Green Thumb Farm Huntington CSA

Happy last day of Spring (summer starts 1:04AM tomorrow)!

Anybody get out to our farm last weekend and pick some Strawberries? I’ll be collecting quotes, stories and photos so email them in and they’ll be in next week’s email.

We’re getting close…to our second 5 lb batch of Mushrooms to be able to start our next group of Mushroom Share folks! See #2 for details!

Request…please keep the Veg Info Sheets on TOP of the food and not on the table (especially if there’s water on the tables which there often is). They are getting waterlogged and being thrown out which is not so “green”. This is happening on a weekly basis and it’s something that’s never happened in the past 16 years. Go figure. Thanks! 

Any gardeners? You can order certified organic herb and vegetable plants for your garden from our farm by calling Green Thumb Farm at 631-726-1900, 7 days a week, from 9:30 to 4pm, place your order with a credit card, and your plants will be delivered to the CSA.

BJ’s has organic foodstuffs. If you’d like to check it out and you’re not a member, there’s a coupon on the sign-in desk to try it out that’s valid till July 14th. I’m a fan of their gas prices. Last time I was there it was $3.63 for regular!

This email includes…

1. We could sure use some more CSA members!
2. You can still get in on the Flower Shares, Herb Shares and Mushroom Shares!
3. This week’s list (subject to change without notice…farming is like that!)
4. Save $100 on NOFA Summer Conference!
5. Local activism
6. Event Listings
7. What you actually got last week
8. And now for something completely different…



1. We could sure use some more CSA members!

If each of us could get one other person/family to join the CSA, our membership would go from the current 55 members to 110. If at least half of those folks would work at the CSA (more is always better), I bet we could finally have an Exchange Table again. That’s where we start with an entire CSA share on the table and CSA members can exchange one entire food item for another because they want more of something, or are allergic to something, or for whatever the reason. Believe me, once you try it, you’d like it.

However, we don’t have one because we barely have enough working CSA members to do the minimal amount of what needs to be done and as they say…many hands make light work!

Contact me if you need attachments of any CSA info to forward, any CSA brochures to distribute, and I’d be happy to receive any phone numbers to call anyone, email addresses to email, places to go leave CSA brochures, and I’m sure you know I’d go anywhere and talk to anyone about the wonderfulness that is Green Thumb CSA – Huntington (or heck, CSAs in general)! 



2. You can still get in on the Flower Shares, Herb Shares and Mushroom Shares!

If you’re interested…ask! If the only thing that’s stopping you is that you share with someone and they don’t want what you want…ask! I bet I could find someone for you to share with (or at least I’d try  ). If you have a share and want more than your one share…ask!

We need to find enough people for 2 ½ lbs of Mushrooms for the next batch of folks to be able to start eating Mushrooms! Anybody interested in the Mushroom Share who hasn’t spoken up yet? Let me know! 

Anyone who HAS a Mushroom Share…want to upgrade your share to get more Mushrooms? Just a thought! 



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

Week #9
June 20, 2013

1. Strawberries
2. Lettuce
3. Rhubarb
4. Radishes
5. Mustard Greens
6. Dill

Total Items: 6 (?)

Flower Share (depends on the weather…if it’s been too wet we won’t get any this week)
Week #2 – Sweet Willliams



4. Save $100 on NOFA Summer Conference!

The NOFA Summer Conference is awesome and everyone interested in organic food/gardening/farming and healthy/green living should really give themselves a treat and go at least once (once you go…there’s a good chance you’ll want to go every year). You don’t have to be a farmer or even a gardener to have a good time as there’s so many workshops on so many topics. Plus, you can just tour local farms and CSAs and eat healthy (and tasty) and party all weekend long. AND if you have kids, there’s workshops for ages 5 to teenagers that are all pretty cool…even by kid standards!

New this year: Group discounts of $100 per person are available to groups of 5+ adults with an organization! So, we’re going to hook up with the Holistic Moms Network to see if we can reach this number and get in on the Early Bird Registration (for a further discount) by July 9th so there’s 19 days to find 3 other adults to attend between the two groups. Anybody interested? Talk to me or CSA member Vickie Muller (whose daughter Charley met a NOFA summer buddy from Vermont that she hangs with at the conference).

Camping (Vickie & Charley camp) and dorm housing (suzanne dorms it) are available, as are creative financing options like work exchange (I’ve done the work exchange in the past…another way to bring the cost of going down) and the Farming Education Fund.

In addition to hundreds of practical skills and farming workshops, the conference features live entertainment, children's and teen conferences, a country fair, organic meals, 100 exhibitors and much more. The conference will take place August 9-11 on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus.

There will be eight specialized workshop tracks:
Beginning Farmer, Community Supported Agriculture, Grazing, Nutrient Density, Organic Land Care Track, Permaculture, Cooperatives, Winter Growing and Season Extension

Five half-day preconferences on Friday, August 9:
"Farming Smarter, Not Harder" with Richard Wiswall
"Honeybee Hive Products" with Ross Conrad
"Growing with the Biological System" with Dan Kittredge
"Homestead Poultry Flock" with Jim Adkins
"Growing and Marketing Cut Flowers" with Diana Doll

What’s NOFA? For one thing, our farm is certified organic by NOFA-NY…
https://www.nofany.org/



3. Local activism…

Bonnie Sagar (sharing with CSA member Joe Wetherell), has a passion and a cause! It’s to ban leafblowers in Huntington.

Why you may ask (or you may not need any convincing)?

I didn’t realize Dr. Andrew Weil wasn’t a fan…
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART02059

And I found this NY Times article which says the Mt Sinai School of Medicine’s Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit provided a letter of support for a ban of gas leaf blowers…
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/20blowerwe.html?_r=0

And all the dust kicked up makes solar panels less efficient (and/or you’d have to get up there and clean them up more often…or pay to have them cleaned off)

If you’re in agreement, please sign her petition at the CSA Sign-in Desk today! 

And of course, there’s a Facebook page for it too…
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ban-Leaf-Blowers/127067643995637

And a website in Arizona…
http://banleafblowers.webs.com/



4. Event Listings

Thursday, May 2nd to Sunday, December 8th

9am to 5:30pm

Green Thumb Organic Farm
829 Montauk Hwy (east of the windmill)
Water Mill

Our CSA farm’s farm stand is open for the season! If you’re passing by, stop in and say hi and tell them you’re a CSA member and you’re sure to get a smile! There are plants for your garden, flowers for your home and/or friends you might be visiting in the area, and food…lots of food! 


Saturday, May 25th to Monday, Sept 2nd

Swedish Culinary Summer
East Hampton
For more info:
www.swedishculinarysummer.com

Swedish cuisine, and worldwide interest in it, has grown exponentially over the last 20 years. Zagat just placed Swedish restaurants in the number two and number three positions in the top ten restaurants in the world and there are three Swedish restaurants on Pellegrino's World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Swedish food is now the darling of media worldwide and especially in the U.S. Swedish Culinary Summer uses food as the universal ambassador to "open the doors" at key charity events in the Hamptons during the summer season: a full summer of top Swedish chefs, food, beverages and consumer goods, plus there will be cooking classes and special dinners available at the Maidstone Hotel.


Saturday, June 22nd

12pm to 1pm

Food Chain Radio Show…What’s Eating What with Michael Olson
http://metrofarm.com/food-chain-radio

Check out the archives…there’s a LOT of good stuff in there!


Sunday, June 23rd

9am to 11:30am

How to grow vegetables with little space, time and effort
Lee Reich’s Farmden
387 Springtown Rd
New Paltz, NY
$50
For more info and to register:
Email: garden@leereich.com
845-255-0417

I’ve gone for one of Lee’s workshops on fruit (he’s a fruit master), and am sure this would be just as informative and entertaining…

Even a small garden can produce an abundance of vegetables. Learn how site selection, variety selection, soil preparation and, especially, planning (in time and space) make for abundant harvests of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables from even a small garden. It’s not too late to prepare for abundant harvests for the rest of THIS season. It’s not even too late to START a vegetable garden for this season. (I put in my first garden – many years ago, and in Wisconsin – on August 1st!). I’ll show how.

Check out his website and blog…
http://leereich.com/index.html

2pm

The Truth About GMOs with Ellen Kamhi, RN
Dao Asian Cuisine
6600 Jericho Tpke
Syosset
$20 – Healthy Planet Members/$25 – General Public
For more info and reservations:
631-421-5591
info@healthy-planet.org
http://www.healthy-planet.org/

Join the Healthy Planet gang for an all vegan Chinese meal (3 apps and 7 entrees to share) and lecture about GMOs from Long Island’s own natural treasure, Ellen Kamhi, RN…the Natural Nurse!


Wednesday, June 26th

7pm

Join Mario’s sons, Benno and Leo, (and maybe dad too???) in an online discussion about kids in the kitchen…
www.nytimes.com/dining


Thursday, June 27th

6pm to 9pm

Art With a Purpose
Rush Arts Gallery
526 W 26th St, Suite 311
NYC
$150
For more info and to buy tickets:
http://www.healthyschoolfood.org/events.htm?utm_source=Art+With+a+Purpose+-+1&utm_campaign=Year+End+27th+2012&utm_medium=email

An art exhibit/event with works for sale by such artists as Peter Max and Sue Coe, benefitting the NY Coalition for Healthy School Food. There’ll be vegan food donated by Candle 79 and Candle Café West, and wine donated by Pure Food & Wine and Verity Wine Partners. Jazz music provided by Miles of Music.


Saturday, June 29th

10am to 4pm

Starflower Experiences Community Yard Sale
Manor Farm
210 Manor Rd
Elwood
For more info and to possibly participate or volunteer (don’t know how late they can accept participants and if there’s still room):
www.starflowerexperiences.org
516-938-6152
info@starflowerexperinces.org

CSA member Chiara Mathews is volunteering for Starflower Experiences so you just might see her here!

10:30am to noon

Green Thumb CSA – Huntington Monthly CSA Meeting!
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
For more info:
631-421-4864
dskolnick@pb.net

This month we’ll be learning more about what we’re getting in our CSA shares and what to do with it…and there will be snacking goin’ on! Is there anything in particular that you’d like to learn about…a particular food, herb, cooking technique, etc? More info TBA.


Saturday, July 13th

10am to 6:30pm

The Long Island Animal Rights and Vegfest!
UUFH
109 Browns Rd
Huntington
For more info and schedule:
www.karunaforanimals.com
$5/Children 12 and under FREE

Rain or shine! Vegan food (cash only), live music, art auction, kids activities and MORE!


Friday, July 19th

6pm to 7pm

The Healthy Planet Radio Show
WUSB-FM (90.1 FM)
To listen live or on the archives…
http://wusb.fm/station/schedule/week
For more info:
http://www.healthy-planet.org/


Friday, August 9th to Sunday, August 11th

NOFA Summer Conference
U Mass
Amherst, MA
For more info and to register (early bird pricing till July 9th):
http://www.nofasummerconference.org/registration.php
What is NOFA (in particular NOFA-NY)?
https://www.nofany.org/about

CSA members Vickie Muller (along with her daughter) and suzanne j zoubeck attended last year and may be going again this year. If you have any questions, ask one of them. If you’re at all interested in organic gardening, food, food politics, the environment, green living, green housing, renewable energy, alternative health, etc. this is an AMAZING event to attend (over 200 workshops to choose from)! The food is local and organic and there are enough choices whether your diet is gluten-free, raw, vegan or paleo. There are farm tours and parties at night. Also, there are workshops and activities for children from ages 2 to 17 so it’s fun for the whole family…or for singles…or seniors…or anyone!


Friday, August 9th

6pm to 7pm

The Healthy Planet Radio Show
WUSB-FM (90.1 FM)
To listen live or on the archives…
http://wusb.fm/station/schedule/week
For more info:
http://www.healthy-planet.org/


Friday, September 13th

6pm to 7pm

The Healthy Planet Radio Show
WUSB-FM (90.1 FM)
To listen live or on the archives…
http://wusb.fm/station/schedule/week
For more info:
http://www.healthy-planet.org/


Friday, October 18th

6pm to 7pm

The Healthy Planet Radio Show
WUSB-FM (90.1 FM)
To listen live or on the archives…
http://wusb.fm/station/schedule/week
For more info:
http://www.healthy-planet.org/


Friday, November 15th

6pm to 7pm

The Healthy Planet Radio Show
WUSB-FM (90.1 FM)
To listen live or on the archives…
http://wusb.fm/station/schedule/week
For more info:
http://www.healthy-planet.org/


Friday, December 6th

6pm to 7pm

The Healthy Planet Radio Show
WUSB-FM (90.1 FM)
To listen live or on the archives…
http://wusb.fm/station/schedule/week
For more info:
http://www.healthy-planet.org/


Saturday, March 1st, 2014

10am to 5pm

TEDx Manhattan Viewing Party
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
FREE

Check out a sample of last year’s speakers such as chef Michel Nischan, LaDonna Redmond, Anna Lappe, White House chef Bill Yosses, Annemarie Colbin, etc, here…
http://www.youtube.com/tedxman

Details TBA



5. What you actually got last week

Week #8
June 13, 2013

1. Strawberries – 1 qt - $6.50
2. Lettuce: Boston, Red – 1 head - $2.50
3. Cilantro – 1 bunch - $2.50
4. Swiss Chard (greenhouse) – 1 bunch - $3.25
5. Peas: Sugar Snap - .6 lb - $3.50

Total Items: 5
Total Amount: $18.25 (we pay $17.50 for our weekly CSA share so this week we’ve gotten $.75 worth of food more than we paid for PLUS a bunch of Cilantro on top of that…so the total extra value we’ve gotten so far this season…is $9.50)


Flower Share
Week #1 – Peonies*

*Often have ants on them…shake or rinse them off before you get in the house (or at least don’t be surprised if you see them). Find out what the relationship is between Ants and Peonies…
http://www.peonies.org/faq.html

Herb Share
June 1A
French Tarragon AND Oregano



6. And now for something completely different…

Amazing hyperrealistic artwork that includes some foodstuffs as subjects…
http://www.boredpanda.com/hyper-realistic-art/

These are NOT photographs!

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