We Need a New Home Base!

Potatoes are for Being Shorted Two Weeks Ago   

I didn’t get us double the potatoes but added them to the  basket. So in all we have 6 veggies in todays basket instead of the usual 5.
No Baskets next week – Oct 23rd!

We Need a New Home Base!

I got a phone call from the town telling me that in Mountain Lakes businesses with a lot of traffic cannot be run out of houses. The Co-op is about 30 years old and has always worked out of home garages here in Mountain Lakes, who knew. 

So we are looking for a small store front/warehouse space that can house a food business and is reasonably priced in the greater Mountain Lakes area – Morristown, Denville, Parsippany, and Boonton. This is where we can get creative too! Maybe we can get a space that can also be used for events, or cooking demonstrations, or even a real shop. If any of you know of a space or are energized by the possibilities, please call or email. I don’t know much about real estate, so even to talk to someone who does would be helpful! I have my phone with me, but if I don’t answer, please leave a message. I will get back to you. Thank you in advance for all your efforts. Working together on these issues is part of what I love about this Co-op.

Enjoy!

Marnie

No Potatoes Today!

I had ordered them, but they were forgotten. I will make it up to you all in 2 weeks, 10/16, with extra produce, most likely potatoes. It will be in 2 weeks because it is the Basic Week, and the list of members on this week that will get them. If you are a Trial Basket, I will have a bag of potatoes for you on the 16th as well. My apologies.

Urgent Call to Action!

You can help pass this country's first GMO labeling law, Prop 37 The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, contacting your friends and family in California and urging them to vote “YES” on Prop 37 on Nov 6th. Please send them to this site for information on the bill, it’s importance, and why we need to vote YES: www.organicconsumers.org

Organic Technicality

Thank you everyone for your response to our ‘Organic Technicality’ survey. Overwhelmingly the response was Choice A – to no longer use the term organic. I read through your comments too and felt I should fill you in on what is happening. A few of us smalltime co-operatives have been handed notice from the National Organics Program (NOP) to stop using the term organic. I responded immediately by phoning them. They asked a few pointed questions and decided from my answers that we are closer to ‘handlers’ than ‘retailers’, which has a lot more restrictions. Retailers have much more leniency with use of the term, but it still seem like we cannot call ourselves organic without certification.

I spoke to the owner of another local organic co-op, and she proceeded to hire a very expensive lawyer. The latest with them is they have a verbal ok to continue as a ‘retail’ operation, though she is still waiting for the written letter. I hired a different lawyer, and we have sent in our response, arguing that we are retailers. We may also be considered retailers, but even retailers can’t use the term ‘organic’ in their name without being certified. The term ‘organic’ has a giant list of regulations behind it, which is part of what we love about organic foods. In some ways, this is just the NOP doing their job.

We are waiting now to hear the NOP’s response. They may have decided we aren’t worth the effort and we won’t hear from them. If we do, we won’t take it to court, and are just preparing for the next step. Our lawyer suggested I ask you all, which you would prefer. With about half the co-op responding, over 80% chose to not use ‘organic’, 6.5% wanted us to become certified, and 13% was happy either way. I have to say, I too would prefer not having to go through the hoop jumping involved with the certification process, though loosing organic in the name would have a negative marketing impact. I can’t help but feel their time could be better spent making sure the farms themselves are compliant.

Welcome all New Trial Baskets!

We have the highest number of Trial Baskets today ever! We had 15 last week and 18 this week! I am guessing it is because of the articles in the Daily Record Grassroots section on April 5th.

So with this, I’m particularly distressed that the strawberries did not come through today. We will make it up to everyone in two weeks with an extra pint of strawberries. Trial baskets are welcome to come on 5/8 for their berries as well.

Meet the Farmer

If you are interested in raw milk; soy-free, grass-fed, pasture-raised, organic meats and dairy; and fermented foods and drinks, please some out to Madison, NJ this Saturday, April 28th to meet a wonderful Amish farmer and sample some of his delicious products.  The farmer will arrive around 7:15 a.m. He is a wonderful farmer who is part of the C.A.R.E. and Weston A. Price organizations.  Please e-mail ban5143@yahoo.com or call 973-520-8614 for more information.  Hope to see you there!

Enjoy!

Marnie

No baskets on the 27th

Merry Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy New Year!

Enjoy!

Marnie

No baskets on the 27th

That’s in two weeks. 

More purchasing power on the website

I have started to put the refrigerator items on the website for one time and repeating orders. If you purchase through the website, you can choose the regularity of it – one time, weekly, biweekly, and monthly. If your creditcard has been charged for it, the sticker on your basket will state what items have been paid for. If you have any trouble, please call me for assistance.

This also opens up Dairy and meat purchasing capabilities to the outer pickup sites. Please be aware the items will be in a cooler with ice blocks waiting for you at the site. They are left there between 1 and 3 pm, so the sooner your pick up the better.

Christmas presents from a local green store!

Check out : http://transitioningtogreen.greenhome.com/

Enjoy the Season!

Marnie

The Holiday Season

Is in full swing! I got my tree and started decorating. I have my Christmas cards and will send them out later this week. The best party of the year was this last weekend. I DO have good friends. I’m going to try to not shop in stores this year. All the presents I give will be bought online and delivered. Everything I give will also be related to food or gardening. I have no plans to get stressed out this season!

No milk available this week at all! I guess we all used so much over Thanksgiving or the stores have bought it all up for the Holidays.

We won’t be having baskets on the 27th, that’s a Basic week. I was going to go to Florida, but we are not sure these days. We may just go to the Catskills for a pretty white holiday. The road through there is still washed out from Irene. They say it’ll be finished in February. My last paper will be finished on December 19th. I will then have a Masters degree! WooHoo!!

Enjoy the Season!

Marnie

Thank you OCA and to everyone who supported OCA in 2011!

Everyone who donated, everyone who volunteered, everyone who took the time to take action!

You made it possible to continue the transition to an organic future by fighting back against the biotech bullies and their government lackeys, by supporting state and federal legislative reforms, building local chapters, holding nationwide protests, and putting pressure on the corporations who control the food supply.

In 2012, we are going to have to fight even harder, but the rewards will be much greater. With the 2012 California ballot initiative, we have a real chance to hit Monsanto with the skull and crossbones they fear so much--mandatory labels on genetically engineered food.

If we can win in California in November, we'll be so close to an organic future, we'll be able to hear her breathing!

Organic Consumer’s Association is our lobbying representatives in Washington. To find out more about them and help support their efforts go to: www.organicconsumers.org/donations.cfm

Enjoy! Marnie

HappyThanksgiving!

Ideas for the Holidays

Skip (some of) the meat. Raising conventional livestock requires large amounts of fuel, pesticides and fertilizers, making the process a major contributor to greenhouse gases. You don’t have to make your holiday meal vegetarian, but maybe make ones that feature smaller amounts of meat as a seasoning. 

Drink local. Consider getting wine from a local, organic winery, with less pesticide intensive methods. The Hudson Valley is getting quite a reputation! Or, support our nation’s growing craft brewing industry by picking up beer from a local brewery.

Dust off the china and glasses. One of the biggest generators of waste at holiday parties is the use of disposable cups and silverware. Though it’s easier to throw everything away, you’ll find that with a couple volunteers to help wash dishes or load the dishwasher, everything will be rinsed and dried in no time flat. 

Organize the leftovers. Once the meal is finished, encourage guests to dispose of their scraps in a compost collection. Leftover should be packed or frozen and used for future meals. If there is too much for you to handle, the food should be redistributed for guests to take home. It’s a great way to reuse the take-out Chinese food containers.

Give gifts that grow and inspire. Consider spreading the magic of real food culture through a hands-on cheesemaking kit or a homebrewing kit. Or share your favorite cookbook of culinary fundamentals. A seasonal produce calendar can be a fun reminder of what to anticipate next year at the farmers markets. Seed packets are a cheap and creative way to help develop a green thumb. 

Use wrapping “paper” that lasts. Try using reusable tote bags or light scarves. Reuse old maps, the comic pages from newspapers, and sheet music. If you do have a heap of discarded wrapping paper at the end of the night, be sure to recycle it, along with any cans and bottles.

Enjoy! Marnie

Organic Consumers Association Initiative – Label GMOs 2012

Organic Consumers' best opportunity for a strategic victory against Monsanto in 2012 is the California Ballot Initiative for mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods.

SACRAMENTO, CA - Nov. 10th, 2011, a wide-ranging coalition of consumer, public health and environmental organizations, food companies, and individuals submitted the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act to the State Attorney General. The initiative requires genetically engineered foods (also known as Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs) and foods containing GMO ingredients to be clearly labeled, similar to current labels with other nutritional information.

A genetically engineered food is usually a plant or animal that has had its DNA altered at the molecular level in a lab to include genes that produce foreign compounds from other plants, animals, viruses, or bacteria. This genetic alteration is not found in nature and cannot occur naturally.  Labeling GMO’s will allow health professionals to track any potential adverse health impacts of these foods. "Genetically engineering food can cause unintended consequences and because there have been no long term studies, we are unsure of how GMOs may affect our health."

Fifty countries including the European Union and Japan have laws mandating that genetically engineered foods be labeled, but the United States does not have such a requirement. Efforts to enact labeling laws in Congress and the California legislature have been blocked by big food and chemical company lobbyists. California voters are expected to have the chance to vote on the initiative in November 2012.

Do you shop at Trader Joe's?

Ask this California-based natural and organic food retailer to kick Monsanto out of their stores and join us in the fight for mandatory GMO labels! http: //www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_23157.cfm

www.CommunityGreen.org

Many of you know that I have been an organizer for a web based environmental group Community Green. We plan environmental events and post those of other environmental organizations that take place in New Jersey. Recently the woman who has been running Community Green from Colorado, passed the management of it to me. I’m very excited about this. It’s a good group of people and has a lot of potential. 

Please visit us at: wwwCommunityGreen.org

Victory for Voluntary GMO-Free Labels!

Monsanto and Eli Lilly have successfully blocked consumers' right to know about factory-farm dairy production by concealing the use of their genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, a.k.a. rBGH or rBST.

Still, when it comes to voluntary labels on non-GMO food, consumers are winning!

The first blow to biotech was in 2010 when a Sixth Circuit court ruled that milk produced with synthetic hormones is different than milk produced without it and struck down a Ohio rule that would have removed "rBGH-free" labels from dairy products.

The final blow to the Ohio rule came this week when the state agreed that, instead of revising the rule to comply with the court's opinion, it would abandon it altogether.

Miller’s Organic Farm in Madison this Saturday

Miller’s Organic Farm will be visiting Madison, at 42B Loantaka Way, this Sat, October 29th, from 8 am to 12 noon. It is a wonderful farm that specializes in farm fresh, 100% grass fed “real” dairy, meats, eggs, lacto-fermented food, fresh breads and more, down from an organic farm in Pennsylvania. Miller's Organic Farm is an Amish, family farm that follows the grass based farming principles promoted by The Weston A. Price Foundation. Their cows are on a high forage diet and are fed no grain to ensure a higher quality, more nourishing and better tasting food. There are no synthetic fertilizers, hormones, or antibiotics used. If you are interested in “Real” milk, raw cheeses, grass-fed, free-range, and soy-free meats, this is a wonderful opportunity.    

Miller’s Organic Farm delivers to Madison, NJ on a bi-weekly basis. They carry goat, sheep, cow and camel milk as well as chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork and veal. They also carry fermented veggies and drinks, nuts, eggs, maple syrup, and many other spectacular items. Amos Miller and his son will be here this Sat to speak about their farm, answer questions and share some of their delicious products with you. The Millers do not come this way often, so don’t miss this chance. 

If you would like more information please call Julie at 973-520-8614 or e-mail at ban5143@yahoo.com. Miller’s Organic Farm can be found on this web address: www.mootoyou.org/about.html . We hope to see you there!

Master massage therapist offers discount to Co-op members

Take $20 off any one hour, first time medical massage with massage school Director Larry Heisler, M.A., LMT, or for any of our other services with any of our other wonderful teacher practitioners. Read about us at www.newjerseymassage.com

Philosophy: As we get older our muscles get harder, shorter and colder, eventually settling into our body pattern and determining how we move in space for the remainder of our lives. Can you say frozen in time. I’ll tell you what I say “Rigamortis sets in way before your die,” and medical massage addresses your soft tissue complaints and frozen muscular gait with great Deep Tissue, Myofascial and Neuromuscular Trigger Point massage work. It breaks up the rigamortis, unfreezes your connective tissue and activates your Acupuncture Energetic System. Pain, stiffness, poor circulation, inflexibility be gone!

NJ Massage

3699 Route 46 East, Parsippany, NJ 07054
Telephone: (973) 263-2229

NJ Massage Director Larry Heisler is a member of our Co-operative.

New Bernardsville Branch

Today is the first delivery to the new Bernardsville branch! The pick up spot is just outside of downtown Bernardsville. Our host, Megan Schroeder, has been a member of the Co-op at the Madison Branch and recently moved to Bernardsville. So spread the word! The Bernardsville page on our website can be found at: www.mountainlakesorganic.com/Bernardsville.html

Bernardsville Trial Baskets are now available online.

New Sorter wanted

One of my longest held sorters recently got a new job. I am looking for someone who would like to work sorting produce every other Tuesday from about 11:30 to 2, for a Basic Basket. Please call or email me if you are interested.

Enjoy!  Marnie

The Book is Out!

The book is out!

I've been published! I'm a published scholar now! In fact, two MSU classes are using it as a textbook this semester! It sells for about $35 on Amazon, so I don't suggest buying it. But if you do, I'd be happy to sign it for you. :-)   I do suggest reading my chapter, or all of the book. The book is called "Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Sustainability" Edited by Robert W. Taylor. I wrote chapter four, Does Sustainability Mean a Lower Standard of Living.

24 Hours of Reality 

Tomorrow WEDNESDAY, Sep 14th, will be a 24-hour worldwide marathon all about the reality of the climate crisis. Around the world, from New York City to South Africa to the Solomon Islands, people will use the power of the Internet to present their stories of living with climate change, and make clear the connection between extreme weather and the corporate carbon pollution that's changing our climate.

All the presentations, which will be in multiple languages, and in every single time zone, will be streamed live at ClimateRealityProject.org.

Enjoy! 

Marnie

The Next Two Weeks are Co-op Vacation – August 16th and 23rd

We will have no baskets those two weeks. 

Enjoy! 

We’re back in action August 30th.

On-line control of your membership

You can control your own basket choice & vacation dates, and payments will be automatic on your credit card.

• Go to www.MountainLakesOrganic.com and click the “Member Login” link. 
• On that page you can then go to “New Users” by pressing the “Create Login Account” button. 
• Fill out the basic information asked for, and you will be taken to the “Member Dashboard”. To prepare baskets for you, you will need to “Subscribe to Co-op” and “Update credit card on file”. Follow the steps and your baskets will be under your control. 
• If you have any problems, you can go to the Contact us page and email your question to me, and I am here to help by phone too: 973-335-4469.

Enjoy! 

Marnie

On-line control of your Membership

I first want to thank all of you who signed up for the automated control! We have 1/5th of you on the list! Bravo!

Please take a moment and sign up through our website for your baskets. You can then control your own vacation dates, and payments for your baskets will be automatic on your credit card.

• Go to www.MountainLakesOrganic.com and click the “Member Login” link. 

• On that page you can then go to “New Users” by pressing the “Create Login Account” button. 

• Fill out the basic information asked for, and you will be taken to the “Member Dashboard”. To prepare baskets for you, you will need to “Subscribe to Co-op” and “Update credit card on file”. Follow the steps and your baskets will be under your control. 

• Then, please play around and get familiar with the member’s capabilities. 

• If you have any problems, you can go to the Contact us page and email your question to me, and I am here to help by phone too: 973-335-4469.

Enjoy! 

Marnie

Sign up for on-line control of your Membership

The website is ready. Please take a moment and sign up through our website for your baskets. You can then control your own vacation dates, and payments for your baskets will be automatic on your credit card.

Go to www.MountainLakesOrganic.com and click the “Member Login” link. On that page you can then go to “New Users” by pressing the “Create Login Account” button. 

Fill out the basic information asked for, and you will be taken to the “Member Dashboard”. To prepare baskets for you, you will need to “Subscribe to our CSA” and “Update credit card on file”. Follow the steps and your baskets will be under your control. 

Then, please play around and get familiar with the member’s capabilities. If you have any problems, you can go to the Contact us page and email your question to the CSAware group, and I am here to help: 973-335-4469.

Co-op Vacation!

Co-op vacation weeks will be August 16th and 23rd. We will have no baskets those two weeks.

Enjoy! 

Marnie

Please Read!

I’m very excited! The Co-op soon will be changing over to an application where the members can control their baskets and payments online called CSAware. The software is owned by Local Harvest, which many of you know. I have found them to be a tremendous asset in running this co-operative. 

Here in the beginning, you will have the choice to stay as a cash or check paying member, or switch over to CSAware. With CSAware, all your payments, except the last minute refrigerator decisions, will automatically be made by credit card each week, and you can add, change and cancel baskets in your private members account.

I have been working with the CSAware team and the website is almost complete. For ease of set up we will ask each of you to claim your membership online in the next few weeks (you will receive an email invite from CSAware). If for any reason, you have trouble with the site, you can always email or call me and I will correct the problem.

Choosing to move to this automated system, removes the guesswork from the billing. I will no loner need to send out emails asking if you paid because there is loose cash and no payment record from you. I also will not have to spend hours each week inputting the payments, and can spend that time on other aspects of the co-op that are demanding attention.

Again, If you would rather stay with paying by cash or check, please feel free to stay with the present system. CSAware is not hooked in to the website yet, but will be soon. So stay tuned!

Co-op Vacation!

Co-op vacation weeks will be August 16th and 23rd. We will have no baskets those two weeks.

Enjoy! 

Marnie

Going Solar!

Please forgive me for the roofing. They were supposed to be done by today, but the rain last week set them back. It’s actually very exciting. Tomorrow I am getting solar panels put on my roof! I did my homework and found a reputable firm. I have a tree that is a little in the way but I can still get 1/3 of my electricity from the panels. If the tree wasn’t there it would be 1/2 to 2/3. Being from the Shade Tree Commission I couldn’t just simply cut down such a big beautiful healthy tree!

If any of you have any questions about the process or contacts, please phone me. I am very willing to help out.  :-)

Co-op Vacation!

I have finally decided! My vacation weeks will be August 16th and 23rd. We will have no baskets those two weeks.

Enjoy Your Summer! 

Marnie