Check out the amazing work we accomplished at the Farm together!
Check out the amazing work we accomplished at the Farm together!
Field Weeding, with a deadline! Hilltop Interns, Field Crew, and Volunteers race to weed the field flower beds before sheets of rain fall. 
Thank you, May Volunteers!
May's flowers and trees are in bloom and the fields full of greenery, thanks to all of the amazing efforts of our volunteers.  
We are getting into the rhythm of the season, and our preparations are paying off. Weeding and washing bracket our days, as the fields steadily produce  more vegetables to harvest. 
On June 18th from 1-3pm, we will be hosting a Volunteer Potluck on the idyllic lawns of the historic house to thank you, our amazing volunteers: join us as we fire up the grill with some farm fresh veg, and swap recipes + stories. Bring your favorite dishes or drinks to share! (no weeding or washing, just good times, promise!).
Very soon, there will be opportunities for volunteer gleaning- harvesting food directly for donation- on Monday mornings. Learn how to harvest different types of vegetables, and know that every piece will be going to a local food pantry within 24 hours. 
This month during rainy days, and in the spirit of celebrating the start of summer's color, join us in painting new, eye-catching informative signs for the field and farm. Get creative with calligraphy, or splash some colors for a fun backdrop!
As always, keep an eye on the website's volunteer page: new recurring volunteer opportunities are about to be unlocked. 
Do you have an idea of a volunteer activity you would like to see, or a request to join us at different hours? Please feel free to reach out- we are happy to create new events with your feedback!
 I hope to see you back on the farm soon.

 -Cynthia S.
HHF Food Donation + Volunteer Coordinator
Don't bury yourself in work- volunteer and get lost in our plants instead!
Join us Tuesday mornings for a chance to weed by hand and with tools out in the field, right next to our field crew and farmers. 
Rows of colorful vegetables await!
 "You are not a machine. You are more like a garden. You need different things on different days. A little sun today, a little less water tomorrow. You have fallow and fruitful seasons. It is not a design flaw. It is wiser than perpetual sameness. What does your garden need today?"
- Joy Marie Clarkson
Native Plant volunteers were kept busy repotting specimens, almost as fast as Emily, our native plant program manager, was able to grow them! 
May 2022 Volunteer Highlights
What have we accomplished together this past May? So much!
The annual Plant Pre-Sale rang in May with a force to match the sideways rain and wind that were present on pickup day: volunteers wrote and then placed thousands of labels for each individual pot, staked and pruned plants, packed orders, and were invaluable as they transported trays from the greenhouse to the farm stand. We couldn't have done it without you!
We've identified invasive species, and started the battle to eliminate the worst of them from our beds and fields (who else is starting to see these species everywhere now?!) Volunteers completely eradicated mugwort from the raised pollinator beds, ensuring a healthy environment for a continous bloom of flowers through the fall!

The lawns around the Dairy Barn were spruced up, and then planted with Mexian Sunflowers for a pop of color: take a peek at them when you stop by, and feel their fuzzy leaves. 

The native plants in our field Founder's Plot are flourishing, and worth a visit just to see as they sway in the breeze! However, please don't pick their flowers- these natives are being grown for their invaluable seeds.
No mugwort left behind! Over several days, ALL mugwort specimens were removed from this pollinator bed. Next to tackle: outside and around the bed!
Volunteers help remove mugwort from an adjacent area, before it can be re-claimed and used as another plot for native ecotypes.
This collection of Mountain Mint was smothered: long-established invasive and weed roots had to be pulled for a fresh start.
Native Plant Farmers + a volunteer helped weed and transplant more mint specimens.
Lastly, hay was added as a weed preventative- voilà! a new Founder's Plot!
Interns from County Executive Latimer's office swapped their office gear for farmwear as they worked with Hilltop's own interns for a great day outdoors.
Volunteer B made it her mission to carefully weed our field pea rows by hand over several weeks, which made all the difference- our peas will now be the very first crop ready for U-PICK this year! 
A volunteer helps break in the claw weeder-
making quick work of difficult tap roots! 
Healthy, vibrant, and getting bigger by the day! Volunteers were vital in transplanting native seedlings to their new homes in the field Founder's Plot, where they will remain through the fall. 
The field Founder's Plot now has signage! Read about these amazing local ecotypes and learn how to diversfy your own home garden. 
A colorful field harvest, is a good harvest.
Giving back to our community, in every way we can. 
This past month, more than 350lbs of fresh vegetables were donated to our local food pantry partners- that's a lot of meals!

Over 200 plants were repotted and donated to community gardens, where they will produce vegetables for families in need in the fight for food secuity for all. In addition to the three gardens listed below, Hilltop also provided Mt. Kisco Interfaith's Grow Bag project with plants: we can't wait to see them in use!
Each community garden donation includes a mix of vegetables and flowers. 
La Chat Community Garden in Weston, CT
St. Luke's Unity Community Garden in Darien, CT
The Community Food Pantry at St. Mary's Mohegan Lake
The 2022 Hilltop Hanover Farm Volunteers motto:
"Try and leave this world a little better than you found it."
-Robert Baden-Powell

Thank you, May volunteers! 
The Friends of Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center are dedicated to the development and advancement of sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, community education, and accessible food systems for all. Please help to further our mission by coming to one of our many events this summer on the farm or by making a donation today. 
Thank you for supporting local agriculture!

The Friends of Hilltop Hanover Farm Staff & Board
We gratefully acknowledge Consolidated Edison Company of NY, Inc.
for their ongoing support.
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Yorktown Heights, NY | 10598 United States
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