Sandy Spring CSA

The week of July 7, 2008, we got salad greens, lettuce, fresh slicing onions (keep in the fridge), zucchini, cucumber, Swiss chard, beets w/tops, potatoes and TOMATO.

Unfortunately, last week at Sandy Spring we were short shares by the end of the evening. At least one person, who showed up late, did not get a share. That is because partners splitting a share did not coordinate and both picked up OR because someone took more than their share. How would you feel if you drove from a long day at work and arrived to find no share left for you. Mad, huh? So be mindful and honest PLEASE.

Did you sign up yet for Fall? Applications are coming in fast. The Fall CSA runs October 6 through November 24. The price for returning members is $195. The deadline is August 1. Send your money with an application to Meg Pease-Fye. See the application here.

A couple weeks ago we were with our friends Lisa and Dave. They became vegetarians because of their dislike for the inhumane practices of factory farming. However, they are finding it hard to eat healthy (and eat out) as strict vegetarians. So for their anniversary, they decided to celebrate it (in part) by visiting Polyface Farm, owned by Joel Salatin.

If you read Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, you were no doubt entertained by the chapter about Joel Salatin and his pastured chickens and salad bar beef. From their website, “Polyface, Inc. is a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and informational outreach in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.” They have farm tours. If you would like to see raising animals done right, this is the place to visit.

My husband Dan and I have a musical duo called Soulpajamas. We perform at house concerts, non-denominational churches and the occasional CSA party (where we debuted our pro-organic song Rubber Tomato). We recently learned about Look for the Good, an awareness campaign by the Association of Unity Churches International.

Look for the Good suggests a new way of responding to political ads, to look for the good in politician’s speeches, debates and sound bites. It encourages people not to stop listening to presidential candidates, but to listen for what is right and good and ignore the accusations, insinuations and general negativity that inevitably escalate as the campaign goes on. What a good idea.

Enjoy,

Erin