Week #15 July 31, 2014

Happy Summer!

This week’s mystery…Did anyone (CSA member or person picking up for CSA member) last week by chance take both kinds of Snap Beans/String Beans? There were Yellow/Wax and Dragon Tongue (beige and purple). Why do I ask? The count was correct at the start of the day, but at the end we were one bag short and that could explain it. Any ideas as to what happened? So somebody didn’t get any Beans this week (not a good thing). It’s all about solving mysteries and not about being punitive! 

Anyone want 2 bunches of Basil this week? CSA member Rita Wolfe would like to split her Basil Share with someone. If you’re interested, email or call me (631-421-4864) before 1pm on Thursday or let me know at the CSA, and bring in $5 in cash to give to Rita (or write a check for $5 to Rita Wolfe). The early bird gets the Basil! 

Any of you live near north Syosset? Someone is interested in joining the CSA but would like to rotate pickups with someone who lives in her neck of the woods. If anyone is interested, email or give me a buzz (631-421-4864).

Last two weeks for 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 by midnight tonight for tomorrow) 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! I’m hearing from the people who bought these plants so far that they’re doing GREAT!!!

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 DOES need you this week! We’re looking for ONE (1) person for 3:30pm to 5:30pm, and ONE (1) person for 5:30pm to 7:30pm
2. WE START TO 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. Drink non-dairy milks? Then, read this…
7. How to buy a juicer!
8. Sign petition to help support this NYC eatery!
9. Help stop pesticide poisoning!
10. And now for something completely different…


1. Your CSA DOES need you this week! We’re looking for ONE (1) person for 3:30pm to 5:30pm, and ONE (1) person for 5:30pm to 7:30pm CSA

We need ONE (1) person for the 3:30 to 5:30pm shift and ONE (1) person for the 5:30 to 7:30pm shift.

Respond to this email, or call 631-421-4864 and leave a message, from now till 1pm on Thursday, July 31st.

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. WE START TO 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 31, 2014
Week #15

1. Lettuce
2. Peppers, Sweet
3. Cucumbers
4. Beans, Snap
5. Cilantro
6. Beets
7. Squash, Summer

Total Items: 6/7

Basil Share #3

Flower Share #6



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 24, 2014
Week #14

1. Lettuce: Oak Leaf, Green – 1 head - $2.75
2. Parsley, Italian Flat Leaf – 1 bunch - $2.75
3. Carrots – 1 bunch - $3.50
4. Beans: Green OR Yellow/Wax – 1 lb - $3.50
5. Onions – 1 bunch - $3.50
6. Radishes: Easter Egg OR French Breakfast – 1 bunch - $3.00
7. Squash, Summer: Costata Romanesco, Eight Ball, Golden, Kousa, Yellow, Zucchini…not officially part of this week but to make up for the forgotten Summer Squash we were supposed to get last week – up to, and not over 3 lbs - $3.75

Total Items: 7
Total Amount: $22.75
(We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. Our farmer has give us $4.25 more this week than the $18.50 which we paid for so, the total so far is $5.75 more than what we’ve paid so far this season…really! )

Basil Share #2

Flower Share #5
Strawflowers (everlasts…can be dried)

Herb Share – July 2B
Chives, Garlic AND Mint



6. Drink non-dairy milks? Then, read this…

Lay off almond milk ignorant hipsters!
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2014/07/lay-off-almond-milk-ignorant-hipsters

Plus, almonds are going extinct on the west coast because of draught so the prices are going higher and higher. I’d rather eat them than drink them anyways!



7. How to buy a juicer!

Another juicing expert agreed…the best juicer is the one you’re going to use on a daily basis!
http://kriscarr.com/blog-video/best-juicer-buying-guide/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=07112014%20NL



8. Sign petition to help support this NYC eatery!

I’ve never been here (and it probably isn’t organic or local) but if it’s been around for about 20 years, open round the clock, and helps keep taxis in NYC running by feeding its South Asian drivers, how bad could it be?

I’m going to put this on my list to check out next time I’m in NYC…
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/07/punjabi-grocery-east-village.html?om_rid=AADNgX&om_mid=_BTxsSqB87G9YAL



9. Help stop pesticide poisoning!

CSA member Karen Rubino sent this to me. So after I signed the petition, I’m sending it to you…
https://secure.earthjustice.org/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=860B1FA823857CB42F6AFC2C7C247B57.app304b?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1583&utm_source=crm&autologin=true

The people who grow the food we eat, that’s not organic, are sprayed by 1.1 BILLION pounds of pesticides in the US alone! Sometimes the workers are exposed to these pesticides when the planes fly over them in the field while working, or exposed by something as simple as the farm not posting signs properly so workers know when it’s safe to be working in a greenhouse or not (I actually know someone who got pesticide poisoning due to this very reason). We should do what we can to lessen the use of pesticides, and make it as safe as possible for the people (and children) who work around them to be as safe as possible.



10. And now for something completely different…

More food references in Weird Al’s newest video (not a spoof but an homage to his fave band The Pixies) about and called First World Problems (apparently gluten-free is the new vegan/vegetarian as far as comedic references go…but then it’s probably also because Weird Al is a vegan)…
http://popcrush.com/weird-al-yankovic-first-world-problems-video/

This is the last new release video so that’ll be the last of Weird Al for the time being! 

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