Thursday, May 31, 2012

Happy Spring!

Change of date for the Green Thumb CSA Strawberry Picking Farm Tour due to changes in the weather! It’s now going to be on June 16th. I’ll have more info in the next CSA email.

Yes, you can go down to the end of the block and see the house that had the car go thru it and ended up in the back yard! There’s not much to see now with the place boarded up. The online photos and footage of the car sticking out of the back of the house make more of an impact…this incident is why CSA member Polly Hanson Greenberg ended up on Fox News (see below).

Want organic seedlings for your garden? Call our farm, Green Thumb Farm, from 9 to 4pm, 7 days a week with a credit card in hand and order your plants at 631-726-1900, and they’ll be delivered to the next CSA delivery available. Whatever you want…there’s a good chance they have it. Just ask!

IMPORTANT!!! Sounds simple but PLEASE check the wall chart for what your share is every week, and check what’s in your bag with what’s on the wall chart before you leave to make sure that you didn’t take too much or too little food! Please take your time when picking your produce and if there are any questions, please ask!!! If someone takes more than what the allotted CSA share that means at the end of the night someone is going to get less than what they paid for. As Martha would say…that is NOT a good thing!

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 members! If each of us (we’re now 41) 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 CSA 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 2nd LI Small Farm Summit, and a health fair at the Vitamin Shoppe in Melville, gave a lecture to the Holistic Moms Network about eating local and just put an ad (VERY reasonably priced) in the brochure for a charity auction for the local Montessori School. I said I would do this last year and didn’t so, 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. Your CSA does not need you this week, however…
2. Bags and you!
3. This week’s list…subject to change without notice (farming is like that)
4. Another healthy recipe contest!
5. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)
6. Pink Slime update…
7. Calling all artists (or spread the word if you know any)…
8. Click here for safe & healthy school lunches…
9. See CSA member Polly Hanson Greenberg on Fox News!


1. Your CSA does not need you this week, however…

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! 

If you didn’t get a confirmation email from Judi (occasionally it’s me), you’re not scheduled to work this week.



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.

And, if someone is picking up for you, please remind them about bringing bags with them.



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

Week #6
May 31, 2012

1. Strawberries
2. Spring Onions
3. Kale: Lacinato (greenhouse)*
4. Radishes
5. Cress: Curly (also known as Pepper Cress)**

Total Items: 5 (?)

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

**Learn about Curly Cress (Pepper Cress)…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_cress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidium
http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2009/09/peppercress
http://newarcsite.com/microgreens/peppercress/
http://crabappleherbs.com/blog/category/herbs/peppercress/
http://www.foodsubs.com/Greensld.html
http://noteatingoutinny.com/2009/04/20/peppercress-and-poached-egg-salad/
http://www.simplesocialkitchen.com/2010/06/07/csa-cooking-curly-cress-jerusalem-artichokes-and-strawberries/



4. Another Healthy Recipe Contest!

Submit a recipe up till Friday, June 1st at 6pm and win a copy of “Jame Oliver’s Meals in Minutes” cookbook by Jamie Oliver AND you could see your recipe on the BBC America website…
http://www.bbcamerica.com/meals-in-minutes/extras/share-your-meals-in-minutes/?cm_mmc=Responsys-_-email-_-BBCA_2012_05_28_newsletter-_-email&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Responsys&utm_campaign=BBCA_2012_05_28_newsletter



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


Friday, June 1st

8am to 2pm

Sustainable LI’s 6th Annual Sustainability Conference
Carlyle on the Green
Bethpage State Park

$125/$75 – Lunch only
For more info and to purchase tickets:
http://sustainableli.org/events/annual-conference-2012

What is the face of sustainability today? Where has it come from? Where is it going? Discover all this and more at Sustainable Long Island's Sixth Annual Sustainability Conference; attended by hundreds of leaders from business and government, community advocates, real estate figures, and important decision makers.

7pm

The World Peace Diet with it’s author, Dr. Will Tuttle
Sweet Hollow Hall
Gwynne Rd
Melville
$7 – Members/$12 – General Public
For more info:
http://www.healthy-planet.org/Series/index.asp
Email: info@healthy-planet.org
631-421-9951
Directions:
From East or West of Route 110:
Northern State Pkwy. to Route 110 South. Go Right at first stop light onto Old Country Road. Go to first light and make a right onto Sweet Hollow Road. Make first left (just after overpass—onto Gwynne Rd.) into West Hills park. Sweet Hollow Hall is at the end of this short road on your right. If lot is full, you may park on the right side of the road as you exit the park.

7pm – Live music, socializing (local vendor veg snacks for sale)
8pm – Lecture and Q & A

Dr. Will Tuttle is an award-winning speaker, educator, author, and musician. His music, writings, and presentations focus on creativity, intuition, and compassion. The World Peace Diet has been called one of the most important books of the 21st century: the foundation of a new society based on the truth of the interconnectedness of all life. Dr. Tuttle is currently giving a series of lecture presentations around North America on The World Peace Diet.

For more info about Dr. Tuttle and The World Peace Diet…
http://www.worldpeacediet.com/about.html


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.


Tuesday, June 5th

7pm

Huntington Food Share – Food Not Bombs
Fairground Ave and E 6th St (outside of All Weather Tires)
Huntington Station
For more info and to get involved:
http://www.lifnb.com/chapters/huntington_food_share

Distribution of food and clothing to all who attend and are in need.


Wednesday, June 6th

4pm to 5pm

iEat Green
http://prn.fm/shows/lifestyle-shows/i-eat-green/

iEat Green is hosted by Slow Food Huntington’s Bhavani Jharoff. Listen to this internet radio show either live or if you miss this show, you can listen to it on the archives and it’s available for downloading on iTunes for your iPhone.

Today’s guest will be Kelly Carlisle, Founder and Executive Director of Acta Non Verba, a youth urban farm project in Oakland, CA. Ms. Carlisle has worked with and mentored pre-teen and teenage youth since the age of 14. A native of East Oakland, California, she is committed to creating positive change in her childhood neighborhood


Thursday, June 7th

7pm

The Greater Good movie and Q & A with holistic pediatrician Lawrence Pavelsky, MD
Holistic Moms Network Monthly Meeting
Elwood Public Library
1929 Jericho Tpke (and Elwood Rd)
E Northport
FREE
For more info:
huntingtonhmn@aol.com
www.holisticmoms.org

The Greater Good looks behind the fear, hype and politics that have polarized the vaccine debate in America today. The film re-frames the emotionally charged issue and offers, for the first time, the opportunity for a rational and scientific discussion on how to create a safer and more effective vaccine program. Dr. Lawrence Pavelsky, local holistic Pediatrician is in this movie.

Tea and healthy snacks will be provided BUT please be green and bring your own mug! 

If you join till end of day on Thursday, May 31st , there’s a $10 discount ($35 with discount). Put in the code mom2012 at the website http://membership.holisticmoms.org/


Wednesday, June 13th

7:30pm

Let’s Eat: Food on Film presents…The Harvest/La Cosecha – with special guest, filmmaker U. Robert Romano
Cinema Arts Centre
432 Park Ave
Huntington
$10 Members/$15 General Public (includes reception)
For more info about the film and to watch the trailer:
http://theharvestfilm.com/
For more info about Slow Food Huntington:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slow-Food-Huntington/111833608364
To purchase advance tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/250609

Executive Producer (and actress) Eva Longoria presents an award-winning documentary which provides an intimate glimpse into the lives of children who struggle to dream while working 12 – 14 hours a day, 7 days a week to feed America. Every year there are more than 400,000 American children who are torn away from their friends, schools and homes to pick the food we all eat. Zulema, Perla and Victor labor as migrant farm workers, sacrificing their own childhoods to help their families survive. The Harvest/La Cosecha profiles these three as they journey from the scorching heat of Texas’ onion fields to the winter snows of the Michigan apple orchards and back south to the humidity of Florida's tomato fields to follow the harvest. This series is co-curated with Slow Food Huntington.


Saturday, June 16th

Green Thumb CSA – Huntington Strawberry Picking Farm Tour
Rt 27
Watermill
FREE (for CSA members and immediate family only)

More info TBA.


Sunday, June 24th

12:30pm

Bringing Nature Home: How you can sustain wildlife with native plants with Douglas W. Tallamy
LI Horticultural Society
The Conference Center
Planting Fields Arboretum
Planting Fields Rd
Oyster Bay
$15 General Public/Free – LIHS members (membership is $25)
For more info:
www.lihort.org
Bruce Hambrecht – bruce@lihort.org


August 10th to 12th

NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) Summer Conference
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA
For more info:
http://www.nofasummerconference.org/
And to register and see a listing of workshops:
http://www.nofasummerconference.org/pdfs/2012_SC_regform.pdf

Featured speaker this year is Jeffery Smith, author of Seeds of Destruction and an authority on GE/GMO foods. Over 200 workshops, kid friendly, fun for everyone…singles, seniors, families – everyone! Great food and a good time will be had by all who attend.



6. Pink Slime update…

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-05-24/ground-beef-industry-pink-slime/55268822/1



7. Calling all artists (or spread the word if you know any)…

From the Nassau County Soil & Water Conservation District: Community Garden & Environmental Program Fundraiser

When: Thursday, June 14th, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm


Where: The newly restored barn at the Fairgrounds at Old Bethpage Village Restoration

Art competition and networking party to raise money to build community gardens & support environmental programs.

The cost for entering the contest is $20. The fee includes the application fee, entry to the party, and makes you eligible to win one of the $1,500 in prizes. All art must reflect the natural environment. And since the artwork is being placed in a silent auction you you can also bring a guest to the party for free.



Artists receive 30% of what their piece sells for, get to put out brochures and business cards, and are eligible for prizes. If the piece doesn't get purchased for the minimum bid you get it back.

If you just want to be a part of the fun at the party it is $25 to enter if you RSVP by June 1st or $35 after this date.



To sign-up for the contest or party please email Art4SoilandWater@gmail.com or contact board member Jaime Van Dyke Doran at (516) 677-5853.


Old Bethpage Village Restoration
1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, NY 11804


8. Click here for safe & healthy school lunches…

Safe & healthy school lunch petition…
https://secure3.convio.net/advoc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=571&JServSessionIdr004=nbaz6370z1.app338a



9. See CSA member Polly Hanson Greenberg on Fox News!

CSA member Polly Hanson Greenberg weighs in on Fox News TV on extreme DWI accident that occurred near the CSA and pretty much next door to Polly!
http://www.myfoxny.com/story/18640651/woman-arrested-for-dwi-after-crashing-car-into-a-house

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