On the week of July 28, 2008, we got leeks, beans, garlic, cucumber, zucchini, corn, chard, peppers and maybe tomatoes.

Farmer Pam had a severe thunderstorm Sunday afternoon and hopes the tomatoes weren’t destroyed. She writes,

“Just got in – the place is just shredded – tree stuff everywhere – I don’t wonder if we had a tornado type thing. Power is off – thank god we have a big generator in the shop for the walk in cooler.”

Volunteer farm labor needed, if you have a healthy, energetic person at home who would like to spend a few days each week during August at Calvert Farm, being farm labor…we can arrange that? Because the harvests are two weeks behind in the state, due to cool temps and extra rain, many farmers are coming up shorthanded in August for labor. If interested, I will put you in touch with Pam directly.

We would love to have pictures of the farm for the web site. So if you are a photographer and would like to drive up to Rising Sun, MD to take pictures of the farm, we will gladly credit you on the website. You will have to coordinate with Farmer Pam before you go. We also need photos of members at pickup locations, so if you want to contribute those types of photos to the web site, we’ll be glad to post them.

Kensington members – You are still short the 50 shares needed to get a separate drop. Please send in your application and check today. We promised Farmer Pam to have Fall sign ups committed by August 1. If you plan to sign up anyway, do not wait or there may not be a delivery to your site.

The Fall CSA runs October 6 through November 24. The price for returning members is $195.00
The deadline is August 1. Send your money with an application to Meg Pease-Fye. Click here to see the 2008 Fall CSA signup form.

Here is what a box contained last Fall in early October: Lettuce, Leek, Cabbage, Red bell peppers, Apples (low/no spray), Radishes, Potatoes, Broccoli, Kale, Mixed greens and Herbs

By mid-November, here is what a box contained: heirloom sweet potatoes, winter squash, Assorted sweet peppers, Raddicchio, Apples – low/no spray, Parsnips, Carrots, Turnips and Broccoli.

Repeat of hours and contact info: Pick up IS ALWAYS ON MONDAYS regardless of holidays.

Sandy Spring
Hours of pick-up: 1PM to 7PM

Contacts: Meg Pease-Fye at meg.peasefye@fda.hhs.gov or 301-796-1130 to check that this is your site. For Sandy Spring logistics questions, please contact Gene Klinger at 301-260-1635.

Rockville
Hours: 2PM to 7PM
Contact: Vanessa Strunk at vandiva@comcast.net or 301-424-9142.

Kensington
Hours: 3PM to 7PM
Contact: Winnie Holbrooke at winniekh@aol.com or 301-509-8097.

Recipes:

Great nutrition info and a recipe for green beans at Local Harvest.

On Sunday nights, I have developed the habit of making a big vegetable curry with whatever veggies are left over for the week. Saute your favorite Indian spices in ghee or oil, add your chopped veggies. All kinds are good. Then add 1/2 cup of canned or fresh chopped tomato and water. Simmer for 25 minutes. Then add a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and you are good to go. Great with any meat or just rice. Then I don’t feel guilty when I get a whole new batch of veggies on Monday.

Food for Thought

On July 24, the Washington Post had an article about three young women who took a three month bike trip from DC to Montreal to make a documentary about the local food movement. Their film will be shown at a rural film festival in Virginia in September. You can also check out their blog.

There are more interesting stories and videos about community agriculture efforts in cities from the Post called Community Plot Lines.

Are cities the “new frontier” for growing food? Very possibly. Even a floating farm on a barge in NYC.

Suburbia too? Watch this video of a suburban lawn turned to farmland.

My personal advocacy request. Please stop buying products containing PALM OIL. You would not believe how many so-called natural or health food products contain palm oil. Did you know that Indonesia, which contains about 10 percent of the world’s remaining tropical forest, is now the world’s largest palm oil producer and has about 5 million hectares planted with oil palm.

The government aims to develop an additional 2-3 million hectares by 2010. For food and biofuel? Indonesian forests, a treasure trove of plant and animal species including the endangered orangutans — has already lost an estimated 72 percent of its original frontier forest. Indonesia is also home to many indigenous people who are dependent on the forest for their lives.

Enjoy,

Erin