India, she made her way to the US via Scotland and is passionate about her projects.
Masani is one of five who live cooperatively at 32 Horseshoe Rd. All have full-time jobs ranging from nurse to police officer, but they share in common a set of values that boil down to this: Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle and wherever possible, Barter.
"The main point is that growing your own food is not expensive. There is Freecycle.org, Craigslist and a network of people who want to help," Masani said. She used beekeeping as an example. "Tim the beekeeper contacted me and offered to install bees on one of our satellite parcels. We share the land, the bees do their jobs pollinating and we share the honey."
Masani and her collaborators buy as little as possible from the grocery store and produce as little garbage as possible. Their tasks are many, but they make the work look like fun.
As Masani collected eggs, she knew where to look. "Ducks hide their eggs," she said as she filled a basket with jumbo duck eggs.
The front porch doubles as a farm stand, with plentiful duck and chicken eggs for sale on the honor system. When the farm stand sign is up by the mailbox, it means there are eggs and produce available on the red bench on the front porch.
Look for future posts on Farah's Farm and its satellites. To contact Farah about bartering, volunteering for her CSA, or advice on starting your own backyard projects, email Masani at farahmasani@gmail.com or call (512) 431-1515.
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