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..
- Respond to this email from now till 1pm, Thursday, December 3rd
- Call 631-421-4864 from now till 1pm, Wednesday, December 3rd
- 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
- 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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