Week #34 December 11, 2014 'Last CSA Pickup for 2014'

Happy Autumn!

CSA weather report…the snow and rain should be stopping so by the time 3:30pm rolls around it will be clear and above freezing till about 7pm when we hit freezing again and by 7:30pm when the CSA ends…just drive carefully and be watchful for any black ice that may be around on the roads.

Since the topic has come up…the last CSA day is this week, Thursday, December 11th.

For those of you interesting in joining the CSA again next year, contracts for 2015 will be emailed out in January and the first CSA pickup will be the end of April (not as far away as you’d think). We’ll see if we can do our Mushroom Share again, in addition to a Honey Share (from Bees from our farm). There will be an email next week to let you know what you actually got this week, and periodic emails over the winter as news and interesting things come up.

Any uncashed checks (the smaller CSA ones, not the farm ones which have all been deposited) will be dealt with in the coming few weeks and you’ll be emailed when they will be deposited, or I’ll be contacting you if they have to be rewritten (because they’re over 6 months old or you worked and need to only pay $25 not $125).

UUFH Cookbooks are $10 if they’re still on the windowsill as they were last week (sorry gang…they aren’t free even though they are a few years old) and if you’re interested, bring cash or make a check out to UUFH for $10 and leave it at the CSA sign-in desk.

Know anyone out east (or who’d move out east) who wants to do some farming and work with children? Slow Food East End is looking for people to apply for their Master Farmer Program to expand their Edible School Garden Program. For more info and to apply…
http://www.slowfoodeastend.org/master-farmer/

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.

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. HELP! Your CSA does need you this week! We’re looking for ONE (1) person to be at the CSA from 5:30pm to 7:30pm…
2. WE WEIGH!!!
3. This week’s list…
4. News from the Farm
5. What you actually got last week
6. Prizes!
7. Event Listings
8. Click, swipe, tap to help make the world a better place
9. Ask, and you shall get the answer!
10. And now for something completely different…



1.HELP! Your CSA does need you this week! We’re looking for ONE (1) person to be at the CSA from 5:30pm to 7:30pm…

If you can help out today at the CSA between 5:30pm and 7:30pm…

1. Respond to this email before 1pm today
2. Call 631-421-4864 before 1pm today
3. Call the CSA at 631-385-1079 after 3pm and let us know you’d like to help out
4. Show up a little before 5:30pm and offer to help

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!)…

December 11, 2014
Week #34 – Last week of our 2014 CSA season!

1. Kale: Redbor
2. Squash, Winter*
3. Sweet Potatoes**
4. Cabbage
5. Beans: Black Turtle, dried
6. Beets OR Carrots

Total Items: 6

Herb Share – December 1A
Rosemary*** AND Dried Hot Chili Peppers

*
Butternut Squash Steamed with Red Chili Sauce
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=179&pfriendly=1&utm_source=daily_click&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_email

And info on storing Winter Squash…
http://www.nwedible.com/2011/11/storing-winter-squash.html

Big fan of Barbara Damrosch…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/how-to-cure-and-store-winter-squash/2013/10/15/2450dd42-2cf0-11e3-b141-298f46539716_story.html

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/sites/default/files/documents/ec1632.pdf

http://www.organicgardening.com/cook/harvesting-and-storing-squash

**
Sweet Potato Latte and Chai Latte
http://www.tarheelfoodie.com/2012/10/08/sweet-potato-lattes/

Sweet Potato Gluten Free Chocolate Cake…
http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Healthy-Flourless-Chocolate-Cake-Recipe-27029712

***
Italian Navy Bean Soup with Rosemary
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=31&pfriendly=1&utm_source=daily_click&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_email



4. News from the Farm

December 2014

Our last deliveries will take place with our two drop offs in December.

The seasons go by so fast! It’s hard to believe our 19th CSA season in NYC (17th in Huntington) is coming to an end.

As every year is different, this one was also. Some crops always do well while others do not. This fall, our Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squashes were wonderful while our cole crops…Broccoli, Cabbages, Cauliflowers were terrible (deer are to blame for this one)! Fall greens started off very slow with the lack of rain in August and September, and then got better.

So that’s the way seasonal farming is…very weather dependent (and subject to other things like deer attacks, new diseases from abroad…the fungal disease that attacked the Basil not just on our farm but in the entire region and hit everyone quite hard, etc).

We would like to thank all our CSA members in supporting us and our local organic family farming efforts, and hope to see you all next season…our 20th CSA season in NYC (18th in Huntington)!

Thanks again!!!

Organically yours,
Farmer Bill (Halsey)



5. What you actually got last week

December 4, 2014
Week #33

1. Garlic – ¼ lb - $3.50
2. Squash, Winter: Pharsi – 1 - $3.50
3. Sweet Potatoes* - up to 2 lbs - $4.25
4. Mei Quing Choi – 1 bunch - $3.25
5. Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) – 1 lb - $6.00

Total Items: 5
Total Amount: $20.50
(We pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share. Our farmer has given us $2.00 more this week than the $18.50 which we paid for so, the total so far is $29.25 more than what we’ve paid so far this season…that means we’ve gotten more than 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!)

*
Sweet Potato Pancakes
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/11/sweet-potato-pancakes-made-with-leftover-mash.html

Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sweet_potato_peanut_bisque.html

Spiced Sweet Potato Quesadilla
http://naturallyella.com/2013/11/10/spiced-sweet-potato-quesadilla/



6 . Prizes!

A.Visit any Tanger Outlet (Deer Park/Riverhead) before 12/24 and enter to win $5,000 for a dream party! Plus a $1,000 gift card for the Gap Outlet!!!

B.Win a cookbook…Peter Reinhart’s (master baker) Bread Revolution…
http://awaytogarden.com/ancient-grains-sprouted-flours-bread-revolution-peter-reinhart-giveaway/



7. Event Listings…

Thursday, December 11th

7pm to 8:30pm

One Wok, Three Meals
Cold Spring Harbor Library
Cold Spring Harbor
$5
For more info and to make sure you can attend (reservations/pre-payment ended 12/9 but give a call and see if you can still get in)…
631-692-6820

Learn how to use your wok and the same natural ingredients to prepare three international dishes with Bhavani from iEat Green. You will sample…

Japanese stir-fried vegetables served with rice noodles in a sesame sauce;
Mixed vegetables in a coconut curry sauce, served with saffron rice; and
Mediterranean vegetables with fire roasted tomatoes, olives, and capers,
served with whole wheat couscous.


Sunday, December 14th

12pm

Poverty, Inc (in-person post-film Q & A with director Gary Null…yes, THAT Gary Null!  )
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
$10 Member/$15 General Public (includes Q & A and reception)
For more info and to purchase tickets:
http://www.cinemaartscentre.org/event/poverty-inc-with-gary-null-in-person/

Examining the influence of corporate globalization and exposing the destructive nature of our modern financial system, Poverty, Inc. offers a sobering look into how the predatory economic policies instituted by America’s new elite class have contributed to the nation’s descent into Third World status. Engrossing in-depth interviews with some of the world’s finest economists, progressive politicians, investigative reporters and philosophers, as well as the voices of America’s downtrodden featuring: Chris Hedges, Ralph Nader, Dennis Kucinich, Robert Reich, Vandana Shiva and many more!

12pm to 6pm

Vegan Shop-up
Moo Shoes
78 Orchard St (between Broome and Grand)
NYC
For more info:
http://veganshopup.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/say-it-aint-snow-vegan-holiday-shop-ups-december-6th-20th/

Buy, eat, drink booze…all vegan!


Wednesday, December 17th

7:30pm

Let’s Eat! Food on Film presents…Cowspiracy: the sustainability secret
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
$12
For more info and to see the trailer…
http://www.cinemaartscentre.org/event/cowspiracy-the-sustainability-secret/
To buy tickets…
https://www.tugg.com/events/12205

Come join likeminded food folk at the Cinema Arts Centre for their Let’s Eat! Food on Film series, and enjoy non-GMO popcorn (with organic Butter and Sea Salt if you’d like) and their certified organic, shade grown, fair trade Coffee, and other environmentally conscious treats, in the Cinema Art Centre’s Sky Room Café.

In collaboration with Healthy Planet, Slow Food North Shore, and The Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, the Cinema Arts Centre presents the film, Cowspiracy: the sustainability secret.

The film follows filmmaker Kip Andersen, as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. As Andersen approaches leaders in the environmental movement, he increasingly uncovers what appears to be an intentional refusal to discuss the issue of animal agriculture, while industry whistleblowers and watchdogs warn him of the risks to his freedom and even his life if he dares to persist.


Saturday, December 20th

12pm to 6pm

Vegan Shop-up
Pine Box Rock Shop
12 Grattan St
Brooklyn
For more info:
http://veganshopup.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/say-it-aint-snow-vegan-holiday-shop-ups-december-6th-20th/

Buy, eat, drink booze…all vegan!


Saturday, January 10th

7:30am to 7:30pm

NOFA – MA Winter Conference
Worcester State University
Worcester, MA
$35 to $94
For more info and to register:
http://www.nofamass.org/events/wc

Keynote speaker is Greg Judy, rotational grazer and carbon sequestration advocate. Children’s conference for ages 3 to 12 in addition to teen workshops.



Friday, January 16th to Monday, January 19th

The Agriculture Course: An intensive study of the origins and future of Biodynamics 2015 (Focus: Animals and Soil Fertility)
The Pfeiffer Center
260 Hungry Hollow Rd
Chestnut Ridge, NY
$345 (does not include housing…does include 5 out of possible 9 meals)/$195 Farmer’s Apprentices/Scholarships available
For more info and to register:
http://www.pfeiffercenter.org/workshops_and_events/register.aspx


Saturday, January 17th

Vegan Pop-up
For more info:
http://veganshopup.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/say-it-aint-snow-vegan-holiday-shop-ups-december-6th-20th/


Wednesday, January 21st and Thursday, January 22nd

9am to 5pm

1st Annual Food Tank Summit
George Washington University
Washington, DC
It’s sold out but looks like you can watch it live for free if you sign up here (if you REALLY want to attend you can sign a wait list)…
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1st-annual-food-tank-summit-in-partnership-with-the-george-washington-university-tickets-12494891557

This two-day event will feature more than 75 different speakers (including Long Island’s own Brian Halweil of Edible Long Island/East End/Brooklyn/Manhattan) from the food and agriculture field. Researchers, farmers, chefs, policy makers, government officials, and students will come together panels on topics including; food waste, urban agriculture, family farmers, farm workers, and more.


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


NOFA-NJ’s 25th Anniversary Food & Agriculture Winter Conference
Brookdale Community College – Warner Student Life Center
265 Newman Springs Rd
Lincroft, NY (near Red Bank NJ Transit stop)
$95 to $315
For more info and to register:
http://www.nofanj.org/winterconference.htm

Keynote speaker is the head of the Rodale Institute in PA and other speakers include Sally Fallon (Nourishing Traditions and president of the Weston A Price Foundation) and Jerry Brunetti (Agri-Dynamics).


Saturday, January 24th

8:30am to 4pm

NOFA – CT’s 10th Annual Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference
Connecticut College
270 Mohegan Ave
New London, CT
$50
For more info and to register…
http://ctnofa.org/gettingstarted/

Helps aspiring organic farmers develop successful farming careers. This event teaches the basics of developing and running an organic operation to both brand new farmers and farmers who are established but want to switch to organic. Attendees have access to valuable support and resources as well as a unique opportunity to interact with knowledgeable experts and established farmers.


Saturday, April 25th

Long Island Food Conference
Hofstra University
Hempstead
Details TBA


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, swipe, tap to help make the world a better place

A.Climate summit in Peru…who knew? If you’d like, put your 2 cents in for clean energy and cutting down on carbon pollution. A cleaner planet means cleaner food for us to eat and stuff to drink!
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/lima_summit_100_clean_us/?tlhHlgb

B.Stop unreported and unregulated fishing and seafood fraud (30% of Shrimp sold and not what they are supposed to be…like another kind of Shrimp not meant or tested for people to eat)…
https://takeaction.takepart.com/actions/stop-illegal-unreported-and-unregulated-fishing-and-seafood-fraud?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2014-12-03

C.In celebration of Terre Madre Day (it was yesterday but what the heck  ), Slow Food USA requests that you sign the Slow Food Manifesto (and read about it if you don’t know what it is)…
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/manifesto

D.Want GMO labelling on food? Click here…
http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50865/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=13738
and here…
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/stop_HR_4432_the_Ultimate_Monsanto_Protection_Act/?t=2&referring_akid=1456.31784.tsstcT

And if you REALLY want GMO labeling on your food…Monsanto is going to sue the state of Vermont because they want their food labeled for GMOs so they’re asking if you can chip for the legal campaign…if Vermont succeeds, others can follow in their footsteps…Vermont has started its own “food fight” legal defense fund to go up against Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association (GMA)…
http://www.foodfightfundvt.org/



9. Ask, and you shall get the answer!

Part 1 –

Last week, CSA member Jeff Tanenbaum asked the following question…If you plant these Jerusalem Artichokes, will they grow?

The answer is…yes! However, the ones we just got last week? You’d have to have them keep till the spring to plant them. You’d be better off waiting till we get them again next spring and planting those so you don’t have to store them.

But, beware as they can be VERY invasive (they began to burrow thru a friend’s cement foundation).
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-jerusalem-artichokes-zmaz10onzraw.aspx?PageId=1#axzz3L7GvVGcc

And a side note…
CSA member, and homeopath extraordinaire, Sonam Kushner, brought up the subject of Jerusalem Artichokes and flatulence.

So, here’s some info about that!
http://www.chow.com/food-news/134892/do-sunchokes-give-you-gas-meet-the-fartichoke/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2078323/Revealed-The-vegetable-leave-passing-wind-Christmas-sprouts.html
More info and a recipe for Sun Chips…
http://www.gracelinks.org/1488/real-food-right-now-and-how-to-cook-it-sunchokes
And some other ideas…
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/roasted-jerusalem-artichokes-with-chives/#axzz3LaUxCf00
And what to do if they make you a gassy lassy or lad…don’t eat a lot of them in one meal, take probiotics, cook low and slow, don’t use them right away so the Inulin turns to Fructose…
https://healthyhabitscoach.wordpress.com/2008/11/21/be-careful-with-sunchokes/
Try pickling them…
http://agardenerstable.com/2014/02/24/taking-the-wind-out-of-jerusalem-artichokes/


Part 2 –
We had a discussion about what Ducks eat at the CSA last week because at least one of the Pharsi Winter Squashes looked just like one (especially after I drew eyes on it with non-toxic water based marker).

After posing this question, the first word out of young CSA member Isabela Knauf’s mouth was…BREAD! And I knew that was the wrong answer (after many years of thinking it was the right one) but didn’t exactly know the right one besides cracked Corn (which you used to be able to get at the Heckscher Museum in Heckscher Park in Huntington Village to feed the ducks on the pond there) and guesses about algae and other things.

So, the answer is…
http://birding.about.com/od/birdfeeders/a/What-Do-Ducks-Eat.htm



10. And now for something completely different…

A tiny hamster vs Hot Dog eating champion Kobayashi…
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/09/kobayashi-hamster-video.html

Tiny hamster eats tiny Burritos!
http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/11/tiny-hamster-eats-thanksgiving.html?om_rid=AADNgX&om_mid=_BUa57BB89p5wwP

Hamster run izakaya (bar serving bar snacks) in Japan…
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/11/05/ginji-the-hamster-tends-miniature-bar-serves-tiny-sushi-makes-everyone-smile-from-his-cuteness/

And yes, I am a fan of Cute Overload… 
http://cuteoverload.com/

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