Green Thumb Farm Huntington CSA

Happy Spring!

Sad to say there was no clear answer to my CSA mystery of last week. So, will have a second person counting when the food comes in from the farm to make sure the count is correct from the start, and will reiterate what I’ve had in just about every CSA email…

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!

We could use a LOT more CSA members! If each of us (we’re now 44) managed to find five 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. News from the Farm
3. Bags and you!
4. This week’s list…subject to change without notice (farming is like that)
5. Farm to School Grant and Survey
6. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)
7. New cooking game show looking for contestants!
8. Calling all artists (or spread the word if you know any)…
9. What you actually got the last two weeks
10. Anybody want to be a farmer?
11. And now…for something completely different


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. News from the Farm

June 1, 2012

Welcome back to another CSA season, our 17th (17th total but it’s the 15th season for Huntington). After a warm winter and early spring, May became rainy, damp and cold so our growing season, as always, is challenging. Strawberries and Asparagus both began early, so will end early as well. Our first Strawberries began May 17th …our earliest ever!!! Because of this, we are moving up our Strawberry Picking Spring Farm Tour to June 16th. We will meet in the field on Rose Hill Rd just off Montauk Highway in Water Mill. It’s the same place as previous years. Call 631-726-1900 for more info between 9:30am and 4pm only.

Sugar Snap Peas have begun being picked this week so expect those earlier than usual as well. Our first Beets, Carrots, Scallions, Kales and Kohlrabi’s are growing very well also, and will start being picked by the middle of June. Beans and Summer Squashes have just been planted so will be ready early July. Lettuces and herbs will also be abundant for the month of June. Our other crops all seem to be doing well at this point. Peppers, Eggplants, Tomatoes, are all growing well and right on schedule…so far.

THANK YOU…to all our CSA members for entrusting us to be your farmers. We hope you enjoy our local certified organic bounty!

Organically yours,
Farmer Bill (Halsey)



3. 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.



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

Week #7
June 7, 2012

1. Strawberries OR Burdock…if there aren’t enough Strawberries (the poor things are getting slammed by the cool wet weather) we’re getting Burdock (called Gobo in Japan)
2. Scallions
3. Peas, Sugar Snap
4. Cilantro
5. Swiss Chard
6. Lettuce

Total Items: 6 (?)

Flower Share
Week #2
Sweet Williams



5. Farm to School Grant and Survey

Farm to school grant deadline is June 15th…if not this year, perhaps look into it for next year…
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/f2s/f2_grant_program.htm

Farm to Preschool National Survey of Program 2012
Are you affiliated with a preschool, childcare, or early care program that works to incorporate local food into meals and snacks, and/or educates children about where food comes from and how it's grown? If so, please take a few moments to fill out this survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NationalFarmtoPreschoolSurvey2012

This will allow the National Farm to School Network the ability to see what is happening across the country and begin to make connections between schools, teachers, and communities. Plus, respondents will have the chance to be entered to win $500 towards their Farm to Preschool efforts!



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

Saturday, June 9th

1:30pm

Slow Food East End Potluck and Farm Tour of Mecox Dairy Farm
Mecox Dairy Farm
855 Mecox Rd
Bridgehampton
$18 Members/$22 General Public/$10 Children
To make a reservation:
Pierre blockhousefarms@gmail.com
For more info about the event:
http://www.edibleeastend.com/features/potluck-lunch-mecox-tour-and-wine-cheese-tasting-to-benefit-slow-food/

Guests must bring a dish that can feed six to eight people. There will be a wine and cheese tasting and a tour of the farm and cheese-making facility.


Tuesday, June 12th

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 13th

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 Roberto Romano, the Producer and Director of several important documentaries, including his most recent, The Harvest (see 7:30pm below), which profiles the lives of migrant farm workers, sacrificing their own childhoods to help their families survive.

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

CSA Strawberry Picking Farm Tour
Green Thumb Farm
Watermill
For more info:
631-726-1900 (9:30am to 4pm)

For CSA members and immediate family only! If you are sharing with someone, only one person/family can attend…people who share often have one person/family go in June for Strawberries and the other go in October for the Pumpkins (if more than two are sharing…sorry, but them’s the breaks!). More details TBA


The Seed: A Vegan Experience
82 Mercer St
NYC
$18 per day or $27 for both days ($25 per day at the door IF they’re not sold out already)
For discount tickets…
http://theseed.eventbrite.com/?discount=HSF10&utm_source=Copy+of+Copy+of+Food+Revolution+-+Starting+Today%21%21%21&utm_campaign=Food+Revolution+Summit+2&utm_medium=email
For more info about the event:
http://theseedexperience.com/

Speakers include: Joel Fuhrman, MD, Kathy Freston, Dr McDougall, Sue Coe, Vickie Moran, former LIer Amie Hamlin, and many more!
The Seed invites the vegan-curious, vegan-skeptical, and vegan choir to explore what veganism has to offer today. You’ll gain understanding of the endless benefits of a compassionate, healthful, and earth-conscious existence of the vegan lifestyle. What awaits you at The Seed: 17 Leading Experts Presenting, Including World Champions * Food Samplings Form Top NYC Vegan Restaurants * 7 Cooking & Other Demonstrations * 3 Movie Screenings with Film Directors Q&A * +80 Vendors * Workshops * Spectacular BUST Magazines Craft-tacular * Musical Entertainment * Amazing Raffle Prizes * And Much More!


Sunday, June 17th

The Seed: A Vegan Experience
(see June 16th for details)


June 23rd to June 30th

Eat Drink Local Week
For more info:
http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/events/eat-drink-local-week/
We’re thrilled to announce our fourth annual Eat Drink Local Week, an eight-day fest for our foodshed celebrated by Edibles around the Tri-state area. The Week kicks off June 23 and involves partners from every part of our local food system, who urge you to dine out, cook in, and celebrate the ingredients, landscape and people behind our plates through a week’s worth of events, restaurant meals and plenty of cooking and drinking at home. What can you do to join in?


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


Saturday, June 30th

5pm

Eat Drink Local Film Festival
Silas Marder Gallery
120 Snake Hollow Rd
Bridgehampton
FREE (except food for purchase)
For more info:
http://www.parrishart.org/calendar.asp?fp=cal&id=79&pid=1024

5pm – art exhibit opening, 6pm – bee demo, 7:30 – food vendors, 8:30pm – film screening

Celebrating locally produced food, this one-night screening will feature short films and videos about farmers, fishers, vintners, and other food purveyors in the region.

Part of Eat Drink Local week, the food chain celebration organized by Edible magazines throughout the region, with partner restaurants on both forks, the evening will feature tacos from Estia's Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor, beer from Greenport Harbor Beer Company, cheese tastings from Mecox Bay Dairy, a selection of Peconic Bay oysters, local honey from Bee's Needs, and a corresponding honey bee demonstration with Mary Woltz.


August 2nd to 5th

6th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference
Burlington, VT
For more info and to register:
http://farmtocafeteriaconference.org/6/
Farm to Cafeteria is Digging In! Whether you are new to the movement or have years of wisdom to share, the 6th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference: Digging In! is a great opportunity to network, build skills and get energized!
Farm to Cafeteria began with the common goal of building strong communities, healthy individuals and resilient local farms. Across the country great progress has been made connecting farm-fresh foods with K-12 schools, pre-schools, childcare settings, colleges, universities, hospitals, prisons and beyond – now we are Digging In!
The conference will bring together food service professionals, farmers, educators, policy makers, representatives from government agencies and nonprofits, entrepreneurs, students and others who are breaking down barriers and expanding the impact of Farm to Cafeteria.
There will be skill-building short-courses, field trips to innovative Vermont farms and institutions, a diverse workshop program, and plenty of opportunities to network with inspiring individuals from across the country.

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.



7. New cooking game show looking for contestants!

GSN (Game Show Network) and the producers of THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE, are thrilled to bring you BEAT THE CHEFS, an exciting new cooking game show that celebrates REAL people who make great food! BEAT THE CHEFS gives talented home cooks the chance to go up against some of the best chefs in the business, battle it out in the kitchen, and win a BIG CASH PRIZE ($50,000)!
We are scouring the nation for passionate home cooks from all walks of life. Are you a great cook despite never having been formally trained? Whether you are a chili cook-off champion, the queen of the bake sale, or just a whiz in the kitchen, now is your chance to see if your signature dish has what it takes to compete with our professional chefs! Gather up two of your family members or best friends as your sous chefs and pick the dish that you know will leave the judges begging for more!
We are looking for fun, outgoing teams of all ages. If you love to cook, have a competitive spirit, and think you have a winning dish, email us at BeatTheChefs@rrstaff.com. Please include your name, age, contact info, photo, two proposed teammates (and their photos), a description of your culinary background and your signature dish! Put the CITY/STATE where you live in the subject line for priority!


8. 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


9. What you actually got the last two weeks

May 24, 2012
Week #5

1. Mustard Greens (greenhouse*) – 1 bunch - $3.00
2. Tat Soi (greenhouse*) – 1 bunch - $2.75
3. Chives, Flowering – 1 bunch - $2.25
4. Onions, Spring – 1 bunch - $3.25
5. Strawberries – 1 pt - $3.50
6. Swiss Chard – 1 bunch – $3.25

Total Items – 6
Total Amount - $18 (We pay $17.50 per week to our farmer for the food we get every week. Today we’ve gotten $.50 extra, making the total extra that we’ve received from our farmer [over and above the $17.50 we pay per week] for the year so far $4.75)

*Grown in the greenhouse…too early to be growing outside

May 31, 2012
Week #6

1. Strawberries – 1 qt - $6.50
2. Curly Cress – 1 bunch - $2.25
3. Onions, Spring – 1 bunch - $3.25
4. Kale: Lacinato (Greenhouse*) – 1 bunch - $3.50
5. Radishes – 1 bunch - $2.75

*Grown in the greenhouse…too early to be growing outside

Total Items: 5
Total Amount: $18.25 (We pay $17.50 per week to our farmer for the food we get every week. Today we’ve gotten $.75 extra, making the total extra that we’ve received from our farmer [over and above the $17.50 we pay per week] for the year so far $5.50)

Flower Share
Week #1
Peonies

Herb Share - #1A
Mint AND Sage



10. Anybody want to be a farmer?

If my significant other didn’t have to live in Huntington to be close to work…I’d be here in a heartbeat!

A farm since the 1920s, 1.04 acres, $324,000, backed up by 190 acres of preserved farmland, Acquebogue on Main Rd, farm stand still standing on road, 4 bedroom cottage with one bath, zoned for horses/farm/nursery use, 2 car garage, chicken coop.

Kate Carpluk
Town and Country Real Estate

http://www.longislandhousehunter.com/homes/22199878/



11. And now for something completely different…

Not hysterically funny but cute…Michelle Obama reads the top 10 on Letterman re: gardening!
http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2012/06/michelle-obama-first-lady-david-letterman-top-10-ten.html