CSA CNY

This fall, Congress will decide whether to update the Child Nutrition Act, a federal law that governs the National School Lunch Program.  This act comes up for reauthorization every four to five years and it determines what 30 million children eat at school every day.  For many children, school lunch is their only meal of the day.  Right now, these children are forced to choose between going hungry and being unhealthy.

On Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2009, tens of thousands of people in communities across the nation will sit down to share a meal with their neighbors. This National Eat-In will send a clear message to legislators: our country is coming together for a future where no child is denied his or her right to good health, and where every child enjoys real food in school.

Join Slow Food Central New York for a public potluck picnic! Share a meal and show support for getting real food in schools.

Elmwood Park pavilion, Syracuse
11:30am – 2:30pm

Bring a blanket, chair, your own plate and utensils, beverage, and a homemade dish to share.

Directions:
Elmwood Park is in the southwestern portion of Syracuse.  The park entrance is just west of the junction of South Avenue (Rt 175), Valley Drive (Rt 80), and Glenwood Avenue.  MAP

- From South Avenue or Valley Drive, go west on Glenwood and watch for the park entrance on your left.
- From the northwest: Take Geddes Street to Glenwood Avenue. Turn left on Glenwood, drive past Roberts Elementary, and continue east to the park entrance on your right, across the street from Craddock Street.
- From the east: Take either Colvin Street or Brighton Avenue to South Avenue. Turn left and drive towards Glenwood Avenue.

The picnic pavilion is in the center of the park.  The park road leads to a small parking lot above the pavilion.  Alternatively, leave your car in the lot next to the old mill, near the park entrance.  Follow Furnace Brook upstream to the picnic pavilion, a 5-10 minute walk.

Please read information on potluck food safety.

Colorful brochure on potluck food safety.

More details:

In a time of escalating diabetes and obesity epidemics, our schools serve children precisely the fast food and junk food that endangers their health.

This year, Congress can give schools the resources to improve school lunch by increasing school lunch reimbursements by $1/child/day in this year’s Child Nutrition Act. The current reimbursement rate for a free lunch is $2.57, which must also pay for labor and equipment.  Schools are left with only $1.00 to spend on food.  It’s time to make a down payment on health care reform by raising the reimbursement rate to $3.57.

Tell US Congress you support reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.

CSA-CNY has a growing page at Facebook. You need an account there and must log in to see it. But for those who are interested, here it is.

Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to keep all pertinent information updated at this site!

Got any photos you’d like to see here?  Let us know!

What: our annual  Summer Kick-off Potluck Dinner.
When: Sunday, June 14, 5-7 pm
Where: First Unitarian-Universalist Society, 109 Waring Rd.  MAP – at the corner of Waring and Nottingham Roads — across from Tecumseh Elementary School.

This is a great opportunity to share favorite dishes and to meet your pod leader, your farmers, members of the CSA-CNY Planning Group, and other fellow CSA members.

Bring a dish to share (enough for 10-12 people, if possible), tableware for your group (plates, cups & silverware) and either the recipe or a list of ingredients for your dish.

Note: dish need not be vegetarian.

We look forward to seeing you there!

You still have time to sign up to take part in this year’s CSA-CNY bounty!  The final deadline for summer sign-ups is June 1, so visit our “Join” page to print and mail your sign-up form today.

And don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Summer Kick-Off Potluck, Sunday June 14, 5-7 PM at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 109 Waring Rd, DeWitt. MAP

Below is a tentative list of locations for this year’s pod sites.  Pods are the community space where shareholders pick up their produce every week.  The following list is based on last year’s pod locations, as well as new member info for this year.  Pod locations and assignments for 2009 will be finalized after the shareholder sign-up deadline of June 1.

–> If you do not see a pod location that is convenient for you, or you have a suggestion for a new pod location, please read “Want to be a Pod Leader” below.

Syracuse
401 Scottholm Blvd
Syracuse, NY 13224

211 Fellows Ave
Syracuse, NY 13210

First Unitarian Univeralist Church
109 Waring Road
Syracuse, NY 13224

Boxcar Press, Delavan Art Center
501 W. Fayette Street
Syracuse, NY 13204

Manlius
109 Moulter St
Manlius, NY 13104

Fayetteville
612 Walnut St
Fayetteville, NY 13066

Liverpool
4329 Cinnamon Path
Liverpool, NY 13090

Grindstone Farm
780 County Route 28 / Tinker Tavern Road
Pulaski NY 13142-2471

Want to be a Pod Leader?

As the place where shareholders pick up their produce every week, pods serve as the community centers of CSA-CNY.  Pod leaders create the space in which shareholders mingle, converse, swap recipes and ideas, and strengthen our connection to our food and community.

Each pod serves as the pick-up site for a minimum of 12 shareholders.  To host a pod at your home or business, you must:

• Have roughly 10’x16’ of covered space for CSA deliveries (a one-car garage, large porch, or other such structure)
• Have on-street parking accessible for shareholders during pick-up
• Have a driveway for the farm’s delivery van to back into
• Be available on Tuesdays or Thursdays June 16-October 29 to assist with farm deliveries and shareholder pick-ups (available hours are between 3:00-7:00; you do not need to be physically present for the duration of that time)

As a pod leader, you will:

• Communicate with shareholders about forgotten pick-ups
• Oversee pod functions
• Act as an ambassador of CSA-CNY
• Receive a working-share discount for your efforts

Contact the Planning Group at csacny@gmail.com if you are interested!

There is less than one week left until the early sign-up deadline for CSA-CNY’s 2009 Summer Program. – the deadline is March 13th.  If you are planning on signing up, now is the perfect time to do so.  You will receive a 5% discount off the cost of a share and, more importantly, the farmers will have more money available as they start gearing up for the summer growing season.

As you already know, CSA-CNY’s programs greatly benefit our farmers by ensuring that they have access to funds in late winter and early spring so that they can pay their bills and get the crops in the ground without having to rely on bank loans.  Always thinking a few months ahead, Farmer Dick and his staff at Grindstone Farm are currently placing their seed orders and even getting seeds started in their greenhouses.  Believe it or not, summer will be here before we know it!

CLICK HERE for sign-up form

One of our members, David Reckess, has had published in The Jewish Observer of Central New York an article that reflects on the fact that “(t)he Jewish calendar is filled with holidays that, in some way, are tied to the seasons.”

Tu B’Shevat and Judaism’s agrarian roots

Sign up forms can be downloaded from the “Join” page of the website.  Scroll down the “About” page for specific information about share types being offered this season.

Also available this season are organic cotton CSA-CNY tote bags, great for picking up your produce or using around town.  These can be purchased when you submit your sign-up form and will also be available throughout the season at our pod locations.

One behind-the-scenes change at CSA-CNY is that Jamie Edelstein of Wyllie Fox Farm will not be growing for us this year.  Our farmer, Dick de Graff of Grindstone Farm, will be working with other local, organic growers to supplement CSA shares as needed.

We have many events you’ll want to know about, but we don’t have exact dates for all of them yet. Those for which we have dates appear in the Events Calendar. But here’s an idea of what 2009 will look like:

June 1: Sign up deadline for Full Summer and Working Shares

June 14: Summer Kick-Off Potluck
Celebrate the beginning of the growing season with the farmer and other CSA-CNY shareholders, 5 – 7 PM at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 109 Waring Rd, DeWitt.

June 16 / 18: First Full Summer and Working Share delivery

July: Grindstone Farm Open House
Join us for a farm tour, picnic, swimming, and u-pick blueberries.  Specific date and time T.B.A.

Aug. 28: Sign up deadline for Late Summer Shares

Sept.: Grindstone Farm Harvest Dinner
Share a delicious organic meal at the 5th annual Harvest Dinner and Farm Fundraiser. Specific date and time T.B.A.

Sept. 15 / 17: First Late Summer Share delivery

Oct. 25: End-of-Season Potluck
Join the farmer and fellow shareholders in celebration of the bountiful season, 5 – 7 PM at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 109 Waring Rd, DeWitt.

Oct. 27 / 29: Last delivery for all Summer Shares

Planning group meeting tonight at 7:00 pm at the Friends Meeting House on Euclid Ave. Keep checking this site for more information as it becomes available.