Adams Middle School Wellness Fair

Adams Middle School is hosting their second annual Wellness Fair this Saturday, January 12, 2013 between 10:00 and 13:00 in the cafeteria.

Join us.  I'll be there, sharing the bounty from a seasonal box, including samples of winter strawberries.

Sea creature?

Is this a cuttlefish?



No, it's a citrus fruit called Buddha's hand!

Just one finger makes a lovely vinaigrette as shown here.

It was not in your CSA box.  But, I share my hyperlocal garden bounty with other area gardeners.  Right now, my Meyer lemon tree is groaning under the weight of many lemons.  I traded a few for this Buddha's hand.

I can't use the entire thing, so I am offering up chunks of this to other CSA participants.  Email me if you would like some.  I also have Meyer lemons, rosemary, oregano and bay leaves to share.

Better yet, drop by the Adams Middle School Wellness Fair this Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 10:00AM to 1:00PM  at (where else?) Adams Middle School.

I will be there.  Stop by to say hello and pick up some hyperlocal Buddha's hand, Meyer lemons, rosemary, oregano and bay leaves!

CSA Day October 8

Dear CSA subscribers,
 In appreciation for your support, CSA members and their immediate families are invited to join us at Tanaka Farms on Sat. Oct . 8th for our Fall CSA Day.

We'll have some of our grilled veggies for you to sample. Also that afternoon there will be complimentary wagon rides around the farm and petting zoo admission for our CSA members.

For more details and to RSVP for the event , please go to CSAday.com

We hope to see you soon!

The Tanaka Farm Family

Tanaka Farms
5380 3/4 University Drive
Irvine, CA 92612

This is also a good time to pick out your Halloween pumpkin.

Adams CSA FAQ 2011

UPDATE:  As of September 2014, we have a different pickup location (Panelas Brazil Cuisine).  The parts of this FAQ that mention Neighborhood Grinds may be inaccurate for our new arrangement. The rest of the FAQ still applies.

This FAQ supercedes the 2010 FAQ because there have been so many changes to the ordering system.


Large box on the right, small box on the left.

What?
Boxes of local (So Cal) produce, ~75% from Tanaka Farms (TF) of Irvine. All of the produce is unsprayed; some are certified organic, others are grown using organic methods but not certified. Small boxes typically contain ~8 different types of produce and the large boxes contain ~12 types. There may be multiples. E.g. a type of item may be one head of lettuce or half a dozen apples. Each box contains produce with at least $20/$30 retail value.

Where and When?
Boxes are delivered every Thursday, typically between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, to Neighborhood Grinds (NG) at 2315 Artesia Blvd, Unit 1 (the northwest corner of Mackay and Artesia). NG usually sends out an email announcement when the boxes arrive. Boxes can be picked up any time before NG's closing time of 10:00 PM. If you don’t have access to email during those hours, you may call Neighborhood Grinds at (310) 371-0900 to check if the boxes have arrived.

How much does it cost?
$30 for a large box, $20 for a small box. There is a $3 per box delivery fee for all pick-up locations other than directly at the farm in Irvine.

Why should I pick up at Neighborhood Grinds instead of Whole Foods?
You pay the same whether you select the Adams PTSA/Neighborhood Grinds location or Whole Foods. However, if you order select the Adams PTSA option, the PTSA receives 10% of the box price to help us fund valuable school programs.

Moreover, Neighborhood Grinds offers the most flexible hours, allowing pick ups of up to 10 PM for those who work late hours. You'll be supporting local schools and independent businesses at the same time.

Logistics
Automated reminders go out the day before delivery (on Wednesdays for Thursday deliveries). Often, NG will send out emails announcing box arrivals. Boxes can be picked up any time between that announcement (typically 11 AM to 1:30 PM) and 10 PM NG closing time. To save yourself a trip to return the cardboard box to NG, leave the box there; bring your own bags to carry your produce home.

Why?
To teach our kids what grows seasonally in our region. To increase the economic viability of small family farms amid suburban development. To economically buy organic and unusual produce. To save time and money. To lower the chemical input into our soil, our water table and our bodies (both the consumers’ and the agricultural workers’). To lower the carbon footprint of your food. And, of course, to raise money for the Adams PTSA.

How do I sign up?
Tanaka Farms has switched to a new online ordering system developed by Farmigo. Simply visit the Tanaka Farms CSA information page, click on the red tab to read the CSA Policies, then click on the green "New Subscribers Join Here" button at the right.


Select the Adams Middle School/Neighborhood Grinds pick up location. Then click "Next Step" on the green button at the top.

Select large or small boxes, weekly or every other week (EOW) options. To save on shipping, many families order a large box every other week. Select EOWA or EOWB and look in the right column for the date of the next delivery for that schedule. Although the sign ups are for a recurring schedule, vacation holds and changes are quick and easy (see changing options section below).


Click "Next Step" and enter your payment information for debit upon receipt. Although you can pay by either credit card, or electronic payment through your checking account, keep in mind that farming is a very low margin business and Farmer Tanaka can use the 2% fee more than the credit card companies. ;-)

Once you are a subscriber, your account page will look something like this. It will contain your options, order history and payment history. Note that boxes are charged AFTER the delivery. There are no refunds should you forget to pick up your box so don't forget!



Changing your order option
Life happens; you go on vacation or go through a period when you cook less often at home. Farmigo and Tanaka Farms have thought of that.

• You can put a temporary vacation stop on your orders. Click on the "Vacations" tab on your member screen, and enter the days you will be on vacation. Box delivery will automatically be suspended during those days and you will NOT be charged for the time away.


• You can change your subscription option by selecting "Change Subscription" under the summary on the right column. From the following screen, you can change box sizes, quantities, or schedules.


• If you want to put your account on indefinite hold, contact the Tanaka Farms CSA program managers, at CSA@tanakafarms.com so they can put your account on indefinite hold status. While you are on indefinite hold, you will not receive boxes or be charged. They can also delete your account if you choose.


• You can make on line changes to your account on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. (On line orders can not be changed 4 days before delivery; our deliveries are on Thursdays, which means changes to your account are not allowed M-Th.)
  
  If you need to must changes on M-Th, please contact CSA@tanakafarms.com or 949-283-0487 so that they can make the change for you. Remember, they cannot change orders at the last minute, but they can change your options and put you on vacation hold while the website is locked down.

What is this and how do I use it?
Part of the fun of the CSA program is the unusual varieties of produce that the boxes contain. We get heirloom or specialty produce not normally seen at grocery stores.

• Check Farmer Tanaka's weekly blog page for what might be in your box that week.


• Find recipe ideas through your web engine of choice, from the Tanaka Farms recipe page, or the Adams School CSA recipe pages.


• If you don't know what an item is or how to use it, email adamsschoolcsa@gmail.com and ask.


• Cook improvisationally. If you have a recipe that calls for leaves from one member of the Brassica family (Kale, Swiss Chard, Beet Greens), you can successfully substitute another.


• Save scraps. Don't forget to use the tops of root vegetables. Turnip greens, beet greens and onion tops are nutritious and tasty in soups or sautes. Carrot tops are too bitter to eat, but they make wonderful centerpiece fillers (see below).
  
  Trimmed pieces of veggies can be saved in a container in the refrigerator or freezer along with bones and meat and cheese trimmings. When the container is full, make broth!

CSA Changes

Starting in July 2011, Tanaka Farms will charge $3/box for delivery.  The good news is that, at the same time, the 10-box minimum order required for delivery to a site also goes away.  As a bonus, June 2011 will have no minimum and no delivery fee.

Farmers have been hit hard by rising commodity prices, especially for gas.  The cost of delivery has pushed the Tanaka Farms CSA program back into the red.  After much thought, the Tanaka family has decided to hold the prices of the boxes steady, but charge for delivery.

If you have been sitting on the fence due to uncertainty, I will extend the June sign-up deadline until Monday, June 6.  Get it into the Adams PTSA mailbox at the school by 7:45 AM or Neighborhood Grinds by 8:00 AM on June 6, and you can still have a box June 9 or 23.  Download the June form here.

Beginning in July, we will shift to online ordering.  I will write a separate post as soon as that is set up for the Adams MS group.

Our group will be migrating to TF's online ordering system
through farmigo.com in July.

http://www.tanakafarms.com/CSA.html
http://csa.farmigo.com/join/tanakafarms/2011

Eileen, the TF CSA coordinator, will be setting up our group soon and I will forward the registration info as soon as I receive it.

All accounts are set up on a recurring basis so subscribers have 6 choices.

1. indefinite hold
2. short-term vacation hold with an end date
3. S box weekly
4. S box biweekly
5. L box weekly
6. L box biweekly

You can change your account setting at any time, as often as you like. The only caveat is that the setting 4 days before our delivery day is the one that is honored.  We get deliveries on Thursday, so the setting you have on Sunday holds for that week.

Your credit card will be charged the day of delivery, usually in the early evening.

Farmigo will automatically generate email reminders to everyone who has signed up for a box that week.

Now What?

Are you sitting on the fence about signing up for a CSA box?

Or have you already signed up and feel guilty about the decaying veggies in the bottom of the produce drawer?

Want to see my method for prepping and storing the produce when I get it home?

Want to learn some new recipes for preparing the seasonal produce in the latest boxes?

Meet your CSA coordinator, Grace Peng, at Neighborhood Grinds at 5:30 PM on Thursday February 24 where I will walk you through the pickup process.

Then go to my (nearby) kitchen where I will show you some techniques to store and prepare the produce from the box. We should be done by 6:15 or earlier.

Make eating real food really easy!

Where:
Neighborhood Grinds
2315 Artesia Blvd., Unit 1 (NW corner with MacKay)
Redondo Beach, CA 90278

When:
5:30 PM (sharp!) February 24, 2011

RSVP to let me know how many to expect.

Adams CSA Important News for 2011

Update as of Feb 1, 2011
We met the 10-box minimum for both Feb 10 and 24. There is still time to sign up. Get your orders in by 8AM Friday Feb 4 to Neighborhood Grinds (NG) for delivery on Feb 10. Get your orders in by 8AM Friday Feb 18 for delivery on Feb 24. Download the February form and turn it in at NG.

The original entry
I buried the lead in the last post, so I am reiterating the programmatic part here.

Due to problems with the Farm2TableConnect system, both Lincoln and Adams are reverting back to the old paper ordering system through June 2011.

In reviewing his expenses last year, Farmer Tanaka realized that CSA delivery costs were putting the CSA program in the red. In 2011, he needs to strictly enforce his 10 box minimum in order to maintain delivery to a group.

The Adams/Neighborhood Grinds group had previously enjoyed weekly deliveries, but we fell short of the 10 box minimum on most weeks by a few boxes. If we can have the same number of orders per month, and move everyone to delivery on the same biweekly schedule, we should be able to meet the minimum.

If you used to order weekly small boxes, consider getting a large box on a biweekly basis. Our family of three finds that the large box lasts us about 1.5 weeks. We sometimes do supplemental shopping at the El Segundo farmers' market (Thursdays 3-7 on Main street) on our off weeks.

If we get our subscriber count up, we may be able to offer weekly deliveries in the future. So recruit your friends and tell them about the strawberries.

Adams and Lincoln will both offer biweekly deliveries, on the same Thursdays of each month. That will help keep the farm expenses to a sustainable level and reduce the carbon input of your food.

If we don't make the 10 box minimum, then we all don't get our strawberries. :-(

Don't delay, download the February order form now.

Winter Strawberries 2011

It's time to rehash a post from January 2010. Here's what I wrote then:

True winter strawberries (rather than those imported from a warmer clime) are a rare and precious commodity. They look pretty ordinary, but they are the most amazingly sweet strawberries we have ever tasted.

When we took the Tanaka Farms CSA family day tour, Glenn Tanaka told us that the first crop of strawberries in the season are his favorite. They plant strawberries in October/November. By the end of December, the first strawberries ripen. Winter berries are the smallest and sweetest strawberries the plant will ever produce.

They mature more slowly due to the cold weather and shorter days. There are only a few, not enough for commercial harvest. Glenn says he and the rest of the TF family love to walk the fields then, searching for strawberries under the leaves and eating them right away.

By January, there are a bit more--enough to share with the CSA families. Last week, we received two pints of these ambrosial berries in our CSA box. In February-March, when the days get warmer and longer, the plants go into full-scale production. They can pick the plants every few days because the berries grow and ripen so quickly. They will also be bigger, but they will never be as sweet and precious as those early season jewels.

Last Fall, Glenn Tanaka had difficulty finding strawberry starts. I would link to his blog posts from that time period about that, but his blog appears to keep only recent entries. The delay in finding strawberry starts and the October rains meant that he planted a month late this year. Shift the time scale from the 2010 story back a month.

That means the strawberry plants has started to bear fruit, but not in CSA quantities, in January. CSA subscribers will start getting strawberries in their boxes in February.

In reviewing his expenses last year, Farmer Tanaka realized that CSA delivery costs were putting him in the red. In 2011, he needs to strictly enforce his 10 box minimum in order to maintain delivery to a group.

Adams and Lincoln will both offer biweekly deliveries, on the same Thursdays of each month. That will help keep the farm expenses to a sustainable level and reduce the carbon input of your food.

Due to problems with the Farm2TableConnect system, both Lincoln and Adams are moving back to the old paper ordering system. If we don't make the 10 box minimum, then we all don't get our strawberries. :-(

Don't delay, download the February order form now.

Adams CSA Program FAQ

What? Boxes of local (So Cal) produce, ~75% from Tanaka Farms of Irvine.  All of the produce is unsprayed; some are certified organic, others are grown using organic methods but not certified.

Where and When? Boxes are delivered every Thursday, typically between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, to Neighborhood Grinds (NG) at 2315 Artesia Blvd, Unit 1 (the northwest corner of Mackay and Artesia).  NG usually sends out an email announcement when the boxes arrive.  Boxes can be picked up any time before NG closing time at 10:00 PM.  If you don’t have access to email during those hours, you may call Neighborhood Grinds at (310) 371-0900 to check if the boxes have arrived.

How much does it cost?  $30 for a large box, $20 for a small box, paid in advance.  Make checks out to Adams PTSA.  There is no minimum order size.  You need not order the same size each week or on a regular schedule.

How do I sign up?  Email the Adams CSA coordinator for the current monthly sign-up form.  You can also download the form from the Adams PTSA CSA webpage (look on the right hand side, under Resources).  You can also download the November 2010 form on Google Docs.  Fill out the form and drop it off with payment at Neighborhood Grinds (NG).  Make checks out to “Adams PTSA”.  If you can’t make it over to NG in person, just drop it in the mail.

Neighborhood Grinds

2315 Artesia Blvd., Unit 1
Redondo Beach, CA 90278

Attn: Adams CSA

When’s the deadline?  Orders are due the last Friday of each month for the following month.  
E.g. orders for November 2010 are due by 8 AM October 29, 2010.  You select the size box you want and the weeks you want them.  Orders and payment can be left either at the Adams MS office or at NG. Orders are due at 7:45 AM at the Adams MS office or at 8:00 AM at NG. 

Who? Because we distribute the boxes off campus, anyone--not just Adams families--can join the Adams CSA program.  Tell your friends, families, neighbors, and coworkers…

Logistics:  We email confirmations of orders received.  We usually send an email reminder the day before delivery to that week’s subscriber list. When the boxes arrive at NG (usually between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM), NG sends out a “reply to all” announcing their arrival. Boxes can be picked up any time between that announcement and 10 PM NG closing time.  To save yourself a trip to return the cardboard box to NG, leave the box there; bring your own bags to carry your produce home.  It’s also a good time to drop off sign-up forms and payment for the following month.

Why?  To teach our kids what grows seasonally in our region.  To increase the economic viability of small family farms amid suburban development.  To economically buy organic and unusual produce.  To save time and money.  To lower the chemical input into our soil, our water table and our bodies (both the consumers’ and the agricultural workers’).   To lower the carbon footprint of your food.  And, of course, to raise money for the Adams PTSA.

Announcing the Adams School CSA Program!

Effective November 2010, Grace Peng will be running the Adams Middle School CSA program.  You can email her at adamschoolcsa@gmail.com.  Email the Adams CSA coordinator for the current monthly sign-up form or download the latest form from the Adams PTSA CSA website (on the right hand side, under Resources) or download the November 2010 form on Google Docs.

Deliveries continue to occur on Thursdays.  When Thursday falls on a holiday, delivery will be on Tuesday.

UPDATE 10/22/10
Madison PTA is looking for another volunteer to coordinate their CSA program after October, 2010.  Do you want to help out Madison PTA?  This is your chance!

The Madison School CSA program will continue under the direction of Aisha Qaasim.  You can email her at madisonschoolcsa@gmail.com.

You can subscribe to either program* and pick up at Neighborhood Grinds.  Just be sure that, when you drop off your sign-up form and check, you let the NG staff know which program you are in so they put it in the correct envelope.  Make checks payable to Adams or Madison PTSA.

Lincoln subscribers continue to drop off their forms at the Lincoln school office and pick up their boxes at the school.

* While the status of the Madison program is in flux, you won't miss a single week if you sign up for the Adams program.

This week's mystery guest is ROMANESCO BROCCOLI

What's that?
Romanesco Broccoli. Lovely name, and what a shape! Treat it like its more traditional cousins broccoli and cauliflower. Or just admire it. (Bonus points if anyone uses it as alien landscape in a video.)

Small and Large Box Comparison

In case you did not get a chance to stop by on 22 April to see the sample small box, Alison took some photos of the small and large boxes side by side for comparison.  The smaller box is on the left and is about 2/3 as tall as the regular large box.

That week, the small box contained:

• 5 oranges
• 2 avocadoes
• 3 mandarin (tangerines)
• 1 bunch of carrots
• 1 bunch of celery
• 1 head of Boston lettuce
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 head of cabbage

The large box contained everything in the small box PLUS:

• 1 bunch of Maui onions
• 1 bunch of spinach
• 1 bunch of Swiss chard
• additional oranges (8 total)
• additional mandarns (9-10 total)

In summary, the small boxes cost 2/3 as much as the large boxes ($20/$30), and contain about 2/3 of the produce.  Pick the size that works for you.  We will offer both.

Email me to get the May/June order form that includes both sizes.  The deadline for orders for the 6 May delivery has been extended to 8 AM on Monday 3 May 2010.

Come by to See the Small Box

Tanaka Farms (TF) is now offering a smaller box option. They will continue to offer the familiar large box for $30 ($25/$5 TF/PTA split); the smaller box will be $20 ($18/$2 TF/PTA split).

The smaller boxes will contain produce staples. The larger boxes will contain staples plus specialty veggies. People who like to be surprised by unusual and heirloom varieties of produce may want to continue getting the larger boxes every other week.

But, we want to know if some of you will order more often if the smaller box option was offered.

TF is delivering a sample small box April 22. Come by Neighborhood Grinds that afternoon, Earth Day, April 22, to check out and compare the contents of the large and small boxes. (But please be gentle with the contents of my personal large box.)

Leave a comment and let me know if you would like our CSA program to offer a choice of box sizes.

2010 CSA Update

I hope you all had a wonderful winter break.

The CSA program resumes this week.  Madison and Lincoln deliveries begin Thursday, 14 January 2010.

On , 31 December 2009, Tanaka Farms officially announced the 2010 prices.  Boxes are now $30 with $25 going to TF and $5 going to the PTA.  (At the December Family Day down on the farm, Farmer Tanaka gave a heads up to some of the tractor ride tour groups.)


Part of the reason for the price increase is because of lower than expected volumes per delivery site.  Madison is one of the low participation schools (5-10 boxes per week).  We hope to grow our program, despite the price increase.  Even at $30 per box, this is still about $15 lower than another CSA program that serves our area.


Remember that CSA members are invited to CSA Family Days on the farm.  Tanaka Farms normally charges as much as $13 per person for these fun and educational tours.  Recent subscriber families can attend FREE.  There are ~4 tours per year, one for each season.


Early Spring means strawberries!  See the post about the 2009 strawberry tour for photos.
Summer means watermelons.  Fall brings pumpkins and the winter tour is a festive holiday party.  In the spring and summer, kids go into the fields to pick their own produce.  They can cook it up right there on the farm, and/or take some home.

Dates of Holiday Hiatus

The last delivery for the calendar year will take place Thursday, December 17, 2009.

Delivery resumes Thursday, January 14, 2010.

Please place your orders for the remainder of December by 8 AM Friday, December 6.

I will send out the January/February 2010 order forms via email to people who have subscribed within the last 6 months.  New subscribers can email me for the 2010 form or download the December 2009 from the link to the upper left.

Madison CSA Program FAQ

An FAQ with just the answers.  Is it a Frequently Answered Questions?  Or answers I am tired of repeating?

Change History:

• This post was originally written in 2009. 
• Effective January 2010, the price for the original large boxes changed from $25 to $30.
• Effective June 2010, smaller $20 boxes were introduced.   Large boxes continue to be $30.
• July and August 2010, Lincoln subscribers will also pick up their produce at Neighborhood Grinds.
• Effective Oct 2010, the boxes remain $30/$20, but the PTA will earn only $3/$2 per box. 
• Effective Nov 2010, orders will be accepted monthly (not weekly)

FAQ:
CSA means community supported agriculture.  Tanaka Farms has written an introductory pdf about their CSA program.  The Madison and Lincoln schools'  PTAs partner with Tanaka Farms (TF) to locally administer the program.

Each box contains produce grown using organic methods at local farms around southern California-mainly from Tanaka Farms of Irvine.  All produce is farmed using organic methods, but may not necessarily be certified organic.  Small farms often forgo the expensive certification process.  A few times a year, TF invites subscribers to visit the farm so they can see for themselves how their food is grown.

Orders are due monthly.  You must turn in the order form and payment on or before 8:00 AM of the last Friday of every month.

The retail value of produce in each box will be $30/$20 (Large/Small box). Subscribers select the dates and sizes that they would like boxes and pay in advance.

Email the Madison coordinator for the most current sign up form.  Sign up forms can also be downloaded by following the link on the left hand column of Madison's Tanaka Farms Produce Orders page.

Make the checks payable to "Madison PTA".

Drop off the completed forms and payment at the Madison school office or at Neighborhood Grinds aka NG (2315 Artesia Boulevard, cross-street Mackay)

Email us to let us know you placed an order (and where we should pick it up). We will email back a confirmation upon receipt of the hard copy form and payment.

The PTA sends $27/$18 to Tanaka Farms and keeps $3/$2 to help support programs at Madison Elementary school.

Tanaka Farms delivers to Redondo Beach and Santa Monica each Thursday.  They deliver elsewhere within the South Bay on Tuesdays.  If Thursday falls on a holiday (e.g. Thanksgiving), our backup delivery day is the prior Tuesday.

Madison CSA boxes can be picked up at Neighborhood Grinds (NG) coffee shop, conveniently located at 2315 Artesia Boulevard (cross-street Mackay).  Just sign the subscriber sheet at the counter to confirm pick-up, and a NG staffer will hand you a box of produce. (If you think you have a box that week, and your name does not appear on the weekly list, call Aisha immediately.  Do NOT take a box.)

Delivery times vary, but are generally in the late morning.  Subscriber boxes can be picked up anytime between 2:00 until 10:00 PM on delivery days (currently Thursdays).  Sometimes*, we send out email when the boxes are ready for pickup.  

Tanaka Farms' sturdy waxed cardboard boxes must be returned. Please bring your own box, bag or bin to carry your produce home. NG staff will fold up the TF box and return it for you.

Make sure you pick up the correct size box!

Subscribers do not get a choice of produce. The boxes contain produce in season in our local area. Basically, they consist of whatever is ready to be harvested at the farm on the morning of the delivery, supplemented with specialty produce (e.g. stone fruit from the central valley, apples from Julian).

The produce will contain varieties not commonly found at supermarkets. That's the whole point.

Pictures of representative boxes can be found here and the posts tagged Inventory.  Pictures and inventory lists of a sample week can be found in small and large box comparison.

We will provide recipe support at this blog.  Peruse the entries tagged Recipes.

*Travel schedules permitting, an email reminder is sent out Wednesday to everyone who ordered a box for that week.  When the boxes arrive on Thursday, NG sends out a 'reply to all' message.  Keep your own records.  Don't count on the reminder because I can't do it every week.  If you are super curious and can't wait to tear into your strawberries, you can call NG at (310) 371-0900.

Errata:
Tanaka Farms provides free CSA family days down at the farm.  The last one was in June.  Pictures and a description of a family day from April 2008 can be found here.

The Adams Middle School CSA program also picks up at NG.   Email the Adams CSA coordinator for the current monthly sign-up form or download the November 2010 form on Google Docs.  Fill out the form and drop it off with payment at Neighborhood Grinds (NG).  Make checks out to “Adams PTA”.  If you can’t make it over to NG in person, just drop it in the mail.

Neighborhood Grinds

2315 Artesia Blvd., Unit 1
Redondo Beach, CA 90278

Attn: Adams CSA

Lincoln Elementary School families may sign up through the Lincoln PTA.  Proceeds from those orders benefit the Lincoln PTA. Email Kelly Wolschon to sign-up for the Lincoln School PTA program.

Jefferson Elementary School has also joined the Tanaka Farms CSA program. However, Jefferson boxes must be picked up at the school between 2:15 and 3:00 PM.  Email Leslie Typrin to sign-up for the Jefferson School PTA program.

Thanksgiving Week Delivery 24 November, 2009

Our normal delivery day is Thursday.  We don't expect anyone at the farm to work on Thanksgiving Thursday, so we arranged for our delivery to be moved FROM 26 Nov TO 24 Nov. That gives subscribers time to check out the contents of the box, select their recipes for the Thanksgiving meal, and shop on Wednesday for any extra ingredients not included in the box.

Order your Thanksgiving box today by downloading the form at the left hand column of Madison's Tanaka Farms Produce Orders page.  Lincoln subscribers can email their coordinator, Kelly W.

Did you know?

[Photo above: seafood soup made with white radishes, radish greens, and onions from last week's Lincoln box.]

There's a Flickr group for "photographs of local and/or CSA (community supported agriculture) produce, farms, recipes, events, and people." I posted some of my recent photos of the Lincoln box and a bowl of soup I made with the contents. If you also take photos of the things you make, come join me there. It's interesting to see what other CSA folks are doing all over the country.

First Lincoln boxes start tomorrow!

There are dozens of Lincoln families signed up for the fresh produce boxes from Tanaka Farms--yeah! Whether you're picking up your goodies outside the cafeteria after school, or at the CDC later, don't forget to bring your own sturdy bags or boxes (you can't take the Tanaka box home with you, they reuse those). If you're on foot, maybe consider bringing a shopping cart or the kids' red wagon to bring the produce home without wrecking your shoulders and wrists. You don't want to drop a bag and lose or bruise the contents.

How do you sign up?

Email madisonschoolcsa@gmail.com for an electronic sign-up form.  (Addendum, forms can be downloaded directly from the left hand column of Madison's Tanaka Farms Produce Orders web page.)  Return the completed form with your check made out to  "Madison PTA" for $25 $30 each box to the Madison School Office (if you have children at Madison) or to Neighborhood Grinds (if you don't).  Or, you can come by Grace's office at work.

To start, we will use rolling deadlines.  You must turn in the order form and check on or before 8:00 AM on Friday in order to receive a box the following Thursday.  After we have worked out the start-up kinks, we will move to monthly order forms.

Addendum:
Tanaka Farms delivers to the South Bay each Thursday.

Lincoln Elementary School families may sign up through the Lincoln PTA and pick up their produce at the school.  Proceeds from those orders benefit the Lincoln PTA.  Email Kelly Wolschon to sign-up for the Lincoln program.

Jefferson Elementary School has also joined the Tanaka Farms CSA program.  However, pickups for Jefferson must be in a half hour time window after school dismissal.

We don't mean to poach from other schools' PTAs, but working parents from any school may take advantage of the Madison program's flexible pickup times between 2:00 and 10:00 PM.

If you would like to start a Tanaka Farms CSA program at your South Bay school, contact me to learn how to set it up.  The more schools and members we sign up, the lower the carbon footprint of each box trucked in from Irvine!

More info can be found in Fall 2009 CSA Deliveries .