Sustainable Farming in the Merrimack Valley - Matthew Himmel Interview

In today's blog, I have the distinct pleasure of presenting an interview with Matthew Himmel, the Marketing Manager of World PEAS Cooperative at the New Entry Sustainable Farm Project, here in the Merrimack Valley. The New Entry Sustainable Farm Project's (http://www.nesfp.org/) mission is to assist people with limited resources who have an interest in small-scale commercial agriculture, to begin farming in Massachusetts. World PEAS ("People Enhancing Agricultural Sustainability") Marketing Cooperative primarily sells directly to consumers through a Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA), with additional sales to institutional food services/restaurants, and at farmers’ markets (in partnership with the United Teen Equality Center).

Complicated, I know! That is also why I decided to interview Matthew and get the real scoop, right from the source. So let's get started!

Matthew Himmel Interview Matthew Himmel

* You studied biology and environmental studies at Hamilton College. Are you originally from that area of New York, and did you have interests in farming and local agriculture before going to college?

No, I am actually from around here; I grew up in Lexington.  When I was growing up we had a vegetable garden, compost pile and great backyard, so I spent a bit of time outdoors, tinkering in the garden. By the time I graduated from High School I was already very interested in agriculture, and took a year off to travel and work on farms in Central America and Europe.  I became confident that I wanted to work in agriculture, but not exactly sure how.  I studied biology and geology at Hamilton, studied Permaculture in the summers, worked on research at Cornell in Crop and Soil Sciences and Horticulture, and ultimately found a niche that I love, helping farmers access markets and resources they need to succeed.  After trying a few different things out, I have concluded that market-base strategies are essential to creating the healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems we all want.

* Did you or your family have a background in farming when you were growing up?

My mother emigrated from a small town in Romania, where everyone was subsistence farmers.  While I had a very different upbringing, this heritage has influenced me.  I still love hearing the stories from my grandmother about how they made sauerkraut to save for the winter, started seedlings in the warmth of a composting manure pile and so forth.

My dad is from New Jersey.  He’s definitely had an influence on me too, but less directly in farming.  I think I get my systems thinking from him.  He uses Excel spreadsheets to do just about everything.  Learning Excel from him, has been enormously helpful coordinating farmers for World PEAS.

* What are the goals of World PEAS, NESFP and of the Lowell CSA, and how do they work together?

NESFP is strengthening our local food system by training new farmers (either new to farming or new to the U.S.) and helping them access the resources they need to successfully establish farm businesses.  Helping farmers access markets is critical, since the financial viability of farms is essential to their continued existence.  While we encourage farmers to have diverse marketing venues, including farmers’ markets, restaurant accounts, etc., we also coordinate cooperative marketing through the World PEAS Cooperative.  

World PEAS helps small farmers connect with local consumers, by coordinating the production of farmers, each of whom may only be growing six crops, to offer customers a diverse bounty of over 70 local fruits and vegetables.  The cooperative also packs and delivers produce from all of the cooperative farmers, which is much more efficient than each farmer spending time and fuel making their own deliveries.  Consumers also benefit, because they are able to have just-picked freshness, and support small farmers in their community, without having to drive out to each of the farms, and with the convenience of online payment, and a free weekly newsletter with recipes.


* Is the main objective of NESFP to train farmers, or is it to provide resources for them to get started? Or are some of the farmers very experienced?

New Entry works with farmers with varying levels of experience and resource needs.  Many of the immigrant and refugee farmers we work with have decades of experience farming in their homeland, but are less familiar with the local climate and markets, and may also need help accessing land and other key resources.  Others come to the program with very little or no farming experience.  

We have recently seen a rise in the number of American-born applicants looking to get into farming for the first time.  They may need more help with production skills and land access, but are often more familiar with trends in the local market, through their observations at farmers’ markets, supermarkets, etc.  

We also work with farmers who have some experience farming in the U.S.  Some a single Field Training to learn about a single production topic, such as organic pest management, others may wish to re-vise and formalize their business plan through our Farm Business Planning Course.  Others come to New Entry for our Farmland Matching Service, so they can find available land to farm.

* How many share holders did the CSA have this past summer, and how did it compare to previous years?

Last year, the World PEAS Community Supported Agriculture (aka CSA or farm share) program, which is our largest market, provided weekly boxes of fresh produce to 425 households throughout the greater Lowell and Boston areas.

The CSA and World PEAS in general have been growing rapidly over the past couple of years.  When I started in 2008 we had 100 shares.  We’ve been adding about 100 every year since, as well as additional markets.

* Is the CSA self-sustaining? Do the farmers all make a profit?

As of 2010, the World PEAS Cooperative achieved financial solvency.  We are really proud of this achievement, and feel that our success demonstrates the efficacy of this model to other farmer groups and organizations.

We cover our costs by charging a commission on sales, a little over 20%.  This still leaves farmers with much higher prices than they would receive through most other markets, because it is a pretty direct and efficient value chain.  Unlike traditional channels, produce doesn’t change hands several times, and there are no expensive warehouses and supermarkets to maintain and power.  Farmers can still get better prices selling directly to customers at Farmers’ Markets, and many do.  But many of the farmers in the program have other jobs, don’t speak English very efficiently, or have volume that are too small to justify going to a market on their own.  World PEAS provides another market.

Whether farmers’ make a profit is dependent on how well they manage their farm.  There are a lot of expenses, including seeds, land rental, water, fertilizers, organic pesticides, tractor rental, gas, etc.  Farmers need to plan their production to make the most efficient use of these resources, and make sure they can sell what they grow.  Often times farmers in the program break even their first season, and increase their profits in subsequent years.

* Is the land generally lent or leased, and to NESFP or to the individual farmers?

New Entry manages a three incubator farm sites in Dracut where farmers can rent land and equipment.  We have various arrangements in each case.  Our Farmland Matching Service typically helps arrange direct leases with farmers.

* Are there any long-range plans that any of the various organizations that you work with have in the works?

Having achieved many of the goals we set several years ago, we are in the midst of another round of strategic planning.  Having built up a suite of successful programs New Entry is well poised to expand in a variety of directions.  It will be exciting to see how things develop.

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Registration for the World PEAS CSA is now open.  For more information, visit http://www.worldpeascsa.org/.

If you have questions about World PEAS or for further information about the Training Program, please call the office at 978-654-6745.

Just Some Photos that I Like!

When I blog, I like to write something that readers will hopefully find interesting and will compel them to read and look further. It's often a challenge, as I don't feel like a writer. As photographers, we communicate with our images. Ultimately, that's what I hope will draw people in. I know it won't be my words, but I hope that my words will serve as an introduction to my work.

This time, I only have my images. As a commercial photographer, I spend a lot of time creating photographs that are not strictly artistic. While artistry is involved, their role in life is largely utilitarian. That is true in a business sense, but the discerning client knows that they are more than that; they serve to evoke an emotion in the viewer. The esthetic value may be subtle, but it's there. That's why I can only shake my head in disbelief when I see a cell phone self portrait or a red cup party shot used as a business headshot. People! Potential clients are judging you, possibly unfairly, based on an initial impression. You've heard this rant before, I'm sure.

So since I have nothing to say today ;-), I thought I would post some business portraits and some actor headshots that I did recently and that I really like.

The first bunch of shots are of a young actress and dancer.

I also had the privilege of photographing this Boston attorney, who also does legal commentary on a TV network. She really understands the value of good images!

A Family Business

I worked on a story last month for the Merrimack Valley Magazine, written by Kathleen Pierce, about culinary "hidden haunts" in the valley. One of the places that I really enjoyed was Coté's Market, on Salem Street in Lowell. The small, family owned and operated market is a lot like the little stores that my father used to frequent when I was growing up. My father was always on a first-name basis with the owner and they would typically converse in French while I stood in my Anglophone daze. Many of us are a couple of generations away from our Québec roots here in Massachusetts, so English it is, but I experienced the same something in my interactions with the father and son team of Roger and Kurt Levasseur and the rest of their team. They seem to know their customers by name and they went out of their way to make me feel comfortable.

Then there is the food.

                                                                      In her article, Kathleen appropriately praises the killer baked beans that the Levasseurs make, which are quite different from those that were once called "Boston Baked". They are decidedly Québécoises. The beans are great, but really, it's about the pie; the pork pie, or la tourtière, which Coté's makes in abundance. Kurt told me that at Christmas they sell about 500 pork pies! Pork pies are something that everyone who had a Mémère knows about, but that no one else has heard of or believes you when you tell them about it. Every family makes it differently. Coté's make it their way, and it is the real thing!

Here are more shots of the market taken as Kurt showed off this place, of which he is so proud. Coté's is located at 175 Salem Street, in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Spring Cleaning of the Mind

Is it a headshot, or is it a portrait? I get a fair number of calls from people looking for a headshot. They are often business people who are told that they need to get a headshot taken for their employer's web site, or they are in business for themselves and they are working with a professional to improve their branding and on-line presence. They are often actors or musicians too, who need a headshot in order to audition. But this "headshot" thing... I think the term is complicit in the dumbing down of the concept in popular perception. If all they needed was a shot of their head, the arm's length iPhone self-portrait would do (or should I call it a self-headshot? Self-inflicted headshot?), as would scanning their driver's license photo, although there may be copyright issues there ;-) Clearly, neither approach would be acceptable to a casting director or a marketing/branding consultant.


The ease with which we can all create digital photographs of exceptional technical quality has made professional photography a difficult pursuit. Consequently, there are many photographers who, out of desperation I think, will be willing to do a $20 headshot. I will not. Art can never be a commodity. Once it becomes a commodity it cedes its place as art. A professional must value himself or herself as an artist.

Now there is nothing in the slightest wrong with a traditional approach to a headshot. In fact, many purposes for what a headshot is used have specific requirements and norms for such shots. That being said, artistry does matter. An artist will fulfill the client's requirements and then go the extra distance to make the session matter. Other artists, such as performers, are easier to convince, but it's often difficult to persuade business people of the value of really great photography, especially when they are the subject. But when you see or think of the best kinds of business branding and marketing, the photography is never mundane or perfunctory. It's extraordinary and special. It's art.

If you have read some of my previous posts you may recognise a couple of these people. Some of these "headshots" were done in the course of doing environmental portraits for them. But these headshots are portraits just the same! They are unique and in each case I have made an attempt to bring out the personality in each individual while creating an esthetically pleasing experience. A photographer who cares and who values his or her work and artistic sensibilities is worth investing in.

Location Portrait Photography That Tells a Story

I love working with professional people who understand the value of story telling with their on-line photography. This executive wanted a traditional head-shot for certain applications, but also wanted a series of location portraits that would tell a story about who he is, what he does and would present a professional, sophisticated image. Photographing at an office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the goal was to show him instructing and interacting with his clients, as well as simple portraits in an office environment that would convey his professionalism and friendliness.

What's The Difference?

As a freelancer, two of my roles in this operation are marketing and sales. I hear all of the experts: branding blah blah blah differentiation blah blah blah engaging blah blah blah. Can you hear it? Obviously that's all important and unless I or someone I hire does that for me, I will be a very lonely freelancer indeed. It's a given that exposure to the right audience is essential. There is a ton of advice out there on the tubes of the internets as to how to go about making that happen.

But what makes what I do different from all of the other photographers out there who are marketing to the same people? I have actually read articles that say things like: 'you don't have to be the best photographer to be a success'. While that may seem encouraging if you, like most of us, have insecurities about your work, it's also a really convenient excuse to let up on pushing yourself to create more and better work. The race to the middle! Is that where success lies?

If 5 photographers make themselves visible to a potential client through their effective marketing and sales efforts, and they all seem to be the same in the eyes of that potential client, which one does she choose? (If no one raises their hand I will have to call on someone!)  The answer is: they choose one at random, or one who answers their email request for a bid. Clearly, there are other factors that, in the real world, come into play such as a usable web site, as opposed to one that re-sizes the browser, plays music, has slippery, ever moving and morphing navigation controls that scream: GET ME OUT OF HERE! What other factors might make a potential client choose one photographer over another, all things seeming equal? Proximity of the photographer, referrals and references, the consistent message put forth in their web presence, etc.

Have I led you up to the precipice of the obvious yet? What's the real differentiator? Remember, if no one raises their hand...  Answer: It's the work!  Photographer Nick Onken has written a good piece here that you should take a look at, BUT COME BACK! http://nickonken.com/blog/2011/01/the-quality-diversity-of-your-product.html

People have a penchant for sameness much of the time. Kids don't want to be different. It seems to be an instinct at some point in our human development. At times it does makes sense to emulate success. That's clearly valuable as a learning tool. I think where it becomes destructive is when it is a mantra, such as the misguided conventional wisdom that standardized testing of school children is going to generate a well educated population. I can tell you that if there had been a standardized test to graduate from high school when I was that age, I might still be there now trying to pass it. But say such a methodology were to be successful. What has been accomplished? Millions of identically informed people who have never been encouraged to be different, to think critically or to be creative. There's a prescription for success...

Assuming that your marketing and sales thing has been taken care of, although it is always ongoing, and the presentation of your work is of a high quality and consistent, both on-line and in person (read: have a great book*), THE most important thing is the work and how it is better, more creative and different than all of the others from whom a client might choose. It's so important to keep pushing yourself, to keep growing and stretching, both technically and artistically. And equally important is to push yourself to do personal projects as well as the work you do for business. Hopefully, you soon will be able to see the two come closer together so that the work that people hire you to do is the kind that you love to do.

*If you are not sure of what I am referring to at the asterisk, please call my friend Selina Maitreya, or read one of her books!      http://selinamaitreya.com/

I have sprinkled this post with some recent work that I like, for no other reason than to show it. Plus getting it out there will force me to go out and create more :-)  So here are even more!

Worth Waiting For

I love shooting for magazines. One of the tough things about doing this kind of work though is the waiting. Creating a magazine that has lots of interesting, fresh and original content takes time, money and personnel. So waiting for a magazine that you've worked on to hit the streets can be difficult for those who participated.

In early December I was asked to do a cover story photo shoot for a brand new magazine, published by EH Publishing, in Framingham, Massachusetts. What made it really nice was that the cover that I was to do was for the premier issue of a new publication that they were creating, Commercial Integrator. It's a specialty magazine for "Professional integrators who design, sell, service, and install commercial integration products for small and medium size businesses".


Commercial Integrator Magazine - the Premier IssueThey had a very specific look in mind for the cover, which would feature Brad Caron, president and owner of Signet Electronic Systems, also located here in Massachusetts. The shoot was a blast! I have been waiting to talk about this cover shoot for weeks. EH mailed me some copies for my tear sheets, which arrived Today. The wait has been worth it!

Brad Caron - Signet Electronic Systems

Video - Everyone is Doing It!

If everyone was doing <insert your favorite bad activity>, would you do it too? How many times were you asked that as a kid? Or maybe you were the asker. Don't make me stop this car!

I have been reading for a year or so how, thanks to the great video capabilities that are now available in DSLRs, still photographers really need to do video. I guess my reaction was, I don't NEED to do anything. The comments made were to the effect that we needed to do this, or else give it up. I have a visceral reaction to statements like that. All television will be in 3D pretty soon. Um, no. I'm all set in the glasses department, and I generally don't watch "action" shows. So my feeling was no, I don't need to do video; unless I want to.

So here we are. I have been experimenting with video production. You can see my YouTube channel here. My first attempt was to do a walk-around through the building where my studio is located, taking still shots every few feet, and streaming them all together with the Windows Movie Maker to the strains of Flight of the Bumblebee. Wee! It's kind of entertaining, but probably of little practical value. It therefore boasts my biggest hit count. My second was another stop-action video, this time telling the story of an in-studio portrait shoot. While not the blockbuster that my first one was, it is pretty cool and well liked. The music is better too!

Well finally, a real "motion" picture to my credits! I was doing an environmental portrait shoot for a client of mine who happens to be a marketing and branding professional, Anya Downing of Engage Marketing and Design, of Georgetown, Massachusetts. We started to talk about possibly leveraging her photos for more than just her own professional branding, creating a video and a white-paper. So off we went. The shoot was actually months ago, and I have held back showing the photos until now. We worked on the video during the Christmas/New Year break, with Linda Williamson, who did the actual videography for us. I played Cecil B. DeMille.


Anya Downing - Engage Marketing and Design

The video is a presentation in interview format, by Anya, in which she discusses branding and what she calls, Profile Branding. The latter being the use of the type of imagery that I create, and created for her business, in branding a professional or their business, and how it can be an important element. Please take a look at Profile Branding.

While I have no intention of being "the video guy", because my passion is for great still photography, this is something that I will continue to do, to perfect and to offer clients.

While not originally part of the set that Anya chose from the shoot, I really liked this shot and have been really anxious to share it. These were shot at The Space, in Lowell, Massachusetts, and the art in the background is by David LeBlanc.

People at Work - Part 10 - The Power of Flowers

When I started to think about this blog I felt my "People at Work" theme was appropriate, and that it had only been a short while ago that I had pushed the pause button on that theme. So this morning I looked back and found that installment number 9 was posted on May 19th, 2009! Not possible... Anyway, here goes with number 10. Finally!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to photograph Joyce Bellefeuille, for the Merrimack Valley Magazine, along with some of her volunteers as they worked on her Power of Flowers project. Joyce is the owner of Belle Feuille Floral Design in Dunstable, Massachusetts. I would encourage you to check out the Merrimack Valley Magazine article, written by Anne Broyles.
Joyce Bellefeuille

You can read lots more about it on Joyce's web site, but the project delivers free flowers, donated from funerals, weddings, banquets and church services that would otherwise be discarded, to deserving recipients chosen through community outreach programs, friends, home care organizations, elder services, senior centers and cancer clinics.


The Power of Flowers ProjectI think creating photo essays like this to go along with editorial environmental portraits, that are the basis for the articles, gives the reader a much better connection to the subject.

The magazine went out to subscribers this week and will be on newstands on September 15th. See the magazine's web site for locations.

The Creative Process - A Constant State of Agitation

If you're like me, you enjoy the times when things are happening; those times when things are getting done and when you are creating things. But if you are really like me, you also have a tendency to look ahead to the quiet times that follow the storm. A little of this is OK, but I think being creative and productive, and interesting to others requires us to be in a constant state of agitation. We need to be thinking of what to do next, how to create, how to do something better than the last thing that we did, and how to continuously reinvent ourselves. That restlessness is what drives the creative process.

It's a little like brewing beer. Huh? Well, when beer is brewed, the wort (pronounced like dirt), which is the mixture of grains, hops and water, is inactive until the yeast is "pitched" into it. Soon after this happens, the wort becomes very active and "agitated". My analogy is about to breakdown here because the Lowell City Councilor Franky Descoteauxcreative process doesn't involve turning sugar into alcohol, but never mind :-)  My point is, the introduction of that yeast causes some pretty violent agitation which, in turn, results in the creation of beer. Very productive indeed! Without the introduction of that yeast, no beer will result. In fact, the inactive wort will turn into something very nasty after a few days.

OK, so my analogy is a little out there, but I can feel the pulls in my own life that cause me to be creative and productive, or not. We all have times when we are doing things that we don't want to do and wish them to be done with. But don't wish away the good stuff. And don't avoid the chaos. Put yourself into challenging positions and places. It really took me a long time to get the confidence to ask people if they would pose for me, for no other reason than that I wanted to create a portrait of them. People almost never refuse. People are not going to come to you to create something for them until you create a body of work that demonstrates your ability to do so. You craft that by putting yourself out there, by challenging yourself, by getting restless, by thinking about the next thing to create. As tempting as it can be to be complacent and satisfied with your work to this point, don't. Pitch that yeast.