Order a Goose From Elihu Farm
From Mary Pratt at Elihu Farm:
Bob and I raised an even larger gaggle of heritage breed geese this year, because we sold the 90-some last year in short order.
We tried a new hatchery which specializes in waterfowl for the day-old goslings, and have been pleased with their hardiness and growth. They’re Toulouse (the big gray ones with white underneath) and American Buff (a little smaller, but with similar plumage except tan and beige where the Toulouse has gray).
The American Buff is one of those in Slow Food’s Arc of Taste . Honestly, I don’t think that means they’re tastier than are any other breeds. Their list promotes especially rare breeds, as defined by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
But back to our geese. Geese are natural grazers, so we keep them on pasture once they no longer need shelter, or until at least November, unles there’s snow on the ground. These days, they can go into the barn, but do go outside to graze. They also eat whole shelled corn, and some premixed grower feed.
We can supply frozen goose for the January and February deliveries. Ted will bring them with his veggies and our eggs. For more information, please see the attached order form below.
You don’t have to be a winter veggie share subscriber, but you must be a current member of the CSA. We appreciate your order by the Wednesday before delivery week. Although it’s too late now to order for December delivery, you can order in December for a later delivery date.
Thanks very much, Mary and Bob @ Elihu Farm
Download the Order Form Here: Elihu Goose CSA Flier 2011
Recycle Your Leaves
Leaves left on the curb are treated like regular household trash. Keep your leaves out of the landfill and help make compost for the Community Garden!
Prospect Heights Community Farm on St. Marks between Vanderbilt and Underhill is accepting bagged leaves from 10 to 2 on the following dates:
November 12th
November 20th
December 4th
*Please no twigs, branches, or trash
*Please use clear plastic or brown paper bags
Celeriac Recipes
What to do with that giant bulb of celeriac? Here are a few ideas.
Celeriac Apple Potato Soup from Tiny Urban Kitchen
Celeriac Mash from Bon Appetit
Curried Celeriac Slaw with Dried Cherries from Cooking Light
Free Screening of “Gasland” in Park Slope
Concerned about the affects of fracking upstate? Join Assemblyman Jim Brennan for a free screening of “Gasland.”
Thursday, Nov. 3
Park Slope United Methodist Church
Sixth Avenue and 8th Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn
Screening 6:30 PM , Panel Discussion 8:30 PM
Learn what you can do to protect our water and food from fracking. Panel includes activists from:
United for Action
Brooklyn Food Coalition
Read Up on the Food and Farm Bill
The Farm Bill, or, as food advocates like to call it, the Food and Farm Bill, is up for renewal, and now is the time to call your representatives to advocate for small farms and a healthier food system. Here are a few links to related reading if you want to catch up on what issues are at stake.
The New York City Food and Farm Bill Working Group has a run down on the issues and five principles they say must be in the new bill.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has two bills they’re hoping to get sponsored: the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act. Learn more at those links and contact your reps.
Winter Shares Now Available
Winter Shares are now available! The shares are for 2011 members only. Here’s the info from Ted–check your email for the sign-up link.
WINDFLOWER FARM’S WINTER SHARE
The winter share consists of our collection of organically grown storage vegetables and greens, and our neighbor’s apples, pears and cider, all pre-packaged in a 1-bushel box. We will deliver our winter boxes on four Saturdays during the winter (11/19, 12/17, 1/21, 2/11). Prospect Heights CSA distributions will take place at 786 Washington Ave., from 2:00 to 3:30 (Please note that shares not picked up within this time frame cannot be held).
VEGETABLES FROM THE ROOT CELLAR
This year, offerings from our root cellar will include yellow and red onions, leeks, winter squashes, cabbages, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, celeriac, and turnips. While most of the produce will come from our farm, we have not been able to grow all of these items, so we have filled the gaps with locally grown produce from other organic farms. This year’s dry beans will again come from friends in the Finger Lakes, the squashes will come from a friend in Columbia County, and the parsnips will come from a farm in Vermont. There will be a little garlic this year, along with dried chiles, tomatoes and herbs. Our goal is to deliver 10-12 pounds of mixed organic storage vegetables every month to our winter shareholders.
GREENS FROM THE WINTER GREENHOUSE
We thoroughly enjoy dining on freshly harvested greens from our winter greenhouses and think that you will, too. We’ve planted more greenhouses than ever to assorted greens, including arugula, spinach, ‘Red Russian’ and dinosaur kale, purple mizuna, tatsoi, Swiss chard, red komatsuna and lettuces. Our goal is to include 1-2 pounds of mixed greens in each monthly share.
SHARING THE RISK
We are optimistic that the greenhouses we’ve planted will produce excellent greens, but there is no guarantee of success in our unheated structures. Our approach utilizes an early planting date and selection of only the most cold-hardy of varieties. We use the warmth and light of fall to grow them, and then, for safekeeping until harvest time, we keep them under two layers of protective row covers. Although we have taken several precautions against the risk of wintertime losses, it would be wise to think of this as an on-going experiment, refined by just seven years of winter growing experience. If you choose to purchase a winter share, understand that there is a risk that greens will be in short supply or absent altogether. But know, too, that your storage crops and fruits are already safely tucked away.
FRUIT FROM COLD STORAGE
Our neighbors, the Bordens, are excellent fruit growers and cider-makers. They grow pears and a wide assortment of apples. Your monthly share will include 4 to 5 pounds of their fruit, or an assortment of fruit and their wonderful apple cider. Please note that their fruit is NOT grown organically. Instead, it is produced using IPM (integrated pest management) and low-spray practices.
FREE-RANGE BROWN EGGS FROM ELIHU FARM
Mary and Bob Pratt have agreed to offer an egg share to some of our winter shareholders. You can learn more about their farm and how to purchase a share by looking at their brochure. If you would like one, please contact them at elihufarm AT localnet DOT com.
THANK YOU
Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the winter share at Windflower Farm. We think you’ll be delighted with the quality of our farm’s produce. If you’d like to purchase a share of the winter harvest, please fill out the form (link is in your email and will be in this week’s newsletter.) Keep in mind that the deadline is November 10th. We hope to hear from you soon!
Sincerely,
Ted & Jan Blomgren
Windflower Farm
Deposits for the 2012 Season
We are now accepting deposits for the 2012 season from current PHCSA members. Not currently a member? Join our mailing list to get notified when shares become available for new members in spring 2012.
Current Members:
This $20 deposit reserves your share for the 2012 season of the Prospect Heights CSA. It will count towards your annual administration fee. You will not be considered an official shareholder for the 2012 season until you pay for your share in spring 2012. Only Prospect Heights CSA members in good standing from the 2011 season are allowed to put down a deposit. Deposits are due 12/31/11.
Download your deposit form here: 2012_CSADeposit
Local Meat Symposium at New Amsterdam Market
Have you been to the New Amsterdam Market yet? The local artisanal food market is every Sunday at the South Street Seaport, where the Fulton Fish Market used to be. In the next couple weeks, they’re hosting a symposium on local meat. Here’s the info:
Local Meat Symposium & Dinners
With Tiberio Custom Meats and Sauce Restaurant
October 30 / 31 & November 6 / 7, 2011
Accompanied by a Talk on Leather
With Makalé Faber Cullen, LORE Artisan Goods
November 6, 2011
Tiberio Custom Meats is opening a USDA-inspected cut-and-wrap meat processing facility in New York City offering chefs, Greenmarket farmers, natural meat companies, and retail consumers the most unique, cost-effective, and innovative custom fabrication option available. Join us at the New Amsterdam Market School for a series of meat-cutting demonstrations presenting an in-depth look at how responsibly raised meat is finding new ways to reach your plate.
Follow Adam Tiberio on October 30 and November 6 as he breaks down a hanging carcass into retail cuts and other usable portions while maximizing palatability and minimizing waste. Adam will discuss different methods of carcass breaking, value-added merchandising, livestock myology, cooking times & temperatures, how culinary applications vary in other countries, and how meat is processed under USDA inspection.
Food professionals and the general public alike are invited not only to attend but to partake in discussing how we can cooperatively make meat raised in the Northeast more widely-available. The format will remain open for questions at any time, and a selection of novel meat cuts will be cooked and served to the audience.
For more information and tickets, click here.
Pumpkin-tini
Because why should we have to eat all of our vegetables?
photo from Great Performances
Here’s a link to the recipe for a Spiced Pumpkintini from Great Performances.
Apple Cake from Sara at Windflower
Many of you asked for the recipe for the Apple Cake that Sara Davis from Windflower brought to the pickup a couple weeks ago. Here it is. Thanks Sara!
