Core Group Meeting Minutes, November 8, 2009

I. News From the farm

None

II. Meat Share

Dawn started off by suggesting we address two questions: Do we want a meat share? Can we do one? Discussion: Some members do not want to touch meat at all; Selecting a vendor; What to do with leftovers/excess; Are there packaging issues; Is seasonality an issue with meat; Are there different distribution methods(pickup/delivery?); is there a minimum # of shares required for profitability; What is the benefit; Does Garden of Eve have a stake in this and should we elicit an opinion from them? Can we move forward on this at this time? Wendy to contact GofE, attend Just Food workshop, and look into vendors.

III. Proposal for a Shellfish Share

Rebecca C. introduced a proposal for a Lobster/Shrimp/Shellfish share in association with a fisherman in Maine who could bring his catch to Brooklyn. She provided an overview, explaining who the fisherman is, the pluses of this idea including sustainability, and the possibility of other local CSAs getting onboard. (She provided a handout.) Issues discussed: What would be the logistics including signups, accounting, distribution, etc. ; parking of truck; packaging of fish; relationship with vendor; Can anyone commit to this project; Is slow growth of this CSA an issue here; Should we do a survey of interested members?

MOTION TO SEND OUT SURVEY TO MEMBERS ASKING IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A SEAFOOD SHARE APROVED, 9 in favor, None opposed

IV. Inc. Committee Update: Bylaws

Vanessa distributed proposed bylaws and suggested members use Core group email to discuss after they have read through it. She reminded the group that this is an in-house document which is not filed with the state, and it is open to change and growth.

V. Coordinator Updates:

A. SIGN UPS:
Signups for 2010 for returning members will begin at next distribution. Discussion whether to raise administration fee.
MOTION TO RAISE ADMINISTRATION FEE TO $15, APPROVED, 9 in favor, None opposed

B. Distribution
None

C. Accounting
No report

D. Communications
Discussion of whether or not to send a year-end Survey, including fact that the Garden of Eve survey recently went out. Discussion included suggestion that we can use survey to encourage participation, and elicit info about members’ skills and how they can help GWCSA.
MOTION TO SEND OUT YEAR-END SURVEY, Approved, 4 in favor, 3 opposed)

E. IT/Website
No Report
Discussion: Noel spoke about inter-communication, and suggested that we explore the use of Twitter on our website to keep members informed. He is willing to help on this.

F. Events
Vanessa suggested Core meeting dates for 2010 (attached to Agenda)
Harvest Dinner: Ideas and discussion
VOTE: NOEL TO SPEND UP TO $20 FOR NAME TAGS FOR HARVEST DINNER.

G. Low Income
Kevin reported two LIs are very pleased.
Crates are piling up at Milton St.
MOTION TO ELECT EMILY P. LOW-INCOME COORDINATOR FOR 2010 SEASON, APPROVED, 8 in favor, opposed 0

NEXT MEETING: December 13, 2009; 4-6PM, Lutheran Church of the Messiah
Facilitator: tba
Minutes: Katie?
Snacks: ?

CORE MEETING THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13TH

It’s that time again! We will be having another fun and eventful “Core Meeting” this Sunday, December 13th. Topics this month will include:

• We’ve been awarded a $1060 grant from Citizens Committee for New York City for our revolving loan fund. How should we advertise and utilize this for next season?
• We’ll be discussing and/or approving our recently proposed bylaws
• We’ll be talking about adding additional share items (meat, shellfish, other?)
• We’ll be talking about how to best allocate our low income fund for the 2010 season

In addition to these topics, we’ll have updates from all our coordinators on their specific responsibilities.

And by the way, we’re still looking for coordinators for next season! There are currently several openings, including Wednesday workshift coordinator and Saturday workshift coordinator.

Anyone who’s interested in becoming more involved with your CSA, or even if you just want to see the “inner workings” of the GWCSA for yourself, come by the Lutheran Church of the Messiah (129 Russell Street in Greenpoint) this Sunday: the meeting starts at 4pm and goes until 6.

And, as always, there will be snacks!

LOCAL EVENTS: GREENPOINT COMMUNITY FOOD MEETING

We are inviting anyone in Greenpoint and Williamsburg who is interested in food justice, access, sustainability and security to join us. This first meeting will be a chance for people who are working on food issues in the neighborhood and those who would like to be more involved to meet, share experiences, and talk about how we can pool our resources and knowledge to build on the amazing food activism that is already taking place here and to talk about how we can connect with food activists in other Brooklyn neighborhoods.

This is an outcome of the Brooklyn food conference, which has been instrumental in getting these neighborhood meetings organized all over Brooklyn: “After an incredibly successful and exciting Brooklyn Food Conference we are morphing into a grassroots-based Brooklyn Food Coalition. So far 10 Brooklyn neighborhoods (and hopefully many more) are creating local, neighborhood-based groups that are choosing 1 or more projects to work on to improve the food situation in their communities. Each neighborhood will send 2 reps to a Council of Neighborhood Groups so we can share strategies, projects and campaigns across the Borough.”

For more information go here.

GREENPOINT COMMUNITY FOOD MEETING
Thursday, September 24th 7:00 p.m.
Lutheran Church of the Messiah
129 Russell Street (btw. Nassau and Driggs)
Contact: Maggie Dickinson mdickinson (at) gc.cuny.edu

LOCAL EVENTS: TIME FOR LUNCH POTLUCK EAT-IN

The Time for Lunch Campaign is a project of Slow Food USA, an educational non-profit with the goal of creating a world in which everyone can enjoy food that is good, clean and fair.

This year, Time for Lunch is asking parents, teachers and every responsible citizen to speak up and tell our nation’s leaders that change can’t wait: It’s time to provide our children with REAL FOOD at school.

The Child Nutrition Act is a federal law that comes up for reauthorization in Congress every four to five years. It governs the National School Lunch Program, which sets the standard for the food that more than 30 million children eat every school day.

In the last few decades, as school budgets have been cut, our nation’s schools have struggled to serve children the real food they need.

The deadline for reauthorizing the current Child Nutrition Act is September 2009.

Join this national day of action to get real food* in schools at the Williamsburg/Greenpoint Time for Lunch (A Slow Food Campaign) Potluck Eat-In!

When: Labor Day, Monday September 7, 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Where: 26 Broadway (between Wythe & Kent Ave), Williamsburg, 11211

What: Potluck lunch, free movie screening (“What’s on your Plate”), Cooking demonstrations by the team from “Growing Chefs”, raffle prizes that include a 18lb ham from Heritage Foods plus gift vouchers from local eateries.

Why: To send a clear message to Congress: It’s time to provide America’s children with real food at school.

We are asking participants to bring a dish to the Eat-In. But to really get the point across to budget-conscious administrators and politicians, we are issuing the following challenge.

Please try to bring a dish that:

-Is nutritious and uses whole foods (not processed foods)
-Costs less than $20 to make
-Is delicious to kids

Sign up to bring your dish at

michelle.grey@gmail.com

*Real food is good at every link in the chain. It tastes good, it’s good for us, it’s good for the people who grow it, it’s good for our country and it’s good for the planet.

CSA SUMMER SUPPERCLUB

The Greenpoint-Williamsburg CSA proudly presents a new summer supperclub event!

We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Peerless Platters to produce two specially-priced CSA Member-and-friend-only dinners and a decadent five-course dinner event open to both CSA and Peerless Platter members.

Chef Melissa Rebholz has created an amazing local summer menu starring vegetables from our CSA farm, Garden of Eve. Enjoy an intimate evening of spectacularly-prepared local food, live music (Bliss Blood of the Moonlighters), a chance to speak with a local master composter, and camaraderie with other CSA Members in a secret speakeasy location.

Friends and family welcome, of course.

FRIDAY SUPPERCLUB DETAILS

There will be two seatings for the three-course Friday CSA-only dinner: 6:00pm and 8:30pm. The cost of the dinner is $35 and includes a specialty cocktail pairing. This dinner is open to CSA Members and family and friends. Please bring your own wine/beer; there is no corkage fee.
Vegetarian menu available. Please RSVP for location information.

SATURDAY SUPPERCLUB DETAILS

CSA members also have first chance to RSVP to an extravagant Peerless Platters event on Saturday, July 18. The event features a five-course locally-themed menu, with all vegetables from Garden of Eve, paired specialty cocktail and table wines at a cost of $75. A local foodie’s delight! This dinner is open to CSA Members as well as the Peerless Platter List and family and friends.
Vegetarian menu available. Please RSVP for location information.

COCKTAIL MINGLE DETAILS

Can’t come to the dinner? Join your fellow CSA members after dinner to meet the chef, our hosts, and a local master composter over cocktails. The bar will open for donations with local classic cocktails behind the stead!
10:30pm on Friday, July 17th. Please RSVP for location information.

RVSP INFORMATION

Reservations are open now.
Seats are limited so please be ready to confirm your attendance! This early “first dibs” reservation period is only open from now until June 15.
RSVP: peerless@peerlessplatters.com

Important: Because of the highly secret nature of these events, the location will only be disclosed via an email the morning of the dinner.

When you RSVP you will need to indicate the following:
Date and time of the dinner seating
Number of guests
Will you join the open cocktail event at 10:30pm on Friday, July 17?
Vegetarian or other special dietary needs

ABOUT THE CHEF

Melissa Rebholz is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute and is currently the Farmstand Manager at Garden of Eve Farm . In this capacity she is guaranteed to provide the CSA Summer Supperclubs with produce at its peak!
Previously, Melissa was a pizza chef at Roberta’s Pizza in Brooklyn as well as a Market Manager with the NYC Greenmarkets for three markets in Manhattan and also for the greenmarket at McCarren Park where she was responsible for cooking demos.
Melissa is raising her own Tamworth pigs at Garden of Eve (named Apple and Cheese) for her and her family to savor for the coming year. Follow Melissa on the farm on her blog.