Green Thumb Farm Huntington CSA

Happy summer!

PLEASE WEIGHT OUT YOUR FOOD MORE CAREFULLY (if you’re not already doing so). We were 11 pounds short on our Beans last week and there’s a question as to whether it was the farm not giving us enough or us, not being more careful in weighing things out. Please re-read #4 again and please err on the under side as opposed to the over. I have to say, it would have taken 44 people to go over by ¼ lb to get to the 11 pound shortage so it seems most likely that it’s the farmer but it wouldn’t hurt to be a tad more observant on our end too. Thanks!

SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR (and only 2 weeks left for people to join)(!!! We still need to fill 40 spots to have the CSA filled for the year!!! You will be hearing about this until either they’re all filled or until Labor Day (when Farmer Bill stops accepting new CSA members) whichever happens first! Attached to this email is the contract for new CSA members, the CSA brochure AND a CSA fee sheet for the rest of the season. Please feel free to pass this on to friends, neighbors, co-workers and relatives who might be interested in joining the CSA this season! If we all were able to find one person to join…we’d be done in a minute. Please feel free to suggest places to leave the CSA brochures or names of individuals/groups to contact about CSA (either just to give info or to give a talk about CSA/local eating). I’m happy to do whatever is needed.

Miss the Exchange Table? We don’t have one if there aren’t enough people to staff the CSA. This year, we need to figure out if it’s because we have less members and/or less working members. Hopefully, in the next 2 weeks we can fill the CSA up and not have to contemplate everyone working more hours, or next year, putting a limit on how many non-working CSA members the CSA can sustain.

This email includes…
1. HELP!!! Your CSA needs you!! We’re looking for THREE (3) people from 3:30 to 5:30pm!
2. Bulk Tomatoes Available Now!
3. What you’re getting at the CSA this week (subject to change without notice…farming is like that!)
4. It’s time to weigh our food!
5. Basil Shares Still Available AND to help you out…Basil Basics and Preserve Basil Like a Pro!
6. BRING BAGS!
7. Order Certified Organic Plants/Seedlings (grown at Green Thumb Farm) for your garden this season…
8. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)
9. Armchair Activist – Protect us all from Toxic Chemicals, Clean up the Planet and more…



1. HELP!!! Your CSA needs you!! We’re looking for THREE (3) people from 3:30 to 5:30pm!

If you were sent an email from Judi or me, you are scheduled to work this week. If not, you’re not.

IF you can work, please 1) respond to this email, 2) call 631-421-4864 and leave a message before 1pm OR 3) just show up a little before 5:30pm and offer to help out. You can always show up a little before 3:30 or 5:30pm at the CSA and offer to work if help is still needed…you never know! Everyone that’s scheduled doesn’t always show up on time…or at all.



2. Bulk Tomatoes Available Now!

Interesting in making Tomato Sauce for now and to last all winter long? Want to dry your own Tomatoes and make your own sun dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil? How about oven drying Tomatoes and freezing them (I think you can do that)? Any large gatherings coming up that might require Tomato Sauce (Ziti, Eggplant Parmesan, Lasagna)? Just got a call from Farmer Bill. There’s been no Tomato Blight this year (so far), so there are now 20 lb boxes of Red Italian Plum (Paste) Tomatoes available from Green Thumb Farm for $20 per box. To order, call the farm and place your order by no later than noon on Wednesday for Thursday pickup. They should be available for the next 3 or 4 weeks.



3. What you’re getting at the CSA this week (subject to change without notice…farming is like that!)

August 26, 2010
Week #19

1. Tomatoes – 2 lbs
2. Eggplant
3. Peppers, Sweet - 1
4. Beans: Cranberry, Purple, Romano – 1 lb
5. Squash, Summer – 1 lb
6. Cucumbers – 1 lb
7. Carrots – 1 bunch
Total Items: 7 (?)

Basil Share

Herb Share



4. 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 .

A. Bring reading glasses if you need them OR have the person by the scale read it for you

B. Please follow the instructions given by the person(s) at the scale. There may be more than one food item that needs to get weighed at the same time on the same scale. It may not make sense to you or seem necessary but our farmer has asked us to do so. Will be glad to explain if you want to know the specifics.

C. Most important…If you can’t get an exact weight (it happens), DO NOT GO OVER THE WEIGHT POSTED ON THE CSA WALL CHART!!!!
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 becomes a big deal! Just think about it…1 oz…what’s that? Two Green Beans? So what???? Ok…we have 82 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.

D. Please stand directly in front of the scale and make sure the red line (weight indicator) has not “disappeared” behind the colored tape on the readout part of the scale. If you stand to either side of the scale…you can still see the red line but you’re going to go over the correct amount (it’s the customer’s equivalent of the story about the butcher that keeps their finger on the scale to skew the weight).

E. There may be a plastic bag in the scale…if there is, 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!

F. 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!



5. Basil Shares Still Available AND to help you out…Basil Basics and Preserve Basil Like a Pro!

Organic pesto (freeze without the cheese though I understand some of you do and are happy with the results) all winter long…sounds good to me! I put pesto on pasta (of course), corn on the cob instead of butter, in omelettes, on bruschetta (toast in America  ), on mashed Potatoes, on a burger, steamed or grilled white fishes like Flounder or Cod…basically anything short of ice cream and apple pie! For those of you who didn’t sign up for Basil Shares on your contract when you joined, you can still participate! Delivery dates are September 2nd, September 9th and September 16th. The cost is $10 per share (4 bunches of Basil per share). Leave an envelope at the CSA Sign-In Desk with the cash or check (made out to Halseys Green Thumb) and the date you want the Basil to show up and get those blenders/food processors ready to roar!

I knew about the ice cubes but not in a fridge? I learn something new every day whether I want to or not! 

http://www.herbcompanion.com/Herb-Profiles/Herb-Basics-An-Introduction-to-Basil.aspx

http://www.herbcompanion.com/gardening/fresh-clips-harvest-basil-like-a-pro.aspx?utm_content=08.17.10+HBC&utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email

http://www.herbcompanion.com/herbs-in-the-kitchen/how-to-preserve-basil-5-ways.aspx



6. BRING BAGS!

What more can you say about this?

At the CSA, we bag our own food. I’d suggest to bring a selection of plastic bags (especially for things that are dripping wet like Lettuces and other Greens which we get later in the season when they are picked from out in the fields…as opposed to the greenhouse where they are probably coming from now) AND paper bags (for things that don’t like plastic like Tomatoes…the moisture that plastic attracts will make them rot faster).

Keep a stash of bags in every vehicle you own, and replenish when the stash gets low! That way you’ll never be without. AND, if anyone is picking up for you…please tell them about needing bags!



7. Order Certified Organic Plants/Seedlings (grown at Green Thumb Farm) for your garden this season…

Check out the attachment for instructions and plant list. This one has the phone number to the farm AND I put it as a PDF because some folks couldn’t open the Word version.



8. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)

If you don’t mind trekking into the city, these are two email lists to get on that have a lot of very cool food-based (local/organic) events…
http://brooklynbased.net/
http://www.eatingintranslation.com/


Friday, August 27th

9am to 10:30am

Morning Meditation with Rev. Ratzlaff
UUFH
109 Browns Rd
Huntington, NY
FREE

CSA member, Rev. Paul Ratzlaff conducts a morning sitting meditation every Friday. The schedule is as follows…
9am to 9:45am – silent meditation
Bell is rung
Poem or Buddhist reading is read aloud
Check in with everyone
Reading a selection out of a collection of Buddhist stories and discuss it
The end!


Saturday, August 28th

1pm

Farmer’s Market Luncheon
The Stissing House
Pine Plains, NY (about 3 hours away)
$24 for 3 courses, $40 with wine pairing (tax & gratuity not included)
Reservations: 518-398-8800 and mention “Zagat Presents”

Treat your inner locavore to three fresh and fabulous courses with Patricia and Michel Jean, proprietors of this historical Hudson Valley spot (one of America's oldest and longest operated restaurants), for an alfresco farm-to-table luncheon featuring the Pine Plain's farmer's market's best fare. Relax under the trees with a cool glass of rosé as chef Michel prepares a delightful menu with his signature Provençal touch while local agricultural stars Andy Szymanowicz of Sol Flower Farm, the Bannings of Black Sheep Farm and others share their coveted know-how and knowledge of bringing the farm to the table. And for those who want to make a day trip out of it, be sure to stop by the farmer's market yourself – it opens at 9 AM; or enjoy a bit of sightseeing and retail therapy in nearby Rhinebeck

4:30pm

At the Common Table at Quail Hill
Quail Hill Farm
Amagansett
$60 – Cocktail Party Only
$200 - Dinner
For more info and to get tickets:
Robin Harris – 631-283-3195 xt.19
RHarris@PeconicLandTrust.org

Bring a plate and a story to tell, and join the table under the Apple orchards at this local food farm dinner honoring local farmers and food artisans. It’s a benefit for the Quail Hill Farm, a project of the Peconic Land Trust. This is the first time that non-members of the Quail Hill Farm CSA have been given the option of attending.

10pm

The Hotline
Gunther’s Tap Room
84 Main St
Northport
631-754-9659

CSA member, John Morina is the drummer for The Hotline. If you like Blues, Rock, R & B or Funk The Hotline might be the band for you! They rock and provide a rockin’ good time….seriously  !


Sunday, August 29th

1pm

Tomato & Garlic Tasting
Biophilia Organic Farm
211 Manor Lane
Jamesport
www.localharvest.ort/biophilia-organic-farm-M10707

9pm

Dirt Candy vs Iron Chef!
Angels and Kings Bar
500 E 11th St. (and Ave A)
NYC
FREE (cash bar)
For more info:
http://www.dirtcandynyc.com/?p=2397

Amanda Cohen, chef & owner of the upscale vegetarian restaurant Dirt Candy (the name is how she thinks of vegetables) will be going against Masahiro Morimoto, one of the original Iron Chefs. It’s the first time a vegetarian chef has done battle! The show airs at 10pm on the Food Network. She’s doing a dinner re-creating what she prepared during the battle but it’s already sold out! Amanda’s husband Grady is one of the curators for the NY Asian Film Festival and has been a guest at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington so, Dylan Skolnick and suzanne will be going to cheer Amanda on. Amanda thinks the bar will be packed and rowdiness is being predicted (high spirits + alcohol = uh-oh) so I hope it doesn’t end up in the papers…Violent Vegetarian Melee Downtown!!!
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/08/amanda-cohen-iron-chef-interview-cohen.html

Amanda also recently won PETA’s “faux fois gras” contest and got a $10,000 prize which she amusingly blogged about (such a sweetie)…
http://www.dirtcandynyc.com/?p=2271


Tuesday, August 31st

7pm

Preserving the Harvest
Whole Foods Bowery
2 E Houston St
NYC
$25 (Demo & Vegan Tasting)
For more info:
http://www.foodsystemsnyc.org/node/1544

Keep your food costs down, and lower your carbon footprint! Planning ahead and preserving summer's abundance of local produce in August can add variety and nutrition to winter meals throughout the long, cold months ahead. Our summer-long series tonight continues with author Leda Meredith (The Locavore's Handbook: The Busy Person's Guide to Eating Local on a Budget), as she shares her simple, safe food-preservation methods that don't require canning or fancy equipment. Come December, you won't be needing those out-of-season, long-distance ingredients!

7:30pm

Let’s Eat! Films on Food presents…The Botany of Desire
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
$9 Members/$13 General Public (includes reception)
For more info and to get tickets:
www.cinemaartscentre.org

An event co-presented by Slow Food Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre with special guest speaker, Ellen Kamhi, the Natural Nurse (she rocks)! Based on the Michael Pollan book, the film explores Tulips, Potatoes, Marijuana and Apples to explore the relationship between plants and us.


Wednesday September 1st

NY State Locavore Challenge
Sign up…
https://www.nofany.org/events/regional-events/ny-locavore-challenge-signup

NOFA-NY is hosting its first ever Locavore Challenge to run throughout the month of September 2010. The Locavore Challenge serves multiple functions for NOFA-NY and for the organic movement in NY State. The first is as a general awareness builder, the second is as a membership recruitment initiative and the third is as a major annual fundraiser for the organization. The goal is to have more than 4,000 participants throughout the state involved in this event.


Saturday, September 4th

12:30pm to 3:30pm

Wildman Steve Brill
Sunken Meadow Park
Parking lot by the Sunken Meadow Bathhouse
Suggested Donation: $15, under 10 years old $10
For more info and to reserve a spot…
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/

If you’ve never experienced Wildman Steve Brill and you like eating locally and/or organically…this is a must! You will leave with interesting things to cook for dinner, and may start to look differently at the “weeds” that come up in your backyard. You MUST read his website carefully and follow the instructions if you are to maximize your experience by dressing properly and bringing what you need to bring on this adventure. I’ve been told he’s corny…well, that’s true…but he’s also brilliant, and knows about eating and foraging in the wild like nobody’s business. Since he’s a fairly recent father, the event is a family friendly experience.


Monday, September 6th

12pm to 5pm

Asian Feastival
Sheraton La Guardia East
135-20 39th Ave
Flushing
$55
For more info:
http://asianfeastival.com/

Take my word for it…there are going to be some great speakers at this event.

Asian Feastival is a one-day culinary festival and tasting event celebrating local, authentic Asian cuisines in Queens. Feastival goers will have the chance to see, taste and appreciate the diverse culinary landscape of Queens all in one place. Curating a select group of Asian restaurants representing the best in the borough, Asian Feastival brings together a kaleidoscope of regional specialties ranging from piping hot Shanghainese soup dumplings and char grilled Thai satay to crisp Malaysian roti canai dipped in spicy curry.

In addition to the tasting, there will be a variety of programs for those interested in learning more from the culinary experts. Programs will include moderated panel discussions, cooking demos, an on-site Asian farmer’s market, a food bike tour, and a guided culinary tour of Flushing.


Sunday, September 12th

12pm to 3pm

Brooklyn Food Coalition (BFC) Good Food Fest
Myrtle Ave between Vanderbilt Ave and Clinton Ave
Fort Greene/Clinton Hill
FREE
For more info:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=146557732032278
http://brooklynfoodcoalition.ning.com/

The Good Food Fest will consist of interactive cooking demos & delicious food tastings from around the world & your backyard; a best dish competition evaluated by a panel of “celebrity” judges; a variety of canning, beekeeping and other DIY demos; activities for
children; live music; recipe swaps and other "green/sustainability" initiatives.


Tuesday, September 14th

6:30pm

Educated Eater Presents: Processing from Strawberry Fields to Strawberry Jam
Brooklyn Kitchen
100 Frost St
Greenpoint
$45 (includes jar of locally sourced preserves)
For more info and reservations:
http://www.thebrooklynkitchen.com/web-store/classes/3254-914-educated-eater-lecture-tuesday-september/

The challenges that face regional farmers interested in turning their excess crops into value-added products (like salsa, jams, condiments, etc) and small food companies looking to work with farms to source local ingredients will be discussed. Listen to our esteemed panel of Greenmarket participants and peers as they explore the issues that processing presents, as well as some of the innovative projects that are being designed to overcome the challenges at hand. The discussion will be followed by a jam-making demo with Beth Linskey and Liz Beals of Greenmarket's Beth's Farm Kitchen. Each audience member will go home with a jar of Beth's locally sourced preserves


Sunday, September 19th

11am to ???

Back to Basis Good Food Festival
Gansevoort Plaza
NYC
$20 to $175
For more info and tickets:
http://goodfoodfest.com/

Join in a tasting of 30 farmers and chefs preparing a tasting of local food AND at the end of the day, a farm to table dinner. Benefit for The Feed Foundation’s 30 Project and Just Food


Monday, September 20th

9:30am to 4pm

Hunger Action Network of NY State Annual Meeting
St Mary’s Episcopal Church
521 E 126th St
NYC
$15 Non-Member Organizations/$10 Non-Member Individuals/$5 Non-Member Low Income & Students – suggested donation
For more info:
Mark
212 741-8192 xt 5#
dunleamark@aol.com

In the afternoon, we have two workshop sessions (three each) of exciting workshops: Hunger, Poverty and the 2011 State Legislative Agenda; Food Justice and the Farm Bill; The Safety Net: TANF Reauthorization; Health Care is a Human Right: The Future for Single Payer Health Care; Establishing Nutritional Standards for Emergency Food and Improving Nutrition for EFP Guests; and, Creating Jobs for Low-Income New Yorkers . The workshops are an opportunity to hear from leading organizers about campaigns in this area and to strategize as to how you and Hunger Action Network can impact on these topics.

We will conclude the meeting with reports from anti-hunger organizers from around the state about their exciting work (an excellent networking oppportunity), followed by a short march in support of Jobs and Economic Justice.

Tuesday, September 21st

8:30am to 3:30pm

Hunter Summit LI: 2010 – Challenging Business Leaders to Search for Sustainable Solutions
Adelphi University
1 South Ave
Garden City
FREE (lunch provided)
For more Info:
http://www.adelphi.edu/socialinnovation/hungersummit.php

Who Should Attend? Senior Executives, Business Leaders, Entrepreneurs, HR Personnel, University Staff and Faculty, Community Leaders and Not-for-Profit Executives.

Summit Objective: To raise awareness about the prevalence of hunger on Long Island, to understand how hunger and hunger relief impacts business and economics on Long Island, to discuss ways of fighting hunger, and to create new initiatives and strategic public and private partnerships to drive change


Thursday, September 23rd

Potluck Across NY - NY State Locavore Potluck Night
How to be a Potluck Host…
https://www.nofany.org/events/ny-locavore-challenge/potluck-across-ny

On a single evening in September (Thursday, September 23rd) groups of people will gather over potlucks across the wide state of NY, from Niagara Falls to the tip of Long Island, breaking (local, organic) bread together. These groups share a common interest in their concern over the current state of the US food system and a commitment to consuming food grown from local organic farms. We hope to eventually have potluck gatherings in each of NY’s 62 counties, and have thousands of individuals making this stance together, while remaining in their home communities


Sunday, October 3rd

10am to 4pm

19th Holistic Fair
Huntington Hilton Hotel
Rt 110
$5 - Adults/FREE – Children (Free Admission if you bring non-perishable food donations)
For more info:
631-385-7321

Organized by Huntington chiropractor, Dr. Linda Eisen, there will be presentations and lectures on nutrition, weight loss, yoga, reflexology, natural skin care, chiropractic, etc. Raffle prizes! Food donations are going to LI Cares.


Saturday, October 16th

Green Thumb CSA Member’s Annual Tractor-pulled Hayride & Pumpkin Picking Farm Tour
Details to be announced


Sunday, October 24th

12:30 to 3:30pm

Wildman Steve Brill
Sunken Meadow Park
Suggested Donation: $15, under 10 years old $10
For more info and to reserve a spot…
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/

If you’ve never experienced Wildman Steve Brill and you like eating locally and/or organically…this is a must! You will leave with interesting things to cook for dinner, and may start to look differently at the “weeds” that come up in your backyard. You MUST read his website carefully and follow the instructions if you are to maximize your experience by dressing properly and bringing what you need to bring on this adventure. I’ve been told he’s corny…well, that’s true…but he’s also brilliant, and knows about eating and foraging in the wild like nobody’s business. Since he’s a fairly recent father, the event is a family friendly experience.



9. Armchair Activist – Protect us all from Toxic Chemicals, Clean up the Planet and more…

And when you’re done with these, if you have a notion to, go to the Action page on this website and they have some other actions about safe pet products, saving bees and more things about having clean water at home and abroad…

Urge your to representative to co-sponsor the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act…
https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1919

Tell your Senator NOT to halt the EPA’s ability to hold polluters accountable for global warming pollution (seems like polluters should be held accountable for polluting even if global warming doesn’t exist)…
https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1923

Tell President Obama to stop letting industry dump mining waste in our waters…
https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1783

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