Saturday, December 11, 2010

OMG! GMO spelt backwards!

Everyday, another GMO crop is approved,  it is sooooooo critical to expand our circle of heirloom farmers and natural food production. Ambrosia Farms has been 100% heirloom and heritage since we first began farming in 1980s! GMOs are being let out into our food system. 
How will we be able to stop cross contamination? "Oh my God, we need to expand our CSA CIRCLE!
.................................................................................................................................................................
"Alfalfa
- developed by Monsanto and Forage Genetics
- owned by the Land O’Lakes
 — contains a gene that makes the plant resistant to the herbicide Roundup.
-allows farmers to spray the chemical to kill weeds without hurting the crop."
"Alfalfa is grown mostly to make hay fed to dairy cows and horses. More than 20 million acres are grown in the United States; it is the nation’s fourth-largest crop by acreage, behind corn, soybeans and wheat, with a value of about $8 billion. About 1 percent of alfalfa is organic.
as reported by nytimes.com
.........................................................................
"Corn
-developed by Syngenta
-contains a microbial gene that causes it to produce an enzyme that breaks down corn starch into sugar, the first step toward making ethanol.
-Ethanol manufacturers now buy this enzyme, called alpha amylase, in liquid form and add it to the corn at the start of their production process."
If this corn is comingled with other corn, it will have significant adverse impacts on food product quality and performance,” the North American Millers’ Association said in a statement on Friday.
The decision, announced Friday, came in the face of objections from corn millers and others in the food industry, who warned that if the industrial corn cross-pollinated with or were mixed with corn used for food, it could lead to crumbly corn chips, soggy cereal, loaves of bread with soupy centers and corn dogs with inadequate coatings."
 as reported  by nytimes.com 2/10/2011

Friday, February 26, 2010

Farm Picnics, Pony Rides, Pizza Parties

Mark your calendars for our special events this spring and summer - spend time on the farm and enjoy our Italian Farmhouse Brickoven Pizza, Farm Picnic Baskets, and Pony Rides! Meet local farmers and find out how you can help save small family farms - buy our value added products and sign up for our multi farm CSA

Please call or email for more information.
Ask about children parties and special events.
ambrosiafarmsny@yahoo.com

1.800.221.9755

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Our Multi Farm CSA - Benefits & List of Offerings

Thank you for being a member of  - Natural Nutrients by Ambrosia Farms- our UNIQUE Multi Farm CSA!

- members have wider choice to fill their box with whatever appeals to them, within certain limitations.
- you are not limited to produce. We include the option for shareholders to buy shares of eggs, homemade pizza, meat, cheese, fruit, flowers and other farm products along with their veggies.

- we buy from several farmers in addition to our own, to offer the widest variety to their members

- Farmers Frozen Foods is our original line of items frozen in our small batch processing center - this winter you will wonder how you ever ate meals without them - these frozen veggies extend our growing season for you without the prep - just heat and serve!

Advantages for farmers:
Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow
Direct feedback from members

Advantages for members
Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm
Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food
Help preserve family farms and open spaces in the area
A multi farm CSA has a much wider range of offerings

List of Offerings
You may choose from this list and many others posted and emailed throughout the season.  The value of each item is subtracted from your $195.00 membership fee , payable to
Progressive Advisors (our parent company)
Box 463
Bridgewater, NY  13313

Members who live nearby will receive a weekly or bi monthly package of mostly fresh produce of their choosing.  We encourgage members to try everything as it becomes available.  We will post links to recipes and videos for ideas on how to eat, cook, and enjoy them. Members who live further away will recieve mostly Farmers Frozen Foods, frozen chicken and duck, beef, maple syrup, honey, artisan cheeses and chocolates and other non perishables. Everyone is welcome to visit the farm frequently throughout the season - we will prepare a lovely Farmhouse Picnic Basket, as part of your value.  Why not "pick your own" veggies?

Our Farm specializes in heirloom and heritage breeds, too many to list here - but you are welcome to view the website of our seed supplier for more details
www.rareseeds.com

Foraged
Wild Leeks (Ramps)
Wild Dandelion and Mustard Greens
Wild Berries

Wild Apples


Specialties & Events
Farmhouse Brickoven Pizza
Farmhouse Picnic Basket
Heirloom Tomatoes Beefsteak
Heirloom Tomatoes Cherry
Heirloom Tomatoes Paste
Farm Flowers
Garlic

Greens & Beans
Green Onions
Green Beans
Snow Peas
Edammame
Fava Beans
Swiss Chard
Specialty Italian Greens - catalogna, arugula

Beet Greens
Salad Greens, Lettuce
Kale


Root Crops
Radishes
Carrots
Fingerling Potatoes
Beets
Onions

Mid to Late Summer
Hot Peppers
Sweet Peppers
Corn
Cucumber

Squash - much more than we can list here
Butternut Squash
Pumpkins

Summer Squash
Zucchini

Fruits & Berries
Apples
Blueberries
Strawberries
Herbs

Free Range
Farm Fresh Eggs
Chicken
Peking Duck



Artisan
Chocolate
Amaretti Cookies
Biscotti
Cheese Cake
Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake
Honey

Maple Syrup


Farmers Frozen Foods
we pick fresh and freeze at the peak of harvest all vegetables and fruits of our labor

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Farmhouse Brickoven Pizza


Our pizza dough comes from our Italian Farmhouse Cookbook, and I am very proud that we make our own dough for the brickoven pizzettes. They contain all the ingredients of Italy grown right here on our farm, including the wheat in the very near future! The mozzarella is the fresh one - not Bufala - cow from the Northeast markets. Less is more for toppings when you are making a brickoven pizza because all of the flavor of heirloom tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and the crust - are so pleasing that you will ruin it if it is smothered with anything else! Or you can make variations as pictured her - but minimal ingredients - like greens, and a different kind of cheese instead of red sauce - or meats salumi or pepperoni - but not too much. Don't try for one of those "everything on it" American pies!

Making the dough is done the day before we are to use it - proofing the dough to rise to twice it's original volume. For each dough ball - spring water is warmed - that is a key here - warm - not hot- 1 1/4 cup with 1 pkg. of yeast whisked with 1 tablespoon of unbleached sugar or honey. This activates the yeast. Use this once the mixture foams and looks active! Until we get a mixer I use the food processor.
Put in one cup of flour, than the yeast mixture and begin the blending process. As it is blending add another cup of flour (that is 2 so far) than add 1 tbsp. olive oil - than 1 tablsp. sea salt. Than add another cup of flour (that is 3 total) Than with the 4th cup add alittle at a time until a ball is formed. Stop the blender and turn out onto a floured surface. Form a ball that feels as soft as a baby's bottom. Too much flour and it is hardened. Too little and it is sticky. Very little flour is needed at this point.

Set in warm oven to rise or room temperature. Once it has doubled - punch down and form two balls with each dough recipe. Set aside to rise again.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Quick Healthy Soups

Lately I have been making soups that begin with olive oil, saute red bell peppers, add kale, reconstituted shitake mushrooms and season with tumeric and other curry spices. Pour in spring water and simmer. Any variation of this will do as long as the components of hot and sweet peppers, dark leafy greens, and mushrooms are there along with the spices mentioned.

Health benefits of homemade soup may include stress reduction, ease of digestion, weight loss, detoxification, anti inflammatory properties, cold symptom relief, increased circulation, absorption of minererals, warming energy, and boosting vitamin C. Vegetables rich in vitamin C are in the soup - all darl leafy greens such as kale, and peppers!