Thursday, April 26, 2012

Happy Spring!

The most important thing to say after saying that the CSA opens at 3:30pm and ends at 7:30pm is to BRING BAGS TO PACK YOUR FOOD! We pack our own.

The next is…put this phone number in your cell phone…631-385-1079…it’s the hall phone of the UUFH (Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington) and it’s ESSENTIAL CSA info. If you’re running late and won’t get to the CSA till after 7:30pm…you need to call this number and let us know to wait for you or pack a bag for you and put it on the “bench” afterhours pickup location…more on that at another time. If there’s a choice one week and you REALLY want it, you might want to call before you get to the CSA and have someone pack a bag for you with that choice item in it. There are many other reasons people will use this number. Sometimes it’s to get in touch with someone who’s at the CSA (family/friends/other CSA members) as it’s more reliable than cell phones as the cell phone reception in the UUFH is not great and in many cases non-existent. That said, do NOT call this phone number any other time but Thursdays between 3pm (we’re there a little early setting up) and 8pm (we can be there till 8pm still cleaning up and putting things away). Otherwise, you might get some person from the UUFH, or the daycare center that is also in the building, and they will probably have no idea what you’re talking about and probably won’t be able to help you.

Third would be…we could use a LOT more CSA member! If each of us (we’re now 29) managed to find seven more members our farmer would be VERY happy. However, even one more member each would be a help and if THEY got one more member…you get the idea. Even ideas of where to leave brochures or posters, and where to do lectures about CSA would be helpful. So far this season I participated in the 1st LI CSA Fair, the LI Small Farm Summit, and a health fair at the Vitamin Shoppe in Melville, and gave a lecture to the Holistic Moms Network about eating local. I said I would do this last year and didn’t so starting next week, I’ll be walking the streets around the UUFH and leaving brochures with a cover sheet that’s an invite to visit the CSA in people’s mailboxes. The exercise will do me good  ! Any and all suggestions would be appreciated and considered. Another thing that was talked about last year and not done that will be done this year is putting an a paid ad in The Beacon, the newsletter of the UUFH, for several issues.

This week’s email includes…

1. HELP! Your CSA needs you this week!!! We’re looking for ONE (1) person from 3:30 to 5:30pm and ONE (1) person to help from 5:30 to 7:30pm…
2. Bags and you!
3. This week’s list…subject to change without notice (farming is like that)…
4. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)
5. Help change the world with a click of your computer!
6. Good news!


1. HELP! Your CSA needs you this week!!! We’re looking for ONE (1) person from 3:30 to 5:30pm and ONE (1) person to help from 5:30 to 7:30pm…

If you can be at the CSA from 3:30 to 5:30pm and/or 5:30 to 7:30pm this week please…
1. Respond to this email before 1pm Thursday
2. Call 631-421-4864 and leave a message before 1pm Thursday
3. Call the CSA at 631-385-1079 after 3pm THURSDAY ONLY and ask to speak to someone from the CSA and leave a message
4. Show up a little before 3:30pm or 5:30pm and see if there’s still any help needed

You can ALWAYS stop by the CSA a little before 3:30 or 5:30 to offer to help in case someone doesn’t show up (or is late) without letting anyone know…life happens! 



2. Bags and you!

The short story is make sure to bring bags to pack your CSA food as the CSA does not provide them.

Suggestion…put bags (paper/plastic/cloth) in EVERY vehicle you own. Put them in the glove compartment, trunk, wherever, and make sure to replenish them when the supply is running low or you’re out of them. That way it will be hard to forget them.



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

Week #1
April 26, 2012

1. Asparagus
2. Leeks
3. Baby Lettuce/Radicchio Mix
4. Turnip Greens (see Braising Greens Veggie Info Sheet)
5. Mizuna – greenhouse*
6. Jerusalem Artichokes

Total Items: 6

*grown in their greenhouse, not in the fields (it’s too early for that)



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

Sunday, April 29th

11am

New Amsterdam Market
100 Peck Slip (between Beekman St & Peck Slip)
NYC
For more info:
http://www.newamsterdammarket.org/
List of featured vendors:
http://www.newamsterdammarket.org/events.html

Opening day of this seasonal market is focused on bread baking with locally produced grains featuring 15 bakers. There will be a talk by renowned baker Jim Lahey about making pizza (with a demo) at 1pm.


Tuesday, May 1st

7:30pm

Let’s Eat: Food on Film presents…Farmageddon
With a guest speaker from the Farm-to-Consumer Defense League/Weston A. Price Foundation
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
$9 Members/$13 General Public (includes Q & A and reception)
For more info and to watch a trailer for the movie…
http://www.cinemaartscentre.org/event/3161/
To purchase tickets in advance (it probably will sell out)…
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/237891

Join Slow Food Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre as they co-present a powerful new documentary about the unseen war on American Family Farmers, and the escalating fight for food rights in America.

Thursday, May 10th

6:30pm

GMOs and Eco-Labeling: Getting more of the Story
CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College
2180 3rd Ave (119th St)
NYC
$40 General Public
For more info and to register (must register by May 7th and payment will NOT be taken at the door):
http://www.gnyda.org/Public/Events.aspx

I’d go if I could but it’s a Thursday so I’ll be at the CSA.

They’ll be having a raffle for a gift card to the restaurant Northern Spy Food Co. (farm-to-table in NYC).

Panelists Include:

Dr. Michael Hansen Senior Staff Scientist, Policy and Advocacy Division, Consumers Union

Dr. Urvashi Rangan
Director, Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group, Consumer Reports

Daniel B. Ravicher
President and Executive Director, Public Patent Foundation “PUBPAT” and Lecturer in Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Patty Lovera
Assistant Director, Food & Water Watch

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Carolyn Dimitri
Research Associate Professor of Food Studies, NYU


Saturday, May 12th

9am

Brooklyn Food Conference
Brooklyn Tech High School
29 Fort Greene Place
Brooklyn
FREE ($8 lunch ticket available if you pre-pay for it)
For more info and to register:
http://bkfoodconference.org/

Featured speakers will be Bryant Terry, chef/author of The Inspired Vegan, and Lucas Benitez of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. There will be workshops on fracking, food issues, movies to watch, cooking demos, children’s activities, and free childcare. I’m sure a great time will be had by all who attend. I went to the last one and it was amazing and I’ll be going again this time.


Sunday, June 3rd

4pm

Edible and Medicinal Food, and Herb Walk with Ellen Kamhi, RN, the Natural Nurse!
Old Westbury
$10 Members/$20 General Public
For more info, and to register and get directions:
Call 516-238-3616

Slow Food Huntington and iEat Green are co-sponsoring this event. It will be followed by a potluck in the garden.



5. Help change the world with a click of your computer!
The deadline for this is by Friday, April 27th! The USDA is currently deciding whether to approve a type of corn that is genetically engineered to withstand 2,4-D, a potent herbicide that may be linked to major health problems including reproductive abnormalities, birth defects, and several forms of cancer. If the USDA approves this new corn, we won't be able to decide what's best to feed our families, since genetically engineered foods aren't labeled.
http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50202/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=7574



6. Good News!

Boy gets a grip on his weight problem, enlists the help of his entire family, and ends up on the front page of the NY Times Dining section!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/dining/a-child-offers-plan-on-portion-control-for-dieters.html
http://portionsize.me/