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Counting, weighing, and sharing

Hello CSA!

We hope you have been enjoying your produce and your CSA experience. So far things seems to have been working fairly well: the produce and extras have been beautiful; the trucks have been showing up (mostly) on time; rain has been minimal on Tuesdays; Abrons has added some music to our distribution; there have been few volunteer cancellations, and they’ve been manageable.

We have had a problem running short on certain items, which many of you might not even know about, since it affects only the members who show up toward the end of distribution. Nevertheless, it’s a major problem for the members who get shortchanged, and therefore something we are taking very seriously. 

Knowing that there is a margin of error weighing produce at the farm and at distribution, both Woodbridge Farm and Breezy Hill Orchard routinely oversupply us with any produce that needs to be weighed out. Nevertheless, for certain vegetables, the error has been larger than the supply. So we’ve asked Heather, from Woodbridge, to increase the oversupply amount she adds to our order each week. 
Here’s where it gets tricky — it’s actually impossible for Heather to add anything to our distribution, because we (and our sister CSA in Brooklyn) already receive absolutely everything the farm harvests on Tuesday. So, in practice, what really happens is that the amount each member is allotted is decreased to make sure that no one misses out (e.g. when there might be just enough for everyone to get 8 oz., we will instead list 7.5 oz as the share). Even though that sounds lousy, it’s the best way to make sure that all our members are being treated equally, no matter what time they get off work.
Additionally, there have been a few instances — most notably last week with the season’s first tomatoes and zucchini — when inexact scales are not the culprit. Items that are distributed in whole numbers should not run dry at all … but they did.
So we’re asking everyone to review the guidelines below:
– Check the large white board and the signs on each bin to make sure you take the amount that’s appropriate for your size share.
– Note that, sometimes, a full share will get an item that a half share won’t get any of (and, occasionally, vice versa).
– Make sure that your scale is properly tared — that is, zeroed out with an empty bowl. (Check out the video!)
– Weigh carefully, and don’t sneak a few extra ounces/items.
– Don’t strip the waste (lettuce core, brocoli leaves, etc.) before you weigh
– Watch your children to make sure they treat the produce with care.
One last thing, which has been a little unclear to members: each week, Heather also brings us a bin or two of extra produce, which we keep off to the side. This is stuff that was picked on Friday and not sold at their farm over the weekend. It’s not part of anyone’s official share, it’s just there for all of us to share. Feel free to take a little something, but please don’t get greedy.
We know that distribution can be chaotic, and that it’s the end of a long day, so please take a bit of extra time to make sure you’re taking your share. And many thanks to the members who have been affected for their patience and understanding.
See you soon!
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Free Performance Tuesday at 6:30 — ETHEL at Abrons Amphitheater

Jennifer Choi (violin), Cornelius Dufallo (violin),
Ralph Farris (viola), and Dorothy Lawson (cello)

You know that balcony at Abrons our kids are not allowed to play on? Well, apparently if you’re a member of ETHEL — “America’s premier postclassical string quartet” — you are allowed to play up there, this Tuesday at 6:30pm.

ETHEL is an exciting group, primarily performing music composed in the past twenty years. They’ve toured the world, won a MAP Fund grant, and now, thanks to the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series and the citywide music festival Make Music New York, they’re coming to a CSA distribution site near you.

Tomorrow’s program: (subject to change):
Marcello Zarvos, Arrival
Cornelius Dufallo, Lighthouse
Dorothy Lawson, Chai
Ralph Farris, 2fer
John Cage, 4’33”
Daniel Felsenfeld, You, Have No.Idea
Terry Riley, Sunrise of The Planetary Dream Collector
Huang Ruo, The Flag Project
Mark Stewart, To Whom it May Concern: Thank You

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Distribution Notes for June 7

Greetings CSA! A few announcements and reminders before our second distribution:

As everyone who has stuck around here since 2009 knows, our early summer berries are very sensitive to rain. This year, our fruit is getting a late start and will NOT yet be available for us tomorrow. What this means: fruit, egg, and pasta shares are delivered together, so none of those extras will be available tomorrow. It’s actually not as much of a tragedy as it sounds … fruit, egg, and pasta shares are priced for 21 weeks, while our vegetable and cheese shares are priced for 23 weeks. Normally, fruit starts a week later than vegetables and takes a week off around the beginning of July; it looks like this year we’ll just get started two weeks later and run straight through to the end of the season.

CHEESE, however, is available, since this comes to us from Woodbridge Farm, the same lovely people who grow our vegetables. We ask that you sign in for cheese (actually all your extras, when they start coming in) separately from your vegetables. If you’re not sure where we’re hiding your cheese, please ask.

SYRUP will be available Tuesday for those who have signed up for it. If you didn’t pay last week, please come prepared to pay this week, either with cash or a check made out to Grand Street CSA.

We have one cancellation for Tuesday’s closing shift (7:00 – 8:30). If you have not yet signed up for your work shifts, please snag this one: goo.gl/dBm3j .

And here’s a good time for a reminder to make sure your work shifts are marked down in your own personal calendars, so that you aren’t surprised by a conflict when your scheduled shift comes around.

Thanks!

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First Distribution Round-up

Great to see everyone — old members and new — back at Abrons today for CSA pick-up. The afternoon went off without a hitch, except we were a little short of dill there at the end. The farm usually sends us a little bit extra of everything, but please also make sure that you count and measure everything carefully so no one gets shorted.

The syrup tasting was a real treat, and for anyone who hasn’t yet signed up you can still order syrup online. All syrup orders will be fulfilled next week at distribution.

And next week our other extras will be in as well — fruit, eggs, and pasta. See you then!

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Vegetables for May 31

Heather is on the road … here’s what she’s bringing us today:


  Half Share  Full Share
Dill     4 sprigs  8 large sprigs
Lettuce heads  1 head   2 heads
Mustard greens  3.5 oz   7 oz
Kale     14 oz  28 oz
Radishes  1 bunch  2 bunches

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First Distribution Tuesday

Just a reminder that our CSA season starts Tuesday, May 31. Distribution is at Abrons Arts Center on Grand Street, from 5:15pm to 8:00pm. Please come with your own bag, check in with the member on duty who is holding a clipboard, and then go ahead and measure out your share.

Our Woodbridge farmers write on Facebook that this first week should include the following: lettuce heads, salad greens, radishes, kale, swiss chard, and dill. But they also pass along the following two caveats:

… we sometimes make in-the-moment decisions on harvest days based on quality and health of the plants. So if a last minute change arises, forgive us! We’ll also list crops we’re harvesting, but some might be a choice between crops for your share.

Reminder: fruit, eggs, and pasta start next week, June 7.

See you at CSA!

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Before this Month Is Over, There Will Be CSA!

The weather is warm, the trees are green, and fresh vegetables are on the way.

First distribution for vegetables will be May 31, the day after Memorial Day. We were shooting for May 24, but, as Heather writes on Facebook, a cold spring and frequent rain have pushed their schedule back one week. (Don’t worry, we’ll still get a full 23 weeks.)

In the meantime, please pay the remainder of your membership fee (that’s a message for only a few of you — most of our members are all paid up … thank you!) and remember to sign up for your CSA work requirement. (Anyone who hasn’t received an email from us this week.)

If you’re interested in helping to plan a Second Tuesday event, send a note to info@grandstreetcsa.org. We try to put some sort of special event together once a month, but we could really use your input and your help.

We are looking to organize a few more extras, like grass-fed beef and maple syrup. Both of these would be one-shot deals, not part of the weekly distribution. We’ll have more details soon.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone again on May 31!

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LES CSA Still Accepting Members for 2011

We got this note from our friends over at the LES CSA:

We are thrilled to announce that Melinda, the farmer, emailed and said that Monkshood will extend the deadline and that they are committed to making LES CSA happen for 2011.

But we absolutely must get more shares, and must reach the minimum by end of May, and much earlier if possible, so that Monkshood can plan properly and still have some vegies to sell at green market.

The LES CSA started just last year, and, from what I’ve heard, had a great season. Since we’re all filled up over here on Grand Street, if you have any friends or neighbors still looking for organic vegetables this year, please send them over to lescsa.blogspot.com.