Happy Summer!
WE STILL HAVE ROOM FOR ABOUT 50 MORE CSA MEMBERS (keep in mind membership will be closed off after Labor Day regardless if we’re filled up or not)! So, if you know of anyone who’d be interested…have them stop by the CSA, contact me, or give them a CSA brochure (we have copies at the sign-in desk).
Included in this email...
1. Your CSA needs you this week!! We’re looking for TWO (2) people to work from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
2. It’s time to weigh our food!
3. Notes from the Farm
4. This week’s list (subject to change without notice…farming is like that J )
5. What to do if you’re running late???
6. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff (new stuff added weekly...really!)
7. Do you garden? Want organic seedlings from your CSA farm???
8. What you actually got last week
1. Your CSA needs you this week!! We’re looking for TWO (2) people to work from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
If interested, please respond to this email before 1pm today OR call 631-421-4864 till 1pm today OR call the CSA at 631-385-1079 after 3pm today OR just show up a little before 5:30pm at the CSA and offer to work if there's still an empty slot on the CSA Work Sign-up Sheet (or 3:30 as you never know who will and won’t show up). ALWAYS FILL THE CSA WORK SHEET OUT IN PENCIL!!! Life is too unpredictable for being written in pen!
2. It’s time to weigh our food!
Yup! It’s that time of year. Sounds easy right? Put food in the scale and weigh it, right? Not exactly the case.
1. Bring your reading glasses if you need them OR have the person by the scale read it for you
2. Most important…PLEASE ERR ON THE SIDE OF BEING WEIGHING UNDER THE AMOUNT RATHER THAN OVER THE AMOUNT GIVEN!!!!
I can’t emphasize this enough. All we need is a few people thinking that it’s no big deal to be a smidge over the amount and….it is! Just think about it…1 oz…what’s that? Two Green Beans? So what???? Ok…we have 92 CSA members and if 32 of them go over by that 1 oz that adds up to 2 pound and it may mean that one or two people don’t get ANY Beans at the end of the night. Serves them right for coming late, huh? That’s not how the CSA works. Everyone paid the same amount to receive the same amount of food so it’s up to each one of us to make sure that happens.
3. Please don’t drop the scales…the top sometimes sticks to the bottom and lifts it up when you’re getting your food out of the measuring bowl and so the bottom then drops on the floor and breaks…just be aware and please be careful…thanks!
4. There will be a plastic bag in the scale…don’t take it with you! We use it to keep the vegetables from falling out of the bowl and, believe it or not, keep the weight consistant. Different plastic bags weigh different amounts. So, weigh it in the bag that’s in the scale and then dump the food into your own bag/basket/carrier. Thanks!
5. You’ll see a piece of tape on the part of the scale with the numbers on it. All you have to do is make sure the red line of the scale doesn’t go behind the tape so you can’t see it. Also, you have to stand directly in front of the scale (which should have the correct amount centered to the front of the table) because if you stand to the side…you can still see the red line but you’re going over the correct amount.
3. Notes from the Farm
August is here! The cool damp weather has continued for another month (darn!).
Our Cucumbers and Summer Squashes have had their yields decreased by over one half due to the weather. We’re still waiting to see what the outcome will be on our Tomatoes but if this continues, it will not be good. We spray no fungicides or “ides” on these crops so we are very weather dependent.
Our Beans and Greens are doing well. Beans look good until the end of the season. String Beans include Green, Yellow, Purple, and two types of Romanos. We will also have Soy, Lima and Cranberry Beans.
Lettuces also are doing well, as are Swill Chards, Fennels, Onions and Leeks. Herbs are doing well except for our warm weather ones such as Basil (double darn!).
Every year is a challenge and this one is no different.
Organically Yours,
Famer Bill (Halsey)
4. This week’s list (subject to change without notice…farming is like that J )
July 30, 2009
Week # 15
1. Radishes
2. Lettuce
3. Kale
4. Spring Onions
5. Beets
6. Beans: Green and/or Romano and/or Dragon Tongue
Total Items – 6 (?)
Flower Share
Week #8 – Sunflowers
Herb Share
August 1A
Parsley AND French Tarragon
5. What to do if you’re running late???
It happens…you’re planning on making it to the CSA and something happens…I think they call it life.
So, what can you do if you don’t want to miss the CSA pickup (or die trying to get there at the speed of…very fast)?
A. Call the UUFH Hall Phone (631-385-1079) no later than 7:30pm and see (if you won’t be too late) if someone can wait for you. We’re usually cleaning up till about 8pm but are often out earlier
B. Call the UUFH Phone (631-385-1079) no later than 7:30pm and have your fellow CSA members pack a bag for you and you can pick it up at CSA member Debbie Greenwood’s house (on a bench by her front door). Debbie’s address is 2 Recreation Lane…so easy! Go down Lovers Lane (if you walk out of the UUFH and look to your right, you’re looking up Lovers Lane) to the first left turn, go down three blocks & it’s the last house on the left (not scary at all…movie reference you’ll get…or not) and you can’t go any further without turning left or right. Pull into the driveway and please be careful of wandering pets in the driveway…
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Huntington&state=NY&address=2+Recreation+Lane&zipcode=11743
C. Do you know at least two other CSA members? If not, I’ll be emailing about that next week. Get at least two other CSA members’ contact info so if you’re in a spot, you can contact them to get your food for you and they could hold it till the next day or whatever you arrange.
Keep the UUFH Hall Phone number in whatever you need to make sure you have it AT ALL TIMES! It could come in handy. However, only use it on Thursdays between 3pm and 8pm otherwise whoever picks up may have NO IDEA what the heck you’re talking about.
6. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff
Friday, August 7th
NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) Summer Conference
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA
http://www.nofasummerconference.org/
If you're interested in organic gardening, food, farming, holistic health, alternative energy, cleaning up the environment, food politics, good eating, partying, dancing, music, crafts, poetry, yoga, join between 1,500 and 2,000 like minded people in a weekend of fun and education with something for just about everyone from tots and teens to everyone else. There are many Long Islanders who go every year. If you try it once, I bet you'll try it again!
10pm
The Hotline at…
Beau’s Bar
54 Broadway
Greenlawn
CSA member John Morina is the drummer with the rock/blues/funk quartet, The Hotline. Check it out for big fun!
Saturday, August 8th
The Hotline at…
Gunther’s Tap Room
84 Main St
Northport
CSA member John Morina is the drummer with the rock/blues/funk quartet, The Hotline. Check it out for big fun!
Sunday, August 9th
11am to 1pm
Preserve Your Harvest Through Canning!
Cornell Cooperative Extension
First Floor Meeting Room
423 Griffing Ave
Riverhead
$10 NOFA ( www.nofany.org ) members, $20 non-members (includes $10 materials fee).
RSVP required to info@gardenofevefarm.com.
Learn simple ways to enjoy the fruits of your labor all year long. Chef Melissa Rebholz from Garden of Eve Organic Farm and Leah Loizos of Cornell Cooperative Extension will teach you how to safely preserve your favorite fruits and vegetables to enjoy year round. We'll discuss pressure canning, using a simple water bath, and food safety issues involved in the process. While we talk we'll cook up a batch of fresh fruit jam and together help preserve it. Everyone will get to take home a jar, as well as simple and tasty recipes for jams and sauces. Rain or Shine.
Monday, August 10th
5 to 8pm
Green Drinks
Whole Foods & Greener Country Store
429 N Broadway
Jericho
FREE
For more info or to RSVP:
631-721-1908
Knowledge, conversation, collaboration, discussion, growth along with great snacks and beverages
Every month Long Islanders that work on or are learning about Clean Tech, Renewable Energy, Efficiency, Non Toxic Living, Sustainability and the Environment meet at Green Drinks Gatherings held throughout our region. By attending LI Green Drinks Gatherings you'll find opportunities to get to know environmental businesspeople, professionals, advocates, officials, educators and people just interested in learning from all over Long Island. Come share your experiences, converse, collaborate, discuss, grow and have a really good time.
Saturday, August 15th
11:45am
Wildman Foraging Tour
Muttontown Preserve
East Norwich
For more info & reservations:
914-835-2153
$15 - Adults, $10 - younger than 12
If you've never been...you should treat yourself to go at least once. If you've gone...you know why you want to check this out!
Sunday, August 23rd
10am to 5pm
Vermont Cheesemakers Festival
Shelburne, VT
General Admission $20, Seminars $45
1st one – 100 varieties of cheese, 40 makers, demos, authors, chefs, tastings, seminars
Tuesday, September 1st
4 to 6pm
Mustard Cover Crops for Control of Soil-borne Diseases
Long Island Horticulture Research and Extension Center
3059 Sound Avenue
Riverhead
FREE
Join Plant Pathologist, Meg McGrath and Vegetable Specialist, Sandy Menasha for a tour of research plots where mustard cover crops are being grown as an alternative to pesticides in managing weeds, improving soil health, and combating soil-borne diseases in strawberries, root crops, and potatoes. Come see different mustard cover crops species growing and view their positive effects! Rain or Shine.
Saturday, September 5th
12:30pm
Wildman Foraging Tour
Sunken Meadow Park
Kings Park
For more info & reservations:
914-835-2153
$15 - Adults, $10 - younger than 12
If you've never been...you should treat yourself to go at least once. If you've gone...you know why you want to check this out!
Thursday, September 10th
3 to 6pm
Help Work the Farm at Historic Sylvester Manor, followed by potluck/cookout and farm work song singalong
RSVP required to info@gardenofevefarm.com , NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers Association www.nofany.org ) Members ONLY $5
Come see unique, historic Sylvester Manor and Bennett Konesni's recent efforts to bring the Manor's fields back into their agricultural glory. Gather at 3 pm for a tour of the grounds and house, including an 1810 wind-powered flour mill, and learn about the Manor's unique place in the history of American food. At 4 pm we'll all lend a hand towards the field work, wherever we are needed. At 6:30pm we'll break to enjoy a potluck supper/cookout, and then we'll gather round the fire make music into the night! Bring grill food, drinks, instruments and voices, a song or poem, and be prepared to play and sing traditional agrarian music, from field hollers to appalachian ballads.
Saturday, September 26th
10am-6pm
Sixth Annual Long Island Garlic Festival
Garden of Eve Farm
4558 Sound Avenue
Riverhead
Admission just $2 per person, children under 6 free. A portion of the proceeds are donated to NOFA-NY
map and directions at www.gardenofevefarm.com
Love Garlic? You will want to check out Long Island's only Garlic Festival, dedicated to celebrating food, farming, and family fun. This all-weekend celebration features organic garlic, a wide variety of garlic inspired foods, crafts, live music, puppet theater, and sustainability information.. Rain or Shine.
The Hotline at…
Giacomo Jack’s
CSA member John Morina is the drummer with the rock/blues/funk quartet, The Hotline. Check it out for big fun!
Sunday, September 27th
10am to 6pm
Sixth Annual Long Island Garlic Festival
(see September 26th)
Sunday, October 25th
12:30pm
Wildman Foraging Tour
Sunken Meadow Park
Kings Park
For more info & reservations:
914-835-2153
$15 - Adults, $10 - younger than 12
If you've never been...you should treat yourself to go at least once. If you've gone...you know why you want to check this out!
Sunday, November 1st
11:45pm
Wildman Foraging Tour
Muttown Preserve
East Norwich
For more info & reservations:
914-835-2153
$15 - Adults, $10 - younger than 12
If you've never been...you should treat yourself to go at least once. If you've gone...you know why you want to check this out!
Saturday, Nov 21st
11am to 6pm
Green Living Expo
Suffolk County Community College
Brentwood Campus
Sports/Exhibition Complex
101 Crooked Hill Road
Brentwood, NY 11717
For more info:
http://www.greenlivingexpoli.com/
http://www.greenlivingexpoli.com/schedule.html
$10.00 (under 12 years old free)
The Green Living Expo is a 2-day event designed to provide Long Island residents and business owners with the information they need to support a greener way of life here on Long Island. “Green Living” is a new concept for many Long Islanders, for others it has been a way of life for years. Regardless of which category you fall into, being “green” is a notion that has firmly taken root in our society.
The Green Living Expo will be the catalyst between businesses, organizations, and consumers looking for information, inspiration, and innovation. It will provide information to help move us in the direction of a lifestyle that is both economically viable and ecologically sound.
The Green Living Expo will have two full days of programming to make the event both educational and fun. Speakers have been selected for their passion, commitment, innovation, and authority on their “green” topic. There is no additional fee required to attend the programs/lectures/classes.
Sunday, Nov 22nd
11am to 5pm
Green Living Expo
(see Saturday, Nov 21st)
7. Do you garden? Want organic seedlings from your CSA farm???
You can order certified organic seedlings for your garden from our CSA farm, Halsey's Green Thumb Farm, that will be delivered to you when you pick up your CSA share! AND, the prices are the same as last year! If you want something not on the list, call and ask...there's a decent chance they have, or will have, it. Fliers about this are on the CSA Sign-In Table.
How?
Call the farm (631-726-1900) from 9:30am to 4:30pm, order using a credit card (minimum order of $20) and coordinate when you'll be picking up your seedlings with your CSA pickup.
What?
All the pots are 4 1/2" and the cost of each pot is $5.00
Basil, Green
Marigold: Orange (8" to 10")
Mint, Cat
Oregano, Greek
Parsley, Italian Flat Leaf
Petunias: Blue OR Mixed OR Rose
Rosemary
Sorrel
Strawberries, Alpine (very small)
Swiss Chard: Gold OR Green OR Red
Tarragon, French
More varieties coming soon!
8. What you actually got last week
July 30, 2009
Week # 15
1. Lettuce: Boston, Green OR Boston, Red – 1 head - $2.25
2. Radishes: French Breakfast OR Mixed – 1 bunch - $2.25
3. Savory, Summer – 1 bunch - $2.25
4. Fennel – 1 bunch - $3.50
5. Beans: Green, Haricot Vert, Romano AND Squash, Summer: 8 Ball, Costata Romanesco, Gold, Yellow, Zohra, Zucchini – 1 lb each/2 lbs total - $5.50
Total Items – 5 (sort of)
Total Amount - $15.50 (+$6 total extra given to us by our farmer so far this season - over what we pay our farmer per week...$16.50...not much, but over 34 weeks, this all adds up)
Flower Share
Week #7 – Zinnias
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