Green Thumb Farm Huntington CSA

Happy Summer!

Any Unitarians out there that we don’t know about? If so, you have UUFH fridge privileges! if you don’t pick up your food by the end of the night and your name isn’t checked off (unless you’ve contacted me to tell me not to if you’ll be gone longer than a week), we pack a bag, write your last name on it and put it in the fridge in the kitchen and email you to remind you to pick up your food so if you are, please let us know. At the moment the only names I have on the list are McEntee, Nielsen and Willard.

Anybody make it to Green Thumb Farm last Saturday for the farm tour? Let us know how it went. CSA member Haley Wiggins went and got some Strawberries (I didn’t think there’d be any) and a fine time was had by her and her family.

We could use a LOT more CSA members! If each of us (we’re now 46) 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. Help! Your CSA needs you this week! We’re looking for ONE (1) person to help out from 3:30 to 5:30pm…
2. Eight surprising things that might be making Americans fat!
3. Bags and you!
4. This week’s list…subject to change without notice (farming is like that)
5. More about Fennel, Kohlrabi and Radishes
6. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)
7. Are you a mother or grandmother?
8. The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen…
9. What you actually got last week
10. You can do a lot by just clicking!
11. And now…for something completely different



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

If you can work this week from 3:30 to 5:30pm, please…

A. respond to this email before 1pm today
B. call 631-421-4864 before 1pm today
C. call 631-385-1079 after 3pm today
D. show up a little before 3:30pm today

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. And if you got an email from Judi asking you to confirm that you’re working…you need to respond to that in the time frame stated in the email otherwise she’s going to try and find someone else to take your place.



2. Eight surprising things that might be making Americans fat!

http://www.alternet.org/story/155682/8_surprising_things_that_may_be_making_americans_fat?page=entire



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 #10
June 28, 2012

1. Peas: Sugar Snap
2. Peas: Snow
3. Fennel
4. Kohlrabi
5. Radishes *
6. Lettuce: Boston, Green

Total Items: 6 (?)

Herb Share – 4
Chives AND Upland Cress



5. More about Fennel, Kohlrabi and Radishes…

Courtesy of Clean Plates…
Radishes…
http://national.cleanplates.com/healthier-recipes/eat-this-now-radishes/?utm_source=Clean+Plates&utm_campaign=f74fc11599-Health_Tips_Issue_21_10_2012&utm_medium=email

Courtesy of Sang Lee Farms…
Kohlrabi: "What is this weird green bulb with leaves and WHAT do I do with it!" I particularly love answering this question because it is a hidden gem of a vegetable and it is amazing to watch people’s faces when they taste it for the first time. It is a deliciously sweet bulb (once you peel all the green off) that can be either eaten raw, stir-fried, sauteed or roasted. The flavor is something like a broccoli cabbage apple hybrid and the texture is very moist and crispy. It has an incredible amount of vitamin C, omega 3's, protein, and also helps your body to absorb iron. Please give it a try next time and try one of these simple ideas if you don't want it raw: make Kohlrabi Chips, add it to your stir-fry in a matchstick shape (like carrots), add to a roast of vegetables julienned or boil it and mash it up like potatoes!
Kohlrabi Chip recipe…
http://www.marthastewart.com/354688/kohlrabi-chips

Courtesy of Golden Earthworm Farm…
Fennel is another unusual crop that has a strong flavor that some people love, and others, not so much. Cooking the fennel helps the flavors mellow out a bit, so you may want to try our braised fennel recipe below if you're not quite sure what to do with it.

Braised Fennel Recipe…
http://www.goldenearthworm.com/recipes/2009/2/13/braised-fennel.html

Kohlrabi is a great, usual vegetable that you probably can't find in many (if any) stores! It's a member of the cabbage family but looks more like a space satellite! Peel off the skin and you'll be left with a much more manageable looking round vegetable that can be sliced up in salads or cooked in soups. We love to just nibble thin slices that have been sprinkled with sea salt. Definitely a kid friendly snack!



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


June 23rd to 30th

Eat Drink Local Week 6/23 to 6/30
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?


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.


Tuesday, July 3rd

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, July 4th

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 Brett Tolley. Brett is the Community Organizer and Policy Advocate for the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA). He works to empower local fishing communities and highlight the triple-bottom-line values of locally caught seafood. The Northwest Atlantic Alliance's mission is to restore and enhance an enduring marine system supporting a healthy diversity and an abundance of marine life and human uses through a self-organizing and self-governing organization. NAMA hopes to support the growing movement of Community Supported Fisheries!


Thursday, July 5th

7pm

1st Anniversary of the Holistic Moms Network Huntington Chapter!
1929 Elwood Public Library
E Northport
Jericho Tpke (intersection of Elwood Rd in the shopping center on the northeast corner)
FREE
For more info:
www.holisticmoms.org
Email: huntingtonhmn@aol.com

Join the gang (this group was started by CSA member Vickie Muller) for an informal evening of socializing and planning events for the coming year. Come connect with other parents (and grandparents) interested in holistic health and green living.


Thursday, July 26th

6pm (movie starts at 7pm)

Sustainable Film Series presents Dirt
Molloy College
Suffolk Center
Farmingdale
$5 suggested donation
For more info, to watch the movie trailer, and to RSVP:
http://www.molloy.edu/news-and-events/news-archive/dirt

This event, brought to my attention by CSA member Kenny Friedman, features the film Dirt, narrated by Jaime Lee Curtis. This film brings to life the environmental, economic, social and political impact that the soil has. It shares the stories of experts from all over the world who study and are able to harness the beauty and power of a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with soil. It tells the story of Earth's most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility-from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation.


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. Are you a mother or grandmother?

You might want to sign up for these emails to get click activist alerts about having a healthier environment for you and your family…
http://www.momsrising.org/issues_and_resources/environmentalHealth



8. The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen…

Guess what? Out of the list of the 15 Dirty Dozen (I know, it’s more than a dozen but that’s what’s on the list)…our CSA provides certified organic produce for 9 of them (the other 6 are things the farmer doesn’t grow…out of those 1 is White Potatoes not grown because of the potential for Potato Blight which still exists on Long Island, and the other 5 are fruits not grown on the farm). Out of the Clean 15…our farmer provides 8 and we’re working on a Mushroom Share which would bring the total up to 9 (out of the 6 not included…5 are tropical fruits which can’t be grown in this region for practical commercial purposes, and the other one is Sweet Corn which I WISH our farmer would grow again but it’s a matter of being a crop that uses a lot of land so it can be considered a “waste” of space AND there’s the issue of worms in the corn – all commercially grown organic corn will get worms at some point and there were so many complaints about it at the farm stand and at the CSAs, they decided to stop growing it…BTW the worms were really not an problem or an issue for those who were educated about them and got over the ick factor).

Regardless of the status of the Clean 15, “Environmental Working Group always recommends eating more fruits and veggies and buying them organic if you can - for adults and babies”.

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

Then watch CEO of Stonyfield Yogert, Gary Hirschberg, rapping (along with The Stonyfield Moms)…and then upload your own video “just eat organic” shoutout!
http://justeatorganic.com/



9. What you actually got last week

Week #9
June 21, 2012

1. Peas: Sugar Snap – 1/2 lb - $3.00
2. Peas: Shelling – .75 lb - $4.50
3. Beets: Chiogga – 1 bunch - $3.25
4. Curly Cress (Pepper Cress) – 1 bunch - $2.50 *
5. Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) – ½ lb - $2.50
6. Lettuce: French Crisp, Red – 1 head - $2.75

Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $18.50 (We pay $17.50 per week to our farmer for the food we get every week. Today we’ve gotten $1.00 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 $7.25)

Herb Share - 3
Oregano AND Savory (Summer?)

*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/



10. You can do a lot by just clicking!

VERY IMPORTANT!!!
This week the House of Representatives will consider a provision to House Agricultural Appropriations Bill that will fundamentally undermine the concept of judicial review. Hidden under the guise of a “Farmer Assurance Provision” (Section 733), the provision strips the rights of federal courts to halt the sale and planting of genetically engineered crops during the legal appeals process.
In the past, legal advocates have successfully won in court the right to halt the sale and planting of unapproved GMO crops while the approval of those crops is under review by a federal judge. This dangerous new House provision, which were calling the Monsanto Protection Act, would strip judges of their constitutional mandate to protect consumer rights and the environment, while opening up a floodgate of planting of new untested genetically engineered crops, endangering farmers, consumers and the environment.
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/stop_the_monsanto_protection_act/?rd=1&t=4&referring_akid=583.31784.DPvAz8

Food & Water Watch’s “people over profits” petition in response to the Rio + 20 conference, which includes the human right to have access to clean water
http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=10691

Greenpeace’s Save the Arctic petition…
http://www.savethearctic.org/



11. And now for something completely different…

A week in the life of a freegan!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/28/food-informants-freegan_n_908542.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

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