Thursday, September 17, 2009

Happy Summer!



Included in this email...



1. Your CSA REALLY needs you this week!! We’re looking for THREE (3) people to work from 3:30 to 5:30pm and FOUR (4) people to work from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

2. It’s time to weigh our food!

3. This week’s list (subject to change without notice…farming is like that J )

4. What to do if you’re running late???

5. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff (new stuff added weekly...really!)

6. Do you garden? Want organic seedlings from your CSA farm???

7. Notes from the Farm







1. Your CSA needs you this week!! We’re looking for THREE (3) people to work from 3:30 to 5:30pm and FOUR (4) 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 3:30 or 5:30pm at the CSA and offer to work if there's still an empty slot on the CSA Work Sign-up Sheet. 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. This week’s list (subject to change without notice…farming is like that J )



September 17, 2009

Week # 22



1. Tomatoes, Mini – 1 pt

2. Lettuce: Boston, Green

3. Carrots – 1 bunch

4. Basil: Red OR Green – 1 bunch

5. Squash, Summer

6. Beans: Soy

7. Beans: Black-Eyed Peas (they’re actually beans) AND/OR Cranberry AND/OR Dragon Tongue



Total Items – 7 (?)



Herb Share – Sept 2B



Basil, Red AND Thyme







4. 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.







5. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff





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.



10am to 4pm



LI Naturally 12th Annual Environmental Fair

Manor Farm

210 Manor Rd

Huntington

FREE

For more info:

www.starflowerexperience.org



Live music, learn about green cleaning, energy, etc., games & activities, raffles, community yard sale. Food provided by Whole Foods Market. Rain date is Sunday, September 27th.



10pm



The Hotline at…

Giacomo Jack’s

www.thehotline.net



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:

www.wildmanstevebrill.com

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:

www.wildmanstevebrill.com

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)







6. 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!







7. Notes from the Farm



September 14, 2009



Fall is upon us. Our summer crops will be coming to an end soon as our cooler weather crops begin…Tat Soi, Pak Choi, Bok Choi, Broccoli Raab, Arugula, Mustards (both Red and Green), Kales (several kinds), Broccoli, Cauliflower and much more in the next two months. Beets, Carrots, Leeks, a few more Tomatoes, Summer Squash, and some Winter Squash and Beans, will all be arriving at our CSA Pick-Up Sites.



Also, this fall our Pumpkin picking farm tour will be happening on Saturday, October 17th, at 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm and 2pm. RESERVATION ARE REQUIRED (for CSA members and their immediate family ONLY…if you are sharing with someone, you must reserve in the name of the person on the CSA Sign-In list and only ONE family can come from one share). It is a tour on a wagon pulled by a tractor so seating is limited. There will be a $1 charge for the Pumpkin picking as we do not grow these Pumpkins but purchase them from a local farmer.. Please call the farm (631-726-1900) from 9:30 am to 4:30pm any day of the week to reserve your spot. This is the last chance to visit the farm this year and we hope all can come out to see us!



Organically Yours,

Farmer Bill (Halsey)



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