Green Thumb Farm Huntington CSA

Happy Autumn!



No news is good news (about me) but there’s LOTS of news below…number one being this weekend’s CSA tour at our farm (look under #7 Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff)!



Someone was nice enough to return the numerous rubber bands we get during the season…please don’t! Sorry, but with insurance liability being what it is, the farm will not reuse rubber bands we would give them (along with plastic bags and the paper containers we get Tomatoes, etc in – caveat on that one…they will take the Tomato containers IF they are PRISTINE and I can be the judge of that J ).



Question…did any of you guys see an article in Newsday (or wherever) about neighborhood complaints about people picking up vegetables from someone’s house? A CSA member mentioned it last week and I looked online in Newsday but couldn’t find it. I’m thinking it’s about a CSA pickup site and am curious as to which one, where and what happened!



Last Chance for Slow Food USA’s membership special!! Today, October 15th is the LAST day to join FOR ANY AMOUNT (I’ll assume till midnight)!
Give more if you can, less if you can't…a donation of any size to Slow Food USA will make you a member. Membership rates will return to $60 on October 16th.
So Donate Now and Become a Member: http://tinyurl.com/muwdec

If you don’t know about Slow Food…

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/

CSA member, Ann Rathkopf, started the Huntington Chapter. In our neck of the woods the Slow Food Chapters are…Huntington, Sag Harbor & NYC. Go Ann!



This email includes…



1. Your CSA needs you! The CSA could use THREE (3) people from 3:30pm to 5:30pm and THREE (3) folks from 5:30 to 7:30pm

2. It’s time to weigh our food!

3. This week’s list (subject to change…farming is like that)

4. SAVE THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SEEDS!!!

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

6. Support Organic Baby Food and Vote!

7. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff

8. Farmer’s use vending machines to sell produce!

9. For every piece of good news…

10. And now for something completely different J …



1. Your CSA needs you! The CSA could use FIVE (5) people from 3:30pm to 5:30pm and THREE (3) folks from 5:30 to 7:30pm



A. Reply to this email before 1pm today

B. Call before 1pm today – 631-421-4864

C. Call after 3pm today– 631-385-1079

D. Show up a little before 3:30 or 5:30pm to see if there are still slots to be filled




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…farming is like that)…



October 15, 2009

Week #26



1. Lettuce

2. Carrots

3. Broccoli Rabe/Raab/Rape (all the same thing)

4. Pepper, Sweet

5. Scallions

6. Potatoes, Sweet

7. Beans: Green (mostly?)



Total Items: 7 (?)



4. SAVE THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SEEDS!!!!



Our farmer needs the seeds from the Butternut Squash we got last week to grow more Butternut Squashes next year. He can’t buy more of these because these are unique. They are adapted to his farm and they are a natural hybrid of a disease resistant variety that barely survived this year’s lousy weather…but they did survive.



If you don’t save them properly…they will be thrown out so please follow these simple instructions so your efforts don’t go to waste…



1. Rinse in water and get all the gunk off the seeds

2. Pat dry with a towel or paper towels and place on a metal cookie sheet or in a Pyrex baking dish or a cutting board…DO NOT DRY ON NEWSPAPER OR PAPER TOWELS*

3. Keep in a dry, warm place till they are completely dry…and when you think they are dry…leave for another week…it won’t hurt them and better overly dry than not dry enough

4. Return in a paper bag…plastic if you must BUT if they’re in a plastic bag and not dry enough they will get moldy and can’t be used

5. Do not dry by putting them in your microwave or oven…this has happened in the past and it kills the seeds so they won’t grow when planted



*Why not on paper towels or newspaper? Farmer Bill is concerned about the paper having an effect on the seeds germinating and/or getting in the way of being a healthy plant…some paper towels have chlorine in them, etc. He doesn’t want to take any chances.



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. Support Organic Baby Food and Vote!



Ran across this contest where you can vote for an organic baby food company that also feeds hungry children in Africa (watch the video for details) and they’ll get mucho dinero…



http://shinealight.ivillage.com/



7. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff



Saturday, October 17th



9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm and 2pm



Green Thumb Farm Annual CSA Pumpkin Picking Tour

Rt 27

Water Mill, NY

Reservations: 631-726-1900 (call between 9:30am to 4:30pm)

Cost: $1



This is your last chance to tour the farm this season and Farmer Bill and his family hopes you can come if you didn’t make it in June (or even if you did)! RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED (though I’m sure you could call the farm at 9:30am and still make the 11am tours on IF there’s still room). It’s for CSA members and their immediate family only (if you’re sharing with someone, you must use the name of the person on the sign-in sheet and only ONE family can attened). It will be a tour on a tractor driven wagon filled with hay so seating is limited. RAIN OR SHINE (they have to work in the rain so why can’t you visit when it’s raining…we get the easier of the deal J ). There will be a $1 charge for the Pumpkin picking as Green Thumb Farm does not grow these Pumpkins but purchase them from a local farmer..


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, November 7th



Noon – 2 pm



A Vegetarian Thanksgiving
The Viking Cooking School in Garden City presents Eating Green with Bhavani Jaroff

For more information and to register: http://www.vikingcookingschool.com


Eating a diet centered more around vegetables and less on meat is healthier for our bodies and for the environment, but making the transition can be a challenge. Bhavani Jaroff of iEat Green, has designed a series of classes to help you in that transition, and to inspire the creative, health conscious, but flavor-seeking chef in us all. All of the ingredients used will be organic and local, whenever possible.



Sunday, November 8th



2pm to 5pm



Nose to Tail Eating: Lamb Butchering - Demo, Tasting, and Auction Presented by Slow Food NYC
The Institute for Culinary Education (ICE)

50 West 23rd St

Manhattan
Tickets: Slow Food Members - $55 / Non-members - $75 , available ONLY on-line at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/76318
(Note, please DO NOT contact ICE about tickets for this event. )



See Master Butcher Rudi Weid break down the carcass of a 110 lb sustainably and humanely raised lamb (straight from the pastures of Three Corner Field Farm in Shushan, N.Y.) into primals, sub-primals, and, ultimately, into roasts, chops, and miscellaneous cuts, like organ meat and stewing meat. In the age of "boxed" and vacuum packaged meat, this is a truly unique opportunity.

As Master Butcher Rudi wields his knives from head to hind quarter, he will discuss each section, muscle, and cut and you will enjoy another lamb, roasted, seared, and grilled, accompanied by New York State wine specially selected for the occasion. When Rudi is done, you will have opportunity to bid on cuts to take home. (Cash and checks will be accepted.) Proceeds from this event will benefit the Slow Food NYC Harvest Time program of good food education at schools in East Harlem, on the Lower East Side, and in Williamsburg.



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)



Tuesday, December 8th, 2009



7-9 pm



Holiday Baking with Whole Grains

The Viking Cooking School in Garden City presents Eating Green with Bhavani Jaroff

For more information and to register: http://www.vikingcookingschool.com


Eating a diet centered more around vegetables and less on meat is healthier for our bodies and for the environment, but making the transition can be a challenge. Bhavani Jaroff of iEat Green, has designed a series of classes to help you in that transition, and to inspire the creative, health conscious, but flavor-seeking chef in us all. All of the ingredients used will be organic and local, whenever possible.


8. Farmer’s use vending machines to sell produce!


How cool is this? Imagine this in public schools!

http://www.mnn.com/food/farms-gardens/stories/farmers-use-vending-machines-to-sell-produce


9. For every piece of good news…



http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-leafy-greens-safety-07-oct07,0,5313229.story



Mark my word…pieces like this are preparation for the public accepting all food being irradiated (and or chlorinated) to kill anything considered a bacteria or pathogen. Of course, not all bacteria is bad and not all pathogens will make us ill. Irradiation (and chlorine treatment) will also destroys nutrients that make food worth eating in the first place AND especially with meat products, irradiation produces new chemicals compounds that have never existed before, aren’t tested for short or long term health problems and some are already suspected of being carcinogens. These are both expensive and questionable excuses for not being clean.


What’s the answer?


1. Wash your food in plain water for 20 seconds (singing “happy birthday” twice should do it)…veggie wash not needed (according to a study done by Cornell University)

2. Know where your food is coming from (if you’re a CSA member and buying from Dines Farm you already do)

3. Require the USDA to enforce rules and regulations for inspection and cleaning up food operations, insisting that the USDA keep track of where food is coming from so when an outbreak occurs they know where it happened (for the most part these days they are clueless) & requiring food corporations to be more open to inspections and being able to inspect their record keeping, and insist that our government spend the money needed for additional inspectors and testing to get the job done



10. And now for something completely different J …

I stumbled upon this recently…(and can anyone translate what the heck she’s singing about…besides Potatoes J …it’s in Italian)…



My Name is Potato – Rita Pavone - 1977

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdXfML9gUmU

If you’re curious to know who the heck this woman is…

http://www.last.fm/music/Rita+Pavone/+wiki



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