Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Sep 28, 2010
The economic downturn and the reportage of food activists about the hazards associated with factory produced foods have raised our awareness to both the benefits of growing our own produce and the questionable conditions under which store-bought foods may be processed. While suburban and urban 'farmers' are battling municipalities for the right to raise egg layers and to grow vegetables as they wish on their own property, we are reminded in not-so-gentle fashion of the dangers that line supermarket shelves. A release today by national safety expert Nancy Harvey Steorts outlines some of the findings of FDA inspectors at some of the egg farms linked to the recent salmonella outbreak.
The release in full here:
Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Oct 27, 2009
We'll be joining Bialas Farms again at their annual pre-Thanksgiving open house in their barn on Celery Avenue in New Hampton, NY. The Bialas' are kind enough to open their Winter CSA pick-up days to some other local farmers and vendors twice each season.
The Thanksgiving open house will be held on Sunday, November 22 from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. We'll be offering our natural jute and cotton shopping bags, jute back packs, and our new jute wine bags. We'll also have some of Bialas' heavy extra large CSA bags, which we produced for them earlier this year.
Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Dec 06, 2008
The folks at Bialas Farms were kind enough to invite me to set up a table to sell some reusable shopping bags at their Thanksgiving open house. The event ran on November 26, and I had an opportunity to meet several other local vendors while my daughter ran around taking an interesting photo journal of the day (see this article on the home page of
Hudson Valley Voices).
As a Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA member of Bialas' winter program, I got to refill my fridge and potato basket with my bi-monthly share of vegetables. I also got a chance to share stories and purchase items from several other local vendors. Here's a list of local businesses that set up shop for the day:
We also got a chance to meet a 3 day old Holstein calf thanks to Mr. Bill Johnson of WTBQ's "Farm Talk" radio show.
Posted by: johnny_a
in MyBlog on Oct 06, 2008
The summer harvest season is nearing its end, which means it's time to sign up for your local Winter CSA. This year, Bialas Farms of New Hampton, NY will be my "root cellar", holding onto my "storage crops" such as potatoes, onions, shallots, leeks, turnips, beets, carrots, and winter squash. I'll also receive my share of cabbage, kale, spinach and greenhouse greens and herbs.
The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement in the United States originated in 1986, when two groups of people got together at the Indian Line Farm in Massachussetts, and the Temple-Wilton Community Farm southern New Hampshire. These communities, which coincidentally started during the same year, were both influenced by the European-born philosopy of "Biodynamic Agriculture", which took root in the 1920's. (1) Both farms are still active today.(2)
CSA is made up of a group of individuals that contribute monetary funds, and sometimes "help days", to a local farm in exchange for a share of the harvest throughout the growing season. This "spiritual share" of the local farm is a great way for CSA members to connect to the land, participate in their own food production, and actually meet the people that are helping to put food on the family dinner table. (3) The winter CSA helps them to maintain these connections as they interact with farm and farmer during their regular "pick up" days, that usually run from November through February.
