Happy Autumn!
Please be patient! We will be closing the CSA
for approx. 15 minutes from 5:30pm to 5:45pm.
Why? Last week we were missing one bag of Tomatoes at
the end of the night (the Tomatoes were counted twice by two different people
before the start of the CSA, so it’s not because the farm shorted us), and no
one has provided any information/help to solve this mystery. So, to do a better
job of keeping track of our CSA food, we’ll be closing down the CSA at 5:30pm
for as long as it takes to count our food (hopefully no more than 15 minutes
and possibly less). This will be a weekly occurrence until further notice.
CSA weather report…cool, rainy and windy
Still time to sign up for our last CSA farm tour of
the year coming up THIS Saturday, October 15th (see Events
email for details)!
Important…if you send anyone to the CSA to
pick up food for you, please tell them to BRING BAGS!
This email includes…
- What you need to know
- Food safety and
COVID-19…
- Vote early and vote
often (in this case…you can! 😊)
- PRIZES and Seed Saving
- Emergency situations at
the CSA (hurricanes/electronic communication glitches/medical emergencies,
etc.)
- Do you buy Chicken at
Costco? Read this…
- What you actually got
last week
- And now, for something
completely different…
*Anything in any of our CSA 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 physician(s) before
taking any action.
1.What you need to know (will be either new info to
first time CSA members, or reminders/old hat to returning CSA members)…
Most immediate helpful hints…
- Bring at least TWO bags to the CSA EVERY WEEK
for wet and dry food items (and never the twain should meet)
- When packing up your CSA food, start at the left side
of the long table and work your way to the right and out the garden door.
Why? We set out the food to be packed in that order so the heaviest food
items will be on the bottom of your bag, and your food won’t get squished
(another way to make your food go bad faster), and if you separate the wet
from the dry foods you’re doing pretty good on having your food last
longer! 😊
- When you get your food home, if it’s in a plastic bag
take it OUT of the plastic bag and store elsewhere…even if it’s in another
plastic bag (the original bag will be too wet and your food won’t be happy
there for long)
- Plan on using your food in the order of how long it
will reasonably stay fresh (if stored properly). Any questions regarding
what this would be…ask. 😊
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.
Time – 3:30pm to 7:30pm
Place РSky Room Caf̩ in the Cinema Arts
Centre at 423 Park Ave, Huntington
Parking – park in the 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 desk with our friendly CSA worker
- Read the CSA 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 that day what the story is for the day (they should have name tags
on).
Before you leave the CSA – Make sure you have
everything on the list (like the story of the 3 bears…not too much, not too
little, but just right 😊)! If you get to talking
with people, have kids with you, etc., it can be easy to be distracted and if
you get 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.
The list…this is a general list and you’ll be sent another
email within the next week with the detailed list after I get it (which isn’t
till the day of the CSA…the list is subject to change without notice because
farming is like that! 😊 However, most of the
time it’s accurate and if it’s not…usually only one food item will be changed)…
CSA words to live by…when trying any new food 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 Curly Cress/Peppercress) and detoxing…
http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2012/03/detox-with-spring-greens.html
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 #20
October 13, 2022
- Squash, Winter: Honey Nut – 1 pc.
- Beans, Snap: Green – 1 bag
- Scallions – 1 bunch
- Peppers, Sweet – check the CSA Wall Chart
- Radicchio – 1 head
- Sorrel – 1 bunch
Parsley, Italian Flat Leaf AND Sage
2.Food safety and COVID-19…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkvw9lZ3v3I
And read in more detail here…
After keeping the CSA going thru 2020 and 2021 (with
everyone staying healthy using the simple practices of wearing face coverings,
hand washing, and social distancing), this is where we are now at this moment
in time…
- Face coverings are optional
- Hand washing upon entering the theater is STRONGLY
recommended (it’s always a good idea in preventing COVID as well as the
flu and colds)
Why COVID HATES soap (works better than hand sanitizer or
gloves), and we’re talking plain soap, NOT antibacterial soap (the use of which
causes antibiotic resistance which could kill us all ☹)…
https://healthmatters.nyp.org/how-does-handwashing-with-soap-kill-the-coronavirus/
- We will try and keep the CSA area relatively uncrowded
- Enter near the Box Office entrance, and exit thru the
door that leads out to the Cinema garden and upper parking lot stairs
From now till December 15th (our CSA doesn’t end
till December 8th 😊), you can vote for the
Cinema Arts Centre to win the “Best of Long Island” award for 2022 AND you’re
allowed one vote per one person per each day for each category (in this case
the category is Movie Theater). So like I said…vote early (start now 😊),
and vote often 😊!
Here's the link…
https://www.bestoflongisland.com/voting/#/gallery/?group=436121
And since Green Thumb Farm wasn’t nominated for best Farm
Stand (I will try and make that happen next year 😊), I’m voting for Garden
of Eve Organic Farm…
https://www.bestoflongisland.com/voting/#/gallery/?group=436126
Under “Local Raw Honey” I voted for Bees Needs because
that’s owned by the beekeeper, Mary, for our farm…
https://www.bestoflongisland.com/voting/#/gallery/?group=436126
Are any of you out there nominated? If so, let us know any
maybe we’ll vote for you! 😊
Here’s a
contest to win over $270 worth of books that would be useful to the home
gardener interested in growing food…
https://woobox.com/j8dm2o/owq5pl
It’s officially autumn and that means there’s still time to
save seeds from the plants you’ve been growing this year, and save them for
next year.
Seed saving 101…
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-save-seeds/
Some ideas of how/where to store your seeds…
https://www.housedigest.com/1047890/clever-ways-to-store-the-seeds-you-collect-from-your-garden/
And if I was going to get a book about seed saving (which I
think I might 😊), it would be this one (it’s a classic), and
this is where I’d get it from (Mr. Amazon Jeff Bezos doesn’t need any more of
my, or anyone else’s, money…the folks at Chelsea Green do, and they do really
good work for the planet, while Jeff Bezos seems more interested in leaving our
planet behind, and living on Mars or some such place 😊)…
https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/seed-to-seed/
- It’s hurricane season till November 30th
(our CSA’s last day is December 8th)! Farmers are more hardcore
than postal workers so your food will be at the CSA between 3:30pm and
7:30pm on Thursdays, pretty much no matter what. Hurricane Sandy didn’t
stop our CSA. We were at the Unitarian Fellowship in Huntington, and there
was no power and there were tree limbs around the property BUT I checked
out the building to make sure there was no danger being in the building or
entering the property, and with flashlights brought by me, we had our CSA.
If there’s no emails…show up anyway. If there’s some problem/issue with
the food arriving there should be a note on the door of the Cinema letting
you know what’s up (if we’re not already in there waiting for you). In a
storm situation please bring a flashlight/lantern as it could be helpful
for you and those of us at the CSA. Again…show up, and at 3:30pm and
5:30pm if there were no emails please offer to work if you’re able and
available. If you feel it’s not safe/wise for you to venture out, know
that any food left at the end of the CSA will be picked up and donated to
the gang at Community Solidarity. They have NEVER missed a food
distribution day even in snow and ice storms (regardless of the
weather…hungry people will still be hungry if there’s no food to eat).
- Electronic communication is FAR from perfect. IF you
get no CSA emails or responses to your emails on any given week…come to
the CSA anyway. It could be a problem with my laptop, etc. Stuff happens.
- Anything else that might come up (these days…who
knows???)…no emails, etc., come anyway and will do our best to keep
everyone informed as best we can (look for notes on front door of Cinema
if nothing else). The CSA has always happened every week during our 20+
seasons…(lifted from the postal worker motto) - Neither snow nor rain nor
heat nor gloom stays these farmers & CSA crew from the swift
completion of their appointed rounds…to get you your CSA Shares! 😊
- If there’s an emergency
situation in progress, consider offering to help out at the CSA whether
you’re asked to or not.
6.Do you buy Chicken at Costco? Read this…
They could do better…
https://www.tellmebest.com/costco-chicken-animal-abuse/
Alternative local sources for either certified organic
(standards are higher than non-organic meats) or humanely raised ( https://certifiedhumane.org/whos-certified-2/
) Chicken…
Makinajian Farm
Wild by Nature
Whole Foods
Week #19
October 6, 2022
- Squash, Winter: Carnival – 1 pc. - $2.50
- Eggplant: Ping Tung Long – 1 pc. - $1.50
- Carrots – 1 bunch - $5.50
- Lettuce: Escarole OR Crisp, Red – 1 head - $4.00
- Cilantro – 1 bunch - $3.75
- Tomatoes: Paste/Plum/Roma, Red (same thing-different
names) – 1 bag (2 lbs.) - $6.25
Total Amount: $23.50
We pay $20 per week for our CSA share…some weeks we get a
bit more, some a bit less. This week, it was $3.50 over $20.00. Doesn’t sound
like a whole lot, but it adds up over the course of the CSA season (so far the
total is up to $46 over what we paid). We seem to always get at least one CSA
share’s worth of food every year that we didn’t pay for…some years two (so far
it’s a little over two CSA Shares worth), and last year it was almost four
weeks worth extra so we’re talking almost $80 worth of food we got gratis…it’s
all good! 😊
https://www.lovefood.com/gallerylist/52001/the-worlds-most-expensive-ingredients-foods-2020
Events…both near and far
Saturday, October 15th
10am/11am/12pm
Green Thumb Farm CSA Pumpkin Picking Farm Tour
Green Thumb Farm
829 Montauk Hwy.
Water Mill
FREE (to current CSA Members and their immediate family
members)
RSVP to the farm by calling between 9:30am and 4:30pm, M to
Su…
631-726-1900
Pick your tour time, and let’s go! 😊This
is one of the two times we CSA Members get invited to tour our farm and get to
take something home to eat…for FREE! 😊 This is a tractor
pulled wagon farm tour for CSA members and immediate family only! Rain or shine
(unless we’re talking torrential rain/thunder storms).
There will be a 10% discount to all CSA Members who take the
tour on all purchases made at the Green Thumb Farm farm stand after your tour.
Sweet! 😊
Dress appropriately for walking on dirt roads and in the
fields (sandals/high heels not recommended), and for being in the sun during
peak sun exposure hours (sunglasses/hat/sunscreen, etc.). I’ve never gotten
ticks on one of these tours yet, but I’d do a thorough tick check once you got
back home (they have a roving band of marauding Guinea Hens that take care of
eating most of them I believe 😊).
Planning on going to lunch after the last tour at Barrow
Food House in Riverhead (farm-to-table and reasonably priced for the area), and
everyone’s invited (they have indoor and outdoor dining options).
Sunday, October 16th to Wednesday, October
19th
Regenerative Healthcare Conference
Rodale Institute
Kutztown, PA
$2,500 (there’s only 50 spots left and there MAY be
scholarships available but not sure if it’s too late to apply or not)
For more info and to register…
https://rodaleinstitute.org/Regenerative-Healthcare-Conference/
This is an invitation to doctors, nurses, medical students,
nutritionists, health coaches and anyone in the healthcare field, to attend the
first conference of its kind, and first in the world, to connect soil health,
farming and health, bridging the disconnect between farming practices and
health. Some of the speakers that I’m familiar with are Dr. Mark Hyman
(functional medicine MD), and Dr. T. Colin Campbell (vegan superstar known for
his China Study). You will get your hands dirty! 😊
Sunday, October 16th
7:30am to 12pm
Huntington Village Farmers Market
228 Main St.
Huntington
From now till November.
1pm to 4pm
Huntington Environmental Festival
St. John’s Church
1670 NY 25A
Cold Spring Harbor
FREE
For more info…
There will be music from 1pm to 4pm (including longtime CSA
member Katherine Congdon-Caldwell performing at 3:15pm), AND you’ll have the
chance to meet and investigate about 22 local environmental groups (jeez, and I
only know about 9 of them…I think I need to go! 😊).
1pm to 4pm
Wildman Steve Brill
Sunken Meadow State Park
Rt. 908K
Kings Park
Adults - $20/Under 12 years old - $10
For more info and to register…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/tour-calendar
Or call 914-835-2153
If you’ve never gone, do you self a favor and check this
out. A great event for the whole family. If you’ve gone before, you know Steve
is the biggest cornball on the planet 😊 but he’s BRILLIANT when
it comes to knowing his foraged foods. A goal I have is to take at least four
of his tours in one year for each of the seasons. If I get to one this year
I’ll be thrilled. 😊 And if you’re
going…read all his directions and follow all his recommendations! You’ll be
glad you did. 😊
Tuesday, October 18th
10am to 11am
Green Street Radio
WBAI-FM/99.5FM
To listen live or check out the archives…
https://www.wbai.org/program.php?program=365
Join Long Islanders Doug & Patti Wood (founders of the
Port Washington Farmer’s Market…the only all organic greenmarket in New York
State), in their weekly show featuring conversations on health and sustainable
living.
7pm – Volunteers
8:15pm – Drive-thru distribution
Huntington Food Share
Community Solidarity
Fairground Ave. & 6th St.
Huntington Station
FREE
For more info…
https://communitysolidarity.org/foodshares/huntington
To volunteer…
https://communitysolidarity.org/volunteer
Or to make a donation (they REALLY need a new truck)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/donate/funds
Community Solidarity (formerly Long Island Food Not Bombs)
is an amazing group, doing much needed good works. These are the folks our CSA
donates food to (and have for the last several years). If you’d like to
volunteer, make a donation (they REALLY, REALLY need a new truck), or have need
of their services (or know people who might)…get in touch/get information via
their website (listed above).
They also need/accept donations of the following…Bicycles,
Books, Clothing, Flowers (good for general mental health…taking care of the
mind AND the body), Food, Medical Care (is there a Doctor or Dentist in the
house? 😊), Plants/Seedlings, School Supplies, Toys
and more. For details on donating items, please go to the Home Page, scroll to
Donate, and read the appropriate listing (and scroll to Material Goods to see
the topics not initially listed)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/
Here’s founder Jon Stepanian’s TED Talk (TEDxNYU) on
Community Solidarity and Hunger Relief…
https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_stepanian_community_solidarity_hunger_relief
Sunday, October 23rd
7:30am to 12pm
Huntington Village Farmers Market
228 Main St.
Huntington
From now till November.
Tuesday, October 25th
10am to 11am
Green Street Radio
WBAI-FM/99.5FM
To listen live or check out the archives…
https://www.wbai.org/program.php?program=365
Join Long Islanders Doug & Patti Wood (founders of the
Port Washington Farmer’s Market…the only all organic greenmarket in New York
State), in their weekly show featuring conversations on health and sustainable
living.
7pm – Volunteers
8:15pm – Drive-thru distribution
Huntington Food Share
Community Solidarity
Fairground Ave. & 6th St.
Huntington Station
FREE
For more info…
https://communitysolidarity.org/foodshares/huntington
To volunteer…
https://communitysolidarity.org/volunteer
Or to make a donation (they REALLY need a new truck)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/donate/funds
Community Solidarity (formerly Long Island Food Not Bombs)
is an amazing group, doing much needed good works. These are the folks our CSA
donates food to (and have for the last several years). If you’d like to
volunteer, make a donation (they REALLY, REALLY need a new truck), or have need
of their services (or know people who might)…get in touch/get information via
their website (listed above).
They also need/accept donations of the following…Bicycles,
Books, Clothing, Flowers (good for general mental health…taking care of the
mind AND the body), Food, Medical Care (is there a Doctor or Dentist in the
house? 😊), Plants/Seedlings, School Supplies, Toys
and more. For details on donating items, please go to the Home Page, scroll to
Donate, and read the appropriate listing (and scroll to Material Goods to see
the topics not initially listed)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/
Here’s founder Jon Stepanian’s TED Talk (TEDxNYU) on
Community Solidarity and Hunger Relief…
https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_stepanian_community_solidarity_hunger_relief
Saturday, October 29th
9am to 1pm
Fig Sale & Swap
Restoration Farm
140 Bethpage-Sweet Hollow Rd.
Old Bethpage
FREE
Have gig cuttings to sell or swap? Want to try growing Figs
in your yard/garden? Then this is the event for you!
Sunday, October 30th
7:30am to 12pm
Huntington Village Farmers Market
228 Main St.
Huntington
From now till November.
4:30pm to 7pm
CSA Culinary Extravaganza for October
Bunna Café
1084 Flushing Ave
Brooklyn
To attend please RSVP - your name (and number
of people in your party AND if you’d like to reserve an outdoor or separate
indoor table for yourself/your party…if you don’t mention anything will assume
you’ll be with the group table)) by either replying to this email, or leaving a
voice message at 631-421-4864 (24/7 land line…do not text).
Check out the website to get an idea of what the food will
be like (I’ll be getting the feast for 2 and sharing with Dylan…everything is
so good we always want to try everything they have) as well as the price
points. It’s very easy to share a feast for 2 with anyone because the way the
food is served, each half of the large plate is a meal for one person (very
convenient 😊). Will probably also be getting a cup of
Tosign Tea…Thyme and Ginger!
And here’s some info on how to go about eating Ethiopian
food (if you are not comfortable eating with your hands, they will provide
silverware)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvKjTtl4vWU&ab_channel=NowThisNews
If there’s room in one’s stomach and the desire, we’ll head
over to Van Leeuwen’s for dessert (glocal Ice Cream…dairy/vegan/gluten-free
options…only their Ice Cream bars are Kosher, but not sure if they have them at
their Scoop Shops or just sell them in grocery stores).
And, there will be a free raffle for all those attending (it
will be a nifty prize that you WILL want 😊).
We did this event for the first time a few years ago, and
everyone who came enjoyed the food and had a good time.
Tuesday, November 1st
10am to 11am
Green Street Radio
WBAI-FM/99.5FM
To listen live or check out the archives…
https://www.wbai.org/program.php?program=365
Join Long Islanders Doug & Patti Wood (founders of the
Port Washington Farmer’s Market…the only all organic greenmarket in New York
State), in their weekly show featuring conversations on health and sustainable
living.
7pm – Volunteers
8:15pm – Drive-thru distribution
Huntington Food Share
Community Solidarity
Fairground Ave. & 6th St.
Huntington Station
FREE
For more info…
https://communitysolidarity.org/foodshares/huntington
To volunteer…
https://communitysolidarity.org/volunteer
Or to make a donation (they REALLY need a new truck)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/donate/funds
Community Solidarity (formerly Long Island Food Not Bombs)
is an amazing group, doing much needed good works. These are the folks our CSA
donates food to (and have for the last several years). If you’d like to
volunteer, make a donation (they REALLY, REALLY need a new truck), or have need
of their services (or know people who might)…get in touch/get information via
their website (listed above).
They also need/accept donations of the following…Bicycles,
Books, Clothing, Flowers (good for general mental health…taking care of the
mind AND the body), Food, Medical Care (is there a Doctor or Dentist in the
house? 😊), Plants/Seedlings, School Supplies, Toys
and more. For details on donating items, please go to the Home Page, scroll to
Donate, and read the appropriate listing (and scroll to Material Goods to see the
topics not initially listed)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/
Here’s founder Jon Stepanian’s TED Talk (TEDxNYU) on
Community Solidarity and Hunger Relief…
https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_stepanian_community_solidarity_hunger_relief
Sunday, November 6th
7:30am to 12pm
Huntington Village Farmers Market
228 Main St.
Huntington
From now till November.
11:30am to 2:30pm
Wildman Steve Brill
Belmont Lake State Park
625 Belmont Ave.
West Babylon
Adults - $20/Under 12 years old - $10
For more info and to register…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/tour-calendar
Or call 914-835-2153
If you’ve never gone, do you self a favor and check this
out. A great event for the whole family. If you’ve gone before, you know Steve
is the biggest cornball on the planet 😊 but he’s BRILLIANT when
it comes to knowing his foraged foods. A goal I have is to take at least four
of his tours in one year for each of the seasons. If I get to one this year
I’ll be thrilled. 😊 And if you’re
going…read all his directions and follow all his recommendations! You’ll be
glad you did. 😊
Sunday, November 13th
7:30am to 12pm
Huntington Village Farmers Market
228 Main St.
Huntington
From now till November.
Saturday, November 19th
12:30pm to 3:30pm
Wildman Steve Brill
Sunken Meadow State Park
Rt. 908K
Kings Park
Adults - $20/Under 12 years old - $10
For more info and to register…
https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/tour-calendar
Or call 914-835-2153
If you’ve never gone, do you self a favor and check this
out. A great event for the whole family. If you’ve gone before, you know Steve
is the biggest cornball on the planet 😊 but he’s BRILLIANT when
it comes to knowing his foraged foods. A goal I have is to take at least four
of his tours in one year for each of the seasons. If I get to one this year
I’ll be thrilled. 😊 And if you’re
going…read all his directions and follow all his recommendations! You’ll be
glad you did. 😊
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