Week #2

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Dear CSA Members,

Rain and more rain.  You will see the difference in the size of the greens that come to you with all the moisture.  Many of the same vegetables as last week we harvest for your shares.  There are three heads of different types of Lettuce this week.  The fresh lettuce is such a treat after the long winter.  I know lettuce is available every season from the grocery store, but we just picked this for you and I think you can taste the difference.  

Things will be a bit muddier this week.  We have been struggling with the rain.  We do give everything a rinse but you will need to give the greens a good wash.  I find the best way is to cut the leaves from the stem, wash in a bowl of water, repeat.  There is nothing better than a salad spinner to finish the job.  

Many members asked about adding a Mushroom Share.  This is the first time we have offered the Mushroom Share and so we thought a second signup for Mushroom Shares would be helpful.  The signup for the Mushroom Shares for those that would like to add a Mushroom Share is online. The Mushrooms will then start for this sign up on Week #3.  To add a Mushroom Share log into your CSA Member Account from the farm website home page, click on Member Login under the center photo.  Log in and then select CSA Shares on the upper left menu bar and then add the Mushroom Share.  If you have any questions, please send an e-mail and I will be back in touch.  Mushroom Shares will need to be ordered by Friday the 21st.  

Marketplace orders are also added by logging into your account and then selecting Marketplace on the upper menu bar.  Honey, Coffee by the pound, Maple Syrup and Mushrooms in larger quantities are all available for order.  The Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms are from a smaller mushroom farm, The Hill Farm, Wiltbank family.  They are just beautiful.  You might like to try them from the Marketplace.

Enjoy the vegetables.

Deborah, for everyone at Stoneledge Farm.

Tuesday, June 18- Vegetable Share

Boc Choi-1 head

Chinese Cabbage-1 head.  If you used the Chinese Cabbage last week in a stir fry, try slicing the Chinese Cabbage finely and use fresh as a Slaw.  There is a good Cole Slaw recipe on the farm website, Recipe section under Cabbage.

Red Sails Lettuce-1 head

Romaine Lettuce-1 head

Buttercrunch Lettuce-1 head

Mustard-1 bunch

Mizuna-1 bunch

Sorrell-1 bunch.  This is a lemony tasting, little bit sour green.  Use with Chicken.

Sage with Flowers-1 bunch  The whole thing is edible.

Garlic Scapes-6 scapes

 

Mushroom Shares-Portobello-The Mushroom Share this week is still for the members that originally signed up.  The New Mushroom Share members will start next week.

The Mushroom this week is Portobello.  The Bulich Mushroom farmers info: Portobellos are a large mushroom and the fresh picked Portobellos have the root end still attached.  It has some of the soil still attached the root.  Cut the root off and clean the mushroom.  If you are going to use them right away it is OK to rinse and then pat dry.  If you are not, brush the excess soil away and store in the paper bag.  Portobellos are very meaty and are great brushed with balsamic vinegar and grilled.  Remove the stem and slice.  The stem is a bit woodier and will not cook as quickly as the cap.  If you are grilling the cap it will only take a couple of minutes on each side.  Grill the smooth side first and finish with the gill side.

CSA Week 1: June 11, 2013

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Welcome to the West Village CSA 2013 Season!

Please read this post carefully as it describes the procedures for picking up your weekly shares.  At  the bottom of the post, you’ll find information from the farmer including the contents of our first delivery.

Please note that the optional fruit share does not begin until the 5th week of deliveries.  Optional mushroom shares are weekly.  Optional coffee shares will be delivered once per month.

How do I pick up my share(s)? 

CSA deliveries will happen every Tuesday from June 11 through November 19.  You can pick up your share between 4pm and 7pm sharp on those dates.  Unfortunately we cannot arrange for you to pick up your shares at another time.  At 7pm sharp, any shares that have not been picked up will be packaged and donated to the Xavier Mission food pantry.

When you come to pick up your shares, you will enter Hurtado Hall, which is in the basement of St. Xavier Church (16th Street between 5-6th Aves) by accessing the down staircase to the LEFT of the church steps.  If you have signed up for a 5:30-7:30 workshift, this is also how you will enter Hurtado Hall.  Please note that if you have signed up for a 3:30-5:30 workshift, you will have to enter through the church office at 55 West 15th Street, as the stairs to Hurtado Hall will not be open until 4pm.

Please bring your own bags for picking up your produce- we do not supply bags.

You will need to sign in for each share (vegetable / fruit / mushroom / coffee) separately.  This helps us keep track of pickups and also make sure that people don’t mistakenly take produce that they have not paid for.

On any given week, you may order additional items from the Stoneledge Farm Marketplace on http://www.stoneledgefarmny.com, and these items will be delivered with the shares.  Please keep track of weeks that you have ordered additional items so you remember to pick them up.  These items will be labelled with your name.

Have you signed up for your required work shift?

All CSA members are required to work ONE two-hour shift per vegetable share per season.  These shifts run either from 3:30-5:30 or 5:30-7:30 on Tuesdays throughout the season.

Because we are an all-volunteer operation, it is imperative that you sign-up and show-up for your shifts!  It’s your responsibility to make sure that if you cannot be there for the shift you’ve chosen, you either send someone in your place or arrange a shift swap with another member.  Members who do not fulfill their work shift requirement are not invited back for the following season.

We use VolunteerSpot (an online sign up and reminder tool) to schedule our member work shifts.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/kFJexz

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)

3. Sign up! Choose your spots – VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone.

Send us a message at info@westvillagecsa.org if you have any questions.

Weekly Distribution Message from Stoneledge Farm

Week #1

Dear CSA Members,

The first delivery has finally arrived.  The activity level around the farm increased by 100 fold today as we started picking. Each season is new all over and we are full of anticipation and excitement as we start.

The greens are very nice this spring.  It was rather cold for a long spell and the greens just loved the weather.  Your share is over flowing with greens.   We transplant all of our early greens and cover them immediately with floating row cover.  It is a sheet that covers the plants and keeps most of the insect pests out and allows the sunshine and rain to go in. You will find some holes in the leaves of the early greens.  The row cover does a good job but some of the insect pests find their way to the plants despite our best efforts.

I find the best way to wash greens is to remove the leaves from the stem end and give them a cold water bath.  You may want to repeat and then spin dry in a Salad Spinner.  Plastic bags work fine to keep the greens fresh.  The most tender greens should be used first as you work your way through your share.  There has been a lot of rain the last couple of days.  We do give the greens a rinse but they will need a good wash.

Please remember to pickup any optional shares that you have ordered.  Mushrooms Shares will be delivered each week and Coffee Shares the first of each month.  If you placed a Marketplace order, your order will be delivered with the Vegetable Shares. You can check your orders by logging into your CSA Member account from the farm website home page.  Click on CSA Member Login under the center photo.  The My Account link has all of your order information.  We are also sending a tote bag with each Standard Vegetable Share.  Hope you like them.

Welcome 2013.

Deborah, for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Vegetable Share:  June 11th

Rhubarb-1 bunch.  There is a really good recipe on the farm website Recipe section for Spring Rhubarb Cake.

Boc Choi-1 bunch

Chinese Cabbage-1 head

Red Leaf Lettuce-1 head

Romaine Lettuce-1 head

Spring Time Kale-1 bunch  The first time we have grown Kale in the Spring.  It has been perfect Kale weather.

Garlic Chives-1 bunch

Mustard Greens-1 bunch

Mizuna-1 bunch

Oregano-1 bunch

 

Mushroom Share this week: Cremini

First CSA Delivery is Coming Soon!

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Dear West Village CSA Members,

Welcome, new and returning members!  The first day of deliveries is coming up on June 11th! Prior to the first delivery, and on a weekly basis, you’ll receive an email detailing the produce you can expect in your share.  Please keep an eye on your inbox for messages from us.

Sign-up for your required CSA work shift – our calendar is now open, and operates on a first-come, first-served basis.  We use the VolunteerSpot online signup and reminder tool.

All CSA members are required to work ONE two-hour shift per vegetable share per season. These shifts run either from 3:30-5:30 or 5:30-7:30 on Tuesdays throughout the season.  If you have a time constraint, we suggest you sign up early to find a shift that will work for you.

Note:  If you have a share partner, you and your share partner together need only fill ONE two-hour shift.  It may make sense for one of you to sign up for the shift but make arrangements for the share partner to relieve you after one hour.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/kFJexz
2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)
3. Sign up! Choose your spots – VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone.

If you have any questions, send us an email at info@westvillagecsa.org.

Did you know that the CSA is organized by a “Core Group” of members just like you who volunteer some extra time to keep this effort going?  We would love to have you join us!  Send us an email atinfo@westvillagecsa.org if you are interested in getting more involved!

MEMBER MESSAGE FROM STONELEDGE FARM FOLLOWS:

Dear CSA Member,

The start of the CSA delivery season is coming quickly now.  We have been working toward this day since last December and it is with great satisfaction that we can finally harvest your share. Farming is patience and commitment. Seeds planted months ago, tended daily are now ready to yield a harvest. Wednesday CSA sites will start on June 5, Monday CSA sites on June 10 and Tuesday CSA sites on June 11.

The Marketplace is now open for weekly orders if you are interested.  To place a Marketplace order for Maple, Honey, Coffee by the pound or Mushrooms, please log into your account by selecting CSA Member Login under the center photo on the farm website home page.  Orders will be delivered with the  CSA delivery and can be placed up to the day before delivery except for Mushrooms.  We must have Mushroom orders from the Marketplace by Friday at 11 AM so we can notify the Mushroom farm.

For members with Optional Mushroom and or Coffee Shares, the Mushroom and Coffee Shares will be delivered with the first CSA delivery.  Mushroom Shares will be delivered each week and Coffee Shares once a month at the beginning of the month.  Please make sure that you pick up all of the shares you have ordered.  If you don’t remember what your compete order is for this season, log into your CSA Member account and click on My Account.

If you would like to add an optional share of Mushrooms, Coffee or Fruit, please log into your CSA Member account from the farm website home page and add the shares.  Optional Coffee and Mushroom Shares can be added until the Friday before your first CSA delivery.  Fruit Shares can be added until the second week in June.

We are looking forward to a great CSA season.  If you have any questions, please send an e-mail and I will be back in touch.  We have been posting photos on the farm Face Book page over the winter and spring time.  Take a look.

To a bountiful CSA season.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm.

Spring Farm Visit This Weekend!

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Spring Farm Visit
May 18, 2013 11-3

Come to the farm this spring.

Help transplant seedlings, meet the farm crew, see how your vegetables are grown.
145 Garcia Lane, Leeds, NY 12451
Please bring your own lunch and drinks .

We will have Honey, Maple Syrup and Coffee available for purchase. The Coffee Pot will also be on with our delicious hot coffee.

Our neighbors, Heather Ridge Farm will have a wonderful display at the visit as well. Products from Heather Ridge Farm–grass-fed meat and poultry, soap, candles, and other sustainably raised products, will be available for purchase. If you’d like to place an order, go to the Heather Ridge website,
heather-ridge-farm.com or call Carol Clement at 518-239-6234.

Send an e-mail to info@stoneledgefarmny.org & let us know you wIll be attending.

May Farmer’s Message

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Dear CSA Members,

We have been transplanting, seeding and more seeding all month. The weather has been beautiful and the plants are soaking up the sunshine. The Spring Farm Visit is scheduled for May 18 from 11-3. It is a great day to visit the farm and see who, where and how your vegetables are being grown. Please bring your own drinks, picnic lunch and dress to be outside in the field. There is so much activity in the spring as the garden is being planted. Come and walk the fields, meet the farm crew. We look forward to the day. If you would send me an e-mail just to let me know you will be coming it helps us plan the day. Send the e-mail to info@stoneledgefarmny.org.

There is only about a month before the shares start to be delivered. There are still shares at most CSA sites. Please pass the word on to others that you have contact with that might be interested.

The schedule for the first delivery follows:
Wednesday CSA Locations first delivery will be June 5th:
Wilton/Norwalk CSA
White Plains CSA
Upper Westchester CSA
Sustainable Hastings CSA
Stamford CSA
Southport/Fairfield CSA

Monday CSA Locations first delivery will be June 10th:
Rye Soundshore CSA
Mt. Sinai Farm Share CSA
Locust Point CSA
Jan Hus CSA
City Island CSA
Bronx 811 Walton Ave CSA
92nd Street Y CSA

Tuesday CSA Locations first delivery will be June 11th:
Yorkville CSA
West Village CSA
Greene County CSA
East 88th Street CSA
Chelsea CSA
Carnegie Hill CSA

The online Marketplace will open two weeks before the first delivery for CSA members to order Coffee by the pound, Maple Syrup, Honey and Mushrooms. The delivery of the online Marketplace orders will be with the first CSA delivery and then each week as members place their orders. Mushrooms must be ordered by Friday 11AM so we can notify the Mushroom farm of the upcoming order amounts.

Coffee Shares and Mushroom Shares will also be delivered with the first CSA delivery. Fruit Shares start the 5th CSA delivery when local fruit becomes available. If you would like to add one or more of the optional shares, log into your CSA account from the farm website home page, select the CSA Member Login option and then add the optional shares to your existing CSA order.

Last season there were a number of CSA members that contacted us requesting produce in bulk for preserving. We are working on the details for online orders through the Marketplace of some vegetables in bulk for canning and freezing. There will be a limited number of vegetables that we will be offering, some of the favorites for home preservation such as tomatoes. If you have any suggestions, we welcome your input. There will be more about this new project as the season begins.

Happy Spring
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

April Farmer’s Message: Spring Farm Visit!

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Dear CSA Members,

A CSA Spring Farm Visit is being planned for the first time this year for May 18th from 11-3. The Spring Farm Visit will be an opportunity for CSA member families to visit the farm and be part of how we transplant, seed and care for the vegetables at the beginning of the CSA season. Come and enjoy the activity of the early season farm. There is a lot of excitement in the spring and a great chance to be part of your CSA share right from the start of the season.

Please dress in comfortable clothing and shoes that you don’t mind getting in the soil. Bring your own picnic lunch and drinks. We will take our lunch break in the barn. There is a lot of activity in the fields in May and you will be able to see how our tractors and transplanters work, meet the wonderful Stoneledge Farm crew and help with some of the planting. A great day for the whole family. The directions to the farm can be found on the farm website, click on Contact and Directions and go to the West Farm Address 145 Garcia Lane, Leeds, NY 12451. If you plan on attending, please send an e-mail to the farm at info@stoneledgefarmny.org . In case of any changes I will be able to e-mail you directly.

The Fall Farm Festival is also planned for September the 14th. It is never too early to mark your calendar for the fall visit!

The greenhouses are filling up quickly with seedling transplants. The plowing has started in the fields. The work of the season has begun. I post farm photos on the farm Facebook page regularly. Take a look.

Happy Spring and Welcome 2013 CSA season.
Deborah
for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Important! A new location for 2013!

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We have some exciting news! We will be changing our location for the 2013 season! As some of you know, the West Village CSA had to change locations a few years ago due to renovations to the space in which we were housed, the Church of the Village. We were very fortunate and grateful to have been housed at the Hudson Guild Fulton Center for the past two years, but we have continued to look for a new location that would be more centrally located. We received feedback from many past members that the Fulton Center was too far west for them to want to travel for the weekly distribution.

We are pleased to announce that we have been graciously welcomed to run our distribution for the upcoming season out of the Church of St. Francis Xavier, located at 46 West 16th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues (closer to 6th Avenue).

For those of you who have already purchased memberships for the 2013 season, if the location of St. Francis Xavier is not going to be convenient for you, the farm is offering two courses of action:

1) You can transfer your membership to the Chelsea CSA group, which works with the same farm and also distributes their produce on Tuesdays; the pick-up location for the Chelsea CSA is the Hudson Guild Elliot Center, located at 441 West 26th Street.

2) You can cancel your membership and receive a full refund of whatever you have paid for your share.

Please contact Deb at Stoneledge Farm (info@stoneledgefarmny.org) if you would like to transfer or cancel your membership.

If you are interested in purchasing a share for the 2013 season, take a look at this page for more information!

Mushroom Shares are Now Available

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Dear West Village CSA Members Past & Present,

We are pleased to let you know that you can now add a mushroom share to your CSA membership! Instructions on adding a mushroom share are in the March message from Stoneledge Farm below.

Happy (almost) Spring!

West Village CSA Core Group

March 2013

Dear CSA Members,

We trudged our way through almost eight inches of snow to get to the warmth of the greenhouse today. Red and White Onions, Leeks, Shallots, Hot Peppers and Rosemary have been planted. The sunshine that is predicted for the weekend should be just what the seeds need to send out their first leaves. We all wait with great anticipation each year for the first green to appear.

As we gear up for the season we are also reaching out to members to help spread the word about joining CSA. If you are part of a church, synagogue, community group, parents group, have a building or job e-news, we would greatly appreciate it if you could post a notice about how to join the CSA. A sample has been included at the end of this e-mail.

We are very excited to announce the addition of the local, naturally grown Mushroom Share to the 2013 CSA shares. We were encouraged by the positive feedback from members and thank all of the members that took time to write. The Mushroom Share will be delivered every week, 24 deliveries, one variety of mushroom per week. We heard from members that a weekly delivery of the share would be the best. The varieties that are available from the neighboring Mushroom Farm are Crimini, White Button, Portobello, Shiitake, Oyster. The full Mushroom Share information can be found on the farm website, Mushroom Shares link on the left side bar. If you have already ordered your CSA share it is easy to add a Mushroom Share. Just log into your CSA Member Account by clicking on CSA Member Login under the center photo of the farm website and log in with your e-mail address and password. The additional shares are added to your Vegetable Share.

Mushrooms are also going to be available for weekly order from the Marketplace. Crimini, Portobello, White Buttons in 3 pound baskets and Shiitake and Oyster in 1 pound bags. The Marketplace will open for online orders two weeks before delivery begins.

Spring must be on the way!
Deborah
for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

SAMPLE E-NEWS

Become a member of the (insert your CSA site name here) CSA. Fresh, organic, locally grown vegetables delivered once a week to our CSA location (insert your CSA address here). Know where your food is raised, know your farmer, support local agriculture. Fresh, local, healthy food direct from the farm to the CSA. For more information and to join go to the farm website.

Registration for 2013 Season is now OPEN!

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We are pleased to announce that we are open for registration for the 2013 season! Please follow the directions below to order your share.

If you have any questions, please send the farm an e-mail at info@stoneledgefarmny.org.

1. Go to the farm website, www.stoneledgefarmny.org. Click on CSA under the center photo. You will be at the CSA Locations page.

2. This is where it is a bit tricky. Please read the following directions carefully. We have changed web systems back to the programming we used in 2011. If you were a member in 2011 you have an account already in the system. You should log in with your e-mail and the password you established in 2011. Click on Login on the top menu bar, enter your e-mail address and select “Forgot Password”. A link will be e-mailed to your account directing you to set up a new password. Once you have your new password you can log in and place your order.

3. If 2012 was your first CSA membership year, or if you are joining for the first time, you will need to create an account in the system. Click on your CSA site, click on Register, create your account, proceed to place your CSA order.

4. The Vegetable share is the base CSA share. After you have selected your Vegetable Share, an optional Fruit and or Coffee Share can be added.

5. Read and agree to the Membership Agreement and the Volunteer Membership Requirement.

6. Select the payment method and schedule. You have the option to pay in full with a credit card, pay in full with a mailed check, make three payments with a credit card or three payments with a mailed check. If you select the three payment with a credit card, your card will be securely stored and charged for the remaining two payments. The payment schedule will be displayed on the screen and you will receive a reminder when the upcoming payments are to be charged. Confirmation e-mails for all payments will be sent to your e-mail account.

7. If you would like to go back and check your order, add to your original order or check your upcoming payments or payments made to date, log into your account and click on My Account.

8. Most CSAs offer the option for members to share a vegetable share. The farm sends one size vegetable share: the Standard Vegetable Share. The Standard Vegetable Share is generally enough for a family of 4, but many single or two person households find that a Standard Share is just right for them. It really depends on how many vegetables you eat in a week. Please consider carefully if half of the share each week will be enough for you. You will be splitting a Standard Vegetable Share and the share partners are responsible for splitting the share. The first member to register adds the share partner to the order before adding to the cart. The share partner will receive an e-mail with links to accept the share partner invitation. Both members are agreeing to the Terms of Membership and also the Volunteer Requirements, both have CSA accounts. As share partners, each can order a fruit and/or coffee share as well as place orders from the online Marketplace once the season begins.

If you have questions, please send the farm an e-mail at info@stoneledgefarmny.org and we will be back in touch.

Stoneledge Farm Video!

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Through the help of a grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency, Just Food was able to work with Deb and Peter at Stoneledge Farm to produce a video of them and their farm. This is a beautiful snapshot of the farm and the people who grow our food. It’s a real treat, especially for those of you who have not been able to get up to the farm or meet the Kavakos family. We are so lucky to have food from their fields grace our tables!

Thank you to Paula Lukats and the team at Just Food, as well as the USDA Risk Management Agency for making this video portrait of our favorite farm!

Have a lovely Thanksgiving, all!

Stoneledge Farm from Anna Mumford on Vimeo.