Thursday, December 10, 2015

Thursday, December 10, 2015 Week #27 ** Last Pickup for 2015 season**



Happy Autumn!

If anyone has sent me an email in the last 48 hours and I didn’t reply, try calling me at 631-421-4864 before 1pm today to confirm if it’s anything to do about working at the CSA today and should be confirmed. I don’t think I’m getting all my emails (in fact, I know I’m not getting some of them from one person and it’s a major mystery…cell phone emails – fine, work computer – they’re going where the lost socks go!).

TROUBLING MYSTERYDid anyone last week take (or get, if your food was picked up by someone else) Garlic AND Beets (it was a choice of one between the two of these foods)? Or somehow get more than one bunch of Kale??? We were short 4 bags of Garlic, and 2 bunches of Kale at the end of the night.

Everything item of food that can be counted at the CSA…is – before the CSA starts, and after it ends, to make sure A) the farm gave us enough food when they delivered it (and sometimes they don’t…no one’s perfect and stuff happens) and B) to make sure our CSA members are taking all their food AND/OR to see if they’re somehow taking too much.

I’d like to try and figure out how and why this happened. If everyone showed up (which, thank goodness, they didn’t), they wouldn’t have gotten all of their food last week and that’s not a good thing. If anyone has any clues as to how this happened, please let me know.

PLEASE READ THE WALL CHART before starting to take your CSA share!!! And if you have any questions, please ask. J

December 10th - last day of the CSA…this week! Will be in touch about this and that in the coming weeks (including info about our 2016 season…not sure if the farm wants to start in April or June as the “youngsters” are taking over the CSA next year for the first time, and Farmer Bill is “retiring”…at least from the CSA anyway…not from farming).

CSA Weather Report…mild and sunny and windy, and then mild and dark and maybe rainy…nice to have a CSA season pass by with no snow, ice, extreme flooding, or hurricanes (all of which we’ve had in past years)!

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 J )…

1.We bag our own!
2.We don’t totally need your help this week at the CSA but, if you wanted to put in some hours before the end of the CSA season, we could still use a little more help between 3:30pm and 7:30pm (especially from 5:30pm to 7:30pm)…
3.This week’s list…occasionally subject to change without prior notice because farming is like that!
4.Exchange Table this week!!!
5. Like eating fish? Check this out…
6.Carrots started out being Purple, not Orange!
7.Events (things to do both near and far) – let’s start with these and see if the email universe will let me send them…
8.Click…you can help change the world with a click!
9. What you actually got last week
10.How Bill Gates is causing the collapse of traditional farming and local food economies
11.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! J 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.We don’t totally need your help this week at the CSA but, if you wanted to put in some hours before the end of the CSA season, we could still use a little more help between 3:30pm and 7:30pm (especially from 5:30pm to 7:30pm)…

If you’re available, please..

  1. Respond to this email from now till 1pm, Thursday, December 3rd
  2. Call 631-421-4864 from now till 1pm, Wednesday, December 3rd
  3. Call the Cinema Box Office at 631-423-7610 xt 0 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm on Wednesday, December 3rd, and make sure you talk to someone from the CSA to let us know that you’re coming to work and when
  4. Just stop by the CSA a little before 3:30 or 5:30pm and see if we still need help.

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 J ).

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 J…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)! J Am glad to provide suggestions for this one.

December 10, 2015…Last CSA pickup for 2015!
Week #28

1.Lettuce – 1 head
2.Sweet Potatoes – 1 bag
3.Beets: Chiogga OR Red – 1 bunch
4. Broccoli OR Cauliflower – 1 head
5.Collards OR Kale – 1 bunch
6.Squash, Winter - 1

Total Items: 6



4. Exchange Table this week!!!

File under…better late than never!

What’s an Exchange Table?

It starts off with 1 CSA share on a table that is designated for the Exchange Table (if there are choices in the CSA share for the week, whoever sets out the CSA share will make those choices so the correct number of food items for the week will be on the table and that’s the number of food items that will be on the table the whole night), and when the CSA opens, CSA members have the option of taking one of their CSA Share items and exchanging it for one of the food items on the Exchange Table.

You must exchange the ENTIRE food item (and not just part of it) from your CSA share for the ENTIRE food item on the table (ex – you cannot exchange ONE Sweet Potato for ONE Beet from a bunch of Beets…you have to Exchange the whole bag…or the weight or whatever it is for that week)…and take the whole food item and not just part of it. The reason this is being said is because it has happened in the past when we used to do the Exchange Table on a regular basis, and we want to make it as clear as possible as to how it works.

You can make more than one switch…the only limit is what’s on the table that’s available to be exchanged.

There will be someone stationed at the table to walk everyone through this.

The reason it’s never been done before this week is that we haven’t had enough helpers working at the CSA for it to happen.



5.Like eating fish? Check this out…

You might want to consider supporting the following stores for not selling Genetically Engineered (GE) Salmon (which the US government has given permission to be sold to consumers…and it won’t be labeled) by shopping here (and if you’re really ambitious, send them an email/letter thanking them for not selling GE Salmon)…

And if you want to know why millions of other Americans have an issue with GE fish, you can read more here…



6. Carrots started out being Purple, not Orange!

This topic came up at the CSA the other week when we had Carrots so here’s some info on this fun fact…

Nice article on Rainbow colored Carrots (info and recipe), and a good picture too (we have gotten these over the years at the CSA but not necessarily every year…such is the way with farming)…



7.Events (things to do both near and far) – let’s start with these and see if the email universe will let me send them…

Sunday, December 13th

9am to 1pm

Long Island Winter Farmers Market
Jack Abrams School
155 Lowndes Ave
Huntington Station
For more info:

In past years the one certified organic farmer there has been D & J Organics, and here’s a lovely article about this farm and family…

And this market runs until April 24th so it starts about when our CSA ends, and ends about when our CSA starts!


Tuesday, December 15th

7:30pm

Holiday Vegetarian Dinner to benefit Slow Food North Shore’s School Garden Program
Danyell’s Kitchen
225 Main St
Northport
$45 – Members/$50 – General Public
To make a reservation and for more information:
631-757-6700

Vegan and gluten-free options available. Cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres, house wine & local craft beer, salad, choice of entrée, family style sides (potato/rice/veg), choice of dessert from Café Portofino.


Thursday, January 14th and  Friday, January 15th

The Long Island Agricultural Forum
Suffolk Community College
121 Speonk-Riverhead Rd.
Riverhead
For more info and to register:

It’s cheaper than going to the NOFA-NY conference and Thursday is when they have the “sustainable” workshops which is when all the organic farmers show up. And you don’t have to be a farmer to go…just interested in gardening, or eating healthy, and be interested in learning. Sometimes I’ll attend other workshops to find out what the other non-organic side of growing food is up to. They’ve had workshops on GMO crops from time to time.



8.Click…you can help change the world with a click!

A.Join the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in asking the USDA to ban Hot Dogs (and other processed/preserved meats) from school lunches…

Why? The World Health Organization has declared them carcinogenic to humans and put them in the same category as tobacco and asbestos.

B. Tell congress that no one should have to own a smart phone (or have to use one) to know if their food contains GMO ingredients or not…

C. Tell Target to get rid of single use plastic bags to fight climate change (which effects our farmers) and protect wildlife…



9.What you actually got last week

December 3, 2015
Week #27

1.Lettuce: Leaf, Green – 1 head - $3.00
2.Sweet Potatoes – 1 ½ lb bag - $3.50
3.Beets (bunch) OR Garlic (bag) – 1 - $3.50
4.Carrots – 1 bunch - $3.50
5.Kale: Lacinato – 1 bunch - $3.75
6.Squash, Winter: Butternut – 1 - $1.25
7.Broccoli – 1 - $2.50

Total Items: 7
Total Amount: $21.00
We pay $18.50 per week for the food the farmer is giving us, and this week he’s given us $2.50 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 $27.20 total extra (that’s more than one extra CSA share’s worth of food that we didn’t pay for…yeah! J ).

Herb Share – Dec 1A (THE END!)…our Herb Share is usually the 2nd and 4th week of the month but our farmer says it’s coming this week and at this point in the season…I’m not going to point this out and ask him to change it.
Arugula AND Dried Hot Chili Peppers



10. How Bill Gates is causing the collapse of traditional farming and local food economies

I’ve been referring to Bill Gates the antichrist for a number of years, and this is a good part of the reason why. He’s a HUGE fan of GMO food (under the auspices of wanting to stop hunger…anyone in the world of world hunger knows it’s a matter of distribution and that GMO crops will make no difference at all with the issue of world hunger) and agriculture (especially in Africa), and has helped fund and establish organizations that LOOK sustainable/organic but when you look beyond the surface, you see they’re GMOcentric and “green revolution” based…and in these cases the term “green revolution” is a very bad thing (a similar “green revolution” is why thousands of farmers in India have committed suicide – often by drinking the pesticides they were persuaded to use with their newly introduced modern agribusiness based farming techniques)…

This is the original website where the above article came from…



11.And now for something completely different…

Submitted by CSA member Bettina Barbier…Chickens in sweaters (or jumpers as they call them in England where the sweaters were made and the chickens live)!

And then I found out about Turkeys wearing fleece coats…

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Thursday, December 3, 2015

Thursday, December 3, 2015 Week #26



Happy Autumn!

Green Thumb Farm’s farm stand is closing for the season this weekend and there’s a 40% off sale! See #5 for details.

Since people are asking…
December 10th - last day of the CSA…next week

CSA Weather Report…cool and sunny and windy, and then cool and dark.

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 J )…

1.We bag our own!
2.We don’t totally need your help this week at the CSA but, if you wanted to put in some hours before the end of the CSA season, we could still use a little more help between 3:30pm and 7:30pm…
3.This week’s list…occasionally subject to change without prior notice because farming is like that!
4.Notes from the Farm
5.Organic food sale at Green Thumb Farm this weekend only!!!
6. Reasons to eat organic for adults, but even more so for babies and children…
7.Events (things to do both near and far) – let’s start with these and see if the email universe will let me send them…
8.Click…you can help change the world with a click!
9. What you actually got last week
10. Eat Bananas? Read this…
11.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! J 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.We don’t totally need your help this week at the CSA but, if you wanted to put in some hours before the end of the CSA season, we could still use a little more help between 3:30pm and 7:30pm…

If you’re available, please..

  1. Respond to this email from now till 1pm, Thursday, December 3rd
  2. Call 631-421-4864 from now till 1pm, Wednesday, December 3rd
  3. Call the Cinema Box Office at 631-423-7610 xt 0 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm on Wednesday, December 3rd, and make sure you talk to someone from the CSA to let us know that you’re coming to work and when
  4. Just stop by the CSA a little before 3:30 or 5:30pm and see if we still need help.

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 J ).

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 J…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)! J Am glad to provide suggestions for this one.

December 3, 2015
Week #27

1.Lettuce
2.Sweet Potatoes
3.Beets OR Garlic
4.Carrots
5.Kale
6.Squash, Winter
7.Broccoli

Total Items: 7

Herb Share – Dec 1A (THE END!)…our Herb Share is usually the 2nd and 4th week of the month but our farmer says it’s coming this week and at this point in the season…I’m not going to point this out and ask him to change it.
Arugula AND Dried Hot Chili Peppers



4.Notes from the Farm

Early December 2015

Our season is drawing to a close. As it happens every year, some crops have done well…and others were more challenging.  

We try every year to bring a large diversity of fresh, certified organic, local produce to our CSA members for our season…running (this year) from early June through mid-December.  Though we never have enough of some crops for some CSA members, and seem to have too much of other crops for other CSA members, we do the best we can over the course of the season to bring in what’s abundant, fresh, and ready to be picked, cut or dug up, from week to week.

We enjoy growing the diversity of crops that we have, and certified organic is the only way to grow…although it has its challenges.  We hope all of our CSA members have enjoyed the fruits (and vegetables) of our labors!

We would like to thank all our CSA members for their continued support as we end our 18th CSA season in Huntington, and the 20th CSA season in NYC.

All of our CSA groups (all 5 of them…at the farm, Brookhaven Lab, Huntington, Cobble Hill and Astoria) have helped our east-end Long Island farm continue to thrive, as our next generation of family farmers (like Jesse who delivers the CSA food to Huntington) begin to take over our Green Thumb Farm. Approximately 50% of what we grow is sold to CSA members so it’s a VERY important way to keep us farmers farming.

Happy Holidays to all, and much thanks from all of us at Green Thumb Farm for supporting this…
Local (where we are in Water Mill is approx. 63 miles from Huntington, and with the average distance of food from farm to fork being 1500 miles…I’d say we’re pretty local),
Certified Organic (certified for decades by NOFA-NY…who’s been certifying farms organic in NY State long before the federal government got involved),
Small (the USDA considers anything under 500 acres as a small farm and we’ve got approx. 100 acres),
family farm (we’ve got 3 members of our 12th generation ready and committed to being our next generation of farmers…2 of our sons and one of our daughters).

We hope to see you in the spring of 2016 once again as CSA members (spring isn’t as far away as you might think), and visiting us in June for our CSA Strawberry Picking Tour! 

Organically Yours, 
Farmer Bill (Halsey)



5.Organic food sale at Green Thumb Farm this weekend only!!!

Our farm, Green Thumb Farm, closes its farm stand this weekend…even though we have our last CSA delivery next week (lucky us that we get that extra week! J ).

And as they do every year, there’s a great sale if you happen to be in the area.

I believe all the packaged goods are going to be 40% off!!! There’s no point in having food that needs to be stored over the winter, and the farm stand has no heat so everything will be priced to go!

The hours over the weekend will be Friday and Saturday, 9am to 4:30pm, and Sunday 9am to 4pm (I’d call to make sure they’re going to stay open till 4pm if you think that’s around when you wanted to show up).

You can always call if you want any more details during farm stand hours at 631-726-1900.



6.Reasons to eat organic for adults, but even more so for babies and children…

I was sitting at a restaurant, and the fellow behind me was having a conversation with a man and woman about a mother and child (not clear if this was this man’s baby mama, or a relative, or what) and that the mother was buying organic food for the child. All of them had doubts as to whether buying organic was the best way for this woman to be spending her somewhat limited funds (again, have no idea what these people consider “limited funds”). I wrestled with the decision whether to talk to these strangers or not, but started to look for the National Academy of Science (NAS) study about kids and pesticides (basically, very small amounts effect brain function and should be avoided), and they left before I could locate it (I never did…it was harder to find than I thought it would be). Just found this one regarding the NAS (still not exactly what I’m looking for)…
And this looks pretty excellent (though not NAS)…

I wish I had this link below to have shown them…and next time I think I’ll just attempt to have that chat.

Just this week we’re getting Carrots, Sweet Potatoes and Dried Hot Peppers (at least the Herb Share folks are) which are on the Consumer Reports list to ALWAYS buy organic, and the Environmental Working Groups lists Kale and Hot Peppers on their addendum to the Dirty Dozen list…



7.Events (things to do both near and far) – let’s start with these and see if the email universe will let me send them…

Thursday, December 3rd

10am to 4pm

Deck the Halls Holiday House Tour & Luncheon…to benefit North Shore Holiday House Camp
$50 (tour only)/$85 (tour with lunch)
For more details and to purchase tickets…

CSA member Vickie Muller has gotten involved with this worthwhile local charity. Lunch is being provided by Honu Kitchen & Cocktails in Huntington Villlage, and there will be raffle tickets available and some of the prizes will be on view during lunch.


Sunday, December 6th

9am to 1pm

Long Island Winter Farmers Market
Jack Abrams School
155 Lowndes Ave
Huntington Station
For more info:

In past years the one certified organic farmer there has been D & J Organics, and here’s a lovely article about this farm and family…

And this market runs until April 24th so it starts about when our CSA ends, and ends about when our CSA starts!


Tuesday, December 15th

7:30pm

Holiday Vegetarian Dinner to benefit Slow Food North Shore’s School Garden Program
Danyell’s Kitchen
225 Main St
Northport
$45 – Members/$50 – General Public
To make a reservation and for more information:
631-757-6700

Vegan and gluten-free options available. Cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres, house wine & local craft beer, salad, choice of entrée, family style sides (potato/rice/veg), choice of dessert from Café Portofino.


Thursday, January 14th and  Friday, January 15th

The Long Island Agricultural Forum
Suffolk Community College
121 Speonk-Riverhead Rd.
Riverhead
For more info and to register:

It’s cheaper than going to the NOFA-NY conference and Thursday is when they have the “sustainable” workshops which is when all the organic farmers show up. And you don’t have to be a farmer to go…just interested in gardening, or eating healthy, and be interested in learning. Sometimes I’ll attend other workshops to find out what the other non-organic side of growing food is up to. They’ve had workshops on GMO crops from time to time.



8.Click…you can help change the world with a click!

Let Congress know that you STILL want GMO foods to be labeled so you know that they’re GMO foods and have the choice whether to be buying and consuming them or not!



9.What you actually got last week

November 25, 2015
Week #26

1.Lettuce: Romaine – 1 head - $3.00
2.Sweet Potatoes – 2 lb bag - $4.75
3.Sage OR Thyme – 1 bunch - $2.75
4.Rutabagas – 2 lb bag - $4.00
5.Senposai* (use Mizuna Veggie Info Sheet for this one) – 1 bunch - $3.25
6.Squash, Winter: Pharsi ** - 1 - $2.50

Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $20.25
We pay $18.50 per week for the food the farmer is giving us, and this week he’s given us $1.75 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 $24.70 total extra (that’s more than one extra CSA share’s worth of food that we didn’t pay for…yeah! J ).

Herb Share – Nov 2B
Parsley AND Savory, Winter

*
Senposai info…
About…
Recipes…
Senposai Stir Fry
Penne with Senposai and Feta
Noodles with Tofu and Senposai

**
Winter Squash general info…
Out of the 12 varieties mentioned, we get 4 of these at our CSA…Butternut, Carnival, Delicata and Acorn (plus Farsi…from Nepal…which may be exclusive to our farm…which you’d use like a Butternut though it’s sweeter than a Butternut)
Recipes included…



10. Eat Bananas? Read this…

Sorry to say but modern corporate decentralized agriculture strikes again…

Monoculture (growing only one variety of Banana so there’s no genetic diversity), cloned plants (growing only one plant cloned from Plant Zero so there’s REALLY no genetic diversity), pesticides, are all parts of why we all may be singing that old song…Yes, we have no Bananas – we have no Bananas today (or any other day L )…

What can we do about it? Buy organic Bananas, and don’t buy GMO Bananas (that’s the only solution the powers that be are coming up with at the moment).

Here’s an article that speak to that (and I read this after I made my recommendations of what to do and apparently we’re in agreement)…

And keep your ears open for any way you can put your 2 cents in about this issue.

There are HUNDREDS of varieties of Bananas still in the world but we only eat ONE…the Cavendish.

Diversity is always the best idea and the way to go…like the food we get at our CSA. A diverse diet is the healthiest diet (that’s the food philosophy of CSA our farmer). Growing the same thing all the time, as well as eating the same foods all the time, is NEVER the best idea. It can lead to food sensitivities, aggravate food allergies, and lead to nutrient deficiencies which can lead to less than optimal health.



11.And now for something completely different…

Thanksgiving may be over, but here’s a short video story to make one feel thankful for our sense of taste…

And the uplifting tale of a chef who was supposed to lose his sense of taste (and more) due to cancer, but thinking outside the box (just like his cooking), helped him retain his sense of taste (and more), so he’s still hard at work behind the stove at his award-winning restaurant in Chicago, Alinea…

And on an even lighter note, a flash from the past…Reasons to be Cheerful – Part 3…by Ian Dury and the Blockheads (new wave/pop/punk)…
And one of the things mentioned to be cheerful about in the lyrics (which I never realized till I just read them) is the “juice of a Carrot”…how timely! J

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