Happy Summer (yup…till September 23rd), and Happy
Organic Harvest Month!
VOTE! The polls are open from 6am to 9pm, so
before or after the CSA, take advantage of this privilege we have in our
country that so many have fought for. In a study of developed countries (Pew
Research Center) and voter turnout rates, the USA ranked 26 out of 32…and 3 of
the countries didn’t submit their info. I wish we were #1. And if you don’t
like any of the candidates on the ballot, you can write one in of your own
choosing. Heck, you can vote for yourself! Even though we can’t vote on the
upcoming Farm Bill (we have to live with it for the next 5 years), we CAN vote
for the people who will make decisions about what goes in it. AND if your
polling place is at Huntington Town Hall, say hi to CSA member Joan Weiss who’s
working as a Poll Worker. If you need to know any info about today’s election
(if there’s a Primary for the party you’re registered in, polling place, etc.)
get in touch with…
Suffolk County Board of Elections…
Nassau County Board of Elections…
Celebrate Organic Harvest Month!
You already are by being a CSA member of Green Thumb Farm
(they’re certified organic by NOFA-NY), but there are some other suggestions.
And if you have a Flower Share you’ve already ticked off TWO of the five
suggested ways to celebrate…
Another suggestion is that you say “thank you” to an organic
farmer and while you can’t do that to your CSA farmers this month (even if you
stop by the farm stand they’ll be out working in the fields), you can in
October if you come along to our CSA Pumpkin Picking Farm Tour! Our farmers
really appreciate meeting the people who appreciate how they spend their lives
(it’s more than a job to their immediate and extended family…and all the
workers at the farm are considered extended family members).
CSA weather report…warm and cloudy (don’t leave your CSA
food in the car!)
HURRICANE ALERT!
We’re not having a hurricane YET but please read this now…
This is hurricane season and will be followed by the
possibility of snow and ice before the CSA ends for the season. So, please be
aware…
- If you don’t get any emails on any given week, show up
to the CSA at the usual time and place, and if you’re able…show up to
offer to work at 3:30pm or 5:30pm in case there’s a need. The reasons for
non-communication could be A) computer problems (storm or no), B) power
outages, and C) the X factor (unknown at the present time but…stuff
happens).
- Keep in mind that the farm will show up and deliver
food like the post office talks about the weather…rain, sleet, etc., so
your CSA share will be at the Cinema Arts Centre waiting for you, unless
there’s several feet of snow (or a serious ice storm or flooding) and no
one is able to go anywhere. We’ve had food delivered during Hurricane
Sandy, and during snowstorms.
CSA words to live by…when trying any new food that
you’ve never eaten before…START SLOW! Read up about it (make sure
it doesn’t interfere with any medications you might be taking or any health
conditions you might have), see what traditional/conventional ways it’s
prepared (cultures that have been eating certain foods for many years basically
have a good idea what they’re doing and we can learn from that), try a small
portion, see how your body/digestive system reacts, and proceed from there.
Then try preparing in different ways and see what you come up with, and feel
free to ask for suggestion/info/recommendations!
Paraphrased wise words by a nutritionist that I read and
don’t remember where I read it or who said it, BUT it’s pretty smart info
regarding eating seasonally in our part of the globe…
Spring… is all about detoxing (what we get
from the CSA at this time is a lot of green things that are really good to help
clean us out from whatever we accumulated during the winter)
Interesting piece about spring greens (out of the 14 listed,
we get 12 of them with our CSA…watercress nutritionally and botanically similar
to Peppercress) and detoxing…
Summer is all about being hydrated (the
popular summer foods are all full of water…Tomatoes, Lettuces, Summer Squashes,
etc.)
Fall/winter is all about storing energy (we
get all the dense vegetables…Sweet Potatoes, Winter Squashes, etc…. that are
energy powerhouses to fuel us through the winter) to get you through the winter
to make it to…Spring!
Week #15
September 13, 2018
- Lettuce – 1 head
- Beets* – 1 bunch
- Eggplant** - 1
- Tomatoes, Mini*** - 1 pt.
- Squash, Summer**** – up to (but not over) 1 lb.
- Squash, Winter***** - 1
Herb Share – Sept 1A
Basil, Thai AND Chives
Flower Share – Week #11
Mixed bunch
THE END! L
*On the list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods…
If we get the Beet Greens…
**On the list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods…
***On the list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods…
****On the list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods…
*****On the list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods…
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=63
DO NOT LEAVE MESSAGES FOR THE CSA WITH THE CINEMA BOX
OFFICE STAFF!!! We don’t always get the messages…at all (people
forget…and it’s not their job), and the Box Office staff doesn’t always give
correct info. Ask to be transferred to the Café to speak to someone at the CSA.
If not, the CSA will not be responsible if your food isn’t left at the Box
Office to be picked up, or for anything else you might have wanted to
communicate to the CSA staff.
This email includes…
- What you need to know
- It’s time to weigh our CSA food!!!
- Got backyard Chickens or interested? Read this!
- Click Activism – changing the world one click at a time
- Who knew? J
- Events…both near and far
- Eat the Beet!
- What you actually got last week
- And now for something completely different…
Anything in these emails not directly related to the
functioning of the CSA feel free to take or leave at your discretion, and
anything related to health issues always consult with your physicians before
taking any actions.
1.What you need to know (will be either new info to
first time CSA members, or reminders/old hat to returning CSA members)…
Before you leave the house…BRING BAGS
to pack up your food (CSA members are responsible for packing up their own shares)
– canvas/plastic/paper…bring whatever suits your fancy. The CSA does NOT
provide bags for CSA members. If someone is picking up food for you, please
remind them to bring bags with them.
Time – 3:30pm to 7:30pm
IF you need to pick up later than 7:30pm, call the Cinema
Arts Center Box Office between 3pm to 7:30pm at 631-423-7610 xt. 0 (make sure
to ask to speak to someone at the CSA) and we can pack a bag for you and leave
it at the Box Office but it MUST be picked up before the Box Office closes
(call the Box Office to check the time…lately it’s been somewhere between 10pm
and 11pm). If not, it won’t be there on Friday.
Place – Sky Room Café in the Cinema Arts
Centre at 423 Park Ave, Huntington (if otherwise, you’ll be informed)
Parking – park in the lot all the way around
at the back of the building by the day care center (you’ll see a fenced in
playground area with a sandbox)
When you arrive at the CSA –
- Check in at the sign-in desk
- Read the Wall Chart that tells us every week what we’re
getting, how much we’re getting, and what the farm charged us for it…some
weeks it’s take one of everything but SOME WEEKS IT’S NOT!!! So you have
to make sure you read the Wall Chart every week, and not assume anything.
You can also ask your fellow CSA members that are working at the CSA that
day what the story is (they should have name tags on).
Before you leave the CSA – Make sure you have
everything on the list! If you get to talking with people, have kids with you,
etc., it can be easy to get distracted, but if you arrive home and find out you
don’t have everything that was on the list, you’re out of luck because at
7:31pm the food is donated to a local food organization that’s waiting to pick
it up and get on their way.
We send a 2nd email with the list for the week
and the Veggie Info Sheet attachments that you’ll get because of a) concern if
I send one email with attachments it might end up in junk/spam and you might
not be in the habit of looking for it there yet, and b) modern communications
technology not being all it’s cracked up to be so trying to hedge success rate
in getting info out to you.
2.It’s
time to weigh our CSA food!
- 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.
- 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!
- Bring
your reading glasses or ask someone to help if you can’t see the numbers
on the scale clearly.
- 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 42 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 2 1/2 POUNDS of produce and 1 or 2 CSA members (and one of them
could be you) won’t get the food they paid for.
- 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 J )
3.Got backyard Chickens or interested? Read this!
There’s going to be a Huntington Town Hall meeting on this
issue on Thursday, September 20th so you can voice your opinion on
these proposed new legislations (see Events below in addition to reading this
article)…
4.Click Activism – changing the world one click at a time
A.Tell Congress…no pesticide riders in the Farm Bill (stand
up for healthy farms and people)…
B.Tell the EPA to ban Atrazine (it’s a horrible pesticide in
drinking water that turns male frogs to female frogs with viable eggs…it’s a
hormone disrupter and does similar things to humans including being
carcinogenic)…
C.Tell your public officials to stop spraying pesticides and
adopt a mosquito management plan that protects public health and the
environment…
D.The Environmental Protection Agency has released a new
proposal that dramatically weakens global warming emissions standards for power
plants. Voice your outrage and urge the EPA to put our nation's health and
safety back ahead of polluter profits. Climate change effects our food supply
so this is important for us eaters and farmers…
5.Who knew? J
Who knew that PETA is responsible for the new look of Animal
Crackers???
As classic as they are (and as many of them as I ate as a
child J ), after looking at the
ingredients (in particular HFCS…high fructose corn syrup…and partially
hydrogenated cottonseed oil) I’d prefer one of the numerous organic versions of
“animal crackers/cookies” that are now available.
6.Events…both near and far
Wednesday, September 5th to Thursday,
September 13th
Remedy: Ancient Medicine for Modern Illness
FREE
To register…
Click on the link, watch the trailer, check out the website
for more info, and then decide if it’s something you’re interested in. Dr.
Tieraono Low Dog is enough reason for me to sign up for this, but also is
included is Long Island’s own Ellen Kahmi (The Natural Nurse…she’s a local
treasure), herbal expert Rosemary Gladstar (was just thinking about taking a
class with her), David Wolfe (he’s a LOT more than a pitchman for
Nutribullet…have taken a workshop with him and like him), and Sayer Ji (I think
he’s founder of GreenMed).
Thursday, September 13th
10am to 11am
iEat Green with Bhavani online radio show
Progressive Radio Network
Always interesting guests. You can also check out the
archives for other shows.
Friday, September 14th to Sunday, September
16th
Greek Festival
St. Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church
1 Shrine Place
Greenlawn
For more info…
Usually every year there’s one dish prepared by celebrity
chef Michael Psilakis (his family is a member of this congregation).
Saturday, September 15th & Sunday,
September 16th
10am to 6pm
Long Island Garlic Fest 2018
Garden of Eve Farm
4558 Sound Ave.
Riverhead
$5 per person, under 6 FREE
For more info…
Fun for everyone…Garlic, crafts, music, food…rain or shine.
Saturday, September 15th & Sunday,
September 16th, AND Saturday, September 22nd &
Sunday, September 23rd
10am to 5pm
Long Island Fair
Old Bethpage Village Restoration
1303 Round Swamp Rd.
Old Bethpage
$15/$13 – Seniors (over 60)/FREE – children under 5
For more info…
Celebrating 176 years of agriculture!
Saturday, September 15th
10am to 4pm
10th Annual Organic Apple Festival
Rodale Institute
Kutztown, PA
$10 parking fee per vehicle (suggested donation)
For more info:
Pick your own organic Apples, wagon tours, kid’s activities,
live music, lecture, and much more!
Sunday, September 16th
10am to 4pm
North Fork Foodie Tour
Peconic Land Trust Ag Center at Charnews Farm
3005 Youngs Ave.
Southold
$25/FREE – 12 and under
For more info and to buy tickets…
It happens once a year and it’s a great chance to get behind
the scene views of some wonderful north fork farms. Stop for lunch at the food
truck in front of the North Fork Table & Inn in Southold.
Thursday, September 20th
11am to 3pm
Dix Hills Garden Club presents…
The Gold Coast Revisited – The Gatsby Era
Woodbury Country Club
884 Jericho Tpke
Woodbury
$45
For more info, to RSVP, and to purchase tickets…
Nancy 631-271-8068
Christine 631-678-3211
Schedule
11am – doors open
12pm to 3pm – flower show arrangements and horticultural
displays
CSA member Karen Rubino is a member of the Dix Hills Garden
Club and wanted to let us know about this event with the featured event being a
standard flower show. There will be a 3 course lunch (flier didn’t make it
clear when lunch will be but if you call you can get the info) beginning with
crudites, wine/soft drinks/coffee/tea are included, there will be live music,
raffle baskets, 50/50 raffle, and a “sweets & treats” table.
7pm
Hearing on proposed backyard Chicken legislation
Huntington Town Hall
100 Main Street
Huntington
For more info…
Saturday, October 6th
2pm
Krishna Das live concert – benefit for 2 local farms
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave
Huntington
$35 – Members/$40 – Public/$20 – 17 years old and under
To buy tickets (it will sell out) and for more info…
Join Krishna Das in song for this benefit for two local
farms that use agriculture as a learning and healing tool for children and young
adults living with developmental disabilities (including Autism).
One of our CSA members, Patti Edwards, is on the board of
Orkestai Farm. Both non-profit farms have CSA programs though for some reason,
Orkestai Farm has chosen to call it Community Cultivated Agriculture (CCA), and
both farms are not certified organic but use organic farming methods and have
signed on to NOFA-NY’s Farmer’s Pledge program (IMHO - not as good as certified
organic but much better than not being connected to NOFA at all).
Orkestai Farm
Elija Farm
Saturday, October 20th
Annual CSA Pumpkin Picking Farm Tour
Green Thumb Farm
Water Mill
FREE
Last time to get a behind the scenes tour of our farm and
talk to our farmers (Got a garden? Got questions? These are the guys to ask J ). More info to come
Saturday, November 3rd
LI Food Conference
LIU Post
Northern Blvd.
Brookville
More info as available
A project of the Long Island Food Coalition (connected to
the North Shore Land Alliance).
7.Eat the Beet!
Beets may help prevent Alzheimers…
Or drink it…it’s all about the nitrates (the good ones)…
8.What you actually got last week
Week #14
September 6, 2018
- Lettuce: Leaf, Green – 1 head - $3.50
- Dill* – 1 bunch - $3.00
- Peppers, Sweet: Lunchbox** - .7 lb. bag - $4.25
- Tomatoes: Orange, Red and/or Paste, Red*** - up to (but
not over) 2 lbs. - $5.75
- Okra: Green and Red/Purple**** - .6 lb. bag - $4.25
- Bitter Melon – 1 - FREE
Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $20.75
(We pay $20 per week for our CSA share…some weeks we get a
bit more and it adds up over the course of the season. This week we got an
extra $.75 So far that total is $13.25 which may not sound like much, but…just
wait and see! We seem to always get at least one CSA share’s worth of food
every year that we don’t pay for…some years two, and some between one and
two…it’s all good! J )
**On the list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods…
**On the list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods…
***On the list of the world’s 100 healthiest foods…
****Okra for those who aren’t fans of Okra…yet J !
Roasted – easy and no slime (the main thing that turns
people off from eating Okra)! J
With Tomatoes in a Middle Eastern stew…
9.And now for something completely different…
Are you a fan of rap music? Whether you are or not, you
should check out this video I found (and discover another use for Butternut
Squash, Carrots and Kale!) featuring Stic Man from Dead Prez…and I recognize
the voice of environmental activist Vandana Shiva talking about seeds…
###
