Pay attention or we will all bee hungry

Just Food in NYC has an eat local event coming up in September. They also have a petition on their site to legalize beekeeping in NYC. I encourage everyone to sign it. http://www.justfood.org/jf/index.html

Pasted below is an article from the Journal News in Westchester County, NY on the importance of bees to our food supply:
Photos:
http://jukebox.lohud.com/photos/refers/index.php?gallery=Bee%20keeping%20at%20Pace%20University

July 3, 2009
Honeybees make sweet work at Pace
Greg Clary
The Journal News

A couple of years ago, when somebody mentioned to me that there was big die-off of bees that could be catastrophic for humans, my first response was "Why? Because we would have to live without being stung?"

Most everybody's had a run-in with a bee - but at the time I barely knew the difference between a honeybee and a bumblebee.

I thought all those little critters did was pollinate flowers and sting people.
Yesterday, I found out how much I didn't know.

"Honeybees are pretty passive, unless you get into their flight path," said James Eyring, the assistant director of Pace University's Environmental Center in Pleasantville. "They don't like you in their way."

Eyring started a beekeeping operation at Pace two months ago, at the suggestion of Nick Robinson, the school's environmental law legend and an amateur beekeeper himself.
"He said we should do it because it's the right thing to do," Eyring said. "It's also good for the students to get a close look at how nature works."

Watching and listening to Eyring, I found it pretty clear that honeybees are almost always working.

"We should get 100 pounds of honey by the end of the summer," he said, lifting up racks of worker bees turning pollen and sugar water into beeswax and the familiar golden liquid. "At four bucks a pound for honey and eight bucks a pound for beeswax, however, I wouldn't want to make a living as a beekeeper."

Pace's powers that bee opted to fund the project - about $600 for the two working hives - because as Robinson said in an Earth Day speech, one-third of the U.S. food supply depends on bees.

"We need them to pollinate our crops, like the almond trees of California, where most of the world's almonds are grown, or the apples trees of the Hudson Valley," Robinson said. "The continued use of these chemicals is a threat to our food supplies and to our spring pollination."
Robinson cited ice-cream producer Häagen-Dazs' warning that 40 percent of its 60 flavors depend on fruits and nuts that are pollinated by bees.

I don't know about you, but when pesticide makers mess around with my favorite food, I start paying attention.

What's happening to bees is called "colony collapse disorder," and Eyring is one of many who believes the deadly plague is connected to the use of pesticides, most specifically a chlorinated nicotine based insecticide.

"The bees are in trouble. CCD is akin to the canary in the mine shaft," said Eyring, a Lake Carmel resident. "If we lose honeybees, we're in trouble. We're already losing production on our farms, agriable lands. It's scary to think of how wrong things have gone if we're losing honeybees. They should be a wake-up call."

If you don't think bees are important to your daily diet, consider that farmers truck in hives and rent them for two or three weeks during blossoming time, letting the beekeepers keep the honey as long as the bees work the plants. A bigger crop is the result and well worth the investment, Eyring said.

Look at the national facts on the matter, from the Environmental Protection Agency:
- Honeybees are essential for crop production, particularly for specialty crops such as nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables.

- They pollinate more than 90 commercial crops, so that the plants can reproduce and provide the abundance and variety of foods we enjoy.
- Pollination is responsible for $15 billion in added crop value.
The other thing that struck me yesterday was how smart bees are as a group.
Everybody knows the queen is the hub of the hive - she produces the next generation, is served by the drones and workers, sleeps until noon ...
But what might be less well-known is that it is at best a constitutional monarchy, because if the queen's not doing her job in the eyes of her attendants, they depose her.
"They're all working with one goal in mind: the good of the hive," Eyring said. "If she's not doing her job, not producing properly, they either kill her or push her out."
There might be a civics lesson in that for us.

For the original article with photos:
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009907030332

Quitter to appear at the Suffern Music and Arts Festival

My husband's band, Quitter (www.quitterband.com) has been selected to perform at the first annual Suffern Music and Arts Festival (www.suffernmusicandartsfestival.com) Sept. 6.

Vote for Your Favorite Farmers' Market!

SUFFERN FARMERS’ MARKET MAY BE VOTED ONE OF
AMERICA’S FAVORITE FARMERS MARKETS

Suffern Farmers’ Market has entered into a national contest for farmers markets being held by American Farmland Trust.

The market is open Saturdays, June through November from 9:00am to 1:00pm, rain or shine in the Commuter Parking Lot on Orange Ave. at Lafayette. Available at the market are locally grown and produced organic vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, wine, cheese, yogurt, pickles, prepared foods, baked goods, coffee, maple syrup, honey, plants, flower bouquets and more. The market features live entertainment each week along with regular cooking demos and children’s activities

Farmers markets represent one of the great ways that food consumers can support their local farmers, farmland, communities, and regional economy. This summer, American Farmland Trust’s contest for America’s Favorite Farmers Markets, is a way for market customers to voice their support and take pride in their community. Farmers markets can register to join the contest by visiting, www.farmland.org/marketmanager. Customers across the nation will vote their market to the top on-line at www.farmland.org/vote. One large, medium, and small farmers market will win the title of America’s Favorite Farmers Market in 2009, and the winning markets will each receive a free No Farms No Food ® tote bag giveaway for their customers.

By partnering with farmers markets, American Farmland Trust is encouraging consumers to consider the importance of farmland and to support local farmers. Put succinctly, there is no local food without local farmland. Market shoppers can cast their vote in support of their region’s farmers, community, and market. To vote for Suffern Farmers’ Market simply visit www.farmland.org/vote.

American Farmland Trust—along with many local and state governments, and non-profit groups, is working to make “growing local” a reality for farmers, ranchers and consumers. Healthy Farms, Healthy Food, and Healthy Communities: It’s what America needs!

Find out more about American Farmland Trust’s Growing Local Campaign:
www.farmland.org/local

American Farmland Trust is a national nonprofit organization working with communities and individuals to protect farmland, promote sound stewardship of that land and improve the economic vitality of agriculture. As the nation’s leading advocate for farm and ranch land conservation, AFT has ensured that millions of acres of American farm and ranch land stays bountiful and productive. With offices around the country, AFT’s headquarters are in Washington, DC. The phone number is 202-331-7300.

Suffern Farmers' Market 2009 Season

Suffern Farmers’ Market
Saturdays June 13 through Nov. 21 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm - rain or shine - in the commuter parking lot on Orange Ave. at Lafayette, Suffern, NY.

Available at the market: Locally grown/produced organic vegetables, meats, eggs,
fruits, berries, baked goods, maple syrup, wine, cheese, honey, plants, prepared foods, flowers
• Live Entertainment
• Cooking Demos
• Children’s Activities

Suffern Farmers Market is sponsoring a blood drive on June 9 at Good Samaritan Hospital from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Donate and receive a $3.00 coupon toward any item at the market.

Market Events:
June 13 Opening Day — gardening activities with kids
- Ribbon cutting with town officials 10:00am
- Music: John Morowski – all ages
- Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Master Gardeners will be doing gardening activities with consumers/kids
- Storytime with Elyse

June 20 Local Artists Demo Day

July 4 Red, White & Blueberries Day — canning demo

July 25 Eat Local Day
Cooking Demo: Chef Noah from the Governor’s Mansion

August 22 Hispanic Heritage Day — cooking demo & music

September 5 & 6 Suffern’s 1st Annual Music and Arts Festival

October 31 Harvest Festival

MyPersonalFarmers.com launches new CSA

This is the best CSA deal I know of in the New York metro area.

From MyPersonalFarmers.com:

MyPersonalFarmers CSA MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE - NO EXTRA DELIVERY CHARGE

We are very pleased to announce our first CSA (community supported agriculture) program. Applications will be accepted thru June 12.

The simple summary is below - and you'll have to follow this link to get more details. The minimum plan (Plan 1) is strictly produce from Hepworth Farms and Sheldon Farms. Plan 2 includes produce and one dozen organic eggs; Plan 3 includes produce and one fresh whole organic chicken. Further "add-ons" can be ordered week-to-week.

First delivery is weekend of June 19/20, and every other week through Oct 23/24.
Minimum plan cost is $45 per package, with no additional delivery charge in our regular delivery area. Payment plans are available.

After you read the detailed description of our CSA program, you can sign up either online or by phone.

Naturally, we continue to offer our regular service of ordering each week, as you please. Nothing changes in our basic operation - the CSA is an alternative.

For more information, go to www.mypersonalfarmers.com.

It's that time of year again - Dandelion salad

Every spring my neighbors' lawns are teeming with weeds. I say my neighbors because my husband is a freak about his lawn. Not a blade of perfectly green grass out of place.


But my neighbors have free landscaping help - from me. I am happy to help them weed those dandelions out - and keep my loot to make a nice salad.


Dandelions greens are often sold at farm markets and grocery stores with the more standard fare. But I get mine for free.


I also eat purslane, which grows near the edge of my property by the street. I try to pick it regularly before my husband kills it unnaturally.


The greens of dandelions can be used in salads in place of arugula or other leafy greens. Some people also cook them as they would spinach or broccoli rabe. I like them tossed with extra virgin olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar and some kosher salt.

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