Happy Summer!
CSA Weather report…88 and sunny (don’t leave your CSA share
in the car…it will be very unhappy because it’s WAY too hot in there)!
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 yet (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 J )
2. CSA
101 – Bring Bags!!!
3. We
started weighing our produce last week…not rocket science but there are things
to be mindful of!
4. Help
change the world with a click…
5. The
List- subject to change without notice because…farming is like that!
6. Eat
chicken? Read this…
7. Support
local business hiring young adults with disabilities by drinking and buying
organic Coffee
8. How
to stay outside in your yard and garden without dousing yourself with
pesticides…
9. Event
Listings…both near and far
10. It’s
not all bad news!
11. What
you actually got last week
12. 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.We started weighing our produce last week…not rocket
science but there are things to be mindful of!
It’s time to weigh our food!
A.
Please be aware that it may take a little more
time for you to collect your CSA share when weighing is part of the experience
so plan accordingly.
B.
Check the CSA Wall Chart that our farmer brings
in every week before taking any food so you know what you’re taking and how
much to take…assume nothing and please feel free to ask questions! J
C.
Bring your reading glasses or ask someone to
help if you can’t see the numbers on the scale clearly.
D.
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 56 CSA members this week,
and if every person is over by ONE OUNCE (for crying out loud! It’s only an
ounce!!!) …that means we’ll be short over 4 1/2 POUNDS of produce and 5 CSA
members (and one of them could be you) won’t get the food they paid for.
E.
IF you are asked to weigh more than one food
item at the same time (and you probably will at some point in the CSA
season)…please follow the directions given to you, and weigh in the order you
are asked (you might not think there’s any good reason to be doing this but our
farmer does, and that should be enough of a reason right there but if you want
a further explanation – ask someone working at the CSA or contact suzanne…there
is always a method to the madness)
4.Help change the world with a click…
A.Want to know if there’s GMOs in your food or not?
Read this and sign the petition and spread the work about
it. They need another 80,000 signatures and only have about 30,000 to get the
White House to pay attention to it…
B.Tell President Obama again to veto the DARK Act (the one
that is the crappy GMO labeling bill and will REVOKE the better one they have
in Vermont)…
C.Tell the EPA to take action against bee killing pesticides
now!
Bees are responsible for one of every three bites of food we
eat so it doesn’t make any sense to kill them either for sustainability of
humans, and even economically (can’t sell food we can’t grow because there’s no
bees to pollinate it and if it had to be pollinated by hand…you think food can
be expensive now???).
D.Europe has banned Atrazine, an endocrine-disrupting
pesticide. We sprayed more than 60 million pounds on our food and lawns last
year, second only to Glyphosate (main ingredient in Monsanto’s favorite
product, Roundup).
Want Atrazine banned? Click here…
5.The List - subject to change without notice because…farming
is like that!
July 14, 2016
Week #7
1.Lettuce: Leaf, Red – 1 head
2.Onions, Spring - 1 bunch
3.Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
4.Peas: Sugar Snap – 1 lb.
5.Beans: Fava (medical alerts and general info)* – 1 lb.
Total Items: 5
Herb Share – July 1A
Cilantro AND Savory
Flower Share – maybe…maybe not
*Fava Beans – health alerts – this is not to scare anyone
out of eating these (they’re really good), but to be responsible and informed
consumers of food
1.Are you on antidepressants (MAO inhibitors) or L-Dopa for
Parkinson’s? Are you on a low Tyramine diet? Snow Peas have Tyramine too (learn
something new every day)! Read this…
However if you’re not, Fava Beans might help relieve
depression and Parkinson’s…
2.Do you have Favism? Affects 400 million people worldwide
but mostly in Africa, New Guinea, the Middle East, parts of the Mediterranean
and Asia and can effect 5 to 25% of the population depending on the location
(there is a screening for it…wonder how much it costs?)…
How to cook, recipes and inspiration…
6.Eat chicken? Read this…
And consider buying organic (they don’t use the
antimicrobial junk that causes this problem), or local and ask about whether
they use the antimicrobial stuff at any point…
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/06/salmonella-chicken-usda-supermarket-inspection-flawed
How the CDC recommends you deal with Chicken…
7. Support local business hiring young adults with
disabilities by drinking and buying organic Coffee
The founder of Cause Café, Stacey Wohl, stopped by our CSA
the other week and was interested in having local organic food for her café.
Not sure that CSA is the best fit for what her needs are so, I’ve contacted her
with other thoughts about what might work for her business.
This is in Northport and provides a place of employment for
young adults with disabilities, and it looks like they serve organic Coffee (or
at least they sell it)…
Cause Café
1014 Fort Salonga Rd
Northport
Tu to Sun – 8am to 3pm
And you can purchase organic Coffee from them…
8.How to stay outside in your yard and garden without
dousing yourself with pesticides…
Make your own natural mosquito repellent…
9.Event Listings…both near and far
Monday, July 11th to July 23rd
Kick Sugar Addiction World Summit 2016 Online Conference
FREE
For 12 days hear 21 experts in the field of sugar addiction
and sugar addiction recovery. Check website for the list of speakers.
Monday, July 18th
8:30am to 7pm
Farm Tour and Organic Agriculture Workshop
The Rodale Institute
Kutztown, PA
$90
For more info and to make reservations:
516-626-0908
Join the Long Island Food Coalition, Slow Food North Shore
and iEat Green on a chartered bus road trip to The Rodale Institute for a farm
tour and workshop about organic agriculture!
Sunday, July 31st
5pm
Hayground Chef’s Dinner
Hayground School (Jeff’s Kitchen)
151 Mitchell Lane
Bridgehampton
Tickets: $1200 (seriously)
A superstar chef event (http://www.haygroundchefsdinner.org/chefs-1/
) for a good cause. If you got it, here’s a good place to spend it! J
About Hayground School…
Friday, August 12th to Sunday, August 14th
NOFA Summer Conference
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA
For more info and to register (early bird prices till July
15):
NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association) is the group
that’s been certifying farms organic since the time before the USDA got
involved. They rock. We have a NY chapter that you can join…
There are 2 conferences every year. In the winter, each NOFA
member state (NY, NJ, CT, RI, MA, NH, VT) has their own winter conference (the
one that farmers can attend because…they’re not working). In the summer,
everybody from all the member states gets together for the summer conference
and about 1,000 to 2,000 people that are interested in health, organic farming
and gardening, healthy living and healthy eating get together for a WHOLE lot
of workshops, movies and parties, and cafeteria style eating of organic/local foods
that would accommodate most any dietary needs (gluten free, vegan, paleo, raw).
It’s great for families (they have workshops for kids from 5 to 12, and 13 to
17…and they have childcare available for ages 2 to 4), singles, seniors, and
just about anybody. If you go, a good time will be had by all! Feel free to ask
me any questions as have been to the summer and winter conferences, and CSA
member Vickie Muller has gone to the NOFA Summer Conference with her daughter
for a few years too.
This year’s keynote speakers…
10.It’s not all bad news!
In our country, we can protest about the environment and
food issues and live to tell the tale so let’s be thanks for that! Other
countries…not so much…
11.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)
July 7, 2016
Week #6
1.Lettuce: Salad Bowl, Green – 1 head - $3.00
2.Beets: Chiogga (and I saw a few White ones…any plain Red?)
- 1 bunch - $3.50
3.Radishes: French Breakfast – 1 bunch - $3.50
4.Peas: Shelling – 1 bag - $6.00
5.Squash, Summer: Costata Romanesco, Golden, Kousa, Zucchini
– up to but not over 2 lbs - $4.25
Total Items: 5
Total Amount: $20.25
(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 $4.25 more than we paid for up to this point. 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)
Flower Share – Week #3
Snapdragons
12.And now for something completely different
Cool short video of a the first year at the Brooklyn Grange
rooftop farm at the Brooklyn Navy yard. As you can see…the most action at farms
in our neck of the woods happens in August/September…
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