Week #20 Oct. 15, 2015

Happy Autumn, Breast Cancer Awareness & Farm to School Month!

CSA Weather Report…cool and dry! This is good to know since…
We’re going to be OUTSIDE this week. It’s that time of the month where the Huntington Folk Music Society takes over the Sky Room Café so we’re out and they’re in. The café will be closed, but you will be able to buy some basics (Popcorn, Coffee, Tea) in the small concession stand located next to the Box Office that’s in use when the Sky Room Café is closed. Keep in mind that the other food items (Veggie Burgers, Soup, etc.) won’t be available this week so plan accordingly.

Last chance to get a tour of our farm (Green Thumb Farm) for this season is THIS WEEKEND, Saturday, October 17th! Details in the events calendar below! The weather will be sunny and in the 50s.
But if you’re not going out to the farm today…consider stopping by the Cinema Arts Centre for a FREE event with FREE food (some farm to table!) – HOME MOVIE DAY!!! That’s where my partner in life, Dylan Skolnick, will be while I’m at the farm. See details in the events calendar below.

CSA Basics 101 –
Please read the Wall Chart that the farmer brings in every week, follow the direction on the Wall Chart, and it’s not a bad idea to refer to it before you leave the CSA to make sure you haven’t taken too much OR too little before you leave the CSA.
I can’t tell you how many times I have left the CSA, gotten home, and realized I THOUGHT I took everything in the share for the week, didn’t, and it’s too late to do anything about it as anything left over at the end of the night is donated and gone at 7:31pm (unless prior arrangements have been made by CSA members for late pickups).

If you are going to show up at the CSA later than 7:30pm, but before the Box Office is closing for the night (may be different every week but will probably be open till at least 10pm) and it’s the last minute and you’re running late…call the Cinema Arts Centre Box Office at 631-423-7610 xt 0 and ask them to transfer the call to the café so we can pack a bag for you, put your name on it and leave it at the Box Office. If you don’t get to the Cinema before the Box Office closes, your food will NOT be there the next day. The Cinema is under no obligation to store your food, and we don’t want to be the cause of bugs in the Cinema Arts Centre being attracted to our wonderful CSA food.

This email contains (and keep in mind as far as any info/opinions that are not directly CSA related, you can always take what you like and leave the rest  )…

1.We bag our own!
2.Your assistance isn’t needed at the CSA this week but…
3.This week’s list…occasionally subject to change without prior notice because farming is like that!
4.Click here and help change the world…every click counts!
5.Notes from the Farm
6.Events (things to do both near and far)
7.Local food news…
8. What you actually got last week
9. Cold and flu season protection and CSA foods like Mustard Greens!
10.And now for something completely different…


1.We bag our own

CSA basic, for this CSA anyways, is that you need to bring your own supply of bags for packing up your CSA share every week from now till December 10th!

And if you ask anyone to pick up your CSA food for you, please let them know that they need to bring bags to pack the food in.

So, my suggestion…put bags that you’re setting aside for your CSA share in EVERY vehicle you own or might ride in!  Put them in the trunk, or the glove compartment, or in a bigger bag somewhere in the car, or whatever you think will work for your situation. That way, you don’t even have to remember, they’re just there.

The CSA is under no obligation to provide you with bags for your food.

I also recommend a selection of canvas, paper and plastic. I bag my CSA share up in my paper (Strawberries) and plastic bags (most everything else) and put it in my bigger canvas bag so when I get home, everything’s pretty much (with some exceptions…like herbs) ready to be put right into the fridge.



2. Your assistance isn’t needed at the CSA this week but…

You can always show up a little before 3:30pm or 5:30pm and offer to help out just in case someone doesn’t show up (stuff happens  ).

If you didn’t already get an email from Hayley or/and suzanne talking to you about being at the CSA on the Early Shift (3:30pm to 5:30pm) or the Late Shift (5:30pm to 7:30pm) this week, you’re not on the schedule for this week.



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

CSA #101 – The Basics – when trying any new food item, start small and start slow. See how your body and palate reacts. And if you aren’t crazy about the taste, texture, smell, something…try at least SIX completely different ways of preparing it before you give it the heave-ho (raw, steamed, stir-fried, fried …maybe not so healthy but ANYTHING usually tastes good fried, in a salad, in a soup, in a sandwich, in a stew, in a smoothie, and on and on)!  Am glad to provide suggestions for this one.

October 15, 2015
Week #20

1.Tomatoes, Mini
2.Lettuce: Crisp, Red OR Frisee* – 1 head
3.Sweet Potatoes
4.Turnips, White
5.Sorrel

Total Items: 5

*Frisee is a member of the Endive family so you have the Endive Veg Info Sheet if you’ve chosen this type of Lettuce



4. Click here and help change the world…every click counts!

A.Tell the Senate…strong toxic chemical controls needed now!
http://action.greenamerica.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=16185

B.Tell Fish & Wildlife Services to protect the Monarch Butterfly under the Endangered Species Act (thanks to Monsanto and GMO crops and pesticides)…
http://action.foe.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=18427

C.Join the United Farm Workers and tell you Senator to stop the DARK Act (prevents labeling of GMO foods)…
http://action.ufw.org/page/speakout/darkactsenate



5.Notes from the Farm

October 1, 2015

October is here and its time again for our annual CSA fall farm tour and Pumpkin picking! The tour is scheduled for Saturday, October 17th.

It will be a sit down riding tour in a farm wagon pulled by a tractor. There is limited seating on the wagon so reservations are required. The times are 10:30; 11:30; 12:30; and 1:30.

The tour lasts about an hour, we will see many of our fall crops. Different greens, turnips, radishes, kales, broccoli and cauliflowers. At the end everyone can pick a pumpkin - pie pumpkins.

There is no charge for the tour and it is only open to CSA members and their families (if you are sharing a CSA share with someone, only one person/family gets to come and you need to make the reservation under the name of the CSA member). So call 631-726-1900 for reservations - daily between 9:30am and 4:30pm.

We hope all members interested in seeing our farm and talking with Farmer Bill come out to visit us. The next farm tour for CSA members will be in June of 2016 for Strawberries - more info on this next May!

Organically Yours,
Farmer Bill (Halsey)



6.Events

Saturday, October 17th

10:30am/11:30am/12:30pm/1:30pm

Green Thumb Farm CSA Annual Pumpkin Picking Farm Tour
Green Thumb Farm
829 Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
FREE
Must RSVP:
631-726-1900 (you can call to make your reservation from 9:30am to 4:30pm, 7 days a week)

Open to all Green Thumb CSA members and immediate family only! If you are sharing a CSA share with someone, usually one person visits the farm in June when we go Strawberry picking and the other goes in October for the Pumpkin picking (the share partner needs to make the reservation under the name of the CSA member otherwise the farm doesn’t know who you are).

Must RSVP to attend (for you last minute planners - it’s possible you can call before you leave for the farm and maybe still make it in to one of the tours…no guarantees but it might be possible). It’s a one hour wagon tour of our farm so they need to make sure they have room in the wagon for whoever is showing up.

Change of plans…the Pumpkins according to the farm notes I just got WILL be edible Pumpkins as opposed to carving ones…I think. And they may or may not have been grown on the farm, and they may or may not be organic. We’ll have to see when we get there. Otherwise, if not…truth in advertising…the Pumpkins on the farm tours in the past have not been organic, nor were they from our farm. They were brought in for kids to carve, not for people to eat (though you certainly still can). Pumpkins are a type of Winter Squash and our farm organically grows varieties that are better suited to eating.

If you’d like any suggestions of places to eat after the farm tour, let me know. Right off the bat…Bay Burger in Sag Harbor, Pita House in Medford (off the LIE ext 64 on the way back from the farm), Fresh in Sag Harbor, Pizzetteria Brunetti in Westhampton for starters (check hours and price points to make sure it’s your cup of tea…or pizza or burgers or whatever).

11am

Home Movie Day
Cinema Arts Centre
432 Park Ave
Huntington
FREE
For more info:
http://prod3.agileticketing.net/WebSales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=162934~31a96320-4160-4f8e-a5f9-05c4f03c9c01&

“There’s no such thing as a bad home movie.” — John Waters
"One day, what the heck, c’mon!” — Steve Martin

CSA member, Dylan Skolnick, invites everyone to come by for Home Movie Day! It’s a national event that’s been taking place at the Cinema Arts Centre for the last few years. There will be free food (provided by Reinwald Bakery in Huntington, and Danyell’s Kitchen…farm to table…in Northport), and Home Movie Bingo! Bring your old home movies (8mm, Super 8mm, 16mm, VHS) to be shared with everyone attending, and come by even if you don’t have any home movies of your own to get a glimpse of days gone by with fellow community members. A good time will be had by all! 


Sunday, October 18th

11am to 5pm

Just Food’s CSA Smackdown (there was NO listing as to exactly when the Smackdown would take place at this time)
Hester Street Fair
Corner of Essex St and Hester St
NYC
For more info:
http://www.justfood.org/events/great-csa-smackdown

Watch NYC CSA members compete Iron Chef style at this yearly event.


Tuesday, October 20th

6:30pm (distribution starts at 7pm)

Food Not Bombs Huntington Food Share Distribution
E 6th St and Fairground Ave
Huntington Station
For more info and to get on their email list:
http://www.lifnb.com/chapters/huntington_food_share

If you want to help the group that we’re donating our CSA leftover food to this year, this is when and where you’d go. You can go any Tuesday…they’ll be there.


Thursday, October 22nd to Sunday, October 25th

NYC Food Film Fest
AMC Empire 25
Times Square
NYC
$25 to $475
For more info and to buy tickets…
http://thefoodfilmfestival.com/nyc-food-film-festival2015-details/


Saturday, October 24th

Food Day
For more info about, and events listings…
http://www.foodday.org/
Sad to say there’s NO events scheduled in Suffolk, Nassau or Queens County so I may be going to an event in Brooklyn. Maybe next year we’ll do something.

Farm2Fork Festival presented by Rodale’s Organic Life magazine
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
$65 to $110 (if you use the code EDIBLE you MIGHT be able to get 40% off the ticket price…not sure if it’s still available)
For more info and to buy tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rodales-organic-life-presents-farm2fork-festival-sponsored-by-subaru-tickets-18290924648

8:30am to 6pm

12th Annual Holistic Mom’s Network (HMN) Natural Living Conference
New Jersey Institute of Technology
150 Bleecker St
Newark, NJ
$55 (members/$50 General Public/$35 (ages 5 to 12)
For more info and to register:
https://hmn-nlc.squarespace.com/

Keynote speakers are Kim John Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting, and Robyn O’Brien, author of The Unhealthy Truth. Holistic Moms Network has 100 chapters nationwide (and there’s one in Huntington) and this year the conference is close to Long Island. For more info about HMN…
http://www.holisticmoms.org/


Thursday, October 29th

? to 9pm

Pecha Kucha: Talks over Tea
Sip Tea Lounge
New York Ave
Huntington
FREE (though I’m sure the owner would appreciate it if you at least ordered some tea)
For more info:
631-683-5777

More info TBA

8pm

Conversations: Michael Pollan – In Defense of Food
NYCB Theatre at Westbury
960 Brush Hollow Rd
Westbury
$63
For more info and to buy tickets…
http://concerts.livenation.com/event/00004E75D4FC4D1F?crosssite=TM_US:1236523:141?crosssite=TM_US:1236523:141

An in depth talk with questions from you! For the past 20 years, Michael Pollan has been writing books and articles about the places where the human and natural worlds intersect: food, agricul¬ture, gardens, drugs and architecture. He is the author of the best-sellers In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto and The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Join us in a moderated conversation with audience Q&A and a book signing to follow. This is a new project in association with Book Revue of Huntington!


Friday, October 30th

6:30pm

MysTEArious Halloween Tea Pairing
Sip Tea Lounge
286 New York Ave
Huntington
$25
To buy tickets:
631-683-5777

Enjoy a 5 course tea pairing with sweet and savory vegan treats! Feel free to come costume and bring your Halloween spirit! 


Saturday, October 31st

5pm to 10pm

Chipotle’s Annual Boorito Event
Watch the video…this is excellent…
http://chipotle.com/boorito

Halloween means it’s Boorito time at Chipotle. After 5pm, visit any Chipotle in costume, but add something unnecessary to your costume (see website for suggestions) and score a Boorito for $3.00!


Wednesday, November 4th and Thursday, November 5th

Farm to Tray
USG Conference Center
Rockville, MD
$55
For more info and to register:
http://www.fieldtotray.org/

Scholarships still available to attend. A conference to strengthen farm to school lunch purchasing in the mid-Atlantic (which includes NY).


Sunday, November 8th

NAVEL Expo
For more info:
http://navelexpo.com/

Major all day holistic health event usually held in Huntington. Info TBA.


Monday, November 9th

7:30pm to 10pm

Healthy Holiday Cooking Class
The Purple Elephant
81B Fort Salonga Rd
Northport
$90 (bring a friend and get $10 off)
To register and for more info:
http://thepurpleelephant.net/cooking-classes.html?utm_source=THE+PURPLE+ELEPHANT+RESTAURANT&utm_campaign=a74bf68806-TIME_10_12_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f1211d29c9-a74bf68806-95014109&ct=t(TIME_10_12_2015)&mc_cid=a74bf68806&mc_eid=f8a2ebb152

Demo followed by tasting with wine pairings.


Saturday, November 14th

9am to 2pm

Mini Retreat
Science of Spirituality Mediation Center
79 County Line Rd
Amityville
FREE
For more info and to register:
631-822-7979
infotristate@sos.org

Includes yoga, meditation and vegetarian cooking class.


Saturday, December 12th

9am to 2pm

Mini Retreat
Science of Spirituality Mediation Center
79 County Line Rd
Amityville
FREE
For more info and to register:
631-822-7979
infotristate@sos.org

Includes yoga, meditation and vegetarian cooking class.



7. Local food news…

A.The Purple Elephant in Northport has a new lunch special…
Tuesday to Friday
Noon to 4pm
½ Sandwich or Wrap, plus Soup or Salad (lunch menu options only) for $10
Gluten Free bread/wrap option costs extra

B.Watch the video…this is excellent…
http://chipotle.com/boorito

Halloween means it’s Boorito time at Chipotle. After 5pm on Halloween, visit a Chipotle in costume, but add something unnecessary to your costume and score a Boorito for $3.00!



8.What you actually got last week

October 8, 2015
Week #19

1.Tomatoes, Mini*: Grape – Red OR Yellow – 1 pt - $4.75
2.Lettuce: Crisp, Red OR Salad Bowl, Green – 1 head - $3.00
3.Tat Soi – 1 bunch - $3.25
4.Peppers, Sweet and Eggplant mix – 2 lbs/1 bag - $4.50
5.Mustard Greens – 1 bunch - $3.50

Total Items: 5
Total Amount: $18.75
We pay $18.50 per week for the food the farmer is giving us, and this week he’s given us $.25 more than we paid for. Doesn’t sound like much but see how every little bit extra he gives us adds up over the course of the 28 weeks! So far it’s $19.20 total extra (that’s one extra CSA share’s worth of food that we didn’t pay for…yeah!  ).

Herb Share – Oct 1A
Cilantro AND Sorrel

*
Tomatoes 23 ways…
http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/fresh-summer-tomato-recipes.html



9. Cold and flu season protection and CSA foods like Mustard Greens!

Surprise…eat your vegetables! 
http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/immune_boosting_foods.aspx?utm_source=email&utm_medium=Blast&utm_campaign=100615-boost-immunity-readmore

However, don’t go crazy with the raw stuff. Even the serious raw foods people will recommend 25% cooked and 75% raw and those with Thyroid issues? Read this…
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13454/3-reasons-no-one-should-be-on-a-raw-foods-diet.html
Moderations is often never a bad way to go.



10.And now for something completely different…

A farm at JFK airport?
http://www.newsday.com/travel/jetblue-plants-a-seed-with-farm-to-tray-table-concept-1.10931441

Nice idea for a demonstration project but I don’t recommend eating the food. Do you know what’s in airplane exhaust?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101005-planes-pollution-deaths-science-environment/

There’s a reason food is traditionally grown away from densely populated areas and away from car exhaust, plane exhaust, truck exhaust, etc. For organic certification, there has to be distance and/or barriers from road to food because of these issues.

###