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Our neighbors at Educational Alliance have been running some food programs in conjunction with Just Food. The next one is this coming Wednesday:

Wednesday, July 21st, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
BASICS OF SEASONAL COOKING

Cooking with local and seasonal food is the best way to eat the freshest and most nutritious food. Local food at its peak is full of vitality, energy and nutrients. In this class, you’ll learn how to create meals centered on the bounty of locally-grown produce. Cost is $18, pre-registration is required by Monday July 19th.

For registration details, go to the Educational Alliance page for this event.

Hello members.

Thank you for your patience and perseverance tonight. Our farmer hit a 7-hour traffic jam on the way to deliver our produce, arriving at Abrons after 8pm. For those of you who made it back to distribution, hopefully you’ll agree it was worth the trek.

For those of you that couldn’t come back, you still have a chance to grab your veggies on Wednesday. One of our core members has agreed to store about 14 half shares overnight in a cool (but not refrigerated) space. At about 8 am, she will leave individual half share bags in the hallway outside her apartment for pickup on a first come, first served, honor system basis.

    Seward Park Coops
    415 Grand Street (corner of Clinton)
    Apt. E1404

This is the center bank of elevators, go to the 14th floor, and turn left off the elevators and go to the end of the hall. Your grocery bag of produce will be waiting. The doormen are pretty cool if you just look like you belong. No need to ring the bell, just grab your share. If the lettuce looks wilted, there’s a good chance some cold water will perk it right back up again.

This was an extraordinary experience for all of us, so we really appreciate everyone’s patience, understanding, and good humor. Though this hasn’t happened before, and we hope will not happen again, we’ll be working on some clearer contingency plans to make any future delays run more smoothly. If you have any suggestions, feel free to email us.

Thank you.

Unfortunately, Farmer Dave is caught in some nasty traffic on his way to deliver our veggies and cheese. He’s estimating that he won’t arrive at Abrons until about 6:30pm.

If you arrive before 6:30pm to pick up your share, you’ll have to come back later.

Also, please note, that when he arrives, it will take volunteers a few minutes to get the veggies ready for pick up. Please be especially patient as they set up the bins and wait until fully set up to begin picking up your share.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Just Food‘s Paula Lukats brought to our attention an online survey on eating habits being conducted by Mt Sinai School of Medicine. Here’s what she says:

Just Food works throughout New York City and the region to promote and support CSAs. Rigorous documentation of the impact of the CSA program would allow us to demonstrate the importance of CSAs to funders and policymakers.

The survey is not just for CSA members, it’s meant to review a broad spectrum of food habits, but getting CSA members to participate would highlight a particular set of choices.

The survey is taken twice — once now, and again in about a month — and each should take no more than 15 minutes. Here’s the link: What do you eat?

I noticed some of our new members fumbling with our scales at the first distribution yesterday, trying to figure out the right way to weigh out their spinach and kale. The trick is to make sure that the scale is set to zero with an empty yellow bowl sitting on top. Then you’ll get an accurate read on whatever you put in the bowl.

A lot of the children who come to distribution like to play with the scales, so you should always give yours a check before you start gathering your greens. (The members on duty should also be re-calibrating the scales periodically, but somehow they never stay set.)

Also, be aware that two of the scales have a loose spring and are designed for measurements up to 32 oz., while two others measure out many pounds (5?). And you might as well learn it now: there are 16 ounces in 1 pound.

We just got this note from Farmers Julia and Dave:

We are actually coming next Tuesday a week earlier then you thought. Last pick up will be the last Tuesday in October.

We will work on a farm update and send to you asap. Looking forward to another bountiful season!!

“Know Your Food!”

So there you have it — first distribution will be Tuesday, May 25!

A few things to remember:

• We’ll be at Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, on the stepped plaza outside the main entrance.
• Come between 5pm and 8pm.
• Bring your own bag.
• Clean out the veggie bin in your fridge.

See you on Tuesday!

Our first distribution is just a few weeks away, so it’s time to start getting ready. First thing to take care of is scheduling members for distribution shifts, which is almost completely done and can be viewed on our calendar page. To find your shifts, you’ll need to scroll through the whole calendar to pick out your name (which will be the first name and last initial with which you signed up for the CSA). You’ll get a reminder email a week before your shift, but we’d prefer you stick it in your calendar now so you don’t forget.

We’ve split distribution into three shifts this year, which we hope will be more convenient for more people: Set Up is 4:30-5:45; the Bridge is 5:30-7:00; and Closing is 6:45-8:15.

Our first distribution on June 1 will be staffed entirely by the core group, so we should be able to answer any questions from new members. Though if you have any questions before then, don’t hesitate to send us a note.

The next general meeting of the LES Food Coop will be held on May 4 from 7:30 to 9:00 at the Educational Alliance (197 East Broadway). They’ll present preliminary results from their survey, and give updates on their progress so far. There will also be food to share, so feel free to bring something from your own kitchen. (You’re welcome without food, too.)

And do be sure to fill out that survey — they’re counting on feedback from everyone in the community to learn what food choices are important to you.

Those of you who came to our Meet the Farmers event last month got to meet David Garza, Chief Administrator of the Henry Street Settlement Workforce Development Center. This year, WDC will be supporting Grand Street CSA by purchasing two full shares for participants in their job training program.

The CSA is helping this partnership by contributing half the cost of those shares, made possible by the $15 admin fee charged to each member, the contributions many of you have added to your share price this year, and the canvas bags we’ll be selling again this year.

But, if you can, you may also contribute directly to the WDC to support the outstanding work they do in our neighborhood.

I’ve posted before about the Food Coop initiative that’s been started by some neighbors with the institutional support of the Educational Alliance. Well, one thing that’s come from those meetings is that a brand new CSA — the LES CSA — is trying to get on its feet. Just Food (the same great group that got us started in 2008) has hooked them up with Monkshood Nursery in upstate NY for their own weekly distribution of fresh, organic vegetables.

Since the Grand Street CSA is booked for 2010, if you know anyone still looking to join, please make sure they know about the LES CSA — and soon! Monkshood Nursery has given them an April 1 deadline to fill 50 shares. And while they are already halfway there, it would be a shame for everybody if they couldn’t quite make their quota.

Their program is basically the same as ours, though distribution will be on Thursdays instead of Tuesdays, from the corner of East Broadway and Jefferson (at the Educational Alliance or the Public Library). And they may not have any extras at the LES CSA for their first year.

(Meanwhile, don’t forget we have our own wait list over here. And no one should feel shy about signing up for the new CSA for 2010 and our wait list for 2011.)

LES CSA registration is available online.