Happy Autumn!
Did anyone make it out to the farm last weekend? Some folks
did, and I’d love to hear about it. BUT, the times they are a changin’ and we ARE
having a rain date for the first time ever!
*Call now for your CSA farm tour reservation…Saturday,
November 12th is SERIOUSLY the last time we’ll be able to visit our farm this
year and get a behind the scenes tour! See Events Listings below for details.
The CSA hours are from 3:30pm to 7:30pm (and if
pre-arranged a pre-packed CSA Share can be picked up at the Box Office from
7:30pm till 10pm). There seems to be some confusion about this as some
folks are showing up anywhere from 2:30pm onwards, and think it ends ???
IMPORTANT CSA DATES…
Wednesday, November 23rd – Thanksgiving
week pickup…will probably be located down the driveway at the Senior Center
Cafeteria, and the hours will be the same (though please be kind as we usually
have an hour to set up the CSA…and need the whole hour…but this week we’ll be
lucky if we get a half hours so please be prepared to wait if we’re not set up
yet and we’ll do our best to hustle our collective bustles).
Thursday, December 8th – the last CSA
pickup day for 2016 L - will get
2017 info to you as soon as I get it from the farm (could be any time from now
to April 2017…will keep y’all posted, and you can always contact me)
CSA Weather report…60 to 70, and rainy (your
car is warmer than it is outside so not ideal for leaving CSA food in your
car…it’s happiest at about 40 degrees)!
Keep in mind…any time you try a food you’ve never eaten
before…
1.
Do some reading about what it is, and find out
if there are medical contraindications if you’re on medication or have health
issues
2.
Eat a single serving size and give it 24 hours
to see how your body reacts (some might be fine, a lot might not)
3.
When in doubt how to cook something, look to the
countries that have been using it for decades/centuries, and see what they do
and don’t do
4.
Any questions, don’t hesitate to ask
What happens if you don’t get any CSA emails and
Thursday rolls around and it’s time to go to the CSA? GO ANYWAY! There
have been times over the years when various things have prevented a CSA email
from being sent…computers, storms, health emergencies, etc. However, the thing
to do is to come to the Cinema and in all probability, your CSA share will be
there (unless there’s weather that’s so treacherous travel would be extremely
ill-advised and even then, the farm will show up and drive from Water Mill to
Huntington before some CSA members would drive from Huntington…to Huntington).
And if not (which I doubt…there was only one snowstorm where the farm showed up
on Friday instead of Thursday because no one could drive anywhere), there would
be a sign on the door saying something, or you could call me (though with
Hurricane Sandy, even my land line was down because of the Verizon battery it’s
hooked up to….grrrrrrr…I need to get that detached so I can get phone calls
during those times when the power goes out).
Parking suggestion…try parking all the way
around the building in the upper parking lot where the day care center play
area is. You hopefully will find a spot, and it’s a short walk down the stairs
to the entrance from there, and most people don’t seem to think of parking up
there. If you park illegally you can get a parking ticket, it does happen!
If you are going to show up at the CSA later than
7:30pm, but before the Box Office is closing for the night (can be
different every week but 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 (do NOT leave a
message to be given to the CSA because there have been occasions where we
didn’t get the message and someone showed up to get their food and was not
happy their food wasn’t there) 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 being attracted to our wonderful CSA food.
If you’re sharing a CSA share with someone…it’s
possible they’re not on this email list (if not email me their full name and
email address…or have them do it), so check with them and then forward this if
they didn’t get it (and always check the junk/spam folder).
*Keep in mind that anything you read in this email (unless
it’s directly related to the functioning and operation of the CSA) is subjective
and like they say in the 12 step world…take what you like and leave the rest!
This week’s email includes…
1. The
CSA doesn’t need you this week (but we will soon enough)
2. CSA
101 – Bring Bags!!!
3. Eggplant
from our CSA farm, Green Thumb Farm, on TV!
4. The
List- subject to change without notice because…farming is like that
5. Event
Listings…both near and far
6. It’s
not all bad news…
7. What you actually got last week
8. And now for something completely different…
1. The CSA doesn’t need you this week (but we will soon
enough)
We’re talking about working at the CSA.
We have the help we need for this week. Whoo-hoo!
If you didn’t already get an email from Rene 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.
HOWEVER, 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).
2.CSA 101…Bring Bags!
CSA basic, for this CSA anyway, is that you need to
bring your own supply of bags for packing up your CSA share every week from now
till December 8th!
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.
And if you send someone to pick up your CSA share for
you, you need to tell them to…BRING BAGS!
3.Eggplant from our CSA farm, Green Thumb Farm, on TV!
It was mentioned during this segment of The Barefoot
Contessa TV show while Ina Garten was making Eggplant Caponata using Eggplant
from our farm!
Someone called me the other week after watching this on TV
and was asking about CSA membership!
4.The List - subject to change without notice
because…farming is like that!
November 3, 2016
Week #23
1.Kale – 1 bunch
2.Tomatoes, Mini – 1 pt
3.Beans, Snap
4.Lettuce
5.Sweet Potatoes
Total Items: 5
5.Event Listings…both near and far
Thursday, November 3rd
10am to 11am
iEat Green online radio show with Bhavani Jaroff
888-874-4888 (to call in during the live show with
questions)
And if you miss it, you can listen in the archives.
Friday, Nov 4th and Saturday, Nov 5th
2016 WFAN (Women Food & Agriculture Network) Annual
Conference
Lied Lodge and Conference Center
Nebraska City,NE
$80 – Student/beginning Farmer/$100 General Public (plus
food/lodging and optional events)
For more info and to register…
Keynote speaker is Karryn Olson-Ramanujum, permaculture
educator and teacher at Ithaca College, NY (co-founder of the Finger Lakes
Permaculture Institute in NY).
Saturday, November 12th
10:30am to 6pm
Change Food
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
FREE (this is a BARGAIN…if you were to go see this live in
NYC the ticket prices range from $325 to $600 for this 3 day event…only one is
being streamed for viewing parties)
For more info:
This is the event that was formerly called TEDex, and now
it’s been reorganized and named Change Food. It’s being co-presented with Slow
Food North Shore.
To see the lineup of speakers…
Check out and see that you’ll be sharing this experience
with folks from across our country and around the world…
11am OR 12pm
CSA Pumpkin Picking Hay Ride Tour!
Green Thumb Farm
Water Mill
FREE
Call to reserve your seat(s) on the wagon (space is
limited)…
631-726-1900 (9:30am to 4:30pm Mon to Sun)
This farm tour is for CSA members and their immediate family
ONLY! If you’re sharing a CSA share with someone, only one person/family can
attend (people sharing usually divide the farm tours with one going in June and
the other in October) and you need to use the CSA member’s name as the farm
doesn’t recognize CSA share partners.
You’ll be getting a tractor pulled hayride to see a
different part of the farm then we did in June, a discussion of the fall
harvest, and a visit with the farm’s critters.
Everyone attending can pick a Pumpkin to bring home. In full
disclosure…the Pumpkins are not certified organic, and they are not grown at
Green Thumb Farm. Why? These are Pumpkins grown for carving and not eating
(though you certainly are welcome to eat the seeds and the Pumpkin if you’d
like).
12pm to 5pm (optional health screening starts at 8am)
Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Breast Cancer Seminar
Hunterdon Central High School
84 Rt 31
Flemington, NJ
$59.95 (plus $29.95 if interested in optional non-invasive
health screening)
To register and for more info…
Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s slant is vegan and calls his
diet…nutritarian. Author of the book, Eat to Live, and many others.
Sunday, November 27th
12 noon
Gary Null presents…Plant Codes: unleashing nature’s healing
powers
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
To purchase tickets (this may sell out)…
$10 Members/$15 General Public (includes reception)
Join Gary Null as he presents his latest documentary on the
power of food, and how eating habits are destroying health and causing
irreversible damage to the planet. There will be a Q & A after the film as
well as a reception.
6.It’s not all bad news…
From the gang at the Cleveland Health Clinic…
Bulk up on brain food!
Veggies, fish, and tea help keep you sharp…
Want to stay sharp as a tack
through all your years? Who doesn’t? Along with brain-boosting physical
activity, aim for a literal interpretation of Jefferson Airplane’s famous
lyric: “Feed your head.” What you eat affects your whole body, including your brain,
and over a lifetime your patterns are likely to affect your odds of dementia.
Case in point: New research shows that the standard Western diet (high in
sugar, ultra processed items, and processed meats) increases the risk of
Alzheimer’s. While it’s helpful to know which foods to avoid, it’s even better
to focus on the delicious, nutritious foods that protect your brain. Whole
plant foods — like vegetables, fruits, legumes, fresh herbs, spices, and intact
grains — are loaded with nourishing compounds that do the whole body (and
brain) good. These fiber-rich choices also help steady your blood sugars, which
also protects your brain health. Make these foods the foundation of your meals.
Popeye alert: In one study, people who ate one to two daily servings of dark
leafy greens like spinach, collards, bok choy, or mustard greens had the
cognitive ability of people 11 years younger than those who ate no greens.
Nourishing fats are another must for brain health, so include olive oil, nuts,
avocadoes, and cold-water fish (such as wild salmon or sardines) on your weekly
menu. Your drinks matter too. Skip sugary beverages, and sip tea (green, black,
or white), which contains a number of nutrients to boost your brainpower.
Here’s the best part: It should not surprise you to learn that many of the
foods that nourish your head also feed your heart! Multitasking at its best!
And our CSA provides us with
dark leafy greens such as Spinach, Collards, Bok Choy and Mustard Greens (and
more…like the Kale we’re getting this week), Herbs and some fruit, just like
this article recommends for brain health!
Hmmm…anybody interested in a
Tea Share next year?
7.What you actually got last week (not always what was in
the email the week before because farming is like that regarding occasional
last minute changes)
October 27, 2016
Week #22
1.Kale: Russian, Red – 1 bunch - $3.75
2.Cilantro – 1 bunch - $3.00
3.Beans, Snap: Green – 1 lb. - $4.25
4.Squash, Winter: Butternut AND Delicata – 1 of each variety
- $2.25
5.Eggplant – 1 - $2.50
6.Broccoli Raab/Rabe/Rape (all the same veg…just different
names) – 1 bunch - $3.50
Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $19.25
(Since we pay $18.50 per week for our CSA share, this week
we got $.75 more than we paid…SO, that means at the moment our farmer has given
us $20.75 more than we paid for up to this point. That’s a little over one
week’s CSA share FREE! Over the course of the CSA year…and over the years…we
have gotten at least one, and sometimes up to two, share’s worth of food that
we didn’t pay for…so keep reading this and see how it plays out from week to
week)
Herb Share – Oct 1A (should have been last week but farmer
forgot to bring the herbs so it’s showing up this week)
Sorrel AND Thyme, Lemon
*
Video on how to cut up various Winter Squashes and a bunch
of Butternut Squash recipes!
And a nice piece from the gang at Lucky Peach magazine…
8. And now for something completely different…
Mini Asian Chicken & vegetable stir-fry…OMG!
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