Happy summer!
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 TWO (2) people from 3:30 to 5:30pm & FOUR (4) folks from 5:30pm to 7:30pm…that means there’s only ONE poor soul to work the Late Shift!
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. Notes from the Farm
5. It’s time to weigh our food!
6. Basil Shares Still Available AND to help you out…Basil Basics and Preserve Basil Like a Pro!
7. BRING BAGS!
8. Order Certified Organic Plants/Seedlings (grown at Green Thumb Farm) for your garden this season…
9. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)
10. Request
11. How to make a Burger by Daniel Bouloud
12. CSA member George Pullis, after reading this article and forwarding it to me, pointed out…This is what CSA is all about. Processed food is no damn good for anyone!
1. HELP!!! Your CSA needs you!! We’re looking for TWO (2) people from 3:30 to 5:30pm and FOUR (4) folks from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
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 19, 2010
Week #18
1. Tomatoes, Mini – 1 pt
2. Cantaloupe - 1
3. Peppers, Sweet
4. Beans: Green
5. Squash, Summer
6. Cucumbers
7. Celery – 1 bunch
8. Thyme OR Sage – 1 bunch
Total Items: 8 (?)
4. Notes from the Farm
Summer is in full swing! The heat is on and the dryness continues. Tomatoes of all types are looking very good – maybe the best of the century if not longer! Last year no large Tomatoes were brought in to our CSA groups because of the widespread Tomato Blight. This year is so different. The Cantaloupew and Watermelons are also growing nicely, as are our Summer Squash. And now Beans are beginning again. On the down side, our Lettuces (which last year we brought in every week) for the first time in 15 years have now mostly been lost to the heat. We are irrigating some, but the Lettuces will be available later…probably September. Carrots, Beets, Scallions and many of our Herbs have also been victims of the summer’s heat and dryness. So that’s the way it is in farming. Every year brings different challenges with some crops doing well, others not. So, I hope you always enjoy what is brought in . it’s local, organic and grown with a lot of love and hard work. We never know how long any particular crop will last!
Turnips, Tat Soi and Daikon have all been planted and will be ready this September as will Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squash. The summer’s almost gone (and if you had to work in those 90 degree plus days out in the fields with us you’d be happy about this too). There were even a few days where we had to stop working in the fields mid-day as it was too hot to continue without endangering our health, and the health of our fellow workers. It’ll be Kale , Broccoli and Cauliflower time before we know it.
Organically Yours,
Farmer Bill (Halsey)
5. 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 J.
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!
6. 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 J ), 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 August 26th, 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! J
http://www.herbcompanion.com/Herb-Profiles/Herb-Basics-An-Introduction-to-Basil.aspx
http://www.herbcompanion.com/herbs-in-the-kitchen/how-to-preserve-basil-5-ways.aspx
7. 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!
8. 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.
9. 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://www.eatingintranslation.com/
Wednesday, August 18th
6:15
Health, Plain and Simple
214 West Neck Rd
Huntington
For more info:
631-385-7321
Lecture by Dr. Linda Eisen.
Friday, August 20th
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!
Tuesday, August 24th
8:45am to 5pm
2010 Fall Gardening Symposium
Southampton Inn
91 Hill St
Southampton
$65 (includes AM coffee break, lunch & handouts)
For more info:
Caroline T. Kiang 631-727-7850 xt 337
Email: Ctk3@cornell.edu
11:30am workshop is Growing a Community Garden with featured speaker Peter Garnham, farmer/writer/Master Gardener and Board Chair of EECO (East End Community Organic garden).
Thursday, August 26th
7:30pm
Let’s Eat! Films on Food presents…The Botany of Desire
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
An event co-presented by Slow Food Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre…more info to come!
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 ros̩ as chef Michel prepares a delightful menu with his signature Proven̤al 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 Рit opens at 9 AM; or enjoy a bit of sightseeing and retail therapy in nearby Rhinebeck
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 J !
Sunday, August 29th
1pm
Tomato & Garlic Tasting
Biophilia Organic Farm
211 Manor Lane
Jamesport
www.localharvest.ort/biophilia-organic-farm-M10707
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.
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
Saturday, September 25th
7pm
Dinner with Julia
LI Museum
1200 Rt 25A
Stony Brook, NY
$95
For reservations and more info:
Julia Tripodes (631)751-0066
Email: jtripodes@longislandmuseum.org
This fundraiser for the museum will feature recipes by Julia Child prepared by LI culinary superstar Guy Reuge. Also attending this event will be longtime friend of Julia Child, Sara Moulton (longtime supporter of local organic food and CSAs…and a CSA member…not ours but in NYC). A lecture will be given by Smithsonian curator Rayna Green. The Smithsonian is where Julia Child’s kitchen now resides. This even coincides with the LI Museum’s exhibit (till October 17th) “America’s Kitchens”.
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.
10. Request
From former CSA member and writer for Green Street in Newsday, Jenna Kern-Rugile…
Hi all. I’m working on several stories about “going green” and need Long Islanders who are interested in being profiled (a very very short profile, but would include their photo).
Have you added energy efficiency improvements to your home to help you save energy this coming winter? (This could mean anything from insulation and high efficiency boilers up to solar).
Have you done anything to “green” your holidays? (winter holidays) Could be related to food, decorating, gift giving, etc.
Does your child/family or your child’s school engage in any special green activities that we might want to share with readers?
Please feel free to pass this email along to Long Islanders.
Thanks!
Jenna
11. How to make a Burger by Daniel Bouloud…
12. CSA member George Pullis, after reading this article and forwarding to me, pointed out…This is what CSA is all about. Processed food is no damn good for anyone!
The Economist magazine
Hard to stomach
A Western diet promotes unhealthy gut bacteria in children
Aug 5th 2010
FAMILY meals often descend into ritual battles over healthy greens: how many children must consume, and how many treats they will earn as a result. The stakes may be higher than parents realise. According to a study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a sugary, fat-laden Western diet wreaks profound changes on children’s gut bacteria, and could even promote the risk of asthma, allergies and other inflammatory diseases.
Rates of inflammatory disease have been rising for decades among adults and children alike. Puzzlingly, this increase has occurred largely in developed countries, bypassing poorer places. (Rural poverty brings many hardships; inflammatory bowel disease is not among them.) This has left scientists struggling to pinpoint exactly what about the rich world is making people sick. New data from Paolo Lionetti, of the University of Florence in Italy, supports the view that diet may be the culprit.
Dr Lionetti and his colleagues compared the diets and gut bacteria of 14 healthy children from a village in Burkina Faso with a group of 15 Florentine children. The differences were minimal at young ages, with breast-fed toddlers in both countries harbouring similar populations of gut bacteria. But among children who had graduated to the local diet, the two groups diverged dramatically. In Africa fibre-rich meals of millet, legumes and other vegetables (enlivened by the occasional termite) fostered a diverse mix of bacteria. European children, who imbibed typically Western doses of sugar, fat and meat, had fewer microbial species.
On top of this overall drop in diversity, the researchers saw striking trends in the types of bacteria in the two groups. Though healthy, Italian children harboured more than three times as many species associated with causing diarrhoea, leading the researchers to speculate that reduced intestinal diversity could permit unwelcome bugs to gain a foothold. The Italians also had bacterial profiles that indicate a greater risk of obesity. In contrast, African children had lots of bacterial species associated with leanness, and a higher proportion of microbes known to produce beneficial chemicals called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Such compounds have been associated with lower levels of allergies and inflammation.
To show that these distinct bacterial populations could affect children’s health, the researchers measured SCFA levels. The children from Burkina Faso were found to have more than double the concentration of their Italian counterparts. This hints that healthy bacterial populations living in the gut may not just exclude disease-causing bugs; by pumping out beneficial compounds, they may actively help to suppress disease.
Though the researchers did not measure health outcomes directly, their findings arrive amid growing evidence that gut bacteria control important immune functions. In preliminary studies researchers are testing whether doses of beneficial bacteria could alleviate bowel disease and eczema. While scientists puzzle out the details, parents can approach dinnertime negotiations with renewed determination.
Science and Technology
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