Louisville Community Supported Agriculture: News

Misty Meadows CSA Picnic CANCELLED

I just got an email from Kathy saying the picnic today is cancelled. The farm is just too wet. There are ponds of water everywhere, which means there is no place to park or walk around.

Louisville Solar Tour - 2009

I arrived at the Green Building by 9:30 so I could attend the first round of presentations at 10 AM. It was a good thing - they were letting anyone in on a first come, first served basis regardless of whether that person had preregistered. After signing in at the front desk, I made my way to the brunch tables in the back of the building. There was quite a bit of nice food, including bagels with various toppings, but I was only interested in the coffee. I grabbed a cup of Heine Bros and took a seat in the meeting room.

Claude Stephens, of Generation 14 & Bernheim, began the presentations. His main message was that as a society we need to change our bad habits. He distributed index cards with a nickel taped on each to visually represent the 5% of change he challenged us to make in the next year. That 5% could mean anything each attendee wished - from 5% less gasoline used to 5% more letters written to Congress.

Gary Watrous, of Watrous Associates, discussed passive solar energy. A car sitting in the sun on a cold day is one example of passive solar. The car will heat up on the inside even if the air is cold outside.

He and his company design homes that cost the same to build as conventional buildings, but less to heat and cool. The homes are super-insulated. They are made to be as tight as possible and then the homes are insulated more than the industry standard. The homes are designed so that all the major rooms are on the South side and less used areas like hallways go on the North. Radiant floors are used to store the energy and delivered via ductwork to the rest of the home.

Jeremy Coxon, of SunWind Power Systems, Inc., stressed that before a home owner thinks about solar panels, he or she should think about making the house more efficient. For each dollar spent on efficiency, you will save $3 on the cost of a system from SunWind Power Systems.

Solar water heaters are the best return on investment for a home owner. They cost between $4,000 and $8,000. These s ystems work almost too well. They can heat the water up to 180 degrees and anti scald guards need to be installed. A solar water heater reduces utility bills by 21% on average. All the systems are freeze proof and have a life expectancy of 40 years.

Photovoltaic systems can be either off grid, where no outside power is provided to the house, or grid tied, where LG&E acts as the battery. The power company then gives you a credit for energy you don't use. KY has about 2 times the solar resources of Germany and Germany is leading the world in solar investments.

He recommended participants take a look at dsireusa.org for up to date information on state incentives for alternative energies.

Since time was short, the last speaker Tom Fitzgerald, from the KY Resources Council, made only a few comments. He said that KY believes good environmental policies mean a weak economy. To help change this there are two things participants can do to help: 1. Join the Kentucky Solar Energy Society. 2. Keep in touch with the KY Sustainable Energy Alliance. Some 98% of energy in KY is based on coal and petrol.

Phoenix Hill Farmer's Market Fall Festival

UPDATE - I just received an email that this festival has been postponed until next Tuesday (October 13) due to weather. The market will still be open, so head out to support the farmers.

I'm a little late reporting this one (hard drive crashes are no fun), but we'll probably be checking this out. It's today (Tuesday October 6) from 3-6:30 pm at 829 East Market Street.

Among other activities, Bruce Ucan of The Mayan Cafe will do cooking demonstrations and Anthony Redfeather Nava will provide music entertainment.

I'm most interested in helping make apple cider in the antique apple cider press.

Hope to see you there.

Sustainable City Series - 2009 Louisville Solar Tour

The Sustainable City Series is partnering with the Louisville Solar Tour to bring you the eleventh forum, 2009 Louisville Solar Tour, on Saturday October 3rd beginning at 10:00 am at the Green Building (732 East Market Street).

This event is part of the National Solar Tour organized by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). The event will provide attendees the opportunity to learn more about solar power and what others in their community are doing to harness the power of the sun. There will be a variety of short speaker presentations as well as opportunities to speak with local leaders in solar energy. Along with solar energy exhibits and the morning presentations there will be an opportunity to take a self-guided tour, provided by the Louisville Solar Tour, of local sites utilizing solar power.

This forum will be held at the Green Building on a Saturday morning. Though the event is free, space is limited to 140 seats so you must RSVP to attend here. The actual presentation room will hold 70 people so there will be two one-hour sessions beginning at 10am, with exhibits and breakfast hors d'oeuvres in the atrium. Please RSVP by Thursday, October 1st to reserve your seat. For more information please call (502) 587-7015.

Another event that may be of interest - MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Will Allen will lead a variety of workshops on Friday, Sept. 25, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Breaking New Ground’s headquarters, 2105 Woodland Ave. (22nd & Woodland). Recently featured in the New York Times Magazine, Allen will share his knowledge as an urban farming pioneer at his Milwaukee-based farm Growing Power. For more information on the event and to register, please see Breaking New Grounds website here, or contact Sarah Fritschner, sfritschner@gmail.com, 502.396.5457.

It's the Howards' Farm Fresh CD Release Party

This Labor Day Weekend, The Howards will bring people back to the land with a “Farm Fresh” themed CD release party, starting at 5:30 p.m., September 5, at Endris Lodge in Clarksville, Indiana’s Lapping Park. Guests are invited to enjoy a free buffet of farm-grown finger foods from Farm to Fork catering, shop at an array of food booths from local growers, and enjoy a free concert from the Howards.

The festivities start at 5:30 p.m., with the outdoor concert beginning at 7 p.m. “We’re having an old-fashioned hootenanny after the outdoor concert,” says Molly Howard, singer in the duo she shares with her husband, Cameron. “Musicians of any skill level are welcome to bring their instruments and play. We’ll pass out song sheets so everyone can sing along. It will go as long as people feel like staying,” she adds.

The Howards, who own Old Capital Farm (dairy/goats) in Corydon, Ind., are passionate about promoting locally grown foods, American roots music and land conservation. “Molly and I didn’t grow up on farms. We chose this lifestyle. So we named our CD ‘Farm Fresh’ because the farming lifestyle really is fresh to us. I think it’s a dream a lot of people are having these days, as many of these old ideas about being close to the land are becoming new again,” said Cameron Howard.

The September 5^th event is co-sponsored by the Clarksville Department of Parks, and is considered a family event, with park playgrounds nearby. While picnic seating will be provided, it is recommended attendees bring their own lawn chairs in case of an overflow crowd. Alcohol will not be sold, but attendees are permitted to bring their own.

In addition to the free, first come, first serve buffet, representatives from the local Slow Food chapter will be on hand, selling hamburgers made from Foxhollow Farm beef, organic hot dogs and veggie burgers. Platters will sell for $5 and under. Other local growers will be on hand selling their crops.

The Howards met in Indiana, playing and singing together in church. It wasn’t much of a leap for them to become high school sweethearts, marry, have two children, and pursue their dreams of farming. “Farm Fresh” is their first CD, and also the first release from Louisville-based One Horse Records, whose goal is to promote area talent. The Howards’ CD “Farm Fresh” will be sold at the event.

For more information, contact:

Susan Gosselin/Vest Advertising/ One Horse Records/ 502-261-0942 ext. 15 (work), 502-558-5370 (cell) or sgosselin@vestadvertising.com

Tomato Blight

Yes, I know. Directly below this is an article where I was practically jumping for joy at the start of the tomato season. We never did get the glut of tomatoes I expected in our CSA share and just last week I pulled up all the tomato plants in my own little urban garden. I had planned on using those for canning lots of tomato sauces and salsas.

The cause? Tomato blight.

Several conditions converged to make tomatoes this season particularly vulnerable to blight. First, we had an unusually wet and cool July - breaking a record set in 1918. Louisville generally has 12 days with temperatures 90 or above in July but this year it had none.

Also at fault are Big Box stores that sold diseased tomato plants. Apparently these garden centers aren't regulated like green houses and farms. Staff members at those stores did not recognize that the seedlings were diseased.

So what about the plants I started from seed for my own garden? Why were the plants at local farms impacted? This disease is highly contagious and is spread on the wind.

There are several types of tomato blight - late and early. There's a good description of both here. The first thing I noticed on my own tomatoes was that the leaves toward the bottoms of the plants turned yellow and started falling off. Frankly, at this point I stuck my head in the sand and hoped I'd just underwatered or something. Ralph Packard of Misty Meadows Farm warned me to check again - it was probably blight.

The next stage was one I couldn't ignore. The tomatoes - whether green or nearly ripe - developed a tiny little sunken spot. I pulled several off the dessicated branches and took them inside to ripen in the windowsill. As they ripened, that little spot got bigger and darker. Then it got fuzzy. Then I generally threw it away. Some of my larger tomatoes I could simply cut out the spot, but the romas are so small and hollow inside that there was little I could do to salvage them.

The diseased tomaotes are actually fine to eat, but I learned that it is not a good idea to process them for freezing or canning. Since I had planted well more than my family could eat and since the plants were clearly dying, I decided to make lemonade out of my lemons. Or rather green salsa out of my unblemished green tomatoes.

For more information, check out these resources:
Outbreak of Fungus Threatens Tomato Crop

Are They Safe for Canning?

The Tomato Famine

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes

First tomatoes start trickling in - one or two at at a time. Then, like the unexpected 6.5 inches of rain we got yesterday, the deluge hits. I'm especially experiencing it this year, because I'm not only recieving them in my CSA share every week, but I planted some 6 in my front yard Square Foot Garden. That doesn't even take into account the volunteers that randomly came up in my yard.

While I plan to do a fair amount of canning this year with the Romas, what do you do with all the Stripey's, the Big Boys, and the little tomatoes that look so much like peaches that you can't tell they're tomatoes until you pick them up?

My family has been enjoying plenty of BLTs (made with Morningstar Veggie Strips for the vegetarians - and even the meat eaters like that product). I also created a tastey Perfect Summer Tomato Sandwich that even my picky stepson enjoyed.

Ingredients

Baguette
Fresh Mozzarella cheese (sliced)
Fresh whole tomato (sliced)
Pesto

Directions

Cut the baguette into individual size portions and slice lengthwise. Spread pesto on each sandwich half. Arrange sliced tomatoes on the bottom half and top with fresh mozzarella. Top with the other baguette half.

Place sandwiches on a cookie sheet and into a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted. (It doesn't take long. You don't want to over brown the bread.)

Today, I plan on making this yummy Roasted Tomato Salsa.

Share some of your favorites with the community by dropping me an email at admin@louisvillecsa.com or posting the recipe on the site.

A Midsummer-Chef’s Market-Event

The Old Louisville FarmWorks Market at Walnut Street Baptist Church is holding a celebration of the locally grown midsummer harvest. Master Food Volunteers from the Jefferson County Extension Service will be on hand to share information.

Special guest demonstrations begin at 3:30, First up will be Chef Jim Whaley, Chef de Cuisine for Southern Seminary, who will present a cooking lesson using products from the market.

Drawings will be held for prizes and free recipes will be given away.

Food, Inc. playing at Village 8

I recieved this little tidbit in an email. Seems like the kind of movie other CSAers would like to see.

Food Inc, a critical look at industrialized agriculture in the U.S., will be featured at Village 8 Cinemas July 24-30. For more about this well-reviewed film, see http://www.foodincmovie.com . Prices for the showings at Village 8: $3 matinee and $5 evenings.

Sustainable City Series: Urban Gardening

Participation for this presentation was over 300, which is the highest number so far. Attendees were invited to an upcoming event on July 8, 2009 at 6pm called "Get Your Hands Dirty". Thirty raised beds are being built at 732 East Market.

Lauren Eberle, a professor at U of L who runs the Environmental Finance Center, introduced the speakers and briefly discussed the Brownfields Redevelopment in the Park Hill Corridor that has boundaries of 7th St, 22nd St, Broadway and Algonquin Parkway. She stressed that safe urban agriculture is especially important in that area which was once heavily industrial.

The first speaker was Wayne Long, Jefferson County Agricultural Agent and Office Coordinator. He gave a brief introduction to the extension offices, including some statistics. The Jefferson County Extension Office has the largest staff at 29.

In 2007, the Extension office took over the management and administrative duties of Community Gardens from Brightside. Some of the gardens now managed include the 7th Street Community Garden, which has 70 gardeners and 200 plots. Blackacre has 165 gardeners with 296 plots.

The Extension Office offers many services: 1. education, research, and outreach, 2. lab analysis, 3. basic soil analysis (the extension ofice cannot handle heavy metals, but several private firms can), 4. leaf tissue assays in plants, 5. and storm and ground water analysis.

The involvement of the Extension office is increasing. The local food economy in Louisville is tremendous. In fact, the available land for plots in community gardens has run out and the waiting list to get a plot is 2 years.

Sarah Fritschner, the Board President of Breaking New Grounds (BNG), showed a video about BNG. The organization began when Gary Heine wanted to use the coffee grounds Heine Bros was producing as a resource rather than a waste. He had been experimenting with vermiculture on his own so he tried feeding the worms the coffee grounds. They ate is, but it was a very slow process. After he introduced fruit and vegetable matter, they consumed it much more quickly.

He and others attended workshops in Milwaukee from Growing Power and "saw that their vision was possible." They started with a bin outside a Heine Bros store. Then the Earth & Spirit Center in the Highlands let them use a plot of land to build more bins.In April 2009 they moved the entire operation to 22nd and Woodlawn where they could compost as well as build garden plots.

Fritschner stressed that they have had the soil tested by the Extension Office and outside agencies and it is "almost pristine".

Mike O'Leary with the Clifton Community Council discussed the creation of a Community Garden in Clifton. The garden is on 1 out of 4 acres on Sacred Heart Village property. The neighborhood council had to convince the private property owners to allow them to place a garden at that location. Eventually they got approval, but they have to carry a 2 million liability policy.

The first structure built on the site was a "hoop house", or green house, then they built several raised pine beds. They asked for dirt from a neighborhood resident who was excavating to build a garage. They ended up with more dirt than they knew what to do with - not only the dirt they'd asked for, but several illegally dumped piles. Sacret Heart Village told them to fix it so they spread it over a nearby gravel lot. The downside is that you apparently cannot do that due to erosion and runoff regulations - they got in trouble with MSD. They were honest with MSD about the situation and ended up not being fined as long as they put in a "silk fence" and seeded the area, which they did. After all that work, construction workers building a new structure at Sacred Heart Village bulldozed the newly planted area so they could use it as a parking lot for their construction equipment.

They now have 22 active gardeners on the site. Each garden is 4 feet by 8 feet. They partnered with Youth Build Louisville to build the pine beds. They also have 3 active beehives, from which 25 pounds of honey was recently extracted.

Ann Carroll, from the US EPA Office of Brownfield & Land Revitalization, made it to the presentation at the last possible moment. Her first flight had been cancelled, so she arrived directly from the airport. At an audience member request, she first gave a definition of a Brownfield. She explained that it is defined more by what it isn't than what it is - basically it is a site that is not contaminated enough to fall under the Superfund.

There can be many contaminants at a Brownfield site, the most common are petroleum, lead, PAH & VOC, PCBs, and controlled substances like meth. Between 20%-30% of brownfields assessed have no contamination or below levels requiring cleanup. Public health impact of brownfields are cummulative due to delinquent activity, dumping, and pests.

She discussed lead contaminants in particular. Lead was used for many years in a lot of things like gas, paint, and pipes. Lead deposits near roads are generally higher than those further away from the roads. Children are more susceptible to lead exposure due to their smaller size, underdeveloped systems, and risky behavior like putting objects into their mouths.

She said that turning brownfields into community gardens is good for the community as long as the tests are run on the soil. An alternative to testing is to build on top of the soil in raised beds. Locally grown foods and urban agriculture minimizes cost, maximizes food safety, provides use for vacant lots, increases social benefits, and minimizes environmental impacts.

The 100 Mile Potluck (Sunday July 26)

This looks like a fun event. The Bardstown Road Farmers' Market (along with several other organizations) are hosting the first "Community-Wide 100 Mile Potluck", on Sunday July 26th, from 5-7pm.

The object is to make a potluck dish with ingredients that were grown or produced within 100 miles of your home. The site says there will be live music, information booths, door prizes and prizes for dishes in various food categories. Sarah Fritschner will speak at the event.

For more information, click 100 Mile Potluck. Hope to see you there!

Sustainable City Series - Urban Gardens

I'm sure I'm not the only CSA member who supplements with a garden. I'm planning on attending this for sure. I'm including the email verbatim.

Friends,

The tenth forum of the Sustainable City Series, URBAN GARDENS, will be held on Tuesday, July 7th beginning at 6:00 pm at Glassworks (815 W Market Street).

The growing demand for locally grown foods has been accompanied by an ever increasing interest in the development of community and private gardens. There are many different types of community gardens out there and many more plans and hopes for the future, however there are some things that all these gardens have in common... the environment. The importance of taking the proper steps early on is critical, because even though your food may be grown locally, if you don’t know what is in the soil you are using, the food you produce is not necessarily any better than those shipped from thousands of miles away, and perhaps even worse.

Whether you are interested in starting a community garden, currently belong to one, have a backyard garden, or just enjoy local food, join us on July 7th to learn more about how to ensure that our local food system is sustainable.

Ramsi's Café on the World will be providing food for the event and coffee will be provided by Heine Brothers Coffee.

This event is free to the public, however space is limited, so if you or anyone else is interested please RSVP HERE and reserve your seat for the July 7th event.

See the attached flyer for more details. Hope to see you there.

Patrick

Patrick Piuma | Director
Urban Design Studio
507 S Third Street
Louisville, KY 40202
http://uds.louisville.edu

502.587.7015

Planting Time at Misty Meadows

Kathy from Misty Meadows asked me to share some photos of a planting session at the farm on Saturday, April 25th, 2009. She would like to thank Al, Antonio, Kurt, Scott, Doug, and Tory (their granddaughter) that helped get 1600 lbs of potatoes cut and planted, about 1400 broccoli plants and were able to separate several hundred onion plants.

Ralph and Kathy planted about 1100 tomato plants Sunday evening. They’ve had rain ever since, so the onions have not been planted yet. So they wait again, but not idly; there are hundreds of trays with plants ready to put in the ground as soon as it stops raining.

During the month of May, they would appreciate any members that want to journey out to the farm and try to help get caught up on Spring planting. Ralph & Kathy are not at the farm on Tuesdays, but most any other day they will be home. Small children and pets will be invited later on.

From Kathy:

This is our grandson, Zachary Kearton, 2 years old. He loves to come to the farm (he calls it the “barm”):

Scott Grass and Doug Little cutting the potatoes for planting. What a beautiful day!

Al M, a friend, planting the taters:

This is our granddaughter, Tory Willis (10 years old) and one of our CSA members, Kurt Hampe, planting broccoli on April 25th.
Tory, the seasoned planter, was teaching Kurt how to do it!

Phoenix Hill Market Official Opening Day

The Phoenix Hill Farmers' Market will officially open on May 12 from 3:00pm - 6:30pm.

While the official opening may not be until next week, several farmers will be selling, including Misty Meadows, Barr Farms, Argyle Acres, and Mt. Eden Greenhouse.

Here are the available products so you can make your list. :)

Misty Meadows:
Eggs:
Small - $3.00 dozen (pink carton), Extra Large - $3.50 dozen (yellow carton),
Jumbo - $4.00 dozen (white carton)
Local Honey:
$5.00/$8.00/$13.50 Locust and Wildflower/Clover types of honey
Comb honey:
2 comb - $13.50
Pork:
Sausage – Chorizo, bulk (1 lb pkg) - $4.50, links - $5.50 lb
Sausage - Hot and mild bulk (1 lb pkg) - $4.50
Sweet or Zesty Italian, rope - $5.50
Piggy Links Breakfast Sausage - $6.50 lb
Baby Back Ribs - $5.50 lb
Spare Ribs - $3.00 lb
Pork Chops – bone-in - $5.50 lb
Boneless Tenderloin Pork Chops - $7.00 lb
Ham Roasts - $4.50 lb
Shoulder Roasts - $4.00 lb (bone –in)
Ground Pork - $4.00 lb
Smoked Bacon - $6.00 lb
Jowl Bacon - $5.00 lb
Lamb:
Lamb Chops - $12.00
Shoulder Chops - $9.00
Lamb Ribs – $6.50 lb
Misty Meadows Farm Beef:
Ground Beef - $4.00 lb
Filet Mignon Steaks - $15.00 lb

Adam Barr (Barr Farms) will have the following for sale:
Sirloin Tip Steaks - $6.00 lb
Top Sirloin Steaks - $8.00 lb
Ribeye Steaks - $12.00 lb
NY Strip Steaks - $15.00 lb
CHICKEN HALVES - $3.75 LB

Patrick Ayers (Argyle Farms) will have the following for sale:
Kale, Lettuce, Radishes, Asparagus, Spinach

John & Annie Hagan (Mt. Eden Greenhouse) will have the following for sale:
Hanging baskets, bedding plants, vegetable starts, herbs, potted annuals

Sign up for Recipes from Sarah Fritschner

Even if the Bardstown Road Farmers' Market isn't your home market, you should sign up to recieve their weekly newsletter. Along with weekly product availability, you'll have access to commentary and recipes from former Courier-Journal food editor, Sarah Fritschner.

The recipe for this week is called Couscous Primavera and features fresh peas and herbs.

As a sidenote - the BRFM is open on Derby day.

Food Literacy Project seeking Program Assistant

Food Literacy Project is seeking a part-time seasonal Program Assistant. The position runs from May - October 2009 for approximately 15 - 20 hours per week.

Check out the attached job description for details.

The History of CSAs

Eat Local Louisville has written an article on the history of community supported agriculture in the US. You should check it out: How CSA Came to America

Bardstown Road Farmers' Market Opening Day

Saturday April 4 is the opening day for the Bardstown Road Farmers' Market. Their new manager is Matt Thompson, a freelance writer who has worked for several publications and companies around the country.

Just an FYI - They no longer allow dogs in the market due to "several serious incidents that occurred last season".

See you at opening day!

Still Haven't Decided? - Some Common Concerns Addressed

If you're still interested in joining a CSA, but haven't yet made the leap, I may be able to convince you. There are several questions I commonly see on message boards and hear from friends.

Q. I don't think my family can eat a full share. What should I do?

A. A half share is a good option if you don't think you'll eat all the food. You don't even necessarily need to know the family or person with whom you're sharing - the CSA might be able to put you in touch with someone.

Plus, with just a little planning you can extend the season. For example, we just finished off the zucchini from last year. I shredded the excess and stored it in freezer bags in 4-cup quantities. With each bag I made two batches of Zucchini Chocolate Chip muffins. Those end of season greens can be rinsed, chopped, blanched and frozen. They work really well in vegetable lasagna.

Some of the produce will store just fine without any trouble at all. Believe it or not, I still have several butternut squash sitting on my kitchen counter. They keep forever and I took a bunch of extras when I had the opportunity. Some CSAs have a "share table" at their pickup site. If you don't like cabbage, you can put your cabbage on the table. Someone else may not want the radishes, so you can take those. Or maybe the farm produced an abundance of butternut squash so the farmer placed the extras on the share table. That's what happened to me. I took full advantage of the share table.

Q. But it seems so expensive. Should I really spent that much?

A. First do a little math. It seems like a lot because you're seeing the total price. Break down the cost of the share with the number of weeks you'll be getting the food. This is good, organic, fresh food. Think about how much that would cost in a grocery store or better yet, purchased individually at your local farmers market.

Q. What do I do with all the stuff? I might not know how to fix it, or even what "it" is.

A. When we bought our first CSA share, we were a bit overwhelmed. The only greens I'd ever really used were spinach and kale. Beets? Never bought them. I had one too many gelatinous canned beets plopped on my elementary school cafeteria tray to ever want them again.

But you know what? I learned how to cook all that stuff in ways that even the picky teenage boys will eat. If you get stuck, you can ask your farmer or other CSA members for ideas on how to prepare something.

You should also check back here. Once I start recieving our veggies for the season, I plan on sharing my menu. You can also take a look at the cookbooks I've listed under the Amazon widget. Those are the ones I use the most.

Still looking for a CSA to join?

Louisville CSA has added 4 farms to our list this year. If you're still looking for a CSA to join, you might want to check them out. Contact information is included.

Alazza's Farm

Facing West Farm

Field 51 Produce

Somewhere Special