Week #30 November 13, 2014

Happy Autumn!

Since the topic has come up…
1. The week of Thanksgiving, the CSA is on Wednesday, November 26th, same bat time, same bat channel (any Adam West Batman fans out there? ).
2. The last CSA day is Thursday, December 11th

I don’t know if anyone in the CSA besides me contributed to the film “In Search of Silence” that I mentioned last week but…they made their Kickstarter goal of $40,000! Every little bit helps.

Anybody make it out to the farm the other Saturday? If so, please send any photos or comments about the experience and we’ll share with the rest of the CSA gang. Thanks!

Bring bags with you to the CSA! If anyone is picking up for you at the CSA…tell THEM they need to bring bags!!!
Put bags in every vehicle you own or might end up driving.
Bring an assortment of bags…cloth, plastic, paper…as you’ll find them all useful. Basic bagging issue is separating wet food from dry food so one doesn’t start the rotting process of the other. Tomatoes like to be stored in paper, not plastic.

If you’d like to visit our farm (Green Thumb Farm in Water Mill), 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 not need you this week! However…
2. WE WEIGH!!!
3. This week’s list…
4. Notes from the farm
5. What you actually got last week
6. Bad news, good news
7. Event Listings
8. Click, tap or swipe to help make the world a better place!
9. Enter to win…
10. And now for something completely different…



1. Your CSA does not need you this week! 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.

And if you got an email from Judi asking you to confirm that you’re working…you need to respond to that in the time frame stated in the email otherwise she’s going to try and find someone else to take your place.



2. 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!)…

November 13, 2014
Week #30

1. Collard Greens
2. Squash, Winter: Gold Nugget (never had this one before but if you know what to do with one Winter Squash, you basically know what to do with any that come your way!  )
3. Sweet Potatoes*
4. Celery
5. Radicchio
6. Peppers, Sweet

Total Items: 7

Herb Share – Nov 1A
Arugula AND Thyme

*
Think you’ve got too many Sweet Potatoes?
Then think about storing them for use over the holidays. They’ll last a month (Farmer Bill manages to save them till JULY but then again…he’s Farmer Bill  ) in a cool, dark, dry space (that’ll get you to Thanksgiving), and frozen for 6 to 8 months (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza and New Year’s Day not a problem)…
http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2013/02/we-prove-it-the-best-way-to-store-sweet-potatoes/
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18774



4. Notes from the farm

November 1, 2014

Our last deliveries for the season are arriving too soon. Our summer crops are almost finished. Now we’ve been picking the last of our Tomatoes, Eggplants and Peppers…our Cucumbers are finished.

So now we’ll be bringing our fall/winter selections of produce which includes Celery Root, Winter Radishes, Turnips and Rutabagas. We have a variety of Oriental greens, Lettuces and Radicchios and we’ll be harvesting Beets and Carrots as well. We hope to have some Broccoli and Cabbages but the deer seemed to have found them and find them quite delicious. Deer have become a problem out here and all our fields are not fenced in to keep them out.

We still have lots of Winter Squashes and Sweet Potatoes in storage, so these will be brought in weekly until the end (December 11th). Both can be kept long term out of our refrigerator and kept in a cool dry area. I’ve kept both in my basement until July of the following year! Sweet Potatoes are nutritionally one of the best foods for us so eat them now, or save a few for the winter and spring. We also have a small amount of our own Garlic we’ll be bringing in.

So, still lots of look forward to in the CSA delivery weeks coming up!

Organically yours,
Farmer Bill (Halsey)



5. What you actually got last week

November 6, 2014
Week #29

1. Lettuce: Boston OR Leaf, Green OR Leaf, Red OR Oak Leaf OR Romaine – 1 head – 2.75
2. Mizuna OR Mibuna*** – 1 bunch - $3.25
3. Sweet Potatoes* - 2 lbs - $4.25
4. Beans, Snap**: Romano – 2/3 lb - $2.50
5. Eggplant – 1 - $1.75
6. Peppers, Sweet: mix – 1 ½ lbs - $4.50

Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $19.00
(We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. Our farmer has given us $.50 more this week than the $18.50 which we paid for so, the total so far is $23.25 more than what we’ve paid so far this season…that means we’ve gotten one extra share’s worth of food that we didn’t pay for, so if you missed a week of the CSA you didn’t lose any money…though I know it’s still annoying missing the food…been there done that myself with other CSAs I have been a member of in addition to being a member of this one…can’t have too many vegetables!)


*
Think you’ve got too many Sweet Potatoes?
Then think about storing them for use over the holidays. They’ll last a month in a cool, dark, dry space (that’ll get you to Thanksgiving), and frozen for 6 to 8 months (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza and New Year’s Day not a problem)…
http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2013/02/we-prove-it-the-best-way-to-store-sweet-potatoes/
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18774

**
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about Green Snap Beans. Would you take a look at all the health benefits from eating Snap Beans (and there’s a few recipes too)!!!
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=134
Consider freezing Snap Beans for use over the holidays or for post-CSA over the winter…
http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/preserving-canning/freeze-green-beans/
Plus more recipes for what to do with them…
21 recipes from Martha Stewart
http://www.marthastewart.com/275532/green-bean-recipes/@center/1009726/spring-produce
12 from Better Homes and Gardens…
http://www.bhg.com/recipes/vegetable/green-bean-side-dish-recipes/#page=1

I bet there’s at least one in here that you haven’t tried before and would like! 

***
Mibuna…
http://vegetablesofinterest.typepad.com/vegetablesofinterest/2007/08/mibuna.html
http://asianvegetables.com.au/mibuna-green-spray/
Recipes…
http://camel-csa.org.uk/2013/03/10/seasonal-local-food-recipe-no-179-stir-fried-mibuna-mizuna-with-garlic-and-fish-sauce/
http://myanticancerlife.blogspot.com/2011/10/warm-salad-for-autumn.html
http://chervil-earth.blogspot.com/2007/08/recipes-from-garden-mibuna-quiche_26.html
http://recipesfortom.blogspot.com/2012/07/mizuna-and-mibuna-mustard-greens.html



6 . Bad news, good news

While we lost both elections that would have started the GMO labelling ball rolling (Oregon and Colorado), at least in Maui County, Hawaii. they voted to put a temporary moratorium on growing most (don’t know why it’s not all) GMO crops. Monsanto and Dow AgroScience have farming operations there so they can’t be happy about that…however, Monsanto will be challenging the ban and they have LOTS of money to do so. The work never stops!
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/11/gmo-label-laws-states.html

Even though it lost back in 2012…I enjoyed seeing this celebrity video for California’s GMO labelling bill (including Danny DeVito, Jillian Michaels, Bill Maher, Emily Deschanel, Dave Matthews and others for Prop 37 which I didn’t see till after the election…not that it would have mattered since we couldn’t vote for it)…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB1xHFwSYIg

And Russell Simmons (yeah!)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSsi9t0KT5U&list=PLL15g0hB9EIem2CkCzwQ7iQEdCzdIefEQ&index=2



7. Event Listings…

Wednesday, November 12th

Thursday, November 13th

7pm to 10pm

Food Fight: an in-depth look at cultured meat
Holstee Work/shop
98 4th St, Ste #106
Brooklyn
$15 Subscribers/$20 Public
For more info and tickets:
http://climateconfidential.com/events/food-fight-an-in-depth-look-at-cultured-meat/

The San Francisco based organization comes to Brooklyn, hooks up with Modern Farmer and Popular Science magazine to take a look at meat that doesn’t come from animals but petri dishes...the benefits and risks. Vegetarian snacks and beverages (alcoholic and non) will be served.


Friday, November 14th

10:45am

Grazers: a cooperative story
IFC Center
323 Avenue of the Americas
NYC
$14 Member/$17/$15 Children
For more info and to get tickets:
http://www.docnyc.net/film/grazers-a-cooperative-story/#.VFoMdPnF-v2

Co-presented by Slow Food NYC, the IFC Center is screening the world premiere of this film as part of their DOC NYC 2014 event that features cattle ranchers of grass fed beef in upstate NY. The filmmakers are expected to be present.


Saturday, November 15th

9am to 5pm

Basic Beekeeping
The Pfeiffer Center
260 Hungry Hollow Rd
Chestnut Ridge, NY
$95
For more info, directions and to register:
http://www.pfeiffercenter.org/workshops_and_events/register.aspx

If you want to learn about taking care of bees, this is the place to go.


Sunday, November 16th

4:45pm

Grazers: a cooperative story
IFC Center
323 Avenue of the Americas
NYC
$14 Member/$17/$15 Children
For more info and to get tickets:
http://www.docnyc.net/film/grazers-a-cooperative-story/#.VFoMdPnF-v2

Co-presented by Slow Food NYC, the IFC Center is screening the world premiere of this film as part of their DOC NYC 2014 event that features cattle ranchers of grass fed beef in upstate NY. The filmmakers are expected to be present.


Monday, November 17th

1pm to 3pm

USDA Listening Session – Topic: Pollinator Health Strategy (translated - protect the Bees!)
Attend a meeting without leaving your house and see your tax dollars at work!
Click below at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting…
https://epa.connectsolutions.com/pollinatorhealthtaskforcelisteningsession/
And the EPA is accepting written comments here until November 24, 2014…
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0806-0002


Wednesday, November 19th

9:30am to 11:30am

Raingardening Workshop
The Waterfront Center
1 West End Ave
Oyster Bay
$10/$25 Landscape professionals
Directions:
http://www.thewaterfrontcenter.org/
Raingardening is catching on as something that everyone on Long Island can do to help with coastal resiliency and mitigating pollution to our waters post-Sandy. Join national raingarden expert Rusty Schmidt as he demonstrates how easy and fun it is to turn any ordinary garden into a raingarden that can also help the local environment Mr. Schmidt, a wildlife biologist and landscape ecologist who has built over 1,000 raingardens, trained numerous raingarden trainers, and co-authored the “Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens,” will share design and installation recommendations for deep-rooted native plants and grasses which help slow runoff velocity.
Workshops are geared toward conservation professionals, homeowners, landscape professionals, gardeners, and anyone interested in growing beautiful plants and improving our streams and water-bodies. Presentation topics include sizing, modeling, and complete details for a simple raingarden.
Cost for the workshop is $10 for homeowners and residents, and $25 for landscape professionals. Payments will be accepted by check or money order. Light refreshments are included in the price. Space is limited, registration required one week prior to each session. To register email K.C. at nassauswcd2@optonline.net or call (516) 364-5860. Checks or money orders should be made out to NCSWCD or Nassau County Soil & Water Conservation District.

Thursday, November 20th

2pm to 4pm

Raingardening Workshop
The Waterfront Center
1 West End Ave
Oyster Bay
$10/$25 Landscape professionals
Directions:
http://www.thewaterfrontcenter.org/
Raingardening is catching on as something that everyone on Long Island can do to help with coastal resiliency and mitigating pollution to our waters post-Sandy. Join national raingarden expert Rusty Schmidt as he demonstrates how easy and fun it is to turn any ordinary garden into a raingarden that can also help the local environment Mr. Schmidt, a wildlife biologist and landscape ecologist who has built over 1,000 raingardens, trained numerous raingarden trainers, and co-authored the “Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens,” will share design and installation recommendations for deep-rooted native plants and grasses which help slow runoff velocity.
Workshops are geared toward conservation professionals, homeowners, landscape professionals, gardeners, and anyone interested in growing beautiful plants and improving our streams and water-bodies. Presentation topics include sizing, modeling, and complete details for a simple raingarden.
Cost for the workshop is $10 for homeowners and residents, and $25 for landscape professionals. Payments will be accepted by check or money order. Light refreshments are included in the price. Space is limited, registration required one week prior to each session. To register email K.C. at nassauswcd2@optonline.net or call (516) 364-5860. Checks or money orders should be made out to NCSWCD or Nassau County Soil & Water Conservation District.
7pm

Grassroots Environmental Education Farm-to-Table Fundraising Dinner
Wainwright House
260 Stuyvesant Ave
Rye, NY
$100
For more info and to buy tickets:
http://grassrootsinfo.org/rsvp/
Directions:
http://www.wainwright.org/

Honoree is Dr. John Wargo for his work on environmental exposures and children’s health.


Saturday, November 22nd

5pm to 9:30pm

Healthy Planet’s 21st Annual Turkey Free Thanksgiving Dinner & Lecture
Sustainability Institute at Molloy College
7180 Republic Airport
Farmingdale
$10 Members/$15 General Public/Under 12 years of age FREE
For more info and to make a reservation:
631-421-5591
https://www.facebook.com/events/987303781296473/?ref=6&ref_notif_type=plan_user_invited

Vegan potluck, there will be a lecture, possibly live music, soup will be provided, a good time will be had by all!


Monday, November 24th

2:30pm to 3:30pm

Farms, Stores and Dinner Tables: How to shape healthy food policy in your community
Stay at home (or work or school) and find out how to make healthy food more available in your neck of the woods and help change local food policies.
Online discussion sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
For more info and to register and participate:
http://action.ucsusa.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=27502&autologin=true


Tuesday, December 9th

6pm

FED UP (the movie)
Ross School
Goodfriend Drive
East Hampton
$10/$5 Members
For more info, reservations (this will sell out) and tickets:
http://www.slowfoodeastend.org/fed-up/

If you missed this at the Cinema Arts Centre, here’s another opportunity to see the movie FED UP with a bunch of other likeminded folks (and visit the VERY lovely Ross School)! Post film Q & A will be moderated by culinary nutritionist and radio show host, Stephanie Sacks.


Friday, January 23rd to Sunday, January 25th

Soil: The Root of the Movement
33rd Annual Organic Farming & Gardening Conference
Saratoga Hilton & City Center
Saratoga Springs, NY
For more info:
http://www.nofany.org/events/winter-conference

Keynote speaker: Wes Jackson, The Land Institute
http://www.landinstitute.org/
Farmer of the year: Lakeview Organic Grain, Klaas & Mary-Howell Martens
http://www.lakevieworganicgrain.com/

There’s a children’s conference (ages 6 to 13) and childcare available (ages 3 to 5) as well so it’s fun for families, single folk, young and old. The food is local and/or organic as much as possible in January and accommodates all styles of eating (raw, vegan, gluten free, paleo).

It’s too early to register so either get on the NOFA-NY email list (not a bad thing to do if you’re interested in eating organic food or gardening organically), or joining NOFA-NY (same as I just said) so you can be apprised of when registration starts.

Want to go for free (well, almost…you still have to pay for room and board)???
Enter the Annual Winter Conference T-shirt Contest by October 22nd and if you win you get your registration paid for and 2 t-shirts when your design is printed (and the cool factor of having your t-shirt be THE t-shirt for the NOFA-NY Winter Conference)…
http://www.nofany.org/tshirtcontest


September 19th

Noon to 8pm

Gaia’s Essence: 7th Annual Women’s Wellness Conference
Islandia Marriott Long Island
3635 Express Driveway North
Islandia
$20 till December 20, 2014 (additional group discounts available for non-profits and women’s groups)
For more info and to get tickets:
http://gewwc.com/

Gaia’s Essence Women’s Wellness Conference is an annual event held on Long Island New York. The conference originated out of the passion of the founder of Gaia’s Essence (Farrah La Ronde-Hutchinson) to empower and motivate women in reaching and maintaining their optimum health This gave her the vision to create the conference as an avenue where women of all ages could come together to share, empower and inspire each other to live happier healthier lives.

Farrah La Ronde-Hutchison was born and raised on the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, Dominica. Known for its biodiversity, culture and large centenarian population, Dominica instilled in Farrah a respect for nature, the environment and the power of natural, healthy living. Farrah completed her degree in Environmental Science with specializations in Biology and Chemistry. After much success in her industry, Farrah found a growing need of wellness education and a lack of high quality and affordable loose teas comparable to the ones she enjoyed in her early childhood. This was her inspiration to create Gaia’s Essence in the spring of 2007. The company has since expanded to include a diverse selection of not only loose teas but also an entire line of salt free seasonings blends



8. Click, tap or swipe to help make the world a better place!

A.Support the EPA’s Clean Water Act (comments need to be in no later than Friday, November 14th)…
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/alerts/mailto-form.asp?id=048C4169-490F-41C3-8ECA-4FB28D2A2693

It looks like you have to type in your name and address in the body of the email that’s being sent (at least that’s what it looked like to me so I did it).

B.Tell Sabra to keep GMO’s out of their Hummus!
http://action.greenamerica.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=15118

C.Tell the FDA to label genetically engineered foods…
http://action.ewg.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=2053&tag=2014FDBWelcome3

D.Ask Congress to fund the modernization of the USDA’s Food Safety program…
https://www.cspinet.org/takeaction/#/46

E.Support GMO labelling in Vermont by stopping Monsanto and Starbucks from suing Vermont’s GMO labelling initiatives…
http://action.sumofus.org/a/starbucks-gmo-gma/?sub=mtl

F.Tell President Obama it’s time for a national food policy…
https://secure3.convio.net/ucs/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4383&_ga=1.93909277.1611254289.1415047960

G.Tell President Obama to stop the Keystone XL pipeline and protect clean water…
http://act.350.org/letter/obama-keystone-frontpage/

H.Stop the Algonquin pipeline right here in NY State (protect our clean drinking water)…
https://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/stop-the-algonquin-pipeline-expansion

I.Ask Confress to fund and defend healthy school lunches…
https://secure3.convio.net/ucs/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=A76621AB5B914243CF317B545F78A4E1.app304a?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4359



9. Enter to win…

Win a $1,000 gift card from Chefs online catalog. Enter till 11/30/14…
http://ebm.e.chefscatalog.com/r/regf2?aid=211275997&n=1&a=0



10. And now for something completely different…

Wacky commercial for Totino’s Pizza Rolls…still will not get me to eat this crap (though if one were in my vicinity I’d probably taste one just to try it…though not sure when and if this would ever happen  )…
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/11/tim-and-eric-totinos-pizza-rolls-ad.html

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