Green Thumb Farm Huntington CSA

Happy Autumn!

If you’re interested in the environment and all things anti-nuclear, the place to be this weekend is seeing planetary treasure (she really is!), Helen Caldicott (see below for Saturday, Oct 27th for details). Plus, there will be stuff to purchase to eat from The Purple Elephant (and some other places)!!! Haven’t been to TPE yet? This is a great chance to sample some of their healthy and delicious eats (the vegan Chinese spareribs are insanely good and taste just like Chinese ribs without the bone)…though I imagine they will sell out quickly so if you want to get something to eat, get there at 5:30pm! Or, go to The Purple Elephant and eat, and THEN go to this event and go at your leisure (at least if you prepaid or reserved tickets so it’s not sold out when you show up).

CSA member Vickie Muller wants to let us know that if you’re at all interested in joining her group, the Holistic Moms Network (Huntington Area Chapter), there’s a $10 discount if you join up to October 31st! If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll connect you with Vickie, or email the group at huntingtonhmn@aol.com .

Anybody out there make it to our farm over the weekend for the farm tour and Pumpkin picking? Want to share your thoughts/photos? Let me know!

FYI – Our CSA is on Thursdays (except the week of Thanksgiving where it’s on Wednesday) from 3:30pm to 7:30pm (if you need to come after 7:30pm call the CSA at 631-385-1079 on Thursdays from 3pm to 7:30pm to make last minute arrangements for alternate pickups).

Bulk Certified Organic Paste (Roma) Tomatoes available from our farm…$45 per 20 lb box (to place an order, call the farm at 631-726-1900 between 9am to 5pm and be ready to pay with a credit card).
Here’s some Tomato talk from the folks at the NYC Greenmarkets…
Forget proper storage, eat this fruit immediately! We suggest tomato sandwiches, mozzarella and tomato salad, tomato soup, tomato pie, salsa, gazpacho, tomato sauce, tomato juice, fried green tomatoes and plain old tomatoes eaten as is, or with a dash of salt. If you get a little overwhelmed by this steady diet, follow the lead of Greenmarket staff and host a tomato canning party at your house. Each September we pile into our co-worker's Brooklyn backyard and set up an assembly line to scald, peel, seed and can as many flats as we can get our hands on. If a perfect, local tomato is a treat in September, it's a bona fide treasure in the middle of March!

We could use a LOT more CSA members! If each of us (we’re now 56) managed to find three more members our farmer would be VERY happy. If each of us got one more member to join, that would be great, 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.

This week’s email includes…

1. Your CSA doesn’t need you to help out today, however…
2. Bags and you
3. News from the Farm
4. Want to start, continue or expand a school or community garden but need money?
5. This week’s list…subject to change without notice (farming is like that)
6. Do you REALLY want that GMO labeling law in California to pass?
7. Fun, Cool & Interesting Stuff to Do (new events added weekly)
8. Any pet lovers out there? How about organizing a four legged pet drive???
9. What you actually got last week
10. Do you shop at Whole Foods?
11. Help change the world with a click of your mouse!
12. And now…for something completely different



1. Your CSA doesn’t need you to help out today, 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. News from the Farm

Mid-October, 2012

Fall is upon us, and the days are becoming cooler and shorter. We still have a few Tomatoes, Eggplants, and Peppers to pick. Beans are still growing but very slowly, and Summer Squash is about over.

Sweet Potatoes will be in abundance for the next weeks as will Lettuces, Radicchio, several types of fall greens, Turnips, Radishes, Leeks, and Scallions. Broccolis, Cauliflowers, Kales, Cabbages and Collards won’t be ready until November!

News 12 Long Island recently filmed at our farm stand and fields for a weekly feature they do. It aired last week as a six minute segment with the Green Thumb farm family being interviewed, and showing some of our vegetables. The segment can be seen by going to the News 12 website http://www.news12.com/Login/home_login , clicking “Features”, then clicking “East End”, and finding our segment (Of course this won’t work at all if you don’t have Cablevision…I don’t…and don’t pay extra to get into the News 12 website. Anyone know how to get a link to this without being a Cablevision subscriber?).

We hope all who visited our farm had a great time, and learned a little bit about farming. The next farm visit is June 2013!

Organically yours,
Farmer Bill (Halsey)



4. Want to start, continue or expand a school or community garden but need money?

Kids Growing Food School Garden Program - deadline Nov, 16, 2012 – up to $500 plus educational and gardening materials, workshop and webinar opportunities and access to a network of school gardeners
Teachers submit mini-grant proposals
Schools receive a cash award to start or maintain a food garden
http://www.agclassroom.org/ny/programs/kids_growing.htm


Fiskars Project Orange Thumb – deadline Dec 15, 2012 - $5,000 and Fiskars garden tools
Must be part of a community garden or civic organization (school, youth group, treatment center, etc)
For neighborhood beautification thru community gardens, and a possible total makeover for a new community garden…
http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Project-Orange-Thumb/Grant-and-Garden-Makeover-Application?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=October%202012%20blast%203%20(3)&utm_content=

Win a school garden from Annie’s - deadline Dec. 15, 2012 - $500 to $1,500
Can apply if you’re a parent, teacher, principal or after school program director
Funds can be used to buy gardening tools, seeds or other needed supplies for a new or existing school garden
http://www.annies.com/school-gardens/grants-for-gardens/grant-application/



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

Week #27
October 25, 2012

1. Sweet Potatoes
2. Broccoli Raab
3. Lettuce: Escarole
4. Snap Beans
5. Peppers, Sweet

Total Items: 6

Herb Share – Oct 2B
Savory AND Sorrel



6. Do you REALLY want that GMO labeling law in California to pass?

You can sign up to call California voters to ask them to vote YES to label GMOs…for free!
http://www.carighttoknow.org/phone_bank



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

Thursday, October 25th to Sunday, October 28th

Salone del Gusto & Terre Madre
Turin, Italy
For more info and to get tickets:
http://salonedelgustoterramadre.slowfood.com/

This is Slow Food’s biannual international event in the land where the organization Slow Food began…Italy! CSA member Ann Rathkopf (one of the founders of Slow Food Huntington) will be attending, and she’s been there before, so ask her if you have any questions.

10am to 11am

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.
This week, I will be interviewing Kathleen Furey. She is one of the environmental activists educating people about the dangers of GMO’s and working on Proposition 37 in California. She works with the Institute for Responsible Technology and Jeffery Smith as the Tour Coordinator for his California “Truth About GMO’s Speaking Tour.” She was also a researcher for the newly released documentary film Genetic Roulette.

Friday, October 26th

8pm

Spooky Storytelling
Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s
480 Hempstead Ave
Malverne
$15 (suggested ages 16 and up)
For more info:
http://www.facebook.com/events/475120479185957/
Take a dark journey through the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe in “Once Upon a Midnight Dreary,” a spooky presentation by the Malverne Community Theater!

Saturday, October 27th

11am

Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s
480 Hempstead Ave
Malverne
FREE
For more info:
http://www.facebook.com/events/475120479185957/

Enjoy a free family fun day, including hayrides, games, and pumpkin picking at the farm on Saturday from 11am to 2pm.

12pm

Food Chain Radio
http://metrofarm.com/food-chain-radio

Great topics every week about food, farming, health, etc., and MANY archived topics…last week was Michael Hansen of Consumer’s Union talking about GMOs.

5:30pm

Dr. Helen Caldicott…the medical and political implications of Fukushima
Healthy Planet
Sweet Hollow Hall
Gwynne Rd
Melville
$10 Members of Healthy Planet/$15 General Public/FREE – Children under 12 years old
For more info, reservations and directions:
631-421-5591
http://www.healthy-planet.org/

5:30pm - Eco Café with live music and food (to buy) from The Purple Elephant, Sweet to Lick Vegan Bakery and Gentle Brew Coffee
7pm – Panel Discussion and Q & A – Karl Grossman, Kevin Kamps and Chris Williams (I’d go just for Karl Grossman)
8pm – Dr Helen Caldicott lecture

8pm

Spooky Storytelling
Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s
480 Hempstead Ave
Malverne
$15 (suggested ages 16 and up)
For more info:
http://www.facebook.com/events/475120479185957/
Take a dark journey through the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe in “Once Upon a Midnight Dreary,” a spooky presentation by the Malverne Community Theater!

Sunday, October 28th

2pm

A Harvest Homecoming
Dominican Village
565 Albany Ave
Amityville
$40 Adults/$10 Children
For more info and to purchase tickets:
516-842-6000 xt 307
Email: Sofiagardengrow@aol.com

Music, dancing, food, raffles, Chinese auction benefitting Homecoming Farm and Sofia Garden, and honoring Sister Ginny Maguire.


Tuesday, October 30th

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, October 31st

4pm

Boorito!
Chipotle
Any of them
For more info:
http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/boorito/boorito.aspx

Come dressed in costume (you or kids or whoever) to any Chipotle today from 4pm to closing (10pm usually) and you’ll get a taco, burrito, bowl or salad for just TWO DOLLARS!!! Chipotle is donating your $2 to The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation to help create a more sustainable and healthy food supply and raise awareness concerning food issues.

PLUS…take a photo of you (or kids, etc) in costume in, or in front of, Chipotle on Halloween and enter the costume contest to win prizes up to $2,500!!!


Thursday, November 1st

10am to 11am

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.
This week, I will be interviewing Jeffrey Smith, author of "Seeds of Deception" and the newly released documentary "Genetic Roulette" on my show, to further discuss the GMO issue and to answer any questions you may have. Remember, my show is recorded live, so you can always call in with questions, and either my guest or I will answer them to the best of our ability. I hope you can join us and participate in this very important discussion!
6pm

NOFA-NY Fall Benefit Cocktail Party
Back Forty
190 Ave B (near 12th St)
NYC
$75 to $1,000
For more info and to get tickets:
https://www.nofany.org/?q=events/regional-events/fall-benefit-cocktail-party
Please join NOFA-NY (the NYS chapter of the Northeast Organic Farmers Association) board members Scott Chaskey (of Quail Hill Farm, Amagansett) and Karen Meara at this fall benefit, honoring Frances Moore Lappe, and Benjamin and Lindsey Shute.
Local and organic wine, beer and cocktails will be served with a selection of passed hors d’oeuvres and other small bites. Food and beverages donated by NOFA-NY member farmers and business will be prepared by the talented staff at Back Forty.
7pm

I’m Eating What???
Holistic Moms Network Monthly Meeting (Huntington, NY Chapter)
Elwood Public Library
1929 Jericho Tpke (on the northeast corner of Jericho and Elwood Rd…in the strip mall where a Blockbuster used to be)
E Northport
FREE
For more info:
www.holisticmoms.org
Email: huntingtonhmn@aol.com
Check them out on Facebook…
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Holistic-Moms-Network-Suffolk-County-Huntington-Area-NY-Chapter/399399243443967

Join CSA member Vickie Muller (co-founder of this chapter) at this month’s meeting with featured speaker Kathleen Furey, trained by GMO expert Jeffrey Smith talking about GMOs (what are they, labeling and our right to know) and growing our own food. Tea and healthy snacks will be provide but please bring your own mug to help keep us green! 


Sunday, November 11th

11am

Vegan Thanksgiving Meal Cooking Class
The Purple Elephant
81B Ft Salonga Rd
Northport
$40 (includes food and recipes…must be paid in advance)
For more info and to reserve:
631-641-5002

Chef David, owner and chef at The Purple Elephant, and Chef Elyse (raw food chef at Live Island Café), will be sharing their tools, tips and tricks for you to create a delicious vegan feast for the holidays! The class will take place at The Brittania Yachting Center (in the meeting room), behind The Purple Elephant.


Thursday, November 15th

8:30am

Harvesting Opportunities in NY
Hotel Albany
40 Lodge St
Albany
$85
For more info and to register:
http://newyork.farmland.org/harvesting-opportunities

A conference to inspire and educate New Yorkers to support local agriculture, strengthen local farm and food economies, and get involved in protecting farmland.

6:30PM

Organic Wine: The Vineyard as an Ecosystem
American Museum of Natural History
Linder Theater
Central Park West and 77th St
NYC
$35
For more info and to get tickets:
http://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/adults/adventures-in-the-global-kitchen/organic-wine-the-vineyard-as-an-ecosystem
Sip wine with agronomist, vintner, and co-owner of Shinn Estate Vineyards Barbara Shinn as she discusses the fostering of organic and biodynamic-based winegrowing and the ways in which harmony amongst the vines brings grace and clarity to the wines. Wine samplings from Shinn Estate will be provided.

Saturday, November 17th

6pm

Starstruck! The UUFH Services Auction
109 Browns Rd
Huntington
For more info:
http://uufh.org/community-life/services-auction/

The UUFH annual Services Auction is a highlight of the year, as well as our major fundraiser. It includes contributions from Green Thumb CSA – Huntington and from the Cinema Arts Centre through CSA member Dylan Skolnick.


Afternoon (more info TBA)
Turkey Free Thanksgiving Dinner/Lecture by Gavin Schmidt, climatologist with NASA, on climate change
Healthy Planet
Molloy College
Farmingdale
$???
For more info, reservations and directions:
631-421-5591
http://www.healthy-planet.org/



Sunday, November 18th

9am

The NAVAL Expo
Huntington Hilton
Melville
$20
For more info (if you look at the last one they had in May you’ll get an idea of what they’ll have in November) and to buy tickets:
http://www.navelexpo.com/expo.php

All day alternative health expo with many lectures, demo, samplings, etc including Steve Meyerowitz, the Sproutman! More info TBA.


Friday, November 23rd

6pm

The Healthy Planet Radio Program
WUSB
90.1FM
Or listen online at:
http://www.wusb.fm/



8. Any pet lovers out there? How about volunteering for, or organizing, a four legged pet food drive???

The animal rights group Best Friends Animal Society is holding its 3rd annual Pet Food Drive with all the Petco stores from October 28th to November 11th (Fridays to Sundays only) to collect food (and maybe we can contribute natural/organic pet foods) to be delivered to food pantries for the holidays.

Here’s the info how to volunteer…(all volunteers will get a $5 off Petco coupon and one volunteer will win a $500 Petco shopping spree for the food bank partner of their choice)
https://petco.volunteermatch.org/results/opp_detail.jsp?oppid=1209862

Or maybe you’d like to organize one for our neck of the woods at another time…
http://www.bestfriends.org/uploadedFiles/Content/Resources/Resources_for_Rescuers/Help_for_Individuals/HowtoOrganizeFourLeggedFoodDrive.pdf



9. What you actually got last week

Week #26
October 18, 2012

1. Tomatoes, Mini: Grape, Red – 1 pt - $4.25
2. Lettuce: Bibb, Green Leaf – 1 head - $2.75
3. Snap Beans, Yellow/Wax (1 lb) OR Beans: Soy (1/2 lb) – 1 bag - $3.25
4. Eggplant (Japanese, Thai green and others) and Peppers, Sweet (Bell, Hungarian Wax and others) Mix – 2 lb bag - $5.25
5. Senposai* - 1 bunch - $3.00
6. Bitter Melon – 1 – FREE (take it or leave it)

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 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 $32.75 – doesn’t include Aug 9th)

*
About Senposai…
http://www.anchorrunfarm.com/sm_db_item.php?id=10&featuretype=veggie
http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/search.php?cookies=no&listname=Mustard&item=3218&index=6

Recipe…
http://www.wildfrontiermusic.com/senposai.htm
http://summerveg.blogspot.com/2011/07/ginger-senposai-with-orange-bell-pepper.html
http://edibleearthscape.wordpress.com/2010/11/20/senposaijapanese-collardsquick-and-easy-stir-fry/
http://www.morningstarfarmoftaos.com/dox/newsletters/Morning%20Star%20Newsletter%204-21-2009.pdf
http://www.mealsformoderns.com/2010/10/ricotta-gratin-of-senposai-potatoes-and.html
http://vegetablematter.blogspot.com/2009/10/spicy-tofu-with-asian-greens.html



10. Do you shop at Whole Foods?

Sign up for their newsletter so you can get coupons like this one…(every little bit of savings helps!)
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/special-coupon?utm_source=email&utm_medium=&utm_term=Whole%20Deal&utm_content=Promotion&utm_campaign=2012_10_22_Coupon_TestB



11. Help change the world with a click of your mouse!

Sign petition to encourage “organic” and “natural” companies to put their money where their mouths are and financially support the effort to pass GMO labeling in California!
Pro-GMO companies have contributed about $35 million to not label GMO foods and the natural and organic guys have come up with about $4 million (apparently Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Stonyfield Yogurt have contributed nothing so far)…
http://www.cornucopia.org/2012/08/prop37/

Ask the FDA to ban GMO Salmon…
http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=10606

Do you shop at Trader Joe’s? Whether you do or not (but especially if you do), ask Trader Joe’s to support GMO labeling…
http://action.sumofus.org/a/proposition-37/31/89/

Help protect the Clean Water Act…
https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=318&autologin=true

Clean air = no schmutz on vegetables!
https://secure3.convio.net/lcv/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=903&JServSessionIdr004=k2ar1oruo3.app332b

keep speaking out against soot pollution
https://secure2.edf.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1997&autologin=true&utm_source=EDF%20action%20network&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy&JServSessionIdr004=oqjec2uqr2.app305b

tell BP to pay for the mess they made in the Gulf!
https://secure2.edf.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2035&autologin=true&utm_source=EDF%20action%20network&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy&JServSessionIdr004=0x0gzaul64.app304b

Protect our families from toxic chemicals thru the passage of the Safe Chemicals Act, as supported by the League of Conservation Voters
https://secure3.convio.net/lcv/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=847&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=6eqbeiryr4.app331b

tell Senators that you want oversight regarding toxic chemicals
https://secure2.edf.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2033&autologin=true&utm_source=EDF%20action%20network&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy&JServSessionIdr004=yk4ce7ufv6.app304b

ask Senators to support conservations efforts within the Farm Bill
https://secure2.edf.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1989&autologin=true&utm_source=EDF%20action%20network&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy&JServSessionIdr004=e42k4bujy5.app304b

stand up against plane pollution!
https://secure2.edf.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1985&autologin=true&utm_source=EDF%20action%20network&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy&JServSessionIdr004=0c3amvunf2.app306b

tell senators again to stand up against aviation pollution to help stop climate change!
https://secure2.edf.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1985&autologin=true&utm_source=EDF%20action%20network&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy&JServSessionIdr004=3qjrqcupj1.app341b

They want to destroy this mountain in West Virginia for coal and pollute the water surrounding it forever…just say no…
http://ilovemountains.org/protect-blair-mountain



12. And now for something completely different…

If you’re a fan of Japanese food, check out Monster Roll…fun short that will hopefully turn into a feature length movie.
http://vimeo.com/45725037

Oddest food museums around the world (and one is in NY State!)…
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/themes/best-in-travel-2013/oddest-food-museums/

Woman finds live frog in bag of pre-washed, ready-to-eat (for the frog  ) Lettuce Mix bought at a Walmart (see the video)…and some folks eat this stuff right out of the bag without washing it again (please don’t!)…
http://www.wftv.com/videos/news/video-woman-finds-live-frog-in-bagged-salad/vgRfw/

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