Thursday, July 17, 2014

Week #10 June 26, 2014

Happy Summer!

This may or may not be our last week of Strawberries from our CSA. In a very good year, we get 4 quarts. So far, we’ve gotten 1 pint and 2 quarts, and we’ll see what this week brings. If you don’t already know, the place to get more berries from now till the fall is Makinajian Farm, 276 Cuba Hill Rd (and Little Plains Rd at the intersection of the two), Huntington, 631-368-9320, as they grow certified organic Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries and Blackberries in season, and they have their berries that are no longer in season in their freezer (at least they did the last time I was there). If you go and see Farmer Mick or his sister Tina…tell them suzanne says hi!

Planting a garden this year? Get certified organic Herb (many varieties), Vegetable (many varieties) and Flower (some…ask!) plants grown at your farm, Green Thumb Farm! To order plants, call the farm at 631-726-1900 between 9:30am and 4pm any day of the week/weekend and have a credit card on hand for payment. They will be delivered with the next available CSA delivery!

If you’d like to visit our farm (Green Thumb Farm in Water Mill) on days besides our CSA Pumpkin picking in October, the farm stand is now open until Sunday, December 7th. Tell them at the farm stand that you’re a CSA member and it’s sure to bring a smile!

Seriously…put this phone number (631-385-1079) in your cell phone, on your fridge, or wherever you put phone numbers you’re glad to have when you need them! It’s the hall phone of the UUFH to be used only on Thursdays from 3pm to 8pm. We’ve already had a few people who wished they had it and didn’t, and others who had it and found out how handy it can be! 

This email contains…

1. Your CSA doesn’t need you this week but…
2. What to eat at Jones Beach this season!
3. This week’s list…
4. Our certified organic Flower Shares are here! Are you ready and on the list?
5. What you actually got last week
6. Anybody out there involved in tv, film or digital media production?
7. Click here if you want to ban leaf blowers in the Town of Huntington (and you live in the Town of Huntington), and find out why you’d want to do such a thing!
8. Do you, or anyone you know, use the sweetener Truvia?
9. Use Honey? Read this…
10. And now for something completely different…


1. Your CSA doesn’t need you this week but…

you can always show up at 3:30pm or 5:30pm and ask if we still need help!

Also, keep in mind that if you don’t get an email telling you that you’re working on a particular week…you’re not scheduled to work (but if you have any questions, get in touch with Judi and/or suzanne).



2. What to eat at Jones Beach this season!

Come to visit Jones Beach and go to Smorgasbar!!!

It’s like Brooklyn’s famous food extravaganza called Smorgasburg (for its Williamsburg location) but at Jones Beach!

When: from now to Labor Day, 11am to 8pm (and you don’t have to pay the $10 to park at the beach if you go after 6pm)
Where: Park at Field #4
Central Mall
1000 Ocean Ave
Wantagh, NY
Check out the big white tent by the boardwalk

Go to Fleischer’s (they use pasture raised meats), mention that you heard about Smorgasbar in their email newsletter (true, you heard about it from mine) and you’ll get FREE FOOD (a bag of McClure’s chips AND an organic Blue Sky soda)

Here’s the Newsday article that mentions the complete list of vendors…I’ve heard good things about Fleischer’s and Rubirosa…
http://long-island.newsday.com/recreation/beaches/jones-beach-has-new-upscale-food-choices-under-huge-tent-1.8491931



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

June 26, 2014
Week #10

1. Strawberries
2. Peas, Sugar Snap OR Peas, Snow (not sure which one yet)
3. Radish
4. Lettuce
5. Curly Cress

Total Items: 5

Flower Share #2 – maybe???



4. Our certified organic Flower Shares are here! Are you ready and on the list?

Did you take a look at the Flower Shares the other week? Amazing, right?

Do you now want one (or two)?

The way to get them now is to let me know ASAP either at the CSA, or by phone or email (by Wednesday midnight latest for me to try and get the word to the farm) and let me tell you how much the CSA share will be and you can pay cash or by check.

The amount for the next one will be $63 which may or may not be this week. The Flowers come to the CSA when they’re ready so it’s not necessarily for 10 consecutive weeks.

If you’re sharing with someone and you buy a Flower Share and they show up when your share partner is picking up you can either pick your Flowers up from them, or have them pay you for the Flower for that week or each of you get a Flower Share and then…you can figure it out! 

Also, keep in mind that one person can have more than one Flower Share. A number of us (I’m one of them) get 2 Flower Shares because they are just that nice!!! 



5. What you actually got last week

June 19, 2014
Week #9

1. Strawberries – 1 qt - $6.75
2. Rhubarb (get rid of leaves…they’re poisonous…too much Oxalic Acid) – 1 bunch - $3.50
3. Mustard Greens – 1 bunch - $3.25
4. Lettuce: Romaine – 1 bunch - $2.75
5. Lavender (yes, you can cook with Lavender Flowers…or not, and then just put in a vase and smell, or dry and use in future potpourri or cooking) – 1 bunch - $2.75

Total Items: 5
Total Amount: $19.00 (We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. Our farmer has give us $.50 more this week over what we paid for. It doesn’t sound like much but it does add up over the course of the CSA season. The total of the season so far…meaning that the farmer is giving us more than we paid for…is $3.25 over from what we’ve paid so far)

Herb Share – June 2B
Cilantro AND Sorrel



6. Anybody out there involved in tv, film or digital media production?

The reason I’m asking is that CSA member, Randi Gould, is looking to make a job change and as we know…you never know! 

This is the ad that Randi sent me and if I had a job to offer, I’d give her an interview!

And if you don’t have any direct connections but have some good ideas, get in touch with her about those too.

Producer/Field Producer/Associate Producer "Volunteer" Available

If you are in the film or television industry, or digital media production, and need someone to assist on your film/video project, contact me. Among my strengths:
• Strong communication skills (Columbia University Journalism School grad; freelance writer and editor; co-author of 7 books)
• Ability to multi-task and stay hyper-organized
• Diplomatic wrangler of celebrities and on-air talent (experience garnered during my magazine days and during a recent video project for the American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• Doggedness in conducting research and gathering intel
I already have the skills; I just need the experience. Let's discuss!
Write to randi.gould@gmail.com



7. Click here if you want to ban leaf blowers in the Town of Huntington (and you live in the Town of Huntington), and find out why you’d want to do such a thing!

They need 373 more signatures to move forward with this so spread the word!
https://www.change.org/petitions/huntington-town-council-restrict-gas-leaf-blowers-glbs-during-summer?recruiter=1891563&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition



8. Do you, or anyone you know, use the sweetener Truvia?

Apparently, it kills insects really well but is just fine for humans…

http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/06/father-son-discover-truvia-kills-insects.html?om_rid=AADNgX&om_mid=_BTodyBB86ujcwP

Why not just use plain old Stevia instead as that’s what it is…Stevia with crap in it and done to it. The companies that make it are Cargill (think Monsanto) and Coca-Cola.

As usual…less processed and simple is the way to go.

And someone else’s take on the Truvia controversy…
http://www.foodrenegade.com/is-truvia-healthy/



9. Use Honey? Read this…

OK…no Truvia. Now what?

CSA member Andrew Rudin submitted this article saying that 75% of Honey sold at the supermarket isn’t really Honey.

The solutions is simple…buy local and know your beekeeper (and ideally, they’re an organic or biodynamic beekeeper).

I’ll be asking our farmer if he’ll be doing Honey Shares from the bees on our farm this season.

http://healthfreedoms.org/2014/06/08/seventy-five-percent-of-honey-bought-at-the-supermarket-isnt-real-honey/



10. And now for something completely different…

Take my word on this one…we don’t want this. There’s got to be a better way…
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3027928/cyborg-baby-spinach-could-one-day-detect-chemical-weapons

From what they have to do for the Spinach to behave this way, we wouldn’t want to eat it as it would be so altered. We haven’t yet discovered all the good things in foods the way they are now to be messing around with their genetic makeup and then losing the possibility of finding out what those undiscovered good things were because they’ll be lost forever. Then the scientists and government will say it either 1) isn’t a problem to eat or 2) there’s NO WAY it’s going to crossbreed with regular eating Spinach and in both cases they will, more likely than not, be wrong. Jeez!

###