Best wishes for the holidays to all our members and customers from everyone on the staff here at the Co-op. And remember that we’ll be closing at 4:00 pm on Thursday, December 24th; and will be closed all day Saturday, December 25th and Sunday, December 26th. We’ll be open as usual Monday - Friday, Dec. 27th - 31st; and closed on Saturday, January 1st. Beginning Sunday, January 2nd we will resume our regular business hours. We look forward to another year of bringing you the best available local, organic, and biodynamic foods.

 
Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; ...He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

... May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One! - CHARLES DICKENS

Join us on Tues, Dec. 21st to celebrate the opening (in 1844) of the co-op store that became the inspiration for the modern co-operative business movement.

In 2010, the Organic Consumers Association mobilized organic activists to fight back against Monsanto and the biotech industry. Thanks to your volunteer efforts and financial support, the OCA fought the "good fight" on GM trees, wheat, salmon, alfalfa, sugar beets and rice.

But now the time has come to go on the offensive. We can't wait for Congress, the USDA, EPA, or FDA to regulate GMOs, pesticides and Monsanto's growing seed monopoly. Over one-third of American farmland is now planted with GMOs. Eighty percent of all non-organic processed foods contain GM ingredients.

It's time to mobilize consumer power at the local level. It's time to hit Monsanto and Big Ag where it hurts: at the cash register.

We need to pressure city councils and state legislatures to label GM-tainted foods. If they won't do this, we need to organize ballot initiatives wherever possible. We need to pass local "Truth-in-Labeling" ordinances to inform 75% of the public - who are still in the dark about GMOs - what they're eating, and why it matters.

Grocery stores and restaurants must be forced to admit to their customers that their processed foods, factory farmed milk, eggs and meat, and other junk food ingredients are GM-tainted. Supermarkets and health food stores must come clean and admit that all the non-organic, so-called "natural" foods that contain corn, soy, cottonseed oil, or canola, are likely contaminated with GMOs.

As long as only a quarter of U.S. consumers understand that they're being force-fed GMOs, we'll never create the critical mass necessary to push organic over the tipping point. However, once a majority of consumers are educated about the risks and harms of GMOs, and once non-organic processed foods are truthfully labeled as "may contain GMOs," Monsanto's Biotech Bullying will come to an end.

Please donate to help OCA's Millions Against Monsanto: Truth-in-Labeling Campaign for 2011

Rockland Farm Alliance was started in 2007 with the mission of facilitating sustainable agriculture in Rockland County. Hungry Hollow Co-op has supported RFA from its inception, and on this day we will donate a portion of every dollar you spend to their Harvest Fund Drive. Members of RFA will be on hand to discuss the future of sustainable farming in Rockland County. The event runs throughout the day and light refreshments will be served.

The federal organic law's requirement that all animals have access to the outdoors and be able to exhibit their natural behaviors has kept the worst aspects of factory farms out of organic - you won't find battery cages in an organic hen house - but the USDA has turned a blind eye to less cruel forms of confinement.

The USDA has allowed large-scale "organic" producers to get away with keeping thousands of chickens squished into huge sheds where the only access to the outdoors is through tiny doors to small, bare patches of ground or caged "porches" with no dirt at all.

The USDA has never enforced or even described a "natural behaviors" standard for chickens. If they were to address that aspect of the law honestly, they would have to admit that chickens need to be able to scratch and peck for worms and insects and munch on leafy greens.

The organic law also requires farmers to minimize negative effects on the environment, but the USDA has never outlined or implemented rules that direct farmers to control their greenhouse gas emissions.

The chicken manure and urine soaked sawdust that piles up at the large-scale confined animal farming operations that dominate organic chicken and egg production are the source of potent nitrous oxide, methane and carbon emissions.

Please take action to press the USDA to require access to pasture for organic chickens and hens.

Take Action

Thursday, December 9th, we are presenting "What Goes On You Goes In You" with Robert Genco of Welda North America. Robert is warm and engaging, and has lots of information and samples to share with everyone in attendance. The event is free, but registration is required. Space is limited. Please join us from 7:30 to 8:30 pm on December 9.

We'd like to take a moment in the midst of all the pre-holiday business and give a great big shout out to our dear friends and customers, our vendors, distributors, and colleagues, and especially to the hard-working farmers--we love and appreciate you guys, all of you---Happy Thanksgiving!!

PS: Just a reminder that we will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. We will be open regular hours on the weekend and look forward to taking care of all your post-Turkey Day food needs.

For Thanksgiving, we are offering the following special assortment of pies and pastries:
Chef Anthony LoPinto's organic pumpkin pie
Balthazar Bakery pecan pie, apple galette, and pear hazelnut galette
Patisserie Didier Dumas boxed assorted cookies
Additionally, in the freezer, we have Wholly Wholesome pies.

There are, apparently, two kinds of people--those who buy pies, and those who make pies.

If you a pie-buying type, the Hungry Hollow Co-op will have Chef Anthony LoPinto's organic pumpkin pies for sale next week.

If you are a pie-making type, let me suggest trying Evan's Farm Creamery Butter for your crust. This butter makes the flakiest crust ever. Try freezing your butter, and just grating it into the flour mixture. You'll only have to work it a little with your pastry blender, and it stays nice and cold. Don't add too much ice-water to the dough; just enough to hold together. Handle the dough as little as possible. Pat it into a disk, wrap, and into the refrigerator to chill and rest for at least an hour before baking.

On Wednesday, November 17, please stop in and sample Hungry Hollow Co-op Kitchen's delicious organic cranberry sauce and stuffing. It will be available by special order only, so stop by and give it a try. Special orders will be taken up until Monday Nov. 22, 1200. Items will be available for pick-up on Wednesday Nov. 24.

There's still time to order your fresh organic Eberly turkey for Thanksgiving. Come in or call soon!

We recommend about a pound per person, maybe a little more if you like leftovers. (If you’d like more exact info click HERE for a turkey serving calculator.)

Consider brining your turkey for better moisture retention. It's recommended that the turkey be in the brine about 1 hour per pound (about 10-12 hours generally) so make sure you have room in your refrigerator. Basically, the brine consists of about 1 cup of salt and up to 1 cup of sugar per gallon of water. Make sure salt and sugar are completely dissolved before adding other seasonings and the turkey, and make sure the brine covers the turkey entirely.
Do not over-brine, and make sure to rinse very well before you continue preparing the turkey to go in the oven.

When you cook your bird, check the temperature by inserting a thermometer into the thigh; the temperature should read 180. If you're stuffing the turkey, the stuffing temperature should read 165. Let the turkey rest 20-30 minutes before carving.

One more turkey tip: do not buy New Braunfels smoked turkey!

On Tuesday, Nov. 16th, Jeanette from A Reason To Season in Airmont, NY will be here from 2:30-5:30 to demonstrate her organic seasonings. Come and experience the true flavors of adobo and sazon.

Call Your Senators Today To Defend Family Farms and Local and Regional Food Systems

Debate and voting on The Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) is set to begin on the Senate floor on November 17th. The bill takes important steps to improve corporate food safety rules but it is not appropriate for small farms and food processors that sell to restaurants, food coops, groceries, schools, wholesalers and at farm stands and farmers markets.

These farms and entrepreneurs should have food safety plans appropriate to their size and processing practices. It is critical that food safety protections don’t inadvertently harm family farm value-added processing, and the growing investments in local and regional food systems by imposing expensive, one-size-fits- all rules.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on August 25, 2010, that it will potentially approve the long-shelved AquAdvantage transgenic salmon as the first genetically engineered (GE) animal intended for human consumption. The GE Atlantic salmon being considered was developed by AquaBounty Technologies, and genetically engineered to produce growth hormones year-round, creating a fish the company claims grows at twice the normal rate. This could allow factory fish farms to crowd the salmon into pens and still get high production rates. To make matters worse, FDA argues that these GE salmon don’t even need to be labeled! We have only a short window to tell FDA to reject these GE fish, and at the very least label them. Can you send a comment today?

The anonymous poem below was found in a trench in Tunisia during a heavy bombardment in the early days of WWII.

A Soldier---His Prayer

Stay with me, God. The night is dark,
The night is cold: my little spark
Of courage dies. The night is long;
Be with me, God, and make me strong.

I love a game; I love a fight.
I hate the dark; I love the light.
I love my child: I love my wife.
I am no coward. I love Life,

Life with its change of mood and and shade.
I want to live. I'm not afraid,
But me and mine are hard to part;
Oh, unknown God, lift up my heart.

You stilled the waters at Dunkirk
And saved Your Servants. All your work
Is wonderful, dear God. You strode
Before us down that dreadful road.

We were alone, and hope had fled;
We loved our country and our dead,
And could not shame them; so we stayed
The course, and were not much afraid.

Dear God that nightmare road! And them
That sea! We got there--we were men.
My eyes were blind, my feet were torn,
My soul sang like a bird at dawn!

I knew that death is but a door.
I knew what we were fighting for:
Peace for the kids, our brothers freed,
A kinder world, a cleaner breed.

I'm but a son my mother bore,
A simple man, and nothing more.
But--God of strength and gentleness,
Be pleased to make me nothing less.

Help me, O God, when Death is near,
To mock the haggard face of fear,
That when I fall--if fall I must--
My soul may triumph in the Dust

The results of the My Co-op Rocks video contest have been announced: Congratulations to Natt and Eli for winning first place in the Peoples’ Choice award category. Click HERE to see all the winners.

The joy of living, I say, was summed up for me in the remembered sensation of that first burning and aromatic swallow , that mixture of milk and coffee and bread by which men hold communion with tranquil pastures, exotic plantations, and golden harvests, communion with the earth. Amidst all these stars there was but one that could make itself significant for us by composing this aromatic bowl that was its daily gift at dawn. Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Wind,Sand and Stars

Can we invite intelligent thought and discourse back into our lives? We are all connected and should be looking out for each other and our Mother Earth. What can we bring to the table? Rage and rhetoric? No thanks! -kp

From the moment we sit down at the table and put a piece of bread in our mouths, we see that we are in the world and cannot be otherwise than in it, until the day we die. The question, then, is not to speculate about how we are to contact the world - as if we were somehow in outer space - but how to validate our relationship, give it a fully honest and human significance, and make it truly productive and worthwhile for our world. Thomas Merton

Join us on Friday October 29th for a little old fashioned Halloween fun. We'll fire up the grill one more time this year, and offer grass-fed burgers, organic hot dogs and more. Live music, hot cider, sweet treats for kids in costume, children's activities, and probably the last of Threshhold Farm's amazing apple crop. Come in costume, have a bite to eat, and pick up a pumpkin to carve. 11am-4 pm.

We are looking for part time help with data entry from 9 am to 12 noon, Monday through Friday. Experience with QuickBooks and Excel is preferred but not required. Please apply in person at Hungry Hollow Co-op, 841 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977.

It's been 6 months since the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and about 3 months since the well was capped. If you look at BP's website, you'll read about how well the clean up effort is going, and how BP is working on environmental restoration and the restoration of jobs and livelihoods, as well as "paying all legitimate claims". I invite you to read, instead, The Gulf Between Us by respected writer Terry Tempest Williams, in the current issue of Orion. The article begs the question, “Where is our outrage?” Why is no one talking about these issues? It's not over, it's not cleaned up, it should not be forgotten. -kp

Thursday, Oct. 21st, from noon to 2:30 pm, Amy from Charles Street Pastries will be here sampling her amazing chewy chocolate chunk cookies. The little sprinkle of sea salt will tickle your tastebuds!

We support the Green Meadow Waldorf School’s initiative to curtail the use of bottled water in our community. We’ll be at the Green Meadow Fall Fair tomorrow offering Klean Kanteen stainless steel reusable water bottles at a special discounted price. Watch this video for an overview of the bottled water issue.

Our Co-op’s Like Whoa! depicts many of the reasons why Hungry Hollow Co-op is number one. Written, produced, and shot by Co-op staffers Eli Gonzalez and Natt McFee (with a little help from their friends) Our Co-op’s Like Whoa! has been entered in the My Co-op Rocks Video Contest. Click here to view, and don’t forget to vote. If everyone votes once a day every day between now and Oct. 15th (as allowed by the rules), we can catch the leaders. Let’s give our guys a shot at winning the People’s Choice First Prize, and show the world that we really do think our Co-op rocks!

Persimmon Bundt Cake

4 large ripe persimmons
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ¾ cups sugar
8 oz unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups a/p flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp clove
¾ cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup dried currants

Oven temperature 350.

Butter and flour 10” bundt pan (12 cup capacity).

Peel persimmons. Press pulp through coarse mesh sieve. Measure 1 1/3 cups persimmon puree into small bowl and mix in baking soda.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended. Add eggs one by one, beating well between additions. Beat in vanilla. Sift flour with spices and add to butter mixture, blending well with a spatula. Mix in puree, nuts and currants. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake about 55 minutes (until inserted tester comes out clean). Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn onto rack to cool completely. Before serving, sift powdered sugar over cake.
-kp

Unspeakably good croissants and apple turnovers from Didier Dumas. What can I say? If you haven't had them already in Nyack, you simply must come in and try one. Just make sure you're sitting down (and not behind the wheel) when you eat it--pastry this good demands your full attention, and a good cup of coffee or tea. If you are already a fan, now you won't have to drive so far! -kp

Last week, on a tour of top East Coast universities, Carlo Petrini spoke to an assembly of students, farmers and foodies at Princeton. The discussion included issues of the depletion of soil fertility, loss of farmers, loss of biodiversity, and growing concern over water availability, but he also talked about restoring lost values. We've lost the value of food when what matters the most is price. The price of industrial food is actually more than that of organic; our society bears the costs of the negative externalities. Please try to understand what's behind the price of things. Despite the growing Slow Food Movement, the economic reality for farmers is dire. We must pay farmers a fair amount if we want to attract a new generation of farmers . “Without young people going back to the land, how will we regenerate our culture?” asks Petrini. Food is sacred; how can we manufacture the sacred in a factory?

We need to set a place at the table for conviviality, for love and friendship and enjoyment. We need to restore value to our work, and not allow consumerism to rob us of our precious time. Presently our value is as consumer—the more we consume, the better. But we cannot go on consuming this way. “We have everything we want”, says Petrini, but we are losing meaning and vision. Listening to him speak, I felt at times like I was being scolded, not inappropriately, by my grandfather (had he been Italian), but his practical wisdom is ageless. Support your local economy. Buy less, waste less. Restore seasonality. Eat leftovers. Respect Terre Madre. Join Slow Food. -kp

Michael Pollan says Americans have an unhealthy obsession with "eating healthy". In a talk at Rutgers last week, he talked about our National Eating Disorder. To highlight the problem, he brought forth an array of food-like products he picked up prior to the lecture, "impressive products of technology" like whole grain Wonder Bread (43 ingredients!) and Splenda with fiber (fake sugar, fake fiber--kind of like fake fruit). He posed the question, “How did we get so confused about food?” Nutritionism, the ideology of "science-based" eating, reduces food to a delivery system for nutrients; the whole point of eating is for health.

But food serves other functions that are mostly overlooked by nutrition experts. “Amazing things happen when people break bread together,” says Pollan. Eating together is the heart of community. People's food choices have long been guided by culture, before scientists and nutritionists (and now corporations) began telling us what to eat. But population-wide nutritional recommendations have failed; what was initially a critique of industry selling unhealthy food has become the vehicle for those sales. In his book, Food Rules, Pollan addresses the question of what to eat in simple unscientific terms. We need to change the norms and reacquaint ourselves with real food, with cooking, with diversity of diet and agriculture. Do not be content to be a passive consumer, but become a co-producer, and take back control of what you eat. -kp

Next Thursday, our old friends Claudia and Anthony from Heal My Hands will be in town, and they're stopping in at Hungry Hollow Co-op for a couple of hours to demostrate their unique and effective lanolin and jojoba based moisturizers. The products have a new look, but still have no artificial ingredients, fragrance or preservatives. They are "pure little powerhouses of emollient protection". Come by from 11am to 1pm on Oct. 14th and try some.

The folks at Equal Exchange asked us to pass on this message to our members and customers explaining why it has become necessary for them to increase prices on their high quality, ethically traded coffees:

Farmers have increasingly been facing higher costs, including both agricultural inputs and the cost of labor. The cost of green coffee beans has been increasing over the last year, and has affected the whole market; the impact is not limited to only a few coffee producing origin countries, nor is it limited to only certain niche markets.

Climate Change and Extreme Weather:
We continue to hear from farmers that climate change is affecting weather and therefore is disrupting once-predictable conditions and patterns that affect coffee production. The impact of various extreme and unusual weather patterns has reduced crop quantities both on individual farms, and collectively across the farmer co-ops Equal Exchange purchase from.

Overall, the specialty coffee market has become increasingly competitive as demand has grown for excellent and responsibly-sourced coffee, and Equal Exchange has already been paying farmers well above the commodity price and even above our guaranteed minimum price. By raising our prices and paying more for the coffee, we are continuing to invest in securing our supply of coffee beans, our relationships, and the strength of small farmer co-ops.

Effective October 15th:
Regular Coffee will be $11.39/lb.
Decaf Coffee will be $13.99/lb.

Thank you for your understanding and your ongoing support of Hungry Hollow Co-op and Equal Exchange.

This Friday night, Oct. 1, as part of their First Friday Film series, the Piermont library is hosting a free screening of the movie Fresh, followed by a short panel discussion featuring local author, educator, and organic gardener Joan Gussow; and Alexandra Spadea and Andy Sahn of Camp Hill Farm. 7:30 pm. Piermont Public Library, 25 Flywheel Park West, Piermont NY. (845)359-4595 Find out what eating locally really means.

On Wednesday, October 6, from 11:30-2:30, Sophia Fonesca, Dr. Hauschka's senior east coast Skin Therapist will be at Hungry Hollow Co-op offering a rare opportunity for one-on-one advice. If you haven't already booked your free consultation, you can still call to be put on a waiting list. Or, just stop by for some free samples of Dr. Hauschka skin care.

We are very happy to announce that Milk Thistle Farm products are available in our store once again. We will be receiving regular deliveries every Friday from now on. Most of our customers and staff consider Milk Thistle organic milk to be the best tasting, highest quality milk they have ever had. And, it comes in returnable glass bottles.

Sometime yesterday our web site was hacked so that instead of displaying our Welcome page, a visitors browser would be hijacked and redirected (unless your settings block redirection, in which case a black page was displayed) to this web page http://1.trdinle.com/Turku_Halil_ibrahim-1034.html. Our web hosting service has now resolved this issue. We regret any inconvenience you may have experienced. Thank you.

Throughout the month of September, NOFA-NY is hosting their first Locavore Challenge, with the goal of having 4,000 participants. If you missed Hungry Hollow Co-op's Eat Local, America! event last month, here's a chance to dive into the locavore movement for a day, a week, or the rest of the month. Check out NOFA-NY's website, and sign up today!

The FDA is considering approval of genetically engineered salmon for human consumption. Last month they announced that they are considering approval of AquAdvantage transgenic salmon as the first genetically engineered animal intended for human consumption. The health effects of eating GE salmon are unknown.

Consumers have a short window of opportunity to voice their opinions, until September 19. We urge you to voice your opinion prior to the hearing. Information can be found on The Center For Food Safety's website. The approval process should be transparent, and if approved, the GE salmon should be clearly labelled. Consumers have a right to know what they are eating.

This award winning documentary film explores the growing global threat of genetically engineered trees to our environment and to human health. The film features renowned geneticist and host of PBS' The Nature of Things David Suzuki, who explores the unknown and possibly disastrous consequences of improperly tested GE methods.

This summer I got an ice cream maker. I've been trying out recipes and variations for the last few weeks. Fresh New Jersey raspberries mashed into a coarse puree and added to my basic vanilla in the last five minutes of mixing made for one of the highlights of my novitiate. After a couple of pretty good versions of vanilla chocolate chunk I was ready for another fruit flavor, but I wanted it to be something local and all we had at the Co-op was apples (wonderful biodynamic Galas from Threshold Farm) which don't work well in ice cream. Then last week KP picked up some delicious, ripe organic NJ peaches and I grabbed a couple of the fattest, juiciest ones and took them home, confident that I was about to create my masterpiece. But I blew it. I cut the peaches into cough drop size pieces instead of pureeing them. So the result was vanilla ice cream with crunchy peach ice cubes - the sweetness and delicate flavor of the peaches was lost. And there weren't going to be any more until the next week, if then. But, there's no point crying over spilt cream. So, when I was invited over to some friends' house for Labor Day dinner and asked to bring dessert, I knew what I was going to make: butter pecan ice cream. Just for the fun of it, pick up a carton of butter pecan ice cream in a store someday and read the ingredients. Here's what went into mine (all organic, too): pecans toasted in butter, sea salt, vanilla extract, cane sugar, heavy cream. A fantastic fringe benefit of making this particular ice cream is that you end up with 5 or 6 tablespoons of toasted pecan flavored butter left over. Although some care must be taken not to scorch either the pecans or the butter, I can't pretend that there is a great deal of skill involved in the whole process and an electric motor does the grunt work during freezing. But the results are spectacular, as the reactions of my friends and their other guests attested. So the key to success with ice cream, and food preparation in general, is the quality of the ingredients. Of course, I buy all mine at the Co-op. And right now I'm hoping that some more of those delicious New Jersey peaches will be available soon. I don't want summer to end before I have had another chance to create my masterpiece. -PW

Many of us today do not have to work at jobs that are back breaking and soul killing, toiling for wages that are “the minimum amount required to keep alive the flesh and bone machine while it is hired to an employer” (D. De Leon). But have no doubt, there are many who do still earn their wages doing work that is mind numbing, dream crushing, and simply difficult and hard on the body, for very little compensation. At best, they may earn a decent wage, but are not given much respect (except in country music sometimes). But today’s laborer is largely invisible to us. What comes to my mind is the woman scrubbing toilets at the service plaza on the highway, or the train station; I guess that’s what I consider the worst possible job. Maybe we don’t see her because, if we were her, we’d be embarrassed at having been seen. Why do we, as a society, look down on physical labor? Labor built this country, after all, not the government, nor the free market.

Ralph Nader recounts a story told to him by his sister. When she was a child, walking home with their father one day, they passed a street cleaner; she exclaimed that she was glad she would never have to do such dirty work. He in turn pointed out to her that anyone who does a job that you are unwilling to do, but very much want to have done, deserves your respect--and a good salary. He advised her not to look down on anyone for the work they do, nor to be in awe of them. -kp

We’ll be open tomorrow as usual.

Educate yourself, family, and friends, with this new pamphlet about organic food created by the University of Minnesota.

Threshold Farm apples (cox and gala) and garlic
Hepworth grape tomatoes, lettuce, parsley, zucchini, chard, red potatoes, hot peppers and tomatoes
Taliaferro bok choy and dandelion
Farm at Miller's Crossing beets
Lucky Dog kale
Fellowship tomatoes
Muth yellow doll watermelon
Oak Grove sweet corn and yellow peaches

Summer's almost gone. Morning found us calmly unaware.....whoops, that old song by the Doors is stuck in my head today. It's September 1st already. Where did the summer go??? And it's a new day for the Hungry Hollow Co-op and our shoppers. This month, the Co-op sales go to a bi-monthly format. No longer known as CAP (Co-op Advantage Program), the new program is called Co+op Deals (We affectionately refer to it as Co-plop).

Check out the new look of the sales flier and coupon books! Also be aware that the Co+op coupons have new rules: since July, customers are only able to redeem one coupon per item per visit. The coupon program had become wildly successful, way more so than the participating manufacturers expected, resulting in these restrictions. So unfortunately, you will not be able to apply a coupon for each item in a case purchase, only one. And while we're talking about changes, how do you like the look of the new end-cap (it should be the first thing you see when you enter the store) Luz and Mary have done a great job with bringing some of our sale items front and center! Please feel free to bring any of your concerns or feedback to our GM, Peter, or any of us. We'd love to know what you think! -kp

All the eggs we sell are salmonella free. Read this article from Saturday’s NY Times about the eggs that aren’t. At the Co-op we do everything we can to avoid doing business with industrial scale producers like Hillandale Farms and people like the DeCosters who, according to Times reporter Monica Davey, have a track record of being “habitual violators” of government regulations, ethical business and labor practices, and community values. And for a broader view of the issues involved, take a look at what The Cornucopia Institute has to say about the true cause of food contamination.

Remember “Freedom Fries”? They were a misguided backlash against France for not supporting the US in waging war on Iraq. Real Freedom Fries are the ones you make yourself, in your kitchen, from locally grown organic potatoes. Freedom from Big Ag deciding what you eat, freedom from fast-food chains that target your kids by offering toys with their unhealthy meals, freedom from artificial ingredients and pesticides, maybe even freedom from obesity. That’s right, eat what you want, just make it yourself. According to Michal Pollan, the time and work that are involved in cooking (from scratch) serve as an important check on our appetite. Commercial convenience foods are marketed to us as being liberating, but that false freedom comes at a very high price. -kp

On the last Wednesday in August, in Bunol in Valencia, Spain, 20-50,000 revelers participate in the world's largest food fight. It is a tradition that began in the mid 1940s; no one is really sure how it all began, but it was greatly enjoyed and has lived on, despite having been banned for a period during the 1950s-1970s. Within exactly one hour, about 90,000 pounds of over-ripe tomatoes are flung among the participants. The event is followed by dancing in the street and drinking sangria. Whew! Sounds like a party, but we at the co-op have other ideas for tomatoes. Check out the recipe section for some delicious ways with tomatoes. We even threw in a recipe for sangria! -kp

Heirloom Tomato Tart

Crust:
¾ tsp sea salt
½ cup a/p flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup butter (1 stick), chilled
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
2 Tbsp ice water

6 oz mozzarella, shredded
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
6 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced and patted dry
Salt & pepper
Chopped basil for garnish

Prepare crust by combining dry ingredients and parmesan; cut in butter and process (by machine or with pastry cutter) until texture resembles meal. Blend in ice water. You should now have a ball of dough. Put it in a 9” tart pan and press into bottom and sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Cover the tart shell with foil or parchment and blind bake, using pie weights, for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Cover crust with mozzarella and sprinkle with basil. Layer tomato slices over cheese, overlapping. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes longer, until cheese bubbles. Before serving, garnish with remaining basil. Serve warm or room temperature.


Summer Risotto

5 cups meat broth, preferably homemade
4 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ # ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ “ pieces
Salt & pepper
1 ½ cups Arborio rice (10 oz)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
10 basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan and keep at a low simmer.

In a heavy, large saucepan, combine 2 Tbsp butter with onion and oil. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and salt & pepper, and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add rice and coat grains by stirring together well. Add a half cup of broth to start, stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly to keep rice from sticking, until absorbed. The rice is done when it is firm but tender.

Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter, cheese, and basil, and stir together a little longer. Season with salt & pepper.
Serve right away with a nice crisp Pinot Grigio.


Frozen Tomato Puree

Makes 6 cups

10 pounds tomatoes

Prepare ice water bath. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Drop tomatoes into boiling water, a few at a time, and blanch for 1 minute. Scoop the tomatoes out of the water with a slotted spoon and plunge into ice water. Continue blanching tomatoes in batches. Remove from ice bath and drain. Core and peel the tomatoes.

Crush one quarter of the tomatoes into a large nonreactive stockpot. Cut the remaining tomatoes in half and add to pot. Heat over medium heat until boiling, then reduce to simmer. Cook until tomatoes begin to break down (15-20 minutes) and puree with stick blender. Be very careful when blending hot food.

Lower heat and continue to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool; ladle puree into large baking dish and cool completely in refrigerator.

Transfer cold puree into pint jars or freezer bags (¾ full to allow for expansion). Freeze for up to 6 months.


Sangria!!

1 bottle of merlot, chilled.  (Do not waste your money on an expensive bottle--any old merlot will do just fine)
1 orange and 1 lemon, sliced
juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy or triple sec

In a glass pitcher, mash together the sliced fruit with the sugar, using a wooden spoon.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Give it a stir and serve over ice.  Enjoy!  This is the best sangria recipe I've tried, straight up delicious and refreshing. -kp

Time is running out to speak up about the risks to family farmers, animals and eaters by industrial agriculture's unnecessary use of antibiotics in raising livestock. We've only got 24 more hours to get our voices heard by the FDA and White House.

For years, Farm Aid has been warning about the dangers of industrial or "factory farm" livestock operations and their impact on family farms, the environment and our health.

Now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may weaken regulations and make it even easier for agribusiness to feed antibiotics to healthy livestock and poultry, putting our health at greater risk and propping up the industrial system of livestock production. PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW.

Friday night I stopped for dinner at a Cuban cafe in Somerville, NJ. It was well past nine, and my son and I were the only ones in the place. The woman who waited on us was warm, enthusiastic, and full of smiles, despite the late hour. Matt and I were just sharing a Cuban sandwich, rice and beans, and tostones. Maybe it's just because I was so hungry, but I felt such appreciation for how good it all was; even the lollipop colors of the Jarritos sodas were delightful. But mostly I was aware of how lucky I was to be sitting there eating in comfort and safety, and in good company--a simple act that is denied to so many people in our world. At the co-op, those are the very things we try to provide as well--good food, friendship and respect, and a sense of well-being. We can't fix all the problems of the world, but we can all give of ourselves to a cause we are passionate about. And we can begin by breaking bread together. In gratitude. -kp

I spent most of the day in the car yesterday, but was well stocked with local ingredient left-overs and snacks for my drive. Here in Asheville, they are big into the local food/local business scene, and that's a good thing. But at the end of the day, what I was really craving was the local kombucha, and at Rosetta's, they have it on tap. Along with that, for dinner we had gumbo made with local heirloom okra, and cornbread (local cornmeal) and greens. I picked up a six-pack of local beer to take home, and a couple bottle of kombucha for the ride. Today being Sunday, I'm going to call it a wild card. (When we were kids, during Lent, on Sundays we were allowed to break our fast and have a little candy, which was always what I gave up). I'm on my way to my brother's, and he's a good cook, so if he feeds me, I will eat whatever he makes happily, local or not. -kp

After a couple days of eating locally in an un-planned, not well-prepared fashion (cheese curds for lunch, bread with jam for dinner, etc) my stomach has brought me back to my senses. Last night was (yes, again) grilled cheese with tomato. But I made a little extra effort and made pancakes this morning (Wild Hive flour, Evan's Creamery butter and buttermilk, local egg) with raspberry sauce (NJ raspberries--there are still some here in the store, you should grab them!) and there is chili in the crockpot for dinner tonight (VT turkey sausage, almost local, Threshold Farm Onion, Cauyuga Pure Organics chili beans, NJ pepper & tomato) as well as local beer (PorkSlap from Butternut Brewing in Garrattsville NY, slightly beyond the 100 mile range). Last night I also made syrup from local grapes, and tonight's project is peach jam and peach butter from NJ peaches (yes, the sugar and lemon are not local, but they are indispensable). Don't forget to submit your "Eat Local" recipes to get in the drawing for the "Eat Local" cookbook! -kp

Local Produce in Store Today: Corn, Garlic, Hot Peppers, Sweet Peppers, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Red-Leaf and Romaine Lettuce, Bok Choy, Summer Spinach, Parsley, Basil, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Kale, Cucumbers, Peaches, Raspberries, Orange Honeydew, Watermelon, Canteloupe. All from NY and NJ farms!!

This Thursday we are getting NJ peaches and raspberries!! Here's an easy home-made jam recipe. Think--delicious jam on your english muffin this January, after you've been out there shoveling snow. -kp


Sunshine Jam

I’ve been making jam this way since I found this recipe in a now-defunct magazine called Kitchen Garden back in 1996. You use solar power to get it started!

For 4 cups of jam:

8 cups of fruit
4 cups of sugar
1 lemon, halved

Use fresh fruit if possible, not fruit that’s been picked half-ripe and spent lots of time in refrigeration. If using berries, pick over to remove debris. Otherwise, just wash & slice your fruit, measure into a large bowl, and add ½ cup sugar for each cup of fruit. Add cut lemon, and cover with plastic wrap; set out into the sun for 5 or 6 hours (I’ve left it out much longer). At the end of the sunbath, you have a warm mixture you can put directly on the stovetop at high heat. (24 hours in the refrigerator will give you similar results, except the cold mixture will require more time on the stovetop.)

Cook in a large pot. Stainless steel, copper, or enameled cast iron are good; avoid aluminum or iron pots.
Never fill your pot more than halfway; at a rolling boil, the mixture can increase dramatically in volume.
Cook, stirring constantly and skimming foam. Cooking time depends on water content of fruit, and how thick you like your jam. Jam will thicken as it cools, so take care not to cook it until it’s thick while hot.

I usually keep a few spoons in the freezer, and test jam for doneness by dropping some on a chilled spoon. As the sample cools, it thickens and I know whether or not it needs a little more time.

The jam will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator, or you can process it in a hot water bath if you want to store it for a longer time.

It's getting a little more challenging already. Breakfast was eggs (roadside, NJ) with kale (Pfeiffer garden). Lunch was leftovers from dinner, sliced cucumber(sister's garden), and local honeydew melon. No idea what dinner will be, but I'll be hungry after my evening ride....Last night I blanched and froze a bunch of corn that was given to me (South Jersey) and today I picked a bunch of grapes at a co-worker's home (can't tell you where!) to make syrup. So much good stuff around, go out and get yourself some! -kp

Bacon and Egg Pie

½ # thick sliced bacon
¼ # small mushrooms, chopped
1 small bell pepper diced
3 oz soft goat cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
5 large eggs
1 ½ cup heavy cream
Salt & pepper
Butter (for pie pan)

Heat oven to 325. Butter 10” glass pie dish. Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove. Retain 2 Tbsp bacon fat in skillet; add mushrooms and sauté about 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and spread in pie dish. Crumble bacon over mushrooms; sprinkle pepper, cheese and thyme over bacon. Beat together eggs and cream; season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over ingredients in pie dish. Bake until set and golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before serving.


Green Beans and Arugula

1 ½ # green beans
2 Tbsp butter
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
½ # arugula, stems removed and leaves chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
Salt & pepper

Cook beans in alted water until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain.

Saute garlic in butter, taking care not to burn, about a minute. Add beans, arugula, and zest; season with salt and pepper and cook together about two minutes, until arugula is wilted.

Breakfast was easy enough; after my non-local coffee with local milk, I was awake enough to remember that it is Eat Local Week. I made a smoothie of Duryea Farm yogurt and frozen NJ peaches (I threw in half of a frozen banana to thicken it, that's my cheat) and local honey. Lunch will be a tomato sandwich. The bread is locally produced, but not made from local grains. Wild Hive is the only source I know for that. And truth be told, it will have mayo, not local. And dinner, which I'm very much looking forward to, will be a Hungarian dish of peppers (from my garden) and onions (Threshold Farm) and Hungarian sausage (I bought it while I was in Cleveland, and it was local to where I bought it--that counts, right?) and paprika (not local but vital to the dish)sauteed to perfection in lard (home-made, from Fleisher's pig). I'm not sure how I'm going to handle hunger pangs in between. I do snack alot. -kp

Organic Consumers Association is a grassroots, on-line non-profit public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. They've been dealing with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, and other key topics, since 1998. OCA works with a broad range of public interest organizations in challenging corporations, and inspiring consumers to buy local, organic, and fair made. They are facing a serious financial crisis for the first time in their 12 years, and urgently need to raise funds in the next few weeks. Please read the letter from OCA director Ronnie Cummins, and go to www.organicconsumers.org to make a donation. Thanks. -KP

An Urgent Message from Ronnie Cummins
Dear Friend,
I'm writing you today because this is the first time in 12 years that the Organic Consumers Association has faced such a serious financial crisis. The situation in the U.S. and the world today obviously requires us to step up our efforts to spread the organic revolution, to fight Monsanto, and to reverse global warming before it's too late, but unfortunately we don't have the financial means to do so. Strategic staff and campaign efforts are in jeopardy.
We're getting more new network members, petition signers, and online donors everyday. Our web traffic, newsletter subscribers, media exposure, Twitter activity, Facebook friends, and marketplace pressure are expanding, but the average donation from our network members has fallen from $40 to $20 over the past two years. This means we need twice as many donors as we've ever had before. The unfortunate bottom line is that many of the nation's most conscious and committed organic consumers, those who support the OCA, are struggling financially.
The good news is that our organic food and farming revolution is growing every day. OCA and our allies have managed to beat back most of corporate agribusiness's attempts to degrade organic standards. Over 100,000 people have joined our Millions Against Monsanto Campaign. Consciousness is rising, but meanwhile our public health, political, and climate crisis is metastasizing into a full-blown disaster. While the oil companies, Wall Street, corporate agribusiness, and the military industrial complex still call the shots in Washington, Monsanto and Food Inc. are increasing their stranglehold over the future of food and farming, apparently hell-bent on dragging us, along with the planet's life support systems, over the cliff with them.
We need to raise $50,000 or more in the next few weeks. Last week, in response to our emergency appeal for funds, Organic Bytes readers stood up in support of OCA's mission as never before, but we're not out of the woods yet. This week, a longtime supporter in Maryland has agreed to match or double up to $10,000 in donations. So please stand up for the OCA. Click here to make your donation.
Regards and Solidarity,
Ronnie Cummins Co-Founder and National Director Organic Consumers Association
P.S. Donating isn't the only way you can help.
If you've already given as much as you can, please try using Facebook's Causes application to invite your friends to join and donate to the Organic Consumers Association's Facebook Cause, Stop Monsanto.

At Hungry Hollow Co-op we invite you to experience the joys and satisfactions of eating local foods every day. But for one week this summer we're going a step further and asking you to challenge yourselves to see just how much of your hunger can be satisfied with local food: 100%, 4 out of 5 items on your plate at every meal, 2 out of 3 meals a day? You decide and then see if you can reach the goal you've set. To help you out, and to make it more fun, we've created a booklet containing tips and resources and journal pages so you can record your experiences. The Eat Local, America booklet is available in the store, or you can download and print your own copy by clicking HERE. We’ll be posting recipes that can be made with local ingredients here on The Daily Holler. And if you have a favorite local recipe send it to info@hungryhollow.org so we can share it with other Eat Local, America participants. Every recipe you submit will enter you in a raffle to win a beautiful hardcover copy of Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America's Farmers, written by Janet Fletcher with a Foreword by Alice Waters. Every day is Eat Local, Chestnut Ridge day at the Co-op, but Eat Local, America week is August 9th-15th only. Pick up your booklet in the store and start making plans today!

Cheribundi Cherry Juice
Cafe Kubal Organic Kenya Chania Estate, Guatemala Acatenango and Ethiopian Haraar
Autumn's Harvest Farm Pasture Raised Whole Chicken Local from Romulus NY
Stonewood Farm Vermont Turkey Sausage: Cajun Style, Mild, Sweet Italian and Hot Italian

Weleda deodorants are on sale 20% off for the month July

Check out what's new: Tom Jack's Lip Balm, made by hand every Wednesday afternoon in a 200 year old barn in the Adirondack’s. The staff loves them. -Marcia

Delallo Organic Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta
Desert Pepper Pinto Bean Dip
Dr McDougalls Light Sodium Lentil Soup
Mom's Best Naturlals Honey Nut Toasty O's Cereal
Ecover dishwasing liquid camomile & marigold and grapefrut & green tea
Biokleen glass cleaner and multi-surface floor cleaner
Sweet Leaf bottled teas

6pk of Blue Sky sodas
4pk of Knudsen sodas

North Star Bison italian sausage and kabob meat
Amy's gluten free bistro burger
Lightlife fat free smart dogs

Almond Dream non-dairy frozen dessert

-Luz

88th ICA International Co-operative Day
16th UN International Day of Cooperatives
(3 July 2010)
"Co-operative enterprise empowers women"
"La empresa cooperativa empodera a la mujeres"
"L'entreprise coopérative autonomise les femmes"
This year's theme highlights how the cooperative model of enterprise can successfully empower women. It links to the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing+15) which sets out the internationally agreed agenda for women's empowerment.

Co-operatives have a key role to play as they are able to respond to both women's practical and strategic needs. Whether it be through women only co-operatives or co-operatives made up of women and men, they offer an effective organizational means for women members and employees to raise their living standards by accessing decent work opportunities, savings and credit facilities, health, housing and social services, and education and training. Co-operatives also offer women opportunities for participation in and influence over economic activities. Women gain self-reliance and self-esteem through this participation. Co-operatives also contribute to the improvement of the economic, social and cultural situation of women in other ways including promoting equality and changing institutional biases.

Awesome Products For Summer Skincare:

Weleda Aloe Vera Body Lotion--light & refreshing
Weleda Foot Balm or Skin Food--for dry feet
Dr. Hauschka Soothing Mask--great for sunburn!!! -KP

The Old Cropsey Farm in New City has been vacant for many years, but five acres will soon turn into fertile farmland once again.

John McDowell, the founder of the Rockland Farm Alliance, had spent years trying to get state local and town officials, who owned the farmland, to use it for a community farm.

This year, officials agreed to lease five acres of the farm at no cost to the Rockland Farm Alliance to build an organic, educational and self-sustaining farm.

McDowell says the group needs to raise $75,000 in start-up costs and recruit thousands of people. The goal is to get the farm up and running by next spring. Click here to make a donation.

News Reports about the new Cropsey Farm: Channel 12 and New City Patch

This Tuesday, June 29, at 11:00 am, Rockland Farm Alliance is having a press conference at the Cropsey Farm in New City. They are signing an agreement with the county to lease the farm for use as a community farm. Details will be announced at the press conference. A large turnout would show that the community supports this idea, so anyone who can make it is invited out to the farm.

The address is 230 Little Tor Rd. New City, NY. (Exit 10 off the Palisades, make a left, go about 2 miles and the farm will be on your right.)

Thanks to everyone who attended the Young Artists Benefit Concert for Patrick Nathaniel Kleinbach or mailed a donation. (Donations may be sent to the Patrick Nathaniel Kleinbach Fund, c/o Hungry Hollow Co-op, 841 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977) And special thanks all the musicians and to Co-op board member Karen Frei, for having the inspiration and the energy to make the concert possible. -PW
Read the article about Patrick in the June 9th edition of The Journal News.

Thursday, June 10th, from 12 - 4 pm, Hungry Hollow Co-op will be hosting a cheese sampling by Artisan Made Northeast. Artisan Made is a purveyor of locally and regionally made artisan food products, and they will be here to introduce you to some of the amazing and delicious cheeses that we have recently begun offering in our deli case. This is a great opportunity to taste some of these farmstead cheeses and pick-up some wine-pairing tips and other great ideas for you next party. Don't miss this one!!!

On Wednesday, June 9, from 11 am to 2 pm, Anupa Mueller, owner of Silver Tips Tea Room in Tarrytown, will be offering samples of Eco-Prima organic and biodynamic teas. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet Anupa and experience some of the extraordinary teas she makes available to us. Here’s an excerpt from the biographical sketch on her website:

My own roots to tea go back to my childhood in Darjeeling, India one of the tea capitals of the world and home of “the Champagne of Teas.” My sister and I attended boarding school at the foothills of the Himalayas, surrounded by lush tea plantations. After graduating college, I went to New York to work for the United Nations and then later became an executive for a large communications company. My sister, meanwhile, had married Rajah Banerjee, whose family owned the beautiful and vast Makaibari tea plantation. Thus began my own journey back to the path of Tea! Tea was now firmly rooted in my family’s past, present and future.

Over the years, I visited Makaibari numerous times and each time learned a little more about the flavorful beverage I had taken for granted during my childhood. I discovered how tea bushes were pruned to a certain height for optimal picking; how the women plucked the top two leaves and a bud; how the leaves were weighed, how the fresh green leaves miraculously became black tea; and how the teas were sorted and graded. I learned that no detail is too small to escape attention, even down to the meticulous hand-crafting of tea chests on the estate.

Decades ago, Makaibari became a pioneer in the tea industry. Ahead of their time, my sister and brother-in-law turned to organic and biodynamic farming. They returned two-thirds of their land back to sub-tropical forest, which improved the health of their soil, brought back teeming wildlife and improved the lives of the people who shared this ecological system with them. Their tea sold for the highest wholesale price, $400/kilo and other farmers both local and international began to try to emulate their methods. The Banerjees have lectured on biodynamic farming throughout the world.

Impressed by what I had seen and learned at Makaibari, I decided, in 1995, to market my family’s biodynamic tea. Soon this venture grew to include all kinds of teas from all over the world! I began to realize that this new work was a continuation of my desire to make the world a better place. It was an extension of my UN and corporate work, but on a gentler plane and at a more relaxed pace. I could now help struggling farmers sell their tea and help expand the markets for tea in the US and internationally. I could offer fair-trade teas whose surcharges went directly to the farmers who grew the crops.

Local author and lecturer Karen Ranzi will be at Hungry Hollow Co-op on Tuesday, June 8th, to guide you on the path to creating happy and healthy children--and getting them to eat their veggies. Her new book is Creating Healthy Children: Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods. Karen advocates a holistic approach to many of the health problems children face today; she will share the value of understanding your children’s needs, and the importance of obtaining the best possible nourishment for your family. The talk is from 8-9 pm, with a book-signing, as well as kid-tested recipes for you to take home. No charge. Please call Kathey at 845-356-3319 or email kp@hungryhollow.org to register.

It has long been the custom for the Co-op to be closed on Memorial Day. While there were certainly practical considerations involved in making this choice (holiday, three day weekend, etc.) there was also a wish to acknowledge the true purpose of the day. On Memorial Day we remember and honor those who have died in military service from the Civil War until the present. We remember and honor them without regard for politics, without glorifying warfare. We remember them as human beings who gave their lives or had their lives taken from them in nightmarish circumstances that were not of their own making. We honor them in the knowledge that they did the best they could to accomplish what was being asked of them, all the while caught in the tension between their dedication to serving their cause, their fellow soldiers, and their own ideals and the hope of surviving to return home. Although the verse below was written in 1810 by a Scottish poet about a mythical hero, the first line establishes a direct link to the young American killed by an IED on a roadside in Iraq. -PW

Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking;
Dream of battled fields no more,
Days of danger, nights of waking.
In our isle's enchanted hall,
Hands unseen thy couch are strewing,
Fairy strains of music fall,
Every sense in slumber dewing.
Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,
Dream of fighting fields no more:
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking,
Morn of toil, nor night of waking.

-Sir Walter Scott, from The Lady of the Lake

As the month of May winds down, and we head into the unofficial beginning of summer holiday week-end, I want you all to drag out that old bike you have in the garage, and bring it in to your local bike shop for a tune-up and maybe new tires, and get out and do some riding this summer. May is National Bike Month, and it's not too late to participate. Co-op members Ben and Paula Williams are racing in the Hudson to Highlands series this summer with their (Hungry Hollow Co-op sponsored) Clockwork Construction Inc RacingTeam, now in its second year of kicking butt on the trails. Co-op staffer Tyler Conlon is training for his first triathlon with his sister (former co-op employee) Hana. And I'm off to my first Century, Mountains of Misery, in southwestern Virginia. We'd like to hear from you regarding your bike plans and adventures this summer! Go out and have fun, and don't forget to pick up some healthy snacks at the Co-op!! (Look for the “What Fuels Your Ride” signs on the shelves to see other riders’ favorites.) -kp

Editor’s Note: In case you didn’t check out the link above, the 2010 Mountains of Misery is a 104-mile challenge ride with 10,000 feet of climbing. It begins at 7 am, tomorrow, May 30th and goes until the riders complete the course or until it closes at 6 pm, whichever comes first. Let’s all beam thoughts of strength, energy, and endurance to Kathey, to help insure that she makes it to the end where the massage therapists are waiting to welcome the finishers.

We're getting toward the end of rhubarb and fiddlehead season, so here are a couple of recipes to try before it's too late. -KP

Rhubarb-Pecan Oatmeal Bars (yes, these are the ones that were a such big hit at the Members’ Meeting)

1 1/2 cups unsifted a/p flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup packed lt. brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
2 cups rhubarb sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Butter 13 x 9 baking pan. Heat oven to 375.
Combine dry ingredients (flour through salt) in bowl. Add butter and work in with pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles course crumbs. Press two-thirds of mixture into bottom of pan. Spread sauce evenly over bottom layer. Add pecans to remaining mixture, and crumble over filling.
Bake until top is golden, 25-30 minutes. Cool and store in airtight container.

Rhubarb Sauce (makes about 3 1/2 cups)

2# rhubarb (trimmed, tops removed) cut into 1" pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Combine ingredients in 4-qt saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce to low and simmer until thickened, at least 15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Delicious on strawberry ice cream!

Fiddleheads

Trim ends and remove papery brown residue. Clean by immersing in cold water (to which salt and lemon juice may be added) and swishing them around. Drain. Steam over boiling water for 4-5 minutes, and finish cooking in skillet with melted butter for another minute or two. Season to taste.

Fiddleheads are good in pasta dishes and great with steak. To make a nice light lemony dressing for them, combine 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 cup mayo; whisk together with 3 tsp dijon and 1 Tbsp or more of lemon juice. If you like, add 3 Tbsp finely chopped ramp greens or chopped fresh herbs.

Many thanks to all of you who attended the co-op's annual members' meeting last Thursday. We welcome new board member Barbara Smith (who is actually a returning board member from back-in-the-day) and we thank Mike Clark for his time and efforts this past year. Mike has his hands full with his new business, the Cottage Gardens in Ridgewood NJ, on beautiful Rt. 17 north. During the meeting, we recapped the year's highlights (Farmer to Table Dinner) and low points (the endless series of freezer and refrigeration problems) and how much we all miss Eli, who is in Alabama in training for Afghanistan. Stan Cohen, our Board Treasurer, presented the financial picture, which is improving over last year, and we all sampled some of our awesome new local artisan cheeses. Marilyn Cleveland expressed appreciation for the thoughtfulness of the staff in making sure customers don't miss out on applicable coupons when checking out.

Richard Luna (who was elected to another 3 year term on the Board) was the lucky winner of our door prize; he is the first here at Hungry Hollow Co-op to fly the new Co+op logo on his brand-new shopping bag (which was filled with some “green” goodies). Thanks to everyone who helped clean up! For those of you who asked for the recipe for the rhubarb bars, I'll post it tomorrow, with a couple other seasonal recipes. -KP

Next time you're in the co-op, check out our recently added, totally amazing, local and regional cheeses.

New in the deli cooler:

Tarentaise from Thistle Hill Farm, VT
Vivace Bambino from Cato Corner Farm, CT
Cherry Grove Farm Asiago, NJ
Cherry Grove Farm Brie, NJ
Gore-dawn-zola blue cheese, Boucher Family Farm, VT
Beltane Farm Fresh Chevre with Chive, CT
Triple Cream from Champlain Valley Creamery, VT
Oakvale Smoked Gouda, OH

We are looking forward to adding Champlain Valley Creamery Cream Cheese and Valley Shepherd sheep's milk yogurt as soon as they become available.
Also on the horizon are cheese tastings hosted by Artisan-Made Northeast.

Here are a few of the great new products (and one old favorite) we’ve put on our shelves this month:
If You Care Firelighters
Eden Organic Applesauce
Native Biodynamic Sugar
Natural Choice Tropical Tangerine Bars (Frozen)
Purely Decadent Cherry Amaretto Frozen Dessert made with coconut mIlk
Artisana organic raw tahini
In the freezer Shelton's Free-Range Ground Turkey is back.

Senator Leahy and Representative DeFazio are circulating a Congressional sign-on letter in the House and Senate "Asking USDA to Maintain the Ban on Genetically Engineered Alfalfa" 
Contact your Senators and Representative Today 
If you do not know who they are click here.

Call: the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202)224-3121 and ask for your Senator/Representative's office. 
 Speak with the agriculture staff person or leave a message:
►Ask them to sign on to the "Dear Colleague Letter to USDA about Banning GE Alfalfa"

All Hungry Hollow Co-op members are invited to join us tonight at 7:00 pm for an hour of refreshments and special “Members Only” discount sales. The Annual Meeting will take place from 8:00 - 9:00 pm. Click HERE for more details.

                           NOT Tuesday, May 18th as previously blogged.Join us on Thursday, May 20th at 7:00 pm for an hour of refreshments and special “Members Only” discount sales. The Annual Meeting will take place from 8:00 - 9:00 pm. Click HERE for more details.

Please send this URGENT message to U.S. Government leaders to protect your right to know which foods are made from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Click HERE and send an email today to the Secretaries of State (Clinton), Agriculture (Vilsack), and Health and Human Services (Sebelius). Please try to do this before Wednesday, May 5th, but don’t stop until they come around.

They must stop U.S. negotiators at an international (Codex) conference from May 3-7, from pushing an agenda that could make it difficult for anyone, anywhere in the world to label foods as genetically modified (GM) – or even make non-GMO claims on their product’s label.

The U.S. is taking the ridiculous and unscientific position that GMOs are not different from conventional foods, claiming labels that say GMO or non-GMO are misleading.

If they succeed at the meeting, the U.S. may then file lawsuits through the World Trade Organization against any country that implements mandatory labeling of GMOs, or even allows non-GMO claims on packages.

This Is a Grave Threat to the Non-GMO Tipping Point – We Must Push Back Now!

The growing evidence and concern about health dangers of GMOs is making waves. A renowned US Medical organization (American Academy of Environmental Medicine) called on doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients. Consumers are seeking non-GMO brands, and the fastest growing claim among store brands in 2009 was “GMO-Free” (Neilson Survey). The trade journal Supermarket News predicts GMO concerns will erupt this year, specifically because consumers are now given choices by the new Non-GMO Shopping Guide website and the Non-GMO Project’s third-party verified standard for making non-GMO claims.

Most Americans (53%) say they would avoid GMOs if they were labeled. But even 5% would likely be enough to create a tipping point of consumer rejection, forcing all GM ingredients out of our food supply.

We can see the tipping point just over the horizon, but it is now threatened by the US position at Codex.

Tell our government leaders that you will not stand for this outrageous obstruction of our democracy and human rights. Demand that the U.S. support the right for countries everywhere to label GMOs. And remind them that 9 out of 10 Americans want mandatory GMO labeling, and that President Obama actually made a campaign pledge to implement it—which are all waiting for.

A new month brings a new single origin coffee to the Hungry Hollow Coop. I must be honest and say that I will miss the El Salvador Las Colinas coffee. Hopefully, we will be able to bring it back after we try a few different origin coffees. This month we will have a Ugandan organic coffee. Click HERE for an informative article from the Equal Exchange website. Please let me know what you think. We should be brewing this coffee by May 6th and keep your eyes out for it in the bulk bins. Also, keep your eyes out for some new coffee bulk bins which Equal Exchange leased to us, bringing you the freshest, best quality, fair trade coffee around. Thanks Equal Exchange! -Mary, Bulk Foods Manager

If the U.S. government has its way, a powerful intergovernmental group you’ve probably never heard of may soon prevent anyone anywhere from labeling genetically modified (GMO) food.

Operated by the United Nations, the Codex Alimentarius is a collection of guidelines, codes and recommendations regarding food safety and labeling standards which are used by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to settle international disputes regarding food and agricultural trade agreements.

The U.S. Delegation to the Codex meeting is adopting a position that would make it virtually impossible to label foods as "GMO-free" anywhere in the world. Click on the link below to stop this end-run around our democratic process and make sure the voice of the American people is heard on GMO labeling.

"Industrial Agriculture has tended to look on the farmer as a 'worker'--a sort of obsolete but not yet disposable machine--acting on the advice of scientists and economists. We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist." -Wendell Berry

In our present day economy, the consumer is "educated", "informed", and "smart". Farmers, on the other hand, have been taught that their knowledge is inferior to that of agricultural "experts". Brian Halweil of WorldWatch Institute made the observation that farmers have extensive knowledge of their local ecology and how their soils, weather, pollinators and plants all work together. He asks the question, "If we have a world where the land is no longer managed by such professionals, but is instead managed by corporate bureaucracies interested in extracting maximum outputs at minimum cost, what kind of food will we have, and at what price?" Remember the scene in The Real Dirt on Farmer John when John Peterson tastes his soil? Not so extreme, really. A good farmer knows his farm that intimately. His methods may not fit within the guidelines of conventional science, but he is flexible, observant, and in touch. I do believe that you are better off putting your faith in someone like Farmer John than in all the experts at Monsanto. Like Wendell Berry says, "It is the good work of good farmers--nothing else--that ensures a sufficiency of food over the long term." -kp

Friday, from12:00pm to 3:00pm, Maureen from Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery will be offering a sample tasting of Mascarpone and Creme Fraiche served with our organic strawberries and blueberries. Don’t miss it.

Our Annual Members’ Meeting will be taking place on Tuesday, May 18th at 7:30 pm. Please plan to attend and share your thoughts and ideas. More details about the evening’s program coming soon.

What comes to mind when you think of a family farm? How about when you think of a factory farm? The two conjure up very different images in our minds, but coming to a real definition of how and why they are different can be tricky. See how Farm Aid answered this question from a reader in this month's Ask Farm Aid column.

Bare Fruit organic dried mango, cherries, and pears in packages.
Unsweetened Eden Soymilk in 32 oz containers.
Living Harvest Tempt Hempmilk in Unsweetened Original, 32.oz.
In addition to Gardein's 7-Grain Crispy Tenders, we now carry Gardein Meatless Chicken Style Filet in the Frozen Food Department.
In the Grocery Department, we have added Lundberg Organic Brown Rice Rotini to our pasta section

This past Sunday, I was one of a lucky group of foodies and farmers who attended a pig-to-pork class hosted by Joshua and Jessica Applestone of Fleisher's Grassfed and Organic Meats in Kingston. Standing in an unrelenting cold drizzle, we watched as a pig, just slaughtered, was broken down, and learned about seasonality and sustainability, which applies to animals we consume as well as plant foods. The groundswell of interest in local sustainable agriculture in this country is heartening. If you are a meat-eater, it is all the more important to know where your meat comes from, and how that animal was raised. The respect shown throughout the process Sunday morning was genuine. If you eat meat, consider eating less of it. And try snout-to-tail eating, which has a smaller footprint and is also generally more economical. Check out restaurants that use obscure cuts of meat, like Elephant in Kingston (where we were treated to a wonderful lunch midway through the class). Think outside the styrofoam box. There's a whole world of meat beyond steaks, chops and chicken breast. -kp

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Earth Day Raffle. All the proceeds will go to support the biodynamic farming training and research work of the Pfeiffer Center. Congratulations to the winners: Gloria Binkowski - Honeybee Gardens Gift Bag; Kaori Fuller - Honeybee Gardens Gift Bag; Susanne Margono - Badger Balm Basket; Gwendolin Herder - Gardener’s Dream (Pfeiffer Center Class Gift Certificate & Spikenard Farm Honey); Lynn Bello - Gardener’s Delight (red trug filled with gardening goodies). And thanks, again, to all who contributed.

If you haven’t entered (or you want to enter again) there’s still time. Three different gift baskets are being given away: Gardener’s Delight, Gardener’s Dream, and Best of Badger Balms. They’re on display in the store. All proceeds go to benefit the Pfeiffer Center. You need not be present to win.

We’re having a party in our parking lot to celebrate the Earth and to shine a little light on Honeybees. As usual, we will be grilling grass-fed beef burgers, organic hot-dogs, and Sunshine vegetarian burgers, and for the first time bison burgers. And we’ll be offering tastings and samplings of some of the products we carry. There will be live music (including a special, brief, guest appearance by Tom Chapin at 12:30 pm) and children’s activities. Also, we’re raffling off some great stuff, with the proceeds going to support the work of the Pfeiffer Center. (You need not be present at the time of the drawing to win). Come join us in expressing gratitude for the the gifts of the earth, and share in the fun, food, music, and conversation.

While driving to work today, I was thinking about this daily earth-friendly blog, and I thought perhaps it would be about Freecycling. And when I got to work, the coolest thing happened. Our produce manager was outside talking to his buddy, a customer of ours, who saw me parking my truck, and he said, "Hey I have something for you, if you want it." Did I! He gave me his old bedliner from his old truck, that he couldn't bear to throw in the garbage. He was thinking about putting it on Craigslist, and then I showed up. I needed a bedliner and couldn't afford one. Which all brings me back to Freecyclers. Their mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources and eases the burden on our landfills, while enabling their members to benefit from the strength of a larger community. Check out their website. And when you are getting rid of something, always ask around, or try to donate it, before you put it out on the curb. And if you are looking for something, most towns have certain days when residents can put out furniture and other bulky items--you might find what you're looking for out on the curb. And it's always good to have a friend with a pick-up truck. Thanks Ernie! -kp

NOFA (Northeast Oragnic Farming Association) is an association of seven self-sustaining chapters in the northeastern US. If you believe that organic and sustainable agriculture supports healthy communities as well as your personal health, you might consider joining your state chapter of NOFA: New York or New Jersey. It’s not just for farmers; gardeners and consumers will find the websites, newsletters, and events helpful. By joining you are supporting an organization that promotes land stewardship and local economies involved in the production and marketing of organic foods, through demonstration and education.

Perhaps the biggest business tool for stoking consumption is marketing. Global advertising expenditures hit $643 billion in 2008, and in countries like China and India they are growing at 10 per cent or more per year. In the United States, the average "consumer" sees or hears hundreds of advertisements every day and from an early age learns to associate products with positive imagery and messages. Clearly if advertising were not effective, businesses would not spend 1 per cent of the gross world product to sell their wares, as they do. -Erik Assadourian, World Watch Institute.

The 2010 State of the World Report put out by the World Watch Institute focuses is titled Transforming Cultures--From Consumerism to Sustainability. In recent years, there has been much debate about "personal responsibility" with regard to what and how much people eat, and the kind of debt they take on, among other issues. And while I would never be one to entirely dismiss personal responsibility, I've often thought that the large amount of money spent on advertising was being spent because it is effective. Advertisements appeal to us on deep, psychological levels. More insidious is advertising targeted at children. We even buy items with prominent logos, effectively paying for the privilege of advertising for these companies. It might be good to consider how often we, who are educated and aware, still succumb to the siren song of advertising. -kp

We are offering ground bison, ground bison patties, bison steak patties, and bison bratwurst. NorthStar has been family owned since 1994 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and all their bison meat is 100% grassfed.

There is new all natural, fresh, locally made ice cream from Ronnybrook Farm in our Frozen Food Department; pints of Butter Pecan, Toasted Hazelnut Crunch, and Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. This is old fashioned ice cream made on the farm with milk and cream from their own cows. Rich and creamy, Ronnybrook ice cream is 16% butterfat made with the finest hand selected seasonal ingredients.

As cash crops increase, staple food production goes down, leading to rising prices of staples and declining consumption by the poor. The hungry starve as scarce land and water are diverted to provide luxuries for rich consumers in Northern countries. Flowers, fruits, shrimp and meat are among the export commodities being promoted in all Third World countries. ...Since the Third World is being told to stop growing food and instead buy food in international markets by exporting cash crops, the process of globalization leads to a situation in which agricultural societies of the South become increasingly dependent of food imports, but do not have the foreign exchange to pay for imported food. -Vandana Shiva from Stolen Harvest

These words were written a decade ago. Last year's food crisis around the world was brought on partly because of weather conditions, partly because of the growing of crops for bio-fuels instead of food, and partly because of World Bank and governmental policies. When we (and other wealthy nations) use the rest of the world as our food source, it usually comes at a cost to the citizens of those countries. And when companies like Monsanto impose upon the farmers in Third World countries to use their patented products, it further decimates their ability to feed themselves and remain self-reliant. A piece I read on Indian farmer suicides (labeled "GM Genocide” by some) was countered by someone who claimed that GM cotton farmers had doubled production and were doing pretty well financially. The claim is made that GM foods feed the world; in actuality, most of the GM crops grown in the Third World are grown for export. Aside from buying organic and avoiding GM products, consider also buying seasonal, regionally grown, sustainably produced, and fairly traded products as the bulk of your shopping. It may be a lot to think about, but small choices add up. -kp

Time is running out to help save family dairy farmers. We only have one day left to demand that the USDA set a fair price for dairy — please speak up now.

Check out this nice article appearing in today’s Rockland and Westchester editions of The Journal News. Thanks to Liz Johnson and the LoHud staff for turning the spotlight in our direction. If I were to be allowed one nitpicky comment, however, it would be that “club” is not really quite the right word to describe us, or co-ops in general. Go to our What Is A Co-op page and I think you’ll see what I mean. Anyway, we appreciate the work The Journal News does to bring small, unique, local businesses like us to the attention of its readers. -PW

A committed shopper I may not be, but I am a consumer because I cannot not be one. Does this mean I should give up and retreat to the malls-or at least to the wood-paneled shops to buy sandals made of recycled tires and organic blue corn chips? The answer is yes only if I accept the exclusive role the corporation and, increasingly, the government have cast me in: consumer. If I am consumer first and last, all I can do to better the world is consume more responsibly--"buy green", invest in socially responsible business, and buy less.-Judith Levine Not Buying It

She goes on to counter this by reclaiming her other identity, that of citizen. During their year long experiment (not buying anything unnecessarily), Judith and her husband found they had more time for, and more need of, public institutions; they also discovered that the "public good" had become little more than a dream. This book was in part my impetus for doing this month-long blog of earth-friendly ideas for citizens. Citizenship, Judith says, "means demanding policies and working for an economy and a culture that reject environmental destruction, the exploitation of working people, the privatization of the commons, and the commodification of every desire and satisfaction." -kp

Mere intellectualism is not enough; it does not take us deep enough. Nature's life and flow are so fine and subtle that in the end they slip right through the coarse mesh of our rational concepts. That's the mistake science has made in recent times--it tries to use coarse conceptual nets to catch things that are actually much too fine for them... -Rudolf Steiner, 1924

As part of the Pfeiffer Center's biodynamic agriculture course this past week-end, Craig Holdrege of the Nature Institute spoke in a similar vein. He discussed how technology imposes idea structures on Nature that don't fit, and how we create conditions for animals and plants to do what we want them to do. We could, instead, strive to know the animal or plant, to understand what it is and work with it on its' level, the way it "is" in the world. Steiner talks about the farmer having a way of acquiring spiritual knowledge, by walking the fields, by being receptive to what Nature has to teach, by having an intimate relationship with his farm. One has to attend to the process, and not merely the product. -kp

If you don't already know them, please check out www.natureinstitute.org & www.pfeiffercenter.org to learn about the important work they are doing.

In last Sunday's NY Times, there was a short piece by Hannah Fairfield titled "Factory Food" that began: "No country has embraced the movement toward commercialized, pre-packaged food as much as the United States." Ms Fairfield said that we Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh, but one would think that number is higher, if they were to look in the shopping carts many people are pushing around at the grocery store. Snack foods, frozen dinners, canned soups, deli meats - these processed foods contain a lot of fat, salt and sugar, way more than you would use if you were preparing the same food yourself. These food-products are very profitable for the food industry, but costly for us in terms of our nutrition and health. -kp

Should organic ruminants such as a dairy cows and beef cattle -- which have evolved to eat grass -- be permitted to be kept in feedlots or should they be required by USDA organic regulations to obtain at least a portion of their feed directly from pasture?
According to the USDA's new organic pasture rule, released in February 2010, pasture grazing is required in organic dairy production, but organic beef cattle may be exempt from obtaining any of their feed from pasture during the last four months of their lives.
Learn more and send your comments to the USDA before the April 19th deadline.

The first time I heard the advice to 'just eat food' it was in a speech by Joan Gussow, and it completely baffled me. Of course you should eat food--what else is there to eat?...'In the thirty-four years I've been in the field of nutrition,' she said in the same speech, 'I have watched real food disappear from large areas of the supermarket and from much of the rest of the eating world.' Taking food's place on the shelves has been an unending stream of foodlike substances, some seventeen thousand new ones every year...Ordinary food is still out there, however, still being grown and even occasionally sold at the supermarket, and this ordinary food is what we should eat. -Michael Pollan from In Defense of Food

Most of us, admittedly, eat on the fly at times. And sometimes, it's true, our food choices are limited. But isn't it infinitely more satisfying to prepare even a simple meal based on vegetables, meat, grains or dairy, than to down something from a bag or box, or something handed to you in a greasy bag at a drive-up window? (Full Disclosure: I really enjoy greasy roadside food, but it's an infrequent summertime treat, and I'm kind of picky about where I eat.) Who wouldn't choose a real cappuccino over a package of powder to which one adds hot water? What's in that potato salad from the supermarket, anyway? Want to know what's in those chicken nuggets? (It's not just chicken.) When you buy packaged foods, read the ingredients, do some research, ask questions. And eat as little of it as possible. -kp

At the 2010 Bike Summit last month, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood stood on a table and told cycling advocates that the days of federal transportation planners placing automobiles above cyclists and pedestrians are over. "...people do want alternatives", he said, "they want out of their cars, they want out of congestion, they want to live in livable neighborhoods and livable communities..." He ended his speech to the cheering crowd by saying "You've got a partner in Ray LaHood." Whether it is the sea change that Mr. LaHood says it is, or just political pandering, remains to be seen. But the fact remains that people are seeking alternatives, and pedestrians and cyclists deserve more respect. According to the Alliance for Biking and Walking, 10% of trips in the US are on foot or by bike, but 13% of traffic fatalities are pedestrians or cyclists. Less than 2% of federal transportation dollars go for walking or cycling. Here at the co-op, we do see a lot of foot traffic, and that's great, but on the other hand, the roads are not very safe for cyclists. Safer alternative transportation requires citizen participation on all levels, from local on up to federal. I'd like to give a shout out to BicycleTimes magazine for the great work they do getting information out, for and from everyday cyclists. Check them out online at bicycletimesmag.com. -KP

Hey Everyone,
I will be ordering from Cayuga Pure Organics and Farmer Ground Flour within the next few weeks. They are a local 600+acre certified organic farm near Ithaca, NY. I will be bring in new products. These include local red kidney beans, soybeans, whole live oat groats (sproutable), buckwheat flour, and half white flour. Please inform me by April 23rd if you are interested in ordering a 25Lb bag of a product for a 10% discount. Feel free to call Mary at 845-356-3319 for prices. Here is their list of currently available beans/grains.

Black Turtle Beans
Dark Red Kidney Beans
Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries
Spelt Berries
Farro
Soybeans (Vinton & Black Vinton Varieties)
Freekeh
Rye Berries
Whole Live Oat Groats
Ground Flour:
Whole Wheat Flour
Cornmeal Flour
Spelt Flour
Polenta
Half White Flour
Buckwheat Flour
Rye Flour
All Purpose Wheat Blend
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

WHeewW! That's alot!
They do mention that beans supplies will dwindle throughout 2010, so now is your time to purchase them. Also, they gave an explaination on the half white flour and whole live oat groats. Half white flour is basically a whole wheat flour with much of the bran sifted out. It's like a 50% whole wheat. The whole live oat groat is the first live and sproutable oat product available in New York State. These oat groats are acually a hull-less variety, and consequently do not have any damage to the grain, and will not go rancid even when left untreated. They are enzymatically still active and even sproutable.
Thanks!
Mary/ Bulk Manager

Last Friday, Tom Chapin stopped by the Co-op to ask Skip, our produce manager, to put up some flyers for an appearance by Tom’s daughters at the Turning Point in Piermont this evening. Tom and Skip have been friends since the early ‘90s when they both had kids in the Green Meadow Waldorf School and they played pick-up basketball games in the school gym. Out of their friendship was born the Green Meadow Music Festival, which was for many years one of the most popular community cultural events in our area (and one of the most successful fundraisers for the school). As Tom was heading out the door, on his way to distribute more flyers, Skip said, “Hey, what are you doing April 22nd? We’re having this big Earth Day celebration and it would be great if you wanted to drop by and play a few tunes.” Tom replied, “Ya know, I’m pretty sure I don’t have anything scheduled that day - I’d love to come do a few songs. I’ll get back to you next week after I’ve checked my calendar.” So yesterday Skip got confirmation that Tom was indeed free and would be coming to our Earth Day party. Now, we’re not talking about Tom Chapin, famous Grammy Award winning musician, doing a concert here, but rather our friend and neighbor, Tom Chapin, offering his special talent as a gift to our community, enlivening our celebration with his locally grown music. (He and his wife Bonnie, a frequent Co-op shopper, live in Piermont.) The Plan is for Tom to arrive around 12:30 pm, and after an extensive soundcheck of our state-of-the-art equipment, to sing a few songs, and then ride off into the sunset (metaphorically speaking, of course) leaving all the children smiling, all the women sighing, and all the menfolk muttering to themselves, “Well, I bet I’m a more conscientious recycler than he is, anyway.” And, no, we’re not expecting him to show up if it’s raining cats and endangered species, even though we will be soldiering on - it is a Day for honoring the Earth, after all, come rain or come shine. But we’re thinking positive, expecting sunshine, looking forward to hearing Tom Chapin, and hoping you’ll be here.

"...we've gotten used to paying so little for food. It may be expensive in terms of how much oil it requires, and how much greenhouse gas it pours into the atmosphere, and how much tax subsidy it receives, and how much damage it does to local communities, and how many migrant workers it maims, and how much sewage it piles up, and how many miles of highway it requires--but boy when you pull your cart up to the register, it's pretty cheap. In the 1930s a family might have spent a third of its income on food; middle-class Americans spend more like a tenth....Our food is cheap, fast, and easy. The problem is that cheap, fast, easy food doesn't deliver."

-Bill McKibben from "Deep Economy"

"We should eat in a way that expresses our appreciation of our food and all the efforts that went into making it. We should savor the tastes and textures of our food. In order to do this, it's good to eat slowly....we should take our time."

from Instructions to the Cook by Bernard Glassman with Rick Fields. When we bring consciousness to our eating, we tend to eat the right amount. Not too much, nor too little. So it is with other daily choices we make. Please check out the website of Greyston Foundation, established by Bernard Glassman, or pick up the book. I highly recommend both. -kp

Jump start your garden with organic plants! Flowers: Petunias and Violas. Vegetables: Beets, Broccoli, Kale, Lettuce. Herbs: Cilantro and Dill. From Markristo Farm in Hillsdale, NY. More varieties coming soon.

The Co-op is closed today. Here is a Buddhist blessing on Easter Sunday.

Innumerable labors have brought us this food
We should know how it comes to us.
As we receive this offering we should consider
     whether our practice and virtue deserve it.

We’ll be closed Easter Sunday, April 4th, and will reopen at our regular time (7:30 am) on Monday, April 5th.

During April, you will commonly find earth-friendly tips for consumers, like bringing reusable bags when you shop and replacing your lightbulbs with CFL bulbs.  I would like to offer, instead, earth friendly thoughts for citizens.  Wendell Berry is a favorite of ours, and if you aren't familiar with his essay "The Pleasures of Eating", I invite you to find it and read it.-KP

"Eaters...must understand that eating takes place inescapably in the world, that it is inescapably an agricultural act, and that how we eat determines, to a considerable extent, the way the world is used.  This is a simple way of describing a relationship that is inexpressibly complex.  To eat responsibly is to understand and enact, so far as one can, this complex relationship." -WENDELL BERRY  

New to the Hungry Hollow Co-op bulk department are several Equal Exchange coffees, located in the bulk bins and being brewed for our customers. We have had a very personal relationship with Equal Exchange, a worker-owned co-op in West Bridgewater, MA, ever since Kathey, our outreach co-ordinator, went to Chiapas, Mexico to visit EE coffee farms. She actually picked coffee berries for the Mind, Body, and Soul blend. Our plan is to offer a different organic single-origin coffee each month in the bulk department and also brew it as a choice for your morning/afternoon coffee break. This month's coffee comes from El Salvador. Here is the informative write up from the Equal Exchange website:

The Las Colinas co-operative in El Salvador is collectively farmed and managed on the site of an old coffee plantation. The agrarian reform of 1980 redistributed land throughout El Salvador from the hands of large-scale coffee growers into the hands of coffee pickers and laborers alike. But, exorbitant interest rates on the loans used to purchase the land came at a high cost and today the producers still struggle to finance their debt and stay on their land. Equal Exchange is supporting the co-op members' endeavors by purchasing the majority of their coffee crop. We're working with Las Colinas to readjust their debt and find alternative ways to improve their finances.

The war of the 1980s also had a devastating effect on the natural environment due to widespread deforestation. Las Colinas is located near the border of Guatemala and forms part of the buffer zone for El Imposible National Park, habitat to endangered pumas, emerald toucans, and fresh waterfalls. Las Colinas has taken steps to preserve their natural resources; they recently converted their coffee to organic and have invested in eco-depulpers to reduce the amount of water they use during processing.

If you find yourself really loving one of these coffees and it gets rotated out, please let me know. We would be happy to order a 5 lb. bag for you.
I hope when the new Fair Trade, organic, single-origin coffee comes in each month that you will welcome it with open arms and empty coffee mugs. -MARY

Join us for our pancake breakfast benefit.
The Rockland Farm Alliance will be having a pancake breakfast featuring locally made maple syrup, organic pancakes, free range eggs, potatoes, sausage, juice, and coffee.

The dates is Sunday, March 28th from 9 AM-Noon. All proceeds benefit the RFA

Tell Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to Remove Himself from Supreme Court GMO Sugar Beet Case.

J.E.M. Ag Supply v. Pioneer Hi-Bred, 534 U.S. 124 (2001) granted large biotech corporations like Monsanto extensive patent protection over genetically modified seeds. This case was authored by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former General Counsel for Monsanto.

In Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms, No. 09-475, the U.S. Supreme Court will review an appellate court decision ruling that the USDA illegally approved Monsanto's GM sugar beets without determining whether organic farmers, consumers or the environment would be adversely effected.

Justice Thomas has an obvious conflict of interest and should recuse himself, but he has decided to reserve his power to rule on the GM sugar beet case.

As one blogger put it, "Fox, meet henhouse."

Please sign OCA's petition to Justice Thomas

TODAY we are hosting free consultations with Robert, our Dr. Hauschka rep, from 11am - 2pm. Please call the co-op to schedule an appointment, as they are limited.

For the month of March, all Dr. Hauschka products are 20% off. (Applies to in-stock items only) On Thursday, March 18 we are hosting free consultations with Robert, our Dr. Hauschka rep, from 11am - 2pm. Please call the co-op to schedule an appointment, as they are limited.

Of all the features our new website offers, the one we’re most excited about is this blog page. The Daily Holler will provide us with the opportunity to keep you up to date with the latest news about the Co-op: special sales and deals, staff recommendations of outstanding products, tastings and demonstrations, info for members, seasonal recipes for healthful and delicious dishes, and even what soups, casseroles, and dinner entrees are available each day. We’ll also be able to direct you to sources of information about key issues around agricultural practices and policies and regional food production and distribution; and to alert you when immediate action is needed, such as signing an online petition or contacting your political representatives. So check in often, and send your comments and suggestions by clicking on Contact Us in the main menu.