GWCSA News

Sign up information coming soon!

2011-01-11T23:36:00.003-05:00

We will likely begin sign ups for returning members in the beginning of February and new members soon after. Returning members will be emailed when sign ups begin. If you are new member, go to the home page and give us your email using the form on the right (titled "Join the 2011 Interested Mailing List!").

Share items for Oct 20, 23

2010-10-20T19:07:00.000-04:00

Share items for Oct 20, 23:

2 lb Sweet potatoes
2 red tomatoes (NOT 2 lb, just two tomatoes)
1 bu braising greens
1 spaghetti squash
1 bu parsley
1 bu collard greens (approx 6 leaves if not bunched)
.5 lb Green beans
1 bag mesclun

Fruit share: 2 asian pears, 1 bosc pear (if included at share site), 7 empire apples, 2 golden delicious apples.

Flower share: 1 pot organically grown hardy fall chrysanthemum! It will keep blooming hopefully almost till Thanksgiving, if you keep it well watered (probably needs to be watered almost every day).

Farm News and Share Contents for October 13th and 16th

2010-10-13T13:37:00.000-04:00

Farm News From Eve: "This is by far the latest we've had tomatoes for the CSA. With the cooler nights and warm days, the greens are also doing very well, with some nice arugula and beautiful head lettuces that are once again managing to bolt in the field earlier than we'd like (i.e. before we eat them all).

We also have some amazing beds of dill and cilantro, so those will keep coming into the fall. We've been digging the many beds of potatoes, so you'll be getting potatoes this week and many weeks into the future.

Fortunately we have a 2-row potato digger, which we did a lot of mechanical work on this past summer, so it is going pretty quickly -- there are about 20 beds of potatoes! We will also start digging sweet potatoes at the end of the week -- by hand. This goes more slowly. We're guessing this will be one of our best sweet potato years ever. Sweet potatoes love the heat, and we had plenty of that!"

Share items for Oct 12 and 14:

2 lb satina and red gold (varieties) potatoes
4 red tomatoes (about 2 lb)
1 bu arugula
1 bu sweet salad turnips
1 head lettuce
5 Baby bok choi heads
.5 lb Green beans
1 bu dill

Fruit share
1 lb plums, 1 lb sekel pears (mini-pears), 3 bosc pears, 4 Jonagold apples. This is the last week for plums and sekel pears!

Egg Share
1/2 Dozen Eggs

Flower Share
Zinnias, larkspur, sunflowers, celosia, cosmos, etc.

REMINDER: Flower shares end on Oct 22 - this is the next-to-last week for flowers!

SHARE CONTENTS OCTOBER 6TH AND 9TH

2010-10-05T15:25:00.000-04:00

tomatoes

peppers

1 bu Collard greens

1 bag mesclun

1 head lettuce

Baby bok choi

Broccoli Rabe

Green beans

1 bu parsley OR cilantro

Fruit share: 2 lb plums, 2 lb sekel pears (mini-pears), apples

Flower share: zinnias, larkspur, sunflowers, celosia, cosmos, etc.

Share Items for September 29th and October 2nd

2010-09-29T15:17:00.000-04:00

2 tomatoes

1 bu French Breakfast Radishes

.5 lb string beans

1 bag mesclun

1 head lettuce

1 bu Arugula

1 bu braising greens

1 bu sweet salad turnips OR radishes

1 bu parsley

Fruit share: 2 lb plums, 5 apples

Flower share: zinnias, larkspur, sunflowers, celosia, cosmos, etc.

EASIEST, QUICKEST, YUMMIEST TOMATO SOUP RECIPE EVER

2010-09-22T12:48:00.000-04:00

I love tomatoes, but when we're getting over 5 pounds of them every week even I have trouble figuring out what to do with them all! Until I discovered this recipe:

EASIEST, QUICKEST, YUMMIEST TOMATO SOUP RECIPE EVER

Serves 2

Ingredients:
About 4 medium-large tomatoes (if you're not sure, err on the side of two many rather than too few)
1 medium onion
4-6 cloves garlic (or more to taste)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Plus (these are optional add-ins):
Peppers
Celery
Carrots
Basil
Parsley
Chicken or Vegetable stock
Milk
Creme Fraiche
Sour Cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour about 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9 x 12 casserole dish so that the bottom is completely covered. Slice onions and add to casserole dish. Add whole garlic cloves to casserole dish. Slice tomatoes into wedges and add to casserole dish. Then I recommend adding a couple of sliced peppers if you have them on hand, or a couple stalks of chopped celery, or a couple of sliced carrots, or all of the above! Add salt and pepper, then stir it all up with a wooden spoon to coat with olive oil and roast in oven for 45-50 minutes.

Then, pour everything into a blender and blend until smooth. At this point you may want to add your chopped basil or parsley, or some milk. A lot of tomato soup recipes call for chicken or vegetable stock, and if you have some on hand, go for it, but I usually do without. And if you've added some peppers/celery/carrots I feel like it doesn't need the extra flavor that the stock will give it (especially if it's store-bought stock, which is often so strongly flavored that it will overpower everything else).

Finally, after portioning to bowls, add a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream.

Serve with a salad or, if it's chilly out, grilled cheese!

SHARE ITEMS FOR SEPTEMBER 22ND AND 25TH

2010-09-22T12:22:00.000-04:00

5 lb tomatoes

1 bu French Breakfast Radishes

.5 lb string beans

2 stalks Edamame (soybeans for steaming and eating fresh)

.5 lb mesclun OR 1 head lettuce

1 bu Arugula

1 bu braising greens

1 bulb garlic

1 lb beets

1 bu parsley, cilantro, OR sage

1 pint plum tomatoes

Fruit share Sat: 2 lb plums, 2 lb sekel pears, apples

Flower share: zinnias, larkspur, sunflowers, celosia, etc.

SHARE ITEMS FOR SEPTEMBER 15TH AND 18TH

2010-09-15T16:17:00.000-04:00

This Week's Share Info

(Reminder: share contents may change)

Vegetable Share:

2 lbs. tomatoes
1 pint plum tomatoes
1 bag arugula
1 bag mesclun
1 bunch turnips OR 1 head bok choy
1 winter squash
1 herb bunch (choose from variety)
1 bunch broccoli rabe

Fruit Share:

2 lb plums
4 apples
4 pears
2 peaches

Egg Share:

1/2 dozen of our pastured eggs!

Flower Share:

zinnias, larkspur, sunflowers, celosia, etc.

MEET VANESSA, A GWCSA "CORE MEMBER"

2010-08-24T16:19:00.000-04:00

To help you get to know the GWCSA "core group" a little bit better , we sat down with Vanessa (okay, we might both have been sitting down, but we were in front of different computers in different places!) and posed some tough and hard-hitting questions about what she does for the CSA and why she does it!

Q: What's your coordinator position?

A: Special Events Coordinator

Q: How long have you been in this coordinator position?

A: This is my second full season.

Q: Have you had any other coordinator positions besides this one?

A: Nope, although I did help the CSA incorporate last year.

Q: How long have you been in the Core Group?

A: Second-and-a-half year in the core group.

Q: How long have you been a member of the GWCSA?

A: This is my 4th season.

Q: Have you been a member of any other CSA?

A: Unfortunately, no.

Q: What are your coordinator responsibilities?

A: I get to plan parties with vegetables! We have annual events like the Farmer Meet-and-Greet Potluck, the Harvest Dinner, and a few arranged trips to the farm. This year I'm excited to announce some upcoming cooking classes, and the Potluck Club (where CSA members take turns hosting and attending potlucks).

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a GWCSA Coordinator?

A: Figuring out fun ways for the CSA community to get together.

Q: What is your least favorite thing about being a GWCSA Coordinator?

A: When I have a great idea and no one returns my email / phone call!

Q: Why is CSA important to you?

A: Because of the CSA I now have a direct relationship with the folks that grow probably half the food I eat. It's assuring to know how dedicated they are, that they pay fair wages, and that the land actually benefits from their growing methods.

Q: What are some of your favorite CSA vegetables or fruits?

A: Kale, rainbow chard, beets, strawberries

Q: What are some of your least favorite CSA vegetables or fruits?

A: Kolrabi and when there's too much lettuce at one time.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a CSA member?

A: It's a tie: the vegetables and getting to know like-minded neighbors who feel a sense of responsibilty on how to spend their food dollars.

Q: What is your least favorite thing about being a CSA member?

A: Getting to pickup before noon on Saturdays.

Q: Do you have any advice for new CSA members?

A: Go to the farm. Talk to Chris and Eve. Once you see the positive environmental impact of the way they farm it's difficult to go back to the grocery store.

AUGUST 2010 FARM TRIP

2010-08-24T15:53:00.000-04:00

It was a great day, Chris and Eve gave tours of the fields and the members saw firsthand how essential daily irrigation has been this summer. The irrigation tape on a row of eggplants had been chewed through (probably by a mouse looking for water) and it killed the whole row of what looked like hundreds of eggplants. On the positive side we tasted the some absolutely gorgeous and supersweet sungold cherry tomatoes, there were tons of hot peppers, and the chickens were lively and happy.

CSA members got to munch on some yummy blackberries and were able to pick a half pint of the fruit to take home!

Kids were offered a ride on a tractor-train and some intrepid members took a dip into the chilly waters of the Long Island Sound - beautiful but the weather wasn't hot enough for good long swim. A group of swans found it to their liking, though, and came over to check us out.

THIS WEEK'S SHARE CONTENTS

2010-08-24T15:42:00.000-04:00

"Yes we are happy about the rain. Glad at least a few of you are too. Thanks to those who have sent rain empathy messages!" - Eve

Share items for August 25,28:
3 ears corn

2 red tomatoes

2 large heirloom tomatoes (great white, Cherokee purple, mortgage lifter, brandywine)

1 medium heirloom tomato

2 small garlic

2 red, yellow, or green peppers

1 bag mesclun

1 bag arugula

1 bunch/plant basil

Possible: .5 pint cherry tomatoes. If they are not there it means they’re not in the share

Fruit share: 1 Garden of Eve grown organic watermelon, AND 6 peaches white or yellow, AND either 6 nectarines OR 6 pears (depending on location)

Flower share: zinnias, larkspur, sunflowers, celosia, etc.

Farm to Folk Fest a Great Success!

2010-08-24T15:38:00.000-04:00

Thank you everyone that came out on a rainy Sunday afternoon to show their support for the GWCSA and for the GWCSA Low Income Fund! The show was a great success: we raised over $2000 for the GWCSA Low Income Fund! Here are some pictures for anyone who missed it.

The beautiful Farm to Folk Fest poster (thanks to GWCSA member Rebecca W.!).

Kimberly C. (Farm to Folk's publicist and GWCSA member, thanks Kim!) and Vanessa H. (GWCSA Events Coordinator, the woman behind the whole thing! Good job, Vanessa!)

The Madison Square Gardeners

Pearl and the Beard

Mia Riddle

Vegan baked goods from bakesalery

Refreshing watermelonade

Chutney from DP Chutney Collective

Pickles from Sour Puss Pickles

RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH TOMATOES AND ZUCCHINI

2010-08-16T18:53:00.021-04:00

Here is my recipe for Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Zucchini. This recipe is quick (30 minutes start to finish) and easy.

Ingredients

For "sauce":

1 medium zucchini

2 medium tomoatoes

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

Olive Oil

For gnocchi:

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/3 finely grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

salt / pepper

Plus:

1/4 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped basil

Before you do anything, put a large put of salted water on the stove to boil. Then preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add a few tablespoons olive oil to a large casserole dish. Chop up the zucchini and tomatoes, and cut in half the cherry tomatoes. Add them all to the casserole dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn on the broiler and roast veggies for an additional 5-10 minutes (time depends on how "cooked" you like your veggies).

While the veggies are in the oven, make the gnocchi.

Beat together the egg, the ricotta, the finely grated parmesan, and the salt and pepper with an electric mixer (or, if you're strong, with a whisk).

Consistency should be as below.

Using your dough hook attachment, slowly add the cup of flour. (Or, if you don't have a mixer or dough hook attachment, use a wooden spoon or your hands)

Use 2 teaspoons to form gnocchi. Scoop up a rounded teaspoon of batter, then use second spoon to scoop mixture off spoon and into boiling water (you want each dumpling to be about the size of a grape).

Boil in batches (about 10-12 to a batch).

Boil each batch for about 4-5 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.

About this time your veggies should be ready.

Divide gnocchi into 2 bowls, spoon on tomato/zucchini sauce, and top with coarsely grated parmesan and chopped basil.

Devour!

MEMBER SHARED RECIPE: Pan Fried Flounder with DELICIOUS Tomato Dill Sauce

2010-08-16T18:13:00.002-04:00

This recipe was sent to us by Lewis, a GWCSA member. Thanks, Lewis!

Howdy, here is a recipe that I just made yesterday, and it turned out so well that I had to write it up and share.
Lewis

Pan Fried Flounder with DELICIOUS Tomato Dill Sauce
I made some dill butter with the dill we received earlier in the season and have been waiting for a prime opportunity to use it. I've wanted to use it with fish, but every Saturday we either miss the farm market, cannot cook that day, or forget to stop at the fish monger stand. This morning I finally picked up a large flounder fillet ($10) for consumption soon. Well, the dish I just ate was good enough to be the first recipe I've ever felt inclined to write up. The sauce could certainly be applied to other fare, should you choose not to have fish, but it was good with the flounder.

Sauce:
3 tbsp Irish butter, or any other butter for that matter
1 tbsp dill butter (my dill butter is very densely populated with dill)
1 extra large yellow tomato from the Wed share
½ cu Gewurz 2009 Mendocino County Gewurztraminer wine
2 cloves shredded garlic
1 tsp salt

Stuff:
Large flounder fillet
flour
8 large slices zucchini (¾ in thick cut)
more dill butter!
Pepper to taste

Start sauce first. Melt butter in a saucepan. I used Irish butter b/c my roommate left it in the fridge, but I honestly don't think it matters. I have never been able to tell the difference between any butters. I think it is BS! Take a large ~ ½ lb tomato. Make sure it's a delicious one, because I found that the tomato is what really carried this dish. I chose a yellow one from the Wed share, and it was absolutely the correct choice. Peel this tomato and chop it up. You can seed it or not, but I don't like to remove anything if possible, and I enjoyed the seeds to add texture to the sauce. Cook the tomato in the butter on medium low heat until it has reduced to a lumpy sauce. Add the garlic, salt, and wine (I think the Gewurz was a great pairing, but any dry white wine should be fine). Simmer for ~ 30 min.

Once you have the sauce on simmer mode, sauté the zucchini in dill butter in a large saucepan to whatever consistency you wish, but fork soft is what I consider ideal. Remove from pan and set aside. While the zucchini is cooking, dredge the fish in plenty of flour. I used whole wheat and it came out well. Add pepper to taste. After removing the zucchini, add some more dill butter and sauté the fish quickly on both sides, turning only once. Serve over the zucchini slices, topped with the sauce.

FARM UPDATE: Rain, Rain, Come Back To Us

2010-08-16T17:52:00.002-04:00

by Chris Kaplan-Walbrecht

This summer has had two parts for us – a drought in June and July, then 2 weeks of normal rains, and now another drought period. Do you have houseplants? You know what happens when you forget to water them. It's the same for us – except we have 40 acres of plants, probably over a million plants all growing at the same time. If it doesn't rain for long enough, no matter how many resources we've put into seeding them, transplanting them, and caring for them – they will die. And watering is a LOT of work on a farm.

Watering plants at Garden of Eve farm is done in many different ways based on crop type, potential for disease pressure, transplanted or direct seeded. We'd like to get rain once a week, equal to one inch of water on the ground. We hope for gentle rains that also waters cover crops which are things like clover, wheat, buckwheat, peas, vetch, and many others. These crops need water too but we don't have the time or money to provide the water at the rate they need during dry times. If we don't get those rains, we have to put down one inch on our crops, using our irrigation.

We use drip irrigation tape under the plant roots that provides water where the plant needs it and mulches cover the wet zone so weeds have difficulty growing through it. This is the perfect year for most of these crops. They like water and heat. Dry leaves on these plants usually mean less disease. Drip irrigation is a great match for these crops and that's why you are receiving large amounts of tomatoes, peppers and melons this year.

Overhead watering is used at Garden of Eve Farm to get water on cooler weather crops like lettuce, beets, carrots, kale, broccoli, and cabbage. These crops prefer to grow in the cooler spring and fall. We are planting seed and transplants now for fall harvest. Growing and starting them requires first that transplants be started in the greenhouse until they are big enough to plant out. In the greenhouse it's easier for us to provide water and sometimes shade in a wind, insect and disease free environment.

But once they are planted out in the field, keeping these little guys alive is a big challenge. Especially this year due to the hot and dry conditions. The flea beetle is one of our worst enemies and this year it has been extremely bad. Smaller than a pin head, this bug thrives in these dry conditions and its favorite food is arugula, cabbage, Kale, broccoli and turnips. They hop around and then feed on the leaves poking holes until the leaf is completely eaten. That is why arugula, bok choi, and many others in the "brassica" plant family often have holes in the leaves when they come to you. We aren't happy about this, but we do our best to prevent it and sometimes even that is not good enough. Some people say, the extra air from the holes in the leaves makes them low-calorie greens!

Keeping the soil and leaves cool and wet helps but there is no organic approved spray that controls or reduces flea beetles' population. Covering these crops with fabric sheets called "row cover" provides a barrier if placed immediately after planting. Finding time to manage these tasks of planting, watering, covering and then uncovering to weed and cultivate is a challenge during time of tomato harvest. Watering these plants requires an overhead source in our system. This is done with aluminum pipe with sprinklers we lay by hand (they are very heavy!) and then moved (also by hand) to the next location after 2 hours of watering.

Preparing the fields for planting is also challenging without rain or water. Since we use cover crops to loosen soil and build organic matter we first need to mow them down and mix it in the soil so it can decay. If there is no rain, the micro organisms in the soil can't do their work of breaking down the dead leaves of the cover crops we have tilled under. If the cover crop doesn't decay, this can delay planting. Even once the field is ready to plant into, we usually try to encourage the weed seeds to germinate before we plant, so we can get rid of them. This requires water too.

Of course, dry conditions are good for a few things. Dryness is good for preventing the fungal diseases that struck down so many crops last year, including the tomato blight. Some weeds grow slower without water… but some don't! It's good for farmers market sales on Saturdays. That's about it though. The bottom line is, we're growing living things, and they need water!

NEWS FROM THE FARM

2010-08-13T11:46:00.002-04:00

The heirloom tomatoes are coming in strong, with (hopefully) no sign of late blight in our area. Now that we are later in the sweet corn season (which started in mid July), the earworms pick up steam and get into a larger percentage of the ears. That is just a fact of life of organic production, as contrasted with conventional farmers who are spraying highly toxic chemicals on their corn every three days or so. We have heard stories of members not taking our organic corn at the CSA distributions because they are afraid of a few small worms – this makes us sad. We work very hard to bring you super sweet corn for you to enjoy, it is a highlight of our season and we hope it is a highlight of yours. Thanks to those of you who have sent encouraging comments on this subject. We are happy when you are happy. So this week we are going through nearly every corn ear before we distribute it, and are snapping off any affected tips, or shucking the corn entirely to make sure it is clean, and then distribute it in bags. So if you get a slightly shorter ear, or even a worm, this is why.

Also, we have noticed that the sungold tomatoes don’t seem to be lasting as long as they usually do- they seem more fragile this year, crushing more easily. We are not sure why. It may have something to do with the heat. In any case, if you get a mixed container, just wash it out at home and discard anything broken, the good ones will still be fine. Please know we don’t ever intend for you to receive anything damaged obviously, we spend hundreds of man-hours each week going through the produce, culling, and packaging it so it arrives at your CSA in good shape. However sometimes our best efforts are thwarted.

Heirloom tomatoes being harvested this week are Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, and Great White. These are three of our favorite varieties. Great White in particular is a little-known, low-acid, very delicious tomato. Yes they are delicate!! If you come near the end of distribution, there will be some which are damaged, split, etc. Again we do our best culling but they do get damaged en route (by each other, in the crates), that is why you can NOT buy them ANYWHERE in stores. If you get a damaged tomato cut it up and roast it it will be delicious. I made a pizza from these last week. Also Emeril has a great “roasted tomato and zucchini gallette” in his new cookbook. With goat cheese and puff pastry! How can you beat that? - Eve

From right to left: Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, and Great White

MEET GRIFFIN THOMAS, A GWCSA "CORE MEMBER"

2010-08-10T13:25:00.004-04:00

To help you get to know the GWCSA "core group" a little bit better , we sat down with Griffin (okay, we might both have been sitting down, but we were in front of different computers in different places!) and posed some tough and hard-hitting questions about what he does for the CSA and why he does it!

What is your coordinator position? Well, I don't have a specific coordinator position this year. I like to think of myself as a coordinator at-large. I've been helping out this year's Wednesday Distribution Coordinator, Katie McHugh. (I had that job last year.) I have also been helping out with the Saturday distribution and dabbling with exploring new products and long term organizational work for the CSA. I also manage the compost project at the church which is integrally tied in the the CSA.
How long have you been in the Core Group? I have been part of the core group for over three years now. I am the pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Messiah, the location of the Wednesday evening distribution. In December of 2007, the core group and Garden of Eve Farm approached the congregation about hosting the Wednesday distribution. I started working with the core group to help get the then new distribution going in June of 2008. I have been working with the leadership of the CSA ever since.
Can you tell me more about the development of the Wednesday site? In 2008, Star Black was the Wednesday Distribution Coordinator. She did a great job getting things going. Last year, no one else was able to commit to being the distribution coordinator, so I did it -- with a lot of help from other core members. This year Katie is doing an excellent job. In this third season, we have added about 40 shares to what we started with in 2008. The composting at the church has also grown with the church. We started out with one bin for leaves in 2006. In 2008, we got two more bins so that members could bring in their organic waste and so that we could compost all the waste from the distribution. In 2009, we added an additional two for a total of five bins out front. This season, we have added three tumblers. They are located in the alley. The CSA purchased two of them and we got the other from the North Brooklyn Compost Project at McCarren Park. We compost approximately 3 tons (yes 6000 pounds) of kitchen waste per year -- keeping organic waste out of the waste stream and making some wonderful dirt.
How long have you been a member of the GWCSA? This is my fourth season. In 2007, I picked up at McCarren. It was quite a haul for me, plus I work on the weekends. I was so glad when we started the Wednesday site.
Have you been a member of any other CSA? I had not. I had friends who were. I moved to New York in 2004, and it took me a while to make the commitment. I am so glad that I did.
What are your coordinator responsibilities? I am lucky enough to not have a set list of responsibilities so I get to follow my passions as well as helping out others with their duties. It is a wonderful place to be. I will probably take another official coordinator position again sometime in the future.
What is your favorite thing about being a GWCSA Coordinator? I enjoy being part of the leadership of such a wonderful organization that is doing so much for the community and the earth.
What is your least favorite thing about being a GWCSA Coordinator? It is sometimes frustrating to me that we are not able to get the help that we need to make things always go seamlessly. I know there are so many talented people who are part of the CSA, and I wish we were better able to connect individuals to what needs to be done. Sometimes it seems like the same people are asked over and over to bear the brunt of the workload. I realize that's the nature of a volunteer organization -- I deal with that every day in my day job.
Why is CSA important to you? I love the connections that the CSA makes -- between individual members, between city dwellers and the farmers, between CSA and the hungry in our neighborhood. Our world frequently seems so disconnected and segmented. The CSA is a place to make those connections again. I have really enjoyed getting to know other members. In 2008, there were a lot of people who were pregnant. Last year, we had lots of babies. This summer, the space is often full of wonderful children who are getting so articulate and adorable.
What are some of your favorite CSA vegetables or fruits? I am a tomato maniac. I also love Garden of Eve carrots. They are like nothing else I have ever tasted.
What are some of your least favorite CSA vegetables or fruits? I like them all. I get frustrated with myself when I find some mushy veggies in the back of the frig or some slimy lettuce in the crisper.
Do you have any favorite recipes you'd like to share? I don't really cook from recipes. I get that from my mother and now I am an acolyte of Mark Bittman. I love to make pesto. I make it out of anything green -- of course basil, but also arugula, cilantro, pea shoots, garlic scapes, parsley -- I once make it out of mesclun. I am also a fan of roasting just about anything in some good olive oil. It is too hot to do that these days, though.
Do you know anything about the art in the room where the Wednesday distribution takes place? I sure do. I commissioned the local artist Carolin Wood to create a piece that would bring together the themes of nature and spirituality. The congregation worships downstairs in July and August because it is a bit cooler and more intimate. I wanted something to set the tone for worship, the CSA distribution, and everything else that happens down there. The piece is called "The Flock." It makes me so happy every time I see it.
What else happens in that space? There are lots of things that happen in the space including activities for kids, theater rehearsals, and clothing swaps. There are always things coming and going. The Greenpoint Food Market operated there from last fall until May. The market is currently taking a break to regroup after we found that more permits were required than initially thought. The market was so fabulous and popular that it grew too fast and got too much publicity (including a NY Times story that pushed us over the edge.) I worked with Joann Kim really hard for the market to be a place where people could test their locally made artisan products (which almost always used local and organic ingredients) and the church could make some money. I thought we were in the long standing tradition of churches holding bazaars and markets, but unfortunately the health department didn't agree. We are hoping that some of the regulations and laws might be changed. I am also investigating the possibility of transforming the church kitchen into an incubator kitchen.
Any last words? Perhaps some advice for new CSA members? Food is a community issue. Food is an economic issue. Food is an environmental issue. Food is a justice issue.Get involved -- come to events, interact with others at distribution, volunteer for something, donate to the low income fund, send in a recipe for the newsletter -- and enjoy the CSA with all it has to offer.

FARM TO FOLK FEST: SUNDAY, AUGUST 22ND

2010-08-03T11:48:00.008-04:00

We invite you to FARM TO FOLK FEST, a benefit concert and artisanal food fair on Sunday, August 22nd at Union Pool featuring live music from local musicians and goods from local food vendors to help raise money for the Greenpoint-Williamsburg CSA’s (GWCSA) Low Income Fund.

Local and sustainably conscious bands Mia Riddle, Pearl and the Beard, and The Madison Square Gardeners will be performing in the outdoor courtyard of Union Pool. DJ Jess Ramsay will provide additional tunes.

Artisanal food vendors including Bakesalery, The Brooklyn Salsa Company, Cheshire Canning, The DP Chutney Collective, Sour Puss Pickles and Los Rebeldes Mexican Home Cooking will be on site selling their yummy wares from 3-8pm.

The GWCSA will be asking guests for a suggested $12 donation at the door with all proceeds directly benefiting the GWCSA’s Low Income Fund.

Children are welcome when accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Co-sponsors include: Brooklyn Kitchen, Greenpoint Food Market, GrowNYC Greenmarket, Just Food, Sixpoint Craft Ale, and Sound Fix Records.

See you there!

Bringing Organic Sweet Corn Back to Long Island

2010-07-26T19:02:00.001-04:00

By: Abha Gupta

Eve and Chris Walbrecht from Garden of Eve Organic Farm, started farming in 2001 on their 80-acre Long Island property, and in 2004 they were cultivating 5-8 of the acres to satiate their 150+ member community-shared agriculture, sell to their farm stand and farmers’ markets, keep 200 laying hens, and grow flowers, in addition to raising a son and daughter, and the farm has grown since. These new farmers have had their plates full as they dig their hands in soil to tend for over 75 varieties of vegetables, yet maintained vivacity for experimentation. “We’re always willing to try something once,” described Eve. And with that notion, the Walbrechts were ready to attempt growing organic sweet corn in 2004, when very few farmers in Long Island did so, given European corn borer moth and corn earworm pest problems and issues with providing the fast-growing crop enough nutrients. The farmers sought funding through a SARE grant to assist them with the organic corn endeavor and were ready to test what fruits could come from their labor.

COMBATNG THE PESTS AND FEEDIN’ THE CORN

Eve and Chris set out to deter the European corn borer moth and corn earworm from pestering their 4 plantings of organic sweet corn. They chose Silver Queen white and Quickie bicolor sweet corn and directly seeded the corn in the warm late-May soil. The couple selected Entrust pest deterrent, which was said by their technical advisor, Dan Gilrhein, Extension Entomologist for Cornell Cooperative Extension at the Long Island Horticulture Research and Extension Center, to perform better than Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Entrust is made through the fermentation of living organisms and will kill pests upon ingestion or contact, while Bt is made from bacterium that produce toxic proteins and kills upon ingestion only. Entrust was mixed with organic corn oil and the Walbrechts hoped to use the “Zea Later” oil applicator from Johnny’s seeds but unfortunately discovered it was sold out, “guess it is popular!” they exclaimed. As a replacement, a backpack sprayer was used.

To address the issue of nutrient deficiency, the farm selected an Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) –certified powdered fertilizer from the organic fertilizer producer company, Fertrell. Fowl friends also helped with fertilizer, as the Walbrechts used their composted chicken manure on the crop as well.

Chris monitored the crop for pests using methods that Dan had showed. Dan helped set up pheromone traps with pheromone lures to attract the pests and therefore help determine the level of threat to the crop and the timing of appropriate responses.

TASTE THE SWEETNESS

Growing the corn proved to be challenging, but not quite as hard as the Walbrechts had expected. The pheromone traps were helpful in showing Chris when the corn borers were present and therefore spraying was needed. The corn plantings proved to be successful as damage was low early in the season, at approximately 20%. Damage increased with the later plantings, however, overall the Walbrechts and their customers were pleased with the results. The corn was distributed in their CSA and customers loved the corn. Corn is a vegetable with which they are very familiar, know how to cook and “their kids liked it.”

Since the first trial year of growing corn, the Walbrechts have continued to grow the crop and actually expanded it. They have experimented with more effective fertilizers, natural predators against the corn borer moth like bats and barn owls, and a tractor mounted sprayer, which is more efficient than the backpack sprayer. As Chris and Eve brought organic corn to Long Island, they shared their knowledge on the crop with other farmers during a field day in 2005. With the barbecue grill going, the Walbrechts told farmers about the techniques they used for this well-received crop. Since then, most other farmers began including corn in their CSA. And the customers keep eating up the sweetness.

Author Information: Abha Gupta is a Communications Assistant with the Cornell Small Farms Program. She may be reached at 518.727.1002 or ag348@cornell.edu

Introducing... POTLUCK CLUB!

2010-06-17T21:23:00.000-04:00

WHAT IS POTLUCK CLUB?
Potluck Club is new endeavor from the GWCSA for members to get to know each other, greet our neighbors, eat delicious CSA food, swap recipes and have a great time!
Potluck Club will feature themed potluck dinner parties, hosted by CSA Members welcoming other CSA Members and families and friends into their homes or other venues. Don't miss a chance to meet other members of the CSA, and share your love of CSA cooking (or eating!) while supporting a closer-knit community!

HOW CAN I GET IN ON POTLUCK CLUB?
You can host or be a guest at a potluck. The host will determine the date, amount of guests they can accommodate, location, and a theme for the potluck (see below for some theme ideas). The CSA will take care of invites, organizing your guest list and the dishes they should bring. To be a guest all you have to do is RSVP and show up with delicious food!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "THEMED" POTLUCKS?
A theme can help bring like-minded CSA folks together and can be a great icebreaker! If you'd like to host a potluck a theme is not necessary but can help set the mood.Here are some potluck theme ideas, be creative!- No utensils need potluck (finger foods)- Vegan potluck- Singles potluck- Picnic Potluck, meet at the park! Bring a frisbee!- Literary potluck (ex. green eggs and ham OR a movable feast)- Comfort foods potluck- Death row dinner (what you would eat if it was your last meal)- Foods you hated when you were little but love now potluck

WHAT NEXT?
If you are interested in hosting or attending one of the potlucks, please send an email to potluck@greenpoint-williamsburgcsa.org , with the subject heading "potluck host" or "potluck guest", whichever you are interested in. If you are planning on hosting please email date and time you'd like to host, how many people you would like to attend, the location (your home or local venue, park, etc), if you have an idea for a theme (you don't have to have a theme), and what your guests should bring. If you are interested in attending a potluck please let us know which one and if there are still spots available we will send a confirmation with a location.

WE ARE SOLD OUT FOR 2010!

2010-04-23T19:19:00.002-04:00

WE ARE NOW SOLD OUT FOR THE 2010 SEASON!

If you’d like to be put on a waitlist for a 2010 season share, send an email to williamsburgcsa@gmail.com with the subject: “Waitlist”

If you’d like to get an email next year when we start sign ups, add your name to our mailing list (go to our homepage and use the form on the right).

You may also want to try other local CSAs: Southside CSA, East Williamsburg CSA, Long Island City CSA or the Glendale CSA.

NEW MEMBER SIGN-UPS HAVE BEGUN!

2010-02-15T13:37:00.012-05:00

(RETURNING MEMBERS CLICK HERE)

NEW MEMBERS:

We will be conducting sign up "events" throughout February, March and April. If you have not been a member of the GWCSA before (even if you've had the winter share), you are REQUIRED to attend a sign-up event.

At your sign-up event you'll learn all the ins and outs of how the GWCSA works, you'll tell us what shares you'd like, you'll choose your workshift(s), and you will pay a minimum of $100 deposit towards your share and a $15 admin fee (full payment for your share(s) is required by June 1st, 2010).

We encourage you to learn AS MUCH as possible about how the GWCSA works BEFORE you attend your sign-up event. The more you know ahead of time, the easier and quicker signing-up will be. Please read the following pages at our website before your sign-up event:

What's a CSA?
Share Info
Pick-Up Locations
Distribution
Workshift Requirements
Pricing
FAQs

Once you've read up on all the ins and outs of how we work, fill out AS MUCH of the sign-up forms as you can BEFORE attending your sign-up event. You can see the full instructions for how to fill-out the sign-up forms and you can print them out below. In order to fill out the sign-up forms, you'll need to know:

Whether you want to pick up on Saturday or Wednesday

What shares (vegetable, fruit, eggs, flowers) you'd like

Whether you want to pick up every week (full share) or every other week (half share)

When you'd like to work your required workshift(s)

Please read the instructions on how to fill out the sign-up forms CAREFULLY.

If you have any questions about how to fill out the sign-up forms, or any questions about how the GWCSA works, please email us at williamsburgcsa@gmail.com BEFORE you attend your sign-up event.

Below are the dates of the sign-up events.

YOU MUST RSVP FOR YOUR CHOSEN SIGN-UP DATE! Please email us at williamsburgcsa@gmail.com to let us know which event you plan on attending. This is very important so that we can minimize waiting and overcrowding at the sign-up events.

If we have too many responses for an event, we will let you know that you'll need to choose another date. The sign-ups will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays. If you're signing up for a Wednesday share, you DO NOT have to attend a Wednesday sign-up event, and vice-versa. You can attend whichever sign-up event is most convenient for your schedule.

~~Saturday, February 20th from 10am-1pm at Brooklyn Kitchen, 100 Frost St.~~ FULL

Wednesday, February 24th from 6-8pm at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah, 129 Russell St.

Saturday, March 6th from 10am-1pm at Brooklyn Kitchen, 100 Frost St.

Wednesday, March 10th from 6-8pm at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah, 129 Russell St.

Saturday, March 20th from 10am-1pm at Brooklyn Kitchen, 100 Frost St.

Wednesday, March 24th from 6-8pm at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah, 129 Russell St.

Saturday, April 3rd from 10am-1pm at Brooklyn Kitchen, 100 Frost St.

Wednesday, April 7th from 6-8pm at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah, 129 Russell St.

Saturday, April 17th from 10am-1pm at Brooklyn Kitchen, 100 Frost St.

Wednesday, April 21st from 6-8pm at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah, 129 Russell St.

Instructions for Signing Up:

PRINT OUT THE SIGN-UP FORM (4 PAGES). Download the sign up form as a: PDF

FILL OUT AS INSTRUCTED BELOW.

PLEASE FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. If you have any questions, please ask them before you fill-out your paperwork. Send all questions to williamsburgcsa@gmail.com:

PAGE 1

Fill out the name, address, phone number and email address of the person who will be the primary contact for your share.

Fill out any additional member information below.

If you are signing up for a half share, designate whether you prefer A week or B week pick-up, or designate "no preference." (This does not guarantee you will get your preferred week). Distribution dates are below.

PAGE 2

Indicate the quantity of each share item you want and on which day of the week you want to pick up in the columns marked "# Sat. shares" and/or "# Wed. shares."

Multiply the total "# Sat./Wed shares" by the price of that share item for your total price.

Add the total price column for your grand total. This grand total is the amount due in full by June 1st, 2010.

PAGE 3

Choose how you would like to fulfill your workshift obligation from the following choices:
1. Saturday farmstand. If you choose to work at the farmstand on Saturday, you must work 1 shift: either 8:30 am to 10:30 am; 10:30 am to 12:30 pm; or 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Check to see which dates and times are still available for Saturday farmstand workshifts here.
2. Saturday distribution. If you choose to work Saturday distribution, you must work 1 shift, from 8:30 am to 12:15 pm. Check to see which dates are still available for Saturday distribution workshifts here.
3. Wednesday distribution. If you choose to work Wednesday distribution, you must work 2 shifts: either 5:30 pm to 7:15 pm or 6:45 pm to 8:20 pm. You may work both of your required shifts on the same night if you choose. Also, 2 members on the same share may fulfill the workshift requirement simultaneously (i.e. on the same workshift). Check to see which dates and times are still available for Wednesday distribution workshifts here.
4. Soup Kitchen Driver. If you choose to drive the leftover food from distribution to the soup kitchen, you must work 3 shifts. You may choose Wednesday or Saturday or a combination. Soup kitchen drivers must arrive promptly at the end of distribution (8 pm on Wednesday or 12 pm on Saturday). You must provide your own car. The soup kitchen is located in Greenpoint. Check to see which dates are still available for Soup Kitchen Driver workshifts here.

After choosing how you would like to fulfill your workshift, choose when you'd like to fulfill your workshift(s).

Because it's possible that your first choice(s) may already be taken, please list your first 3 choices for Saturday distribution or farmstand, your first 4 choices for Wednesday distribution, and your first 5 choices for Soup Kitchen driver. You can see workshift availability here. These dates may not be entirely accurate.
If you've chosen Saturday farmstand or Wednesday distribution, make sure that you specify not only the date you would like to work, but also the TIME.
You will be notified by email which date and time you've been assigned.

PAGE 4

Sign the membership agreement

Make out 2 checks:

A check made out to Greenpoint-Williamsburg CSA for the $15 administrative fee.

A check made out to Garden of Eve Farm for the full share amount OR a minimum of $100 towards the full share amount (remainder due by June 1, 2010)

2010 Distribution Dates
WEDNESDAY
A WEEK	B WEEK
JUNE 9 JUNE 23 JULY 7 JULY 21 AUGUST 4 AUGUST 18 SEPTEMBER 1 SEPTEMBER 15 SEPTEMBER 29 OCTOBER 13 OCTOBER 27 NOVEMBER 10	JUNE 16 JUNE 30 JULY 14 JULY 28 AUGUST 11 AUGUST 25 SEPTEMBER 8 SEPTEMBER 22 OCTOBER 6 OCTOBER 20 NOVEMBER 3 NOVEMBER 17
SATURDAY
A WEEK	B WEEK
JUNE 12 JUNE 26 JULY 10 JULY 24 AUGUST 7 AUGUST 21 SEPTEMBER 4 SEPTEMBER 18 OCTOBER 2 OCTOBER 16 OCTOBER 30 NOVEMBER 13	JUNE 19 JULY 3 JULY 17 JULY 31 AUGUST 14 AUGUST 28 SEPTEMBER 11 SEPTEMBER 25 OCTOBER 9 OCTOBER 23 NOVEMBER 6 NOVEMBER 20

SIGN-UP FOR THE GWCSA 2010 SEASON

2010-01-19T16:51:00.006-05:00

UPDATE (2/9/10) - WE WILL BE EMAILING THE LIST OF SIGN-UP DATES FOR NEW MEMBERS AT THE END OF THIS WEEK! IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY ON OUR MAILING LIST, YOU CAN ADD YOUR EMAIL BELOW (WHERE IT SAYS "JOIN OUR MAILING LIST"). SIGN-UP DATES WILL ALSO BE POSTED HERE AS SOON AS THEY'RE ANNOUNCED.

The Greenpoint-Williamsburg CSA is gearing up for our 2010 season, and even in the icy grip of a New York winter we've already starting getting excited about those delicious greens, tender asparagus and juicy strawberries that we'll see in the first weeks of the new season!

If you're a returning member (i.e. you've had a summer share with us before), sign-ups have already begun and you should have received an email with instructions on how to sign-up. If you didn't receive an email or if you have any questions about the sign-up process, email us at williamsburgcsa@gmail.com.

If you've never been a member of the GWCSA before (this includes anyone who has only participated in the winter share), sign-ups start in mid-February! If you're not already on our mailing list, you might want to join so that you'll get an email when we start sign-ups (just put in your email address over there to the right where it says "Join Our Mailing List").

How the GWCSA Works
The GWCSA has a partnership with the Garden of Eve Farm. Our CSA and several others in the city are partnered with the Garden of Eve Farm which is owned by Chris and Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht. The CSA season begins this year the second week of June and ends the week before Thanksgiving. We offer a choice of 2 pick-up days, either Wednesday or Saturday:
Wednesday
Pick-up is in the evening from 6pm to 8pm, and the pick-up location is in Greenpoint at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah at 129 Russell Street.
Saturday
Pick-up is in the morning from 9am to 12pm, and the pick-up location is at McCarren Park, right next to the dog run, on N. 12th, between Union and Driggs.

We offer the following shares: Vegetables (required), Fruit, Eggs, and Flowers. We also offer Combo shares. Our pick-ups are weekly ("full" share) or every other week ("half" share). See our pricing here.

A workshift(s) is required, read more here.

If you have any more questions, read our FAQs, or email us at williamsburgcsa@gmail.com.

Core Group Meeting Minutes, November 8, 2009

2009-12-13T14:55:00.002-05:00

I. News From the farm

None

II. Meat Share

Dawn started off by suggesting we address two questions: Do we want a meat share? Can we do one? Discussion: Some members do not want to touch meat at all; Selecting a vendor; What to do with leftovers/excess; Are there packaging issues; Is seasonality an issue with meat; Are there different distribution methods(pickup/delivery?); is there a minimum # of shares required for profitability; What is the benefit; Does Garden of Eve have a stake in this and should we elicit an opinion from them? Can we move forward on this at this time? Wendy to contact GofE, attend Just Food workshop, and look into vendors.

III. Proposal for a Shellfish Share

Rebecca C. introduced a proposal for a Lobster/Shrimp/Shellfish share in association with a fisherman in Maine who could bring his catch to Brooklyn. She provided an overview, explaining who the fisherman is, the pluses of this idea including sustainability, and the possibility of other local CSAs getting onboard. (She provided a handout.) Issues discussed: What would be the logistics including signups, accounting, distribution, etc. ; parking of truck; packaging of fish; relationship with vendor; Can anyone commit to this project; Is slow growth of this CSA an issue here; Should we do a survey of interested members?

MOTION TO SEND OUT SURVEY TO MEMBERS ASKING IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A SEAFOOD SHARE APROVED, 9 in favor, None opposed

IV. Inc. Committee Update: Bylaws

Vanessa distributed proposed bylaws and suggested members use Core group email to discuss after they have read through it. She reminded the group that this is an in-house document which is not filed with the state, and it is open to change and growth.

V. Coordinator Updates:

A. SIGN UPS:
Signups for 2010 for returning members will begin at next distribution. Discussion whether to raise administration fee.
MOTION TO RAISE ADMINISTRATION FEE TO $15, APPROVED, 9 in favor, None opposed

B. Distribution
None

C. Accounting
No report

D. Communications
Discussion of whether or not to send a year-end Survey, including fact that the Garden of Eve survey recently went out. Discussion included suggestion that we can use survey to encourage participation, and elicit info about members’ skills and how they can help GWCSA.
MOTION TO SEND OUT YEAR-END SURVEY, Approved, 4 in favor, 3 opposed)

E. IT/Website
No Report
Discussion: Noel spoke about inter-communication, and suggested that we explore the use of Twitter on our website to keep members informed. He is willing to help on this.

F. Events
Vanessa suggested Core meeting dates for 2010 (attached to Agenda)
Harvest Dinner: Ideas and discussion
VOTE: NOEL TO SPEND UP TO $20 FOR NAME TAGS FOR HARVEST DINNER.

G. Low Income
Kevin reported two LIs are very pleased.
Crates are piling up at Milton St.
MOTION TO ELECT EMILY P. LOW-INCOME COORDINATOR FOR 2010 SEASON, APPROVED, 8 in favor, opposed 0

NEXT MEETING: December 13, 2009; 4-6PM, Lutheran Church of the Messiah
Facilitator: tba
Minutes: Katie?
Snacks: ?

CORE MEETING THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13TH

2009-12-11T14:09:00.002-05:00

It's that time again! We will be having another fun and eventful "Core Meeting" this Sunday, December 13th. Topics this month will include:

We've been awarded a $1060 grant from Citizens Committee for New York City for our revolving loan fund. How should we advertise and utilize this for next season?
We'll be discussing and/or approving our recently proposed bylaws
We'll be talking about adding additional share items (meat, shellfish, other?)
We'll be talking about how to best allocate our low income fund for the 2010 season

In addition to these topics, we'll have updates from all our coordinators on their specific responsibilities.

And by the way, we're still looking for coordinators for next season! There are currently several openings, including Wednesday workshift coordinator and Saturday workshift coordinator.

Anyone who's interested in becoming more involved with your CSA, or even if you just want to see the "inner workings" of the GWCSA for yourself, come by the Lutheran Church of the Messiah (129 Russell Street in Greenpoint) this Sunday: the meeting starts at 4pm and goes until 6.

And, as always, there will be snacks!