Newton Community Farm's "Eating in Season" cooking workshop sold out so fast that organizers opened a waitlist, the latest sign of surging demand for programming at the Nahanton Street farm.
The hands-on class, led by farm crew member Harry Pesce, taught participants which vegetables grow in summer right here in Newton, then walked them through two seasonal recipes using produce picked from the fields. Pesce brought professional kitchen experience to the barn: he previously cooked at Woods Hill Table and Forage and managed the award-winning Gracenote Coffee Roasters.
The Aug. 1 session filled to capacity. A second session is scheduled for Aug. 11 at 7 p.m., though availability has not been confirmed.
The workshop was produced in partnership with the Newton Free Library, which provided financial support. Participants took home a list of library resources for eating seasonally year-round. The collaboration reflects the farm's 2026 strategy to expand educational programming through community partnerships, according to its annual report and business plan.
The pattern isn't limited to cooking classes. The farm's 2026 Summer CSA, Fruit Share and "Glorious Grains" workshop in July all sold out. In its 2025 annual report, the nonprofit called excess demand its single biggest challenge, noting that interest in its products and services had outpaced what it could provide.
Free open house on Aug. 22
Neighbors who missed the workshops still have a chance to visit. Newton Community Farm hosts a free family open house Saturday, Aug. 22, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 303 Nahanton Street.
Visitors can tour the working fields, meet the chickens, explore the historic barn and shop at the farm stand. Staff and volunteers will lead tours and answer questions. Greenhouses are staff-only. Registration is requested so the farm can plan accordingly.
The farm, Newton's last working farm, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026. The City of Newton acquired the historic Angino farmstead in 2005 using Community Preservation Act funds, and the nonprofit has operated it since 2006. In 2025, the farm engaged more than 1,500 people through classes, tours, volunteering and service-learning opportunities, and its monthly newsletter now reaches about 3,300 readers.
Accessible parking for the open house is available in the driveway on Nahanton Street; general parking is on Winchester or Nahanton Street.
- Aug. 11: "Eating in Season" second session, 7 p.m. (check newtoncommunityfarm.org/events for availability)
- Aug. 22: Free family open house, 10–11:30 a.m., 303 Nahanton Street. Register at newtoncommunityfarm.org/events.
- Farm stand: Open Saturdays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and Thursdays and Fridays 2–6 p.m. on Winchester Street.
