Thursday, July 24, 2014

Week #14 July 24, 2014

Happy Summer!

Our farm driver, Tim, forgot our Summer Squash at the farm last week. Stuff happens and he felt really bad about it. Our farmer will be making up for it this week, not as part of the regular CSA share but as something extra.

The farm also forgot some Flower Shares so to those of you who were supposed to get two bunches and only took one so some other folks could at least get one…thanks!  Again, stuff happens, nobody’s perfect, and the farm will be making up for those missed flowers this week.

Last week started our Basil Share deliveries! If you didn’t sign up but would like to get in on it here’s the deal…
You get 4 bunches of Basil for $10 per Basil Share! Pick your date(s) for delivery…July 31 and/or August 7, and submit either cash, or check made out to Halseys Green Thumb. Then, let me know (email or phone) so I can put you on the list for the delivery day(s) on the date(s) you’d like!

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 7 days a week 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. THIS WEEK WE WEIGH!!!
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. Organic produce vending machine!!!
7. Leaf blower survey, babies and botulism…yes, there is a connection!
8. Old meat being served in China at McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut! Yum!!!
9. Buy fruit at Trader Joes, Costco or Fresh Direct? 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. THIS WEEK WE WEIGH!!!

It’s time to weigh our food!

A. Check the wall chart before taking any food so you know what you’re taking and how much to take…assume nothing and ask questions! 

B. Bring your reading glasses or ask someone to help if you can’t see the numbers on the scale clearly.

C. PLEASE DO NOT GO OVER THE AMOUNT STATED on the Wall Chart. Please err on the under side of the weight posted…NEVER over. It may not seem like much to you but we have 51 members and if every person is off by ONE OUNCE (for crying out loud! It’s only an ounce!!!) …that means we’ll be short over THREE POUNDS of produce and some CSA members won’t get the food they paid for. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want it to be you!

D. IF you are asked to weigh more than one food item at the same time…please follow the directions given to you and weigh in the order you are asked (you might not think there’s a good reason to be doing this but our farmer does and that should be enough of a reason right there…if you want a further explanation – ask suzanne…there is a method to the madness )



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

July 24, 2014
Week #14

1. Lettuce
2. Parsley
3. Carrots
4. Beans, Green
5. Onions
6. Radishes
(7. Squash, Summer…not officially part of this week but to make up for the forgotten Summer Squash we were supposed to get last week)

Total Items: 6/7

Basil Share #2

Flower Share #5

Herb Share – July 2B
Chives, Garlic AND Mint



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 $49. 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

July 17, 2014
Week #13

1. Lettuce: Romaine – 1 head - $2.75
2. Broccoli – 1 head - $2.50
3. Beans, Green – 1 lb - $3.50
4. Onions – 1 bunch - $3.50
5. Swiss Chard – 1 bunch - $3.50

Total Items: 5
Total Amount: $15.75
(We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. This week is confusing. We were supposed to get $19.50 worth of produce but our farm driver forgot the Summer Squash back at the farm so our farmer has give us $3.75 less this week than the $19.50 which was $1.00 over what we’re supposed to be getting every week so, the total so far is still $1.50 more than what we’ve paid so far…really! )


Basil Share #1

Flower Share #4
Snapdragons



6. Organic produce vending machine!!!

Submitted by CSA member Andrew Rudin…
http://www.healthfreedoms.org/a-vending-machine-that-dispenses-local-organic-veggies/#



7. Leaf blower survey, babies and botulism…yes, there is a connection!

Was lucky enough to see this on the news the other day…
http://7online.com/health/race-against-time-to-save-baby-diagnosed-with-botulism/192894/

This is what can happen when leaf blowers stir up soil, and then have these particles that can include botulism float around in the air for several hours after the leaf blowing is finished, and then these particles can be inhaled by infants, children, pets, and those with compromised immune systems.

So, if you live in the Town of Huntington and would like to have leafblowers banned, fill out this survey…
http://huntingtonny.gov/leaf-blower-survey

I included this website in my survey in the part where you can add additional comments and this is what I said…

Please read this website and see that other places in the country have totally banned leaf blowers (as early as 1987) and landscape businesses didn't have to raise their fees or go out of business, and life went on as usual as it did before the invention of leaf blowers...
http://www.nonoise.org/quietnet/cqs/other.htm

My only problem with this survey is the last three questions didn't allow for an "I don't know" answer. I know the answer to the last two are yes from various health studies I've read, but am honestly guessing about #9 and if it were an option, I would have said that I don't know.

Someone else I know commented on the fact that they found all these other choices confusing as they simply wanted leafblowers banned…period. And all the others options seemed confusing and diluting the message of banning them altogether…as if it’s not possible (see above website to see that it is).



8. Old meat being served in China at McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut! Yum!!!

This is what they’re doing to their own people…and this is where we’re sending Chicken and Fish to be processed and sent back to us?

Be afraid, be very afraid!!! 

And then, buy local…

http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/07/mcdonalds_kfc_and_pizza_hut_se.html



9. Buy fruit at Trader Joes, Costco or Fresh Direct? Read this!

Recall…listeria…ugh…
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/07/fda-fruit-recall.html

Buy local…know where your food comes from as much as possible!



10. And now for something completely different…

From sandwiches to hats…who doesn’t love them some foil! 

Weird Al strikes again with another parody…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-0TEJMJOhk

Again…if you don’t know the original…

Royals by Lorde…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcIKh6sBtc

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