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LocalHarvest Newsletter, June 22, 2010
Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.
In April we published an article about Grant Family Farms, one of the biggest
CSAs in the country. Our hope was to generate discussion about the nature of
the community supported agriculture model. How much and in what directions can
CSA stretch without losing its core? What exactly is its core? Should
membership size be limited?
A week later we received a thoughtful letter from Kayann Short and John Martin,
of Stonebridge Farm. Since
1993, they have run a CSA in Longmont, CO, one of the communities to which
Grant Family Farms delivers its CSA shares. We thought
their letter was worth printing here, in the hope that it will further the
conversation about where CSA is now, and where it might go in the future.
We were pleased that so many of you took time to write a comment to last
month's article about local vs. organic via our new "comments feature". You can
do the same this month; we welcome your thoughts on the issues Kayann and John
raise. As we did last month, we are also adding the comments feature to this
month's recipe, so all you cooks and bakers can weigh in on our
"Warm Cornmeal Shortcake with Farm Stand Berries".
That recipe comes to us courtesy about a fabulous new cookbook, Eating Local.
This month's newsletter includes a review of this photo-rich tour of ten of the
country's great CSA farms.
As always, take good care and eat well,
Erin
Erin Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest
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From the LocalHarvest Store:
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Want to make your summer salads even more nutritious? Sprinkle on some freshly
ground organic flax seed, and get your Omega-3s along with your greens!
For those who grew up eating lychees, summer wouldn't be the same without them.
Good news for you tropical readers. Fresh Gardens' lychees are in season and
on sale! The sale will go through the end of the fruit's season, about five weeks
from now. Get yours soon!
Going to a wedding this summer? A LocalHarvest
gift certificate
makes the perfect gift!
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Letter to the Editor: Big Box CSA?
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From Kayann Short and John Martin, of Stonebridge Farm.
"Get big or get out." That's the motto of the big box stores that come into
communities and drive out mom-and-pop businesses. Could this become the reality
of CSAs as well if "Green Giant" operations like Grant Family Farms corner the
CSA market with their huge acreages, dependence on fossil fuels to transport
long distances, and convenience model?
Read more.
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Small Farmers and Intensive Gardeners Needed
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We were recently contacted by Frank Higdon, a representative from the Peace
Corps. It turns out that the Peace Corps has an ongoing need for volunteers
with agricultural knowledge, so we agreed to help spread the word. Frank said
that even a few months' experience working on a farm can be put to good use in
the Peace Corps. Since 1961, Peace Corps Volunteers have worked on projects all
over the world to increase crop yields, expand crop diversity, and improve
village farmers' processing and marketing techniques. Volunteers have helped
communities address food shortages and poor nutrition by building school
gardens, growing agricultural micro enterprises, hosting nutrition workshops
and more (visit
peacecorps.gov/foodsecurity).
There is currently a pressing need for volunteers who have practical knowledge
of sustainable farming techniques. So, whether you are just starting your
career in agriculture, or looking for new career opportunities, you may want to
think about joining the thousands of Americans who are serving abroad with the
Peace Corps. For more information contact
Frank Higdon
and to fill out an online application, please visit www.peacecorps.gov.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old, but there is no
upper age limit.
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Book Review: Eating Local
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In my head I know that growing food for a CSA involves getting up at dawn,
working all day and into the evening under the hot sun, pulling countless weeds
and lifting thousands of pounds of food out of the soil week after week. Tiring
work by any measure. But Eating Local: the Cookbook Inspired by America's
Farmers, makes it all look beautiful. It would be hard to page through the
book's heavy, glossy leaves and not be drawn in. The photographs are glorious,
the writing clean, and the stories inspiring.
Read more.
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A Recipe from Eating Local: Warm Cornmeal Shortcake with Farm Stand Berries
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A
Traditional biscuit-based shortcake tastes best when the biscuits are hot from
the oven, making it a last-minute dessert. With this golden cornmeal loaf, you
can bake the cake hours ahead, then slice and toast it just before serving.
With cool, juicy berries spooned over it and a dollop of soft-whipped cream,
the cake may well become your go-to summer dessert.
Recipe...
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