Ludgate Farms, Ithaca

We have NYS homegrown strawberries for sale now!
[ Map and Directions ] [ PHOTOS of Ludgate Farms ]

Local pottery makes great gifts

Gary Rith -- Gary's work is now available at Ludgate Farms on Hanshaw Road in Ithaca NY. Gary Rith started learning pottery in 1983 and has been a Pottery by Gary Rith

full-time artist since 1997. He studied art at Bennington College, and also received a masters in special education and as a reading specialist. He has taught in all 3 of those areas. The business began in New Hampshire, where he was selected as a member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen in 2004, and in 2005 was honored as one of New Hampshire's Emerging Ceramics Artists. He moved to the Ithaca, NY area in 2006, near where he grew up, and is happily making pots and sculpture in a purple house on Fall Creek in the hamlet of Etna. [ Gary's Web Place ]

Frog Hill Pottery -- Here's a great "under thirty dollars gift idea" from the local

pottery folks at Frog Hill from Ithaca NY - we always have lots of these mugs in stock at Ludgate Farms. "The pots emerge from the fire transformed from soft brown clay into colorful, durable stoneware. The potter has anticipated the changes caused by the firing and made the pieces subtly different than the forms he is seeking. Still every firing brings exciting surprises, and some losses. It is a time for re-evaluation of artistic direction and fresh inspiration for a new cycle of creating." [ Frog Hill's Web Space ]

Lolalove Pottery -- Made by Newfield New York resident, Lola Schissel, each piece is

unique. Lolalove pottery comes hand-thrown, coiled or woven in both low and high fire designs whereas molded and pressed pieces are all glazed in many layers, then fired at low kiln temperatures only for several hours. All pieces are made with non-toxic materials and are dishwasher safe. (It is recommended, however, that all fine pottery be hand-washed as most dishwashers eventually cause etching).

Much of this pottery has an organic feel to it which is demonstrated in the textures, colors and shapes of many of the pieces. Lolalove also has a wild side with bright collage style and drips found in other forms.

Lola's web space http://lolalovepottery.com/index.php

Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike - House Concert
June 18 at Canaan Rd

At Mike and Raylene's home in Caroline: "We have booked a hot bluegrass band, Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike, for a house concert at Canaan Road Thursday June 18. Concert 7:00 to 9:00 pm followed by a jam. Valerie and her band are top notch bluegrass musicians and play at many of the big festivals. We expect this one to sell out. Concert $15- Valerie will be traveling with award winning fiddler Becky Buller http://www.beckybuller.com/ there is an option of private lessons with any of the band mebmbers or an intimate workshop late afternoon before the concert: interested in that too? Let us know! Lesson or workshop fee will be additional. RSVP to reserve seat now."

DETAILS and to RSVP - http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2607#2607

The Full Plate Farm Collective
Pickup your CSA share at Ludgate's all year round! :-)

2009 shares SOLD OUT -- email Katie to get on the waiting list.

First pickup at Ludgate's for 2009 is Thursday June 11th!

As a community service Ludgate Farms is ONCE AGAIN offering our

retail farm market as a pickup location for mutual customers of Ludgate's and the Full Plate CSA Farm Collective. This is three years running for this community venture.

Your share is packed in a 1/2(?) bushel waxed box. These boxes cost over a dollar a piece and are good for 4-5 uses if they are handled properly. Squeeze the top flap back until the tabs release from the side slits. If you are doing it right it won't tear. Open it up and take your veggies out. Please flatten the box (doing the same thing to the bottom of the box) and return it to Ludgate's anytime that is convenient (before or at the next pick up). Full Plate will reuse them for as long as they can. They are not recyclable at the curb b/c of the wax!

Ludgate's is open from 9 am - 9 pm 7 days a week and your share is kept in a walk-in cooler from when Full Plate deliver's it to when you pick it up. Please go to the counter in the store and give them your name and ask for your share. You will be asked to sign for the share box on a clipboard list next to your name. Please be considerate of their other customers, as the Ludgates staff will have to leave the front of the store area and go into the cooler to get your box for you. You may leave your empty flattened box with them (please read the instructions on opening and preserving your box as long as possible above!).

"The Full Plate Farm Collective grows certified organic and biodynamic food cooperatively for the local community. Our four farms grow over 40 acres of vegetables and offer 300 CSA shares for the Ithaca area. We don't use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, but rely on crop rotation, compost and cover cropping to maintain an ecological balance. Each farm grows different crops which are collected together for CSA distribution. By relying on each other, we are able to provide a more consistent and diverse share of the harvest than we could individually. By sharing our resources, skills, labor and knowledge, we become better farmers and strengthen the local farm community. Through our CSA we invite you to be a part of a larger community centered around healthful fresh food."

What is a CSA? -- Community Supported Agriculture is a partnership between a local farm and members of the community. The farm pledges to grow food for the community and the community pledges to support the farm. It is a direct food- to- consumer relationship, connecting a community with its food source. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become “members” of the CSA. Farmers receive money at the beginning of the season and it is invested in nurturing the growing season - seeds, greenhouse expenses, equipment, labor, etc. In return members receive a weekly share of the farm - their investment returned in healthful, vibrant food, as fresh as it gets!

CSAs’ support sustainable and responsible land management, a shrinking carbon footprint and communities that can nourish themselves. A community is formed by the members of a CSA and the farmers who produce their food. A CSA gives the farmers a sure market and a gauge to produce by, minimizing losses and ensuring the success of the farm.

Mother’s Day Blossom Festival Weekend

Three area orchards will participate in the upcoming Mother’s Day Blossom Festival Weekend, May 8-10. All three offer self guided walking tours of their farms, orchards and gardens as well as activities of interest to adults and children. Bakers Acres, Silver Queen Farm and Littletree Orchard. Some farms may charge an admission fee for this service ...

FULL STORY HERE FROM COOPERATIVE EXTENTION http://canaaninstitute.org/bikeski/viewtopic.php?p=1329#1329

New NYS Cheese ...

Tom Murray from Muranda Cheese will be sampling out his cheese for a couple hours on Saturday December 20th. This NYS cheese is made from the milk from Tom's own cows! Stop in and try some. :-)

Apples and other things ...

We have at least several varieties of NYS apples in stock now at Ludgate's. These are grown on real family farms right here in upstate NY. these are not experimental apples - these are "the real deal!" :-)

Gift Certificates ...
Ludgate Farms of Ithaca NY has gift certificates all year around.

Stonewall Kitchen gift items at Ludgate Farms

We now accept GIFT CERTIFICATE orders by telephone with a credit card. We will mail the gift certificate to the recipient or the giver ... or they can pick it up in the store! Great way to let your favorite Cornell University Student or Ithaca College student choose their own organic, gourmet and local items from Ithaca, NY ... Some other gift ideas ... gourmet pesto, locally crafted in Ithaca ceramics (pottery), local greeting cards form ithaca artists and music from dozens of local Ithaca musician artists and some locally grown jumbo garlic. Click [ here ] for more photos of our store and some gift ideas ... local Ithaca music on CD.

Fair trade craft items in Ithaca NY: These gourd Christmas ornaments are hand-made by colorful fair trade gourd

artisans in Huancayo, Peru where there's a long and rich tradition in craft production.

In Pre-Columbian times, decorated gourds were used throughout the Andes.

Gourd vessels were elaborately etched in scenes that told stories - the latest news or ancient legends. Vessels thus decorated were used locally but also to carry messages between regions. Now, the only area where this 2000 year old tradition survives is in the twin villages of colorful fair trade gourd

Cocha Chicas and Cochas Grandes, a short drive from the city of Huancayo.

Gourds are available in a variety of sizes, so artisans usually contract with growers for a certain approximate size in the sowing season, October. The gourds are ready to be worked the following June.

The gourds are smooth on the outside and velvety on the inside. The sun-dried gourd is trimmed and washed, readying it for decoration.

Decorations are carved, etched and burned into the gourd. Sometimes they are only burned or "toasted", making a design with softer edges than those with carved or etched designs.

After a gourd is decorated, it is washed again, and then dried further in a kiln or over a flame. Sometimes a gourd is further decorated by being rewashed and finished.

USDA To Deregulate Genetically Engineered Crops

December 2008 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking to fast-track the deregulation of Genetically Engineered (GE) corn for ethanol production, despite growing evidence that GE crops are dangerous for human health and the environment. GE crops have been forced on consumers without mandatory labeling or adequate assessment of negative human health and environmental impacts. A recent study by the Austrian government even demonstrated how a type of GE corn causes infertility in lab rats. The current industrialized processes of creating biofuels, like ethanol, are inherently unsustainable and actually cause more total greenhouse gases and use more petroleum than gasoline.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26307

Doubling of Vitamin D for Children Is Urged
Appearing in the NY Times Oct 14th
Published: October 12, 2008

CHICAGO (AP) — The country’s leading group of pediatricians is recommending that children receive double the usually suggested amount of vitamin D because of evidence that it might help prevent serious diseases. To meet the new recommendation of 400 units daily, millions of children will need to take vitamin D supplements each day, the American Academy of Pediatrics said. That includes breast-fed infants — even those who get some formula — and many teenagers who drink little or no milk.

Baby formula contains vitamin D, so infants fed only formula generally do not need supplements. However, the academy recommends breast-feeding for at least the first year of life, and breast milk is sometimes deficient. Most commercially available milk is fortified with vitamin D, but most children do not drink enough of it — four cups daily would be needed — to meet the new requirement, said Dr. Frank Greer, who helped write the report.

MORE http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/health/policy/13vitamind.html

Hardy Mums are here! :-)

SEPT 25th -- Our favorite hardy mum grower just now delivered another huge truckload of mums! They look great this year, nice and compact and loaded with flower buds. These are classic "garden mums" the word "hardy" refers to their ability to take a frost and keep on blooming - they are not usually expected to come back next year (if they do for you, that's always a nice bonus!). Here is a photo http://www.ludgatefarms.com/IMG_3595_ps_mums.jpg

Maybe we need a new definition of "sustainable"?

I was really shocked to read a campus newspaper article tauting the genetically engineered rBGH as "safe, harmless and sustainable". See Cornell Daily Sun on Aug 29 2008. "It's only a protein" one professor was quoted as saying to the Ivy League audience. Oh?

You mean like these kind of harmless proteins? "The deadly properties of protein toxins and venoms is less widely appreciated. Botulinum toxin A, from Clostridium botulinum, is regarded as the most powerful poison known. Based on toxicology studies, a teaspoon of this toxin would be sufficient to kill a fifth of the world's population. The toxins produced by tetanus and diphtheria microorganisms are nearly as poisonous. A list of highly toxic proteins or peptides would also include the venoms of many snakes, and ricin, the toxic protein found in castor beans." Source http://www.cem.msu.edu/~reusch/VirtualText/proteins.htm

Seriously: educate yourself and you will learn that a large protein like this probably does not actually pass into the milk itself (whether it is ":harmless" or not is another question ....), but it stresses the animals' endocrine systems severely enough to cause secondary problems such as smaller molecular weight hormones to pass to the milk ... follow the links :-)

OK. I am not an expert on "carbon-footprints" of cows, but I don't really need to use my agriculture degree to figure out that if, the cow doesn't live as long, there is probably not going to be any net gain. Really, I think most people who write about the genetically engineered growth hormone are completely missing the point: by supporting this kind of mega-dairy-agri-business we are further removing ourselves from the true concept of local and family friendly. How "carbon friendly" is it if your milk comes from a 5000 cow mega-herd in Califonia? Instead of a little 100-200 size family size farm that NYS used to be full of?

By the way, there is a farm in Dryden NY that belongs to the Organic Valley Co-op! No growth hormones there. :-)

The latest news, actually, is that Monsanto, growing weary of all the bad press, finally gave up on this product and sold their interest in the hormone to another corporation, but that's another story.

Below are some snippets on the genetically engineered growth hormone from one of the most reliable supporters of local agriculture and small family farms and retailers: The Organic Consumer Association ... please note the quotation marks. -m :-)

"As someone who has spent the past 15 years tracking the socioeconomic impacts of genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH) and its widespread adoption, primarily on factory-scale farms.

The first bald-faced and outrageous bit of propaganda that this think tank presented was their claim that the genetically engineered rBGH is a ³carbon copy² of what the cow naturally produces, and that use of the drug ³doesn¹t change the milk one bit.² Although the drug, produced through recombinant DNA technology, is quite similar to what the cow¹s pituitary gland manufactures, its chain of amino acids and genetic makeup are "novel." The FDA readily admits this, and of course Monsanto (the drug¹s developer) used these unique characteristics to win a patent for their product.

But you don't have to trust groups like the Farmers Union, Rural Vermont, or The Cornucopia Institute, all of which unabashedly support family-scale farmers in their fight to survive the draconian agribusiness juggernaut that has forced so many farmers off the land in Oregon and other states. All you have to do is read the warning insert that the FDA requires in every package of Monsanto's artificial hormone. Based on preapproval testing, it lists numerous serious dairy cow maladies that can result from use. Preapproval testing revealed virulent mastitis infections, commonly requiring stronger and increased treatments with antibiotics, and sometimes causing the death of the cow, among a number of other serious problems related to the cow¹s metabolism and reproduction. Besides increasing milk production, this drug causes an exponential increase in the stress on the animal and statistically shortens its lifespan."

SOURCE http://www.organicconsumers.org/rBGH/disinfo32905.cfm

======== another =======

"In the early 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration reviewed a very flawed study funded by Monsanto, the sole manufacturer of the genetically engineered bovine growth-hormone rBGH. If you want to know just how flawed that study actually was, read the detailed reports from the University of Vermont. It is clear from their report they feel pretty bad about being duped into complicity with Monsanto and how such a flawed study could be used to support a product causing such clear problems in animals -- over 15 different problems in fact -- from increased rates of painful mastitis (and subsequent overuse of antibiotics to control it, thereby contributing to the ever increasing problem of human antibiotic resistance), to higher rates of teratogenic defects in offspring of injected cows. Better still, read any of the reports from the scientists of the European Union who unanimously rejected the use of rBGH due to concerns over exactly these animal health concerns, as well as a growing body of human health concerns.

After you've finished with those, you might want to read the May 2008 report titled "Monsanto's Harvest of Fear" in Vanity Fair from the double Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist team of Donald Barlett and James Steele. I promise it will be an eye opener, not only on the use of rBGH, but also on the generally horrific (to put it mildly) business practices of its manufacturer, Monsanto. Then read how no long-term studies have been conducted on animals with rBGH; the longest toxicological study conducted prior to the FDA approving rBGH was only 90 days. But as Barlett and Steele so aptly point out, humans drink milk over a lifetime, not over a mere three months. Long-term studies to this day are not forthcoming and Monsanto funded the short studies that exist. Did I mention that those on the FDA approval committee for rBGH had deep professional ties to Monsanto? After you've finished that, then read everything from respected scientists, medical professionals, healthcare and consumer advocates from the Consumers Union, Healthcare Without Harm and Food & Water Watch, just to name a few."

SOURCE http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14203.cfm

EPA Sued for Bee Colony Collapse Cover-Up

Over the past two years, beekeepers have reported an alarming and potentially catastrophic loss of bees from their hives ranging anywhere from 30-90 percent. This "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD) isn't just a problem for beekeepers and farmers, but for consumers as well, since bee pollination is essential for crop production. The USDA claims that one out of every three mouthfuls of food is dependant on bee pollination. Experts have been researching CCD and have linked the die-off to a number of likely culprits.

One of the likely killers is a new pesticide, clothianidin, approved by the EPA in 2003. Germany and France have banned this type of pesticide to protect their bee population. In the U.S., clothianidin was approved after Bayer CropScience, the chemical's maker, submitted required studies to the EPA regarding the chemical's impact on bees and the environment. Now the EPA is suspiciously and illegally refusing to release these public documents. To expose this cover-up and hopefully to save the bees, last week the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit against the agency. Learn more here

School Lab Rats Freak Out on GE Food

Schools in Wisconsin are showing kids the dangers of genetically engineered (GE) junk food with some unique science class experiments. Sister Luigi Frigo repeats the experiment every year in her second grade class in Cudahy. Students feed one group of mice unprocessed whole foods. A second group of mice are given the same junk foods served at most schools. Within a couple of days, the behavior of the second group of mice develop erratic sleeping schedules and become lazy, nervous and even violent. It takes the mice about three weeks on unprocessed foods to return to normal. According to Frigo, the second graders tried to do the experiment again a few months later with the same mice, but the animals have already learned their lesson and refuse to eat the GE food.
Learn more

Ithaca Festival Photos ...

Ithaca Festival 2008 Parade Photo Album The SIXTH year of photos from the Ithaca Festival on Ludgate Farms

website! I'll confess; my initial motivation for this was because my son, Bryan and daughter, Megan were stilt walkers in

previous years ... see previous photos (way) below ... (this year Megan was on a uni-cycle again). But the parade is such fun and involves so many local folks - I now try to capture images of the whole procession to share each year. Thanks to the unicycle club members at F.L.O.W. for teaching my kids and Raylene to Uni-cycle (Keith, Robbert, Brendan, Lesley) This photo album has 12 pages of thumbnails for a total of 359 images of the parade Thursday June 19th, 2008. Sorry, if I missed anybody. These images are low resolution so they will load over the web fairly quickly - if you have a favorite and want a hi-res image send me an email request, I'll try and accommodate. -Mike :-)

The Horse Flies
New CD:
UNTIL THE OCEAN
is NOW ON SALE at Ludgate's [map]

The Flies’ new album, Until the Ocean, is their first since the passing of

their beloved bass player of 17 years, John Hayward, in 1997. Recorded at Electric Wilburland, Pyramid Sound, and the band’s Gray House, it was mixed by Canadian, Kevin Doyle (Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison, Ron Sexsmith, Alannah Myles, and many more) and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in Manhattan.

The band is excited to celebrate the album release with Ithaca in a free, outdoor concert, Thursday, June 12 on the Commons in downtown Ithaca from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

This concert is part of the M& T Bank Summer Concert Series, produced by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance. For more information about the series: http://www.downtownthaca.com

For more information about the Horse Flies: http://www.thehorseflies.com

Withdraw the National Marine Fisheries Services Proposed Rule

Our oceans are in trouble. Fisheries are collapsing, pollution is creating dead zones, global warming is causing the death of corals, and now the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) is proposing a rule which threatens to completely undermine application of the law that protects ocean ecosystems. Congress and President Bush recently revised our nation’s primary fishing law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, with bold new provisions to strengthen ocean fish management. So far, however, successful implementation of these improvements is being hindered by the very agency charged with protecting and managing our ocean fisheries. This is evidenced by NMFS’ recent proposal to revise environmental review procedures under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

NEPA’s goal is to ensure that public officials make informed decisions about the environmental consequences of their actions. The law requires a thorough environmental review with full public participation. NEPA reviews have a long history of environmental success; the law has made it possible to protect thousands of square miles of coral formations, reduce mortality of endangered sea turtles and begin the rebuilding of depleted fish populations.

Unfortunately, NMFS recently proposed a new environmental review process which would severely weakens the application of NEPA to ocean fisheries management and threatens the ocean legacy of the Bush administration. This proposal is so fundamentally flawed that we urge NMFS to withdraw it completely and craft a new rule that will ensure the protection of our ocean ecosystems.

Under the current NMFS proposal:

Fishery managers would be allowed to make decisions without adequately considering the impacts on other marine life such as seals, corals and endangered sea turtles.

The rule proposed by NMFS creates loopholes which would allow fishery managers to conduct inadequate environmental reviews of proposed fishing activities by limiting the scope of the analysis and the management alternatives that may be considered, thus undermining informed decision-making.

The public’s ability to participate in decisions about the future of our oceans would be significantly limited.

NMFS has the ability to reduce the public comment period for draft environmental reviews from 45 days to just 14 days. Furthermore, members of the public are prohibited from future participation if they do not comment during this initial round, while fishery managers are allowed to adopt last-minute alternatives after the close of the comment period. We all have a stake in healthy oceans, but the NMFS proposal unacceptably gives the last say to a small group of fishery managers, many of whom have a financial stake in the decision.

Responsibility for conducting environmental review is inappropriately given to the regional fishery management councils who have mismanaged our ocean fish for decades.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act and NEPA clearly mandate that NMFS has a legal responsibility to oversee the environmental review process for fishery management decisions. Contrary to Congressional intent, the new proposal transfers this power to regional fishery management councils, which are often dominated by fishing interests and have been responsible for decades of mismanagement and declines in our ocean resources.

With over 40 ocean fish stocks in the United States currently subject to overfishing, combined with declining ocean health due to pollution, coastal development, and global warming, NMFS must implement fishery management measures based on sound environmental review. Unfortunately, the agency’s recent proposal does not do so. By withdrawing the rule and re-writing it to address the above concerns, NMFS can protect ocean ecosystems and the livelihoods of those who depend on them.

For more information, please contact Lee Crockett, director of federal fisheries policy at the Pew Environment Group, at (202) 552-2065 or lcrockett@pewtrusts.org. Visit our new Web site at www.endoverfishing.org

Rootwork Herbals
NEW Local Handmade Herbal products at Ludgate's
Extracts, Teas, Salves ...

From Amanda's brochure: "Our Offering - Rootwork Herbals is our

family's offering towards greater health and wholeness. To this end, we have dedicated ourselves to providing our community with lovingly hand- made herbals of the highest quality.

We are a small home-based business located in the beautiful and abundant Finger Lakes region of New York State. We are fully committed to living a life in balance with the Earth. This commitment guides us to only use organically grown or consciously wildcrafted herbs along with other all-natural ingredients, sourced as close to home as possible. We do not use anything that we feel degrades the Earth and so our products are free from petroleum based ingredients, GMO's, parabens, synthetics, preservatives, fragrances and essential oils.

We also strongly believe that the plants which grow near you, provide you with the best medicine. Therefore, we focus on utilizing the plants that grow in our own backyards and only offer our products regionally.

The true quality of our products is rooted in the plants and our relationship

to them. We devotedly grow and wildcraft herbs so that we can guarantee their freshness and vitality. We then gather our herbs at the peak of their potency, closely following the plant's life cycle, as well as seasonal rhythms. Once harvested, we immediately begin the medicine making process so that the plant's energy is not lost. All of our medicines are made by our hands in small batches with every detail accounted for. We truly feel that our finished products give honor to the sacred plants who have given their gifts, so that we all may heal.

Our Family - It is our family's sincere wish to be able to assist people on their paths toward health and wholeness. To better facilitate this we have

spent years in study. The mother of the Rootwork Herbals family is Amanda David. She has graduated from Dominion Herbal College, apprenticed at Herb Pharm and with Susun Weed and is currently continuing her studies at the Boston School of Herbal Studies and with Aviva Jill Romm. Her partner, Cameron Murdock graduated from the New Mexico College of Natural Healing with a degree in Herbalism and also brings his experience as an organic farmer. The children of the family, Abiah and Irijah are also deep in study and play with the plants and remind their elders that the true wisdom of the plants is given to us from the plants themselves."

Another New local CD Now Available at Ludgate Farms!
Glass of Water
is pleased to present their debut CD:
All the Other Fine Things

After swapping a few CD’s, Emily and Sophia met to sing in a stairwell on

Glass of Water - latest recording now at Ludgate Farms

the Cornell University campus and were delighted and shocked to find they couldn’t tell their voices apart. Now as “Glass of Water,” they sing a wide range of traditional and traditionally-based tunes, including ballads from Appalachia and the British Isles, shape note hymns, and anything they can arrange for tight treble harmonies. "They have a remarkable knack for creating distinctive arrangements and weaving intricate vocal lines. Their blithe singing shows a deep affection and respect for their eclectic sources."

"All the Other Fine Things includes some of our favorite traditionals that we've been singing for years, and some newer arrangements of songs by contemporary composers and singer-songwriters. From the chilling harmonies of "The Summer Day" to the spunky lyrics of "Who's Gonna Shoe", we think you'll really enjoy this mix! The entire album is the two of us singing acapella, with a few surprises thanks to Will Russell at Electric Wilburland." http://www.glassofwatermusic.com/

Ludgate Farms has tickets for ...
http://www.cornellfolksong.org/

New Old Time CD! "It's About Time"
Great local Ithaca old-time music on sale at Ludgate Farms :-)

Here's a rare note from Mac Benford, he's usually too busy playing music It's About Time - Newest Ithaca Old-time recording

It's About Time - Newest Ithaca Old-time recording

to write! "I thought you might be interested to know that I have a new CD, just recently released (see the attachment). It’s a collaboration with my long-time musical pal, John Hoffmann, and it features our two bands, The Haywire Gang and UpSouth,. as well as many duets by me and John. Thanks for your interest and support -Mac Benford"

It's About Time features John Hoffmann and Mac Benford, two powerful musicians in their first recording together. On 22 tracks, John and Mac demonstrate their versatility, with fiddle-banjo duets, banjo-guitar duets, twin banjo tunes, ballads and hot old-time fiddle tunes. Joining Mac and John on three tracks is Randi Beckmann. This trio forms the hot dance band UpSouth. Another trio configuration featured on this album is The Haywire Gang, which includes John, Mac and Paula Bradley (guitar, banjo uke & vocals). The Haywire Gang is featured on nine tracks.

THE DARK SIDE OF ETHANOL AND BIODIESEL SUBSIDIES

NY Times article

Americans now understand that climate-destabilizing greenhouse gases are a major threat to our survival. Unfortunately, large corporations have convinced Congress to ignore real solutions to the crisis (like significant advances in fuel-efficiency), while providing billions of dollars per year in subsidies to big-agribusiness for agrofuels.

More than a hundred U.S. based and international organizations, including the Organic Consumers Association, are calling for a moratorium on the more than $8 billion of annual government subsidies paid to large corporations producing agrofuels from industrial-scale genetically engineered crops. Family farmers currently receive only a small portion of annual funds allocated to agrofuels. While billions of dollars in subsidies for corn, soy and palm oil-based agrofuels, certainly result in higher profits for corporate giants such as Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, and Monsanto, their overall contribution to reducing reliance on foreign oil and greenhouse gases is negligible (see facts below).

Government support for agrofuels in the U.S. costs taxpayers roughly $2 per gallon in subsidies at the gas pump. These misguided funding priorities have taken tens of billions of dollars of funding away from essential greenhouse gas reduction policies, such as energy conservation, solar and wind power, fuel-efficiency technologies, and mass transit. While the OCA supports the production of biofuels from recycled waste (such as used vegetable oil, manure or sewage) and biomass sustainably grown and harvested for the benefit of local communities, the current focus is a recipe for disaster.

QUICK AGRO-FUEL FACTS ...

Increasing fuel efficiency by just 3% would reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil more than all of the agrofuels combined.
The amount of grain it takes to fill an average gas tank with ethanol would be enough to feed a person for a year (source: Foreign Affairs)
If the United States stopped growing food and converted its entire grain harvest into ethanol, it would satisfy less than 16 percent of its automotive needs. (source: Earth Policy Institute)
The majority of U.S. biofuels are produced from pesticide intensive genetically engineered crops (soy, corn).
Monocultures of soy and sugar cane in Latin America and palm oil in Indonesia and Malaysia have led to massive deforestation and the loss of invaluable biodiversity.
Current methods of industrial-scale biofuel production worsen global warming by increasing deforestation and degradation of peatlands and soils, while also creating more nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer use.

Source articles -- Learn more and sign the Agrofuel Moratorium Petition today: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9980.cfm

Organic, According to Whom?

While the US currently has no organic seafood standard, it is on its way to establishing organic standards for at least some farmed fish in the not too distant future (see following section).

In the absence of US organic standards for farmed fish, the US has been allowing imported seafood to be labeled as organic within the US marketplace. Not only is there major concern among consumer advocacy and conservation groups that this practice leads to consumer confusion, but that some of this so-called “organic” seafood in our markets today does not meet US organic principles. For instance, “organic” farmed salmon certified by the UK Soil Association allows farmers to use toxic chemicals to treat parasites and allows them to discharge untreated wastes (including these chemicals) into the marine environment.

Furthermore, many of these groups in the US and Canada argue that carnivorous fish (require wild fish for feed) and open net cage systems are inherently incompatible with organic principles. Thus, carnivorous fish that are farmed in open net cages – such as salmon and cod – should not be even considered for the US organic label. If the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) agrees - and chooses not include carnivorous fish or fish farmed in open net cages in its upcoming organic standards - the question becomes whether or not the US will continue to allow imported “organic” seafood of this nature into the US market given there will still be no US standard.

The Pure Salmon Campaign argues that in order to maintain the integrity of the organic label, only those products for which there is an established USDA organic standard should be allowed to carry an “organic” label in the US market. And, if the USDA decides to abandon or postpone an organic standard for certain seafood like farmed salmon, then there should be no “organic” product of this nature in the US market. Period.

The Pure Salmon campaign's website is www.puresalmon.org, and the Conserve Our Ocean Legacy (COOL) campaign's website is www.oceanlegacy.org.

King Corn

King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation.
OPENS OCTOBER 12 IN NEW YORK CITY
cinema village 22 East 12th St., NYC 212-924-3363

In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America's most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat and how we farm.
http://www.kingcorn.net/pages/video_high2.htm

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CORN TOXIN AFFECTING AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

A new study in the recent issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that a toxin in genetically engineered Bt corn is contaminating waterways near farm fields. The toxin is killing caddisflies which is a valuable food resource for higher organisms like fish and amphibians. This genetically engineered (GE) corn was approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a decade ago, but the agency never tested its impact on caddisflies, which are common insects in areas where these crops are grown. According to one of the study's researchers, Todd Royer, "I think probably the risks associated with widespread planting of Bt corn were not fully assessed." Since its inception, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) has called for a moratorium on GE crops, based on a current lack of data regarding environmental and health safety.
Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_7558.cfm

Another Great Gift idea ...

How about chocolate, flowers, music and a massage? Ludgate Farms of Ithaca NY is teaming up with Laurie Roe of Healing Hands of Ithaca NY and offering massage gift certificates! Laurie Roe, MS, LMT has been in massage practice in Ithaca, New York since 1996 after

Healing Hands of Ithaca Information Page

graduating from the Finger Lakes School of Massage in Ithaca NY. She also has a masters degree in clinical nutrition from the University of Chicago. Her clients regularly tell her they like her work because it is deep and satisfying, a “real” massage. She has had extra training in sports massage and also works for Cornell Outdoor Education as a sea kayak instructor. Her new office is centrally located in downtown Ithaca. Please call for prices. Package deals are available. Healing Hands of Ithaca: Laurie Roe, MS NYS Licensed Massage Therapist. Massage Gift Certificates are now available at Ludgate Farms

Woodworking gift items ...

A picture is worth many of

my words... We now have a great selection of hand made cutting boards. These are carefully crafted from the finest hardwoods in the Ithaca, NY woodworking shop of Bill Baker of Plum Creek Designs. They are sanded to a smooth finish and sealed with a non toxic vegetable sealer. Bill recommends walnut oil (which is available at Ludgate's too) to maintain their natural beauty.

New Weekly Newspaper for Tompkins County ...

Tompkins Weekly is the county's newest weekly newspaper. Coming out Monday afternoons starting October 16th, Tompkins Weekly will focus on covering the issues faced by every municipality in Tompkins County. Whether you live in the city, a village or town, you can read about the issues facing your community and how your elected officials are looking to address the many topics that come before them for consideration. Tompkins Weekly will examine these issues in greater context of what is happening across our communities and our county. Additionally, you'll see an opinion page, letters to the editor, a calendar of area events, and other interesting and useful topics regarding things happening in our area. Tompkins Weekly looks forward to being your first source for local political news and events for readers living and working in every community in our county.

Locally owned and operated, Tompkins Weekly, Inc. is published by Jim Graney who also publishes Ithaca Child, Ithaca Parent & Teen, the Ithaca Baby Book, and the Ithaca Senior Care Publication. Mr. Graney brings over 25 years of media experience to Tompkins Weekly. He is joined by businesspartner Tim McCabe who is also the company's General Manager. Mr. McCabe most recently served as the Vice President and General Manager of StoneTravel in Ithaca.

Tompkins Weekly will be available free on local news stands like Ludgate Farms and others around the county and will also be available to be read live on the internet at www.tompkinsweekly.com. To learn more, call General Manager Tim McCabe at607-339-9774 or email tompkinsweekly@yahoo.com; or contact Publisher JimGraney at 607-327-1226 or email jgraney@twcny.rr.com.

Hanshaw Trio releases
New Local Celtic CD!
From Marcy Prochaska:

"The Hanshaw Trio is pleased to announce the release of

our debut CD. Self-titled, the recording features our mostly Celtic repertoire for fiddle (Jerry Drumheller), hammered dulcimer (Marcy Prochaska), and guitar (Craig Higgins).

The trio invites everyone to celebrate this release with us on April 5. We'll be performing for Musicians Manques, an informal concert series featuring Cornell musicians. The show will take place in the Guerlac Room of the A. D. White House on campus, starting at 4:45pm.

CDs will also be available at our other performances, at Ludgate Farms in Dryden, or through our website, http://mp-dulcimer.com/hanshaw.html."

Fair Trade items: Coffee, Tea, Chocolate and crafts ...

In addition to these kind of items ... Ludgate Farms also has gift certificates available year around.

We accept GIFT CERTIFICATE orders by telephone with a credit card. We will mail the gift certificate .. or they can pick it up in the store! Great way to let your favorite Cornell or Ithaca College student choose their own gourmet and local items!

Some other gift ideas ... gourmet pesto, locally crafted ceramics (pottery), local greting cards from dozens of artists and some locally grown jumbo garlic. Click [ here ] for more photos of our store and some gift ideas ...

Turkish Delight ...

Turkish Delights. The authentic old world confection imported from the Middle East for generations. We stock genuine Turkish Delights mde in Turkey ... [ as mentioned in the Chrionicles of Narnia .. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe] We stock Authentic imported from Turkey Hazar Baba Turkish Delight "Lokum" at Ludgate Farms in Ithaca New York (NY) -:) We have stocked these for decades, since before the dawn of the megaboxes.

From a tourism website: "Hard candy! I'm tired of hard candy!" the sultan growled as he cracked a tooth on yet another sourball. "I demand soft candy!"

Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir, a confectioner who had come to the imperial capital of Istanbul from the Anatolian mountain town of Kastamonu in the late 1700s, heard his emperor's plea. His mountain-man blood rose! His face turned grim with conviction! He set his jaw with determination! He was going to take bold and decisive action!

He marched into his confectioner's kitchen and mixed water, sugar, corn starch, cream of tartar and rosewater, cooked it up, poured the mixture into a flat pan slicked with almond oil, and let it cool. Then he sprinkled it with powdered sugar, cut it into bite-sized chunks and...his hand trembling, his eyes bright with anticipation, his mind fraught with trepidation, his lips quivering to receive the morsel...he bit!

What? No crack of candy crunched by his mighty alpine jaws? No shower of sugary splinters scattering through his oral cavity? Why, this new confection was soft and easy to chew, a pleasure, a treat for both palate and teeth! It was... it was...a comfortable morsel!

Rahat lokum ("comfortable morsel"), nowadays called simply lokum, or Turkish Delight, was an instant hit, especially at the palace. Ali Muhiddin became a celebrity overnight as palace bigwhigs (or, more usually, their lackeys and gofers) traipsed down the hill from Topkapi Palace to Eminönü on the Golden Horn to buy boxes of Comfortable Morsels to thrill the jaded palates of Ottoman potentates.

You can still buy lokum at Ali Muhiddin's shop in Eminönü today, almost 250 years since the intrepid confectioner saved his sultan from sourballs. It's on Hamidiye Caddesi at the corner of Seyhülislam Hayri Efendi Caddesi, two blocks east of the Yeni Cami (New Mosque).

Over the centuries Ali Muhiddin's descendants (the shop is still owned by the family) fiddled with the recipe, adding good things like walnuts, pistachios, oranges, almonds, clotted cream, and of course chocolate. (The plain rosewater original is still a favorite, however.)

Lokum (Turkish Delight) is now made and sold in thousands of shops throughout Turkey, and enjoyed with Turkish tea or coffee, or just by itself. A favorite place to buy it is Afyon, where the rich local clotted cream is used to make kaymakli lokum.

When you visit a shop, don't be afraid to ask for a free sample: say Deneyelim! (deh-neh-yeh-LEEM, "Let's try some!") (For more Turkish words and phrases, see my Turkish Language Guide.)

[ Source article ]

Pika's Quiche in our freezer ...

"A Pika's Quiche is an old fashioned quiche prepared from my (Belgian) grandmother's recipe. Every one of our quiches is hand made from scratch, using only the freshest and - if the season allows - local ingredients."

Serve the quiche as a palate teaser or as a main dish, or even as hors d'oeuvres. For many customers, Pika's Quiche has become the ideal brunch... for others it is an ideal gourmet lunch. In other words the possibilities are endless and will seduce everyone! They're great for Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Engagements, Special Events, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Gifts, Ladies Lunches, Baby Showers, ..... or if you, just like us, enjoy good and honest food and want to add a touch of delicious homestyle cuisine to your breakfast, brunch or dinner, a Pika's Quiche is the perfect meal!

These are pre-cooked. The small quiches heat in the microwave quickly. -m

Local Chocolate!

Ithaca is Gorges! - And Ithaca's Gorges is a chocolate

tribute to the Central New York landscape. Each hand-made cluster is packed with crunchy nuts or chewy fruit, and is covered in a blanket of milk or dark chocolate. With all organic ingredients and 5% of profits going towards the preservation of the natural beauty of Finger Lakes area, it's an indulgence you can feel good about.

Inside each box is a vintage Finger Lakes photograph replica. Thjeir first series features waterfall images taken by 1860's Ithaca photographer Joseph Burritt. Special thanks to the History Center in Tompkins County for their assistance in locating and reproducing these spectacular images. These organic chocolates are available at Ludgate Farms.

Flowers, chocolate and a massage?
Just a couple ideas for random gifts :-)

Or maybe just some fresh fruit with bread cheese .. hmm.

We have a full assortment of fresh cut flowers in buckets sold by the stem - farm market style - Fresh and simple. We have chocolate from local chocolatiers like Ithaca Fine Chocolate and Ithaca's GORGES both organic! Both a little different but both awesome. Also we have hundreds of greeting cards and music and gifts from local artists and musicians. Stop in and see us.

Ithaca Festival Parade Photos

Ithaca Festival 2009 Parade Photo Album The SEVENTH year of photos from the Ithaca Festival on Ludgate Farms

website! I'll confess; my initial motivation for this was because my son, Bryan and daughter, Megan were stilt walkers in previous years ... see previous photos (way) below ... (this year Megan was on a uni-cycle again). But the parade is such fun and involves so many local folks - I now try to capture images of the whole procession to share each year. Thanks to the unicycle club members at F.L.O.W. for teaching my kids and Raylene to Uni-cycle (Keith, Robbert, Brendan, Lesley) Sorry, if I missed anybody. These images are low resolution so they will load over the web fairly quickly - if you have a favorite and want a hi-res image send me an email request, I'll try and accommodate. -Mike :-)

Signs of spring ... ! :-)
A slideshow of flower photos mostly from our store display! Enjoy! -m

Cell Tower ...

Information about the proposed Cell phone tower on Hanshaw Road. Verizon has applied for a permit to build a 114 foot tall cell phone tower on the Uhl property immediately adjacent to and west of - RIGHT BEHIND THE FARM HOUSE AT Ludgate Farms on Hanshaw Road (Ithaca side) . This is in the Town of Dryden (mailing address Ithaca).

FULL STORY HERE - With photos http://canaaninstitute.org/bikeski/viewtopic.php?p=1142#1142

Swine Flu: Reprieve or Lull Before the Storm?

Scientists and health officials, who scared the wits out of us last week, are today trying to reassure us that the first wave of the Swine Flu--now spreading across the Northern Hemisphere--is apparently not as virulent and life-threatening as future mutated waves of this H1N1 virus might be in the Fall. Mexican health officials and the Wall Street Journal also revealed a few days ago that the pigs in Mexico that likely set off the epidemic are not native Mexican pigs, but rather pigs from Smithfield Foods' factory farms in the U.S. that were shipped to Mexico.

The rather alarming bottom line, however, is that CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) pose a deadly threat to our health (learn more).

Swine CAFOs, such as Smithfield, as well as giant poultry operations, such as those operated by Tyson Foods and Perdue, produce cheap food by cramming thousands of animals together inside hellish disease-ridden factory farms, injecting pigs and chickens with powerful vaccines and antibiotics to keep them alive, thereby putting enormous pressure on swine and bird viruses and pathogens like MRSA to evolve into dangerous killers. Filthy and disease-ridden factory farms for pigs and chickens, maintained by exploited and often unhealthy farm workers, kept in operation only with massive injections of animal drugs, are a biological time bomb set to explode. Experts are hoping a mutated H1N1 Swine/Bird Flu virus will not kill millions when it returns to the Northern Hemisphere later this year. Unfortunately, many scientists warn us that it is not a question of if, but rather when, a future swine/bird/human virus will kill millions--unless we shut down the CAFOs and transform the current insane global industrial/factory farm agriculture system into a chemical and drug-free organic system, whereby local and regional organic farms produce healthy food for local and regional markets.

Tell President Obama to shut down factory farms now, before it's too late.

NEW 2009 Edition Hiking Trail guide available at Ludgate's -- on Hanshaw Road

“Guide to Hiking Trails of the Finger Lakes Region” This is the little yellow book with all the cool topo maps! (2009 is now the most recent edition). The Cayuga Trails Club recently published the 11th edition of ‘Guide to Hiking Trails of the Finger Lakes Region’. Last published in 2006, this new 2009 edition of this popular trail guide features detailed trail descriptions, color photographs, and GPS coordinates for trail heads and road crossings.

The pocket-size yellow colored guide describes almost 140 miles of the main Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) and 70 miles of branch and loop trails of the FLT System between Hammondsport and Cortland. Included with the 194-page guidebook are 11 maps of the Finger Lakes Trail System and one map of the Cayuga Trail. This Guide to Hiking Trails also briefly describes other places of interest for hikers in nearby state parks, Arnot Forest, Cornell Plantations, Finger Lakes National Forest, nature preserves of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and elsewhere. Includes 12 GPS based maps of the Finger Lakes Trail System and the Cayuga Trail. All maps printed in color on all weather paper. NOTE: The 2006 edition was green. The edition before that was blue.

Not for cycling - for bicycling trail information visit your local bike shops

F.D.A. Allows Irradiation of Produce
New York Times
By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: August 21, 2008

Here is another nice article [ Seventh Gen Nuked Foods Guide ]

WASHINGTON — The government will allow food producers to zap fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce with enough radiation to kill micro-organisms like E. coli and salmonella that for decades have caused widespread illness among consumers.

It is the first time the Food and Drug Administration has allowed any produce to be irradiated at levels needed to protect against illness.

“This is probably one of the single most significant food safety actions done for fresh produce in many years,” said Robert Brackett, chief scientist for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which petitioned the agency in 2000 to allow manufacturers to irradiate a wide variety of processed meats, fruits and vegetables and prepared foods.

Advocates for food safety condemned the agency’s decision and asserted that irradiation could lower nutritional value, create unsafe chemicals and ruin taste.

“It’s a total cop-out,” said Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch. “They don’t have the resources, the authority or the political will to really protect consumers from unsafe food.”

SOURCE http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/health/policy/22spinach.html

MORE -- Rather than dealing with the problems inherent in a disease-ridden factory-farmed food system, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in mid-September it will allow the irradiation of lettuce and spinach. Food irradiation is the controversial practice of bombarding food with high levels of x-rays (ionizing radiation) in order to destroy disease causing pathogens. Unfortunately, in the process of irradiation, other hazards arise, like the creation of toxic free radicals, vitamin and nutrient loss, and the formation of carcinogenic chemicals.

While irradiated lettuce and spinach must be labeled in supermarkets, there are currently no labeling requirements whatsoever for restaurants, schools, hospitals, or nursing homes serving irradiated produce or other nuked foods such as beef. Over the past decade, OCA and our allies in the organic community have prevented corporate agribusiness and the nuclear industry from contaminating organic standards. Food irradiation is prohibited on any product labeled as "organic." There is currently a 30 day comment period for the FDA's new rule.

Tell the FDA to clean-up industrial feedlots instead of irradiating our food:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/irrad/irradiationcomment.htm

New Locally Blended Teas at Ludgate Farms

Greener Teas is a locally owned tea company that specializes in New Local Tea Company delicious, organic, fair trade tea and herbal blends. We take pride in being a local Fingerlakes region company and like to do as much of our business locally as we possibly can. The concept of being "green" goes beyond our name: it's how we do business. We are constantly looking for the most sustainable options available to us. All of our products and packaging are environmentally sustainable. Our packaging is biodegradable, and/or readily recyclable and our labels are made from 100% recycled materials. We select our ingredients not only for their outstanding flavor, but for the fact that they have been sustainably grown. Our ingredients are100% pesticide and herbicide free, and are certified organic whenever possible. Our China Green Tea, Yerba Mate', and Rooibos Tea are all Fair Trade Certified.

Fair Trade certification is extremely important to us. We feel that our ability as American Consumers to afford and enjoy high quality tea is a luxury and that luxuries should never come to us through the exploitation of others. Each time a consumer buys a Fair Trade item they are helping to ensure that the farmer, artisan, or worker who created the item is paid a fair living wage. Fair Trade agreements often help communities better their circumstances by raising money for improvements such as clean water, food and sanitation. For more information on Fair Trade, please visit www.transfairusa.org.

Greener Teas is a woman owned and operated business. The owner, Robyn Pollock Peterson, was born and raised in Webster, New York. She and her husband Mark Peterson, whose untiring efforts keep their website up and running, moved to the Ithaca area in November of 2007. Robyn grew up in a household with a father who is a botanist; a mother who is a teacher, animal lover, and small business owner; and a brother who is a chef. Her main interests lie in herbalism, organic gardening, the slow food movement, yoga, and overall natural wellbeing.

Please feel free to contact us at robyn@greenerteas.com with any questions, comments, or suggestions that you may have regarding our teas. If you have any special tea variety or blend requests please let us know and we will try our best to accommodate you.

ALERT: OCA LAUNCHES KELLOGG'S BOYCOTT GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SUGAR TO HIT SUPERMARKET SHELVES THIS YEAR

The Organic Consumers Association's (OCA) and allies are calling for a boycott of all Kellogg's products after Kellogg's refuses to source only GE-Free Sugar. Monsanto's RoundUp Ready Genetically Engineered Sugar is due to hit stores this year, exposing millions of consumers to untested and unlabeled "Franken Foods" that threaten human heath, the environment and farmers' rights everywhere.

Take Action-Join the Boycott! http://organicconsumers.org/kelloggs.cfm

Sign OCA's Petition to Kellogg's http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1300

Make a Free Call to Kellogg's and let them know how you feel http://organicconsumers.org/ge/CallKelloggs.htm

Send a Letter to the Editor of you Local Newspapers about the Boycott http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/letter/?letter_KEY=1009

Tomato recall ...

It looks like the tomatoes causing the Salmonella scare are from a small region in Mexico. Although FDA is being a little vague, I think for political reasons. We have no Mexican tomatoes at Ludgate Farms this time of year. Here are some links for more information:
http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/redtomatoes060508.html and
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html#retailers

Stainless water bottles ...

July 21 -- We have more 27 oz plain stainless. More of the colored ones on order! Also we have some sports caps alone with out a bottle.

June 03rd -- We got some of the new colored ones!! They are pretty. Still all stainless on the inside. Only loop top available, but the tops are interechanngeable.

May 23rd -- Back in stock. 27 oz only - which fit in a typical bicycle water bottle holder, by the way!

Local Grass fed meats ...

Beef, pork and lamb from Autumn Harvest Farms now sold at Ludgate's in the freezer section

We have chicken now from the same farm.

From the farm's informational website: "On our farm cattle are intensively

grass fed beef at Autumn Harvest Farm -sold at Ludgate Farms

rotated to clean pasture twice daily. In addition to this they are supplemented with all natural Icelandic sea salt which provides them with minerals and vitamins. All of the cattle on our farm are grass fed and grass finished . Eating grass, legumes and herbs is the natural way for cattle. Grass feeding cattle creates a truly superior eating experience and produces healthy meat as well. Meat from truly grass fed cattle has less total fat, less saturated fat, less cholesterol and fewer calories. It has more vitamin A, more vitamin E, more beta-carotene and even more importantly, has two health-promoting fats called omega-3 fatty acids and “conjugated linoleic acid,” or CLA."

http://www.autumnsharvestfarm.com/

Eating Ithaca
http://www.eatingithaca.com/

A blog and podcast about local eating, including every restaurant in town from A-Z, plus interviews with the chefs, the farmers, the businesses, and all the people who make eating in Ithaca great.

May 12 2008 -- "In this episode, we'll talk with Michael Ludgate about the 35-year-history of Ludgate Farms and find out why his eclectic market on Hanshaw Road has such a special place in the hearts of Ithaca foodies."

National Bike to work day!

May 16th is National Bike to work day! Check out what Ithaca is doing at this new LOCAL website http://icycle.org/biketowork/

Happy Spring! :-)

Bedding Plants, Hanging Baskets, Greeting Cards, Chocolate, Gourrmet Food Gifts, Exotic Teas, Local Music ...

We now have high quality market packs of flowers, vegetables, herbs,

perennials, annuals and the list goes on. pansies and violas in addition to potted flowering plants mentioned below. Our bedding plants are not the bargain hunter variety, sorry. These are super healthy, highly compact and full of healthy flower buds.

Ludgate Farms has a selection of spring flowers in pots and market paks for your garden! :-). Primroses, Easter Lilies, Hydrangea, Gerbera, Roses, Cyclamen and more! Also lots of fresh cut flower stems for your floral arrangements and vases. Come say hello! Oh yeah, and don't forget to check the chocolate display!

Water Bottles With PBA Become Suspect

April 18 2008 (Penfield, N.Y.) - Popular water bottles made at a Penfield-based company will soon be disappearing from store shelves after concerns were raised over a chemical in the bottles.

Nalgene, a division of Thermo Fisher Scientific, employs close to 1,000 people in Penfield and Fairport. The sturdy construction of their polycarbonate water bottles make them popular with outdoor enthusiasts, but the formula contains bisphenol-A which can leech into the container's contents.

On Tuesday, scientists from the Center for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration and the Institutes of Health issued a report that showed animals exposed to the bisphenol-A (or BPA) chemical in Nalgene's bottles entered puberty sooner, and developed pre-cancerous tumors and urinary tract problems. [ source ]

NY Times Article April 22 -- same topic: BPA

Herald Tribune April 23

April 28 -- From a customer: "Hi: I panicked when I saw your email and the news about SIGG water bottles. However, on further research, I believe that the inclusion of SIGG water bottles on the list of bottles containing BPA was unwarranted. A quick reference point can be found at http://www.dld123.com/q&a/index.php?cid=2234 -- look at the note at the end of this page which addresses SIGG bottles in particular. Thanks, -K "

Chemicals May Play Role in Rise in Obesity
By Elizabeth Grossman
Special to The Washington Post

"Too many calories and too little exercise are undeniably the major factors contributing to the obesity epidemic, but several recent animal studies Klean Kanteen Brand Stainless Steel BPA free water bottles are sold at Ludgate Farms in Ithaca NY

suggest that environmental exposure to widely used chemicals may also help make people fat.

The evidence is preliminary, but a number of researchers are pursuing indications that the chemicals, which have been shown to cause abnormal changes in animals' sexual development, can also trigger fat-cell activity -- a process scientists call adipogenesis.

The chemicals under scrutiny are used in products from marine paints and pesticides to food and beverage containers. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found one chemical, bisphenol A, in 95 percent of the people tested, at levels at or above those that affected development in animals." [ source and remainder of article ]

"HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK:
HOW TO AVOID BPA

Metal canned beverages appear to contain less BPA residues, while metal canned pasta and soups contain the highest levels.
Canned foods in glass containers are not a BPA risk.
Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA.
One-third of liquid baby formulas have high levels of BPA. Powdered formula packaging is generally considered safer.
Avoid heating foods in plastic containers and do not wash plastic containers in a dishwasher.
When possible, opt for glass, porcelain and stainless steel containers, particularly for hot food or liquids.
Do not let plastic wrap touch your food in the microwave, or better yet, avoid microwave ovens altogether.
Many metal water bottles, such as those sold by the brand Sigg are lined with a plastic coating that contains BPA. Look for stainless steel bottles, such as those sold by Real Wear and Kleen Kanteen that do not have a plastic liner." [ source OCA newsletter ] *** Klean Kanteen Brand Stainless Steel BPA free water bottles are sold at Ludgate Farms in Ithaca NY ***

More information:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola/execsumm.php

Buying our way to guilt free consumption?
Editorial comments from Seventh Generation on carbon offsets [ source ]

In the simplest terms, a carbon offset plan works like this: Say, for example, that in driving to and from work each day your car emits one ton of CO2 a year. To negate this ton of CO2, you join a carbon offset program which charges you $200 per year to plant an acre of trees that will absorb the ton of CO2 from the air. In theory, your commute has now become carbon neutral.

It’s a reasonable idea, but we should state up front that as a company, Seventh Generation is not in favor of carbon offsets. It’s our view that while these programs certainly have some benefits, they don’t address the serious top-to-bottom systemic change that’s needed where energy and emissions are concerned. Instead, they simply grant a certain amount of guilt-free permission for their subscribers to continue to produce CO2 at a time when everyone needs to think of ways to prevent carbon emissions in the first place.

Our opinion is that in a rapidly warming world, a molecule of CO2 in the atmosphere is a molecule of CO2 in the atmosphere. The fact that it may have been compensated for elsewhere does not impact the contribution to climate change that the original molecule will make. Carbon offsets make the overall situation less worse, not better. And better is what we need. So, while we very much support planting trees and other carbon offset programs, we don’t favor a system that uses these programs as a way to continue business as usual somewhere else.

At best, we think carbon offset programs are a stop-gap solution, a bridge we can use to start ameliorating our impacts immediately while we engineer a new system in which clean technologies and energy efficiencies combine to keep the lights on without environmental damage. We see them as a temporary fix, not a permanent solution. [ source and remainder of article ]

Wildlife conservation thrown away for PROFITS by big midwest farms ...

NY Times April 9 - Thousands of farmers are taking their fields out of the government’s biggest conservation program, which pays them not to cultivate. They are spurning guaranteed annual payments for a chance to cash in on the boom in wheat, soybeans, corn and other crops. Last fall, they took back as many acres as are in Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Environmental and hunting groups are warning that years of progress could soon be lost, particularly with the native prairie in the Upper Midwest. But a broad coalition of baking, poultry, snack food, ethanol and livestock groups say bigger harvests are a more important priority than habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife. They want the government to ease restrictions on the preserved land, which would encourage many more farmers to think beyond conservation. [ source ]

Inexpensive food is not really such a bargain ...

NY Times April 02 2008 - Higher food costs, they say, could push pasture-raised milk and meat past its boutique status, make organic food more accessible and spark a national conversation about why inexpensive food is not really such a bargain after all.

“It’s very hard to argue for higher food prices because you are ceding popular high ground to McDonald’s when you do that,” said Mr. Pollan, a contributor to The New York Times Magazine and author of “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” (Penguin Press). “But higher food prices level the playing field for sustainable food that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels.” [ NY Times article here ]

New wheat free cookbook ...
Now available at Ludgate Farms, Ithaca NY

Bon Appetit- Without the Wheat by Julie Ambrose with foreword by Anne Roland Lee contains over 175 gluten-free and wheat-free recipes from appetizers to desserts. All of

the recipes use premixed gluten-free flour and ingredients that can be found at your local natural food store. By using more common ingredients you’ll be able to prepare meals that not only taste better but are less expensive than prepackaged gluten-free foods. This is a perfect cookbook for people with celiac disease, anyone avoiding wheat or gluten and their friends and families. With Bon Appetit- Without the Wheat you’ll enjoy a delicious meal without worry- and no one will know it’s gluten-free! [ more info ]

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in products we use every day, such as stamp and envelope adhesive, medicines, and vitamins. [ more ]

EPA GIVES FACTORY FARMS RIGHT TO IGNORE POLLUTION LAWS

The EPA is accepting public comments until March 27, 2008 on an outrageous proposal to eliminate clean air standards for factory farms. Federal laws currently require industry of any type to report hazardous substances they are spewing into the atmosphere, but according to the EPA, factory farms should be exempt so as to "to reduce the burden on the regulated community." It's time to tell the EPA to stop allowing factory farms to poison the air in our rural communities.

Learn more and take action: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_10380.cfm

CHILDREN FED NON-ORGANIC FOOD HAVE PESTICIDES IN THE URINE

A new peer-reviewed study found levels of nerve-gas like pesticides in the bodies of children who eat conventional foods. Researchers found that if a child switched to an organic diet, the pesticide disappeared from the child's urine within 36 hours. Organophosphates were designed during WWII specifically to kill humans and later evolved into commonly used pesticides for food crops. The study has not yet linked the pesticide levels to specific foods, but other studies have shown peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, nectarines, strawberries and cherries are among those that most frequently have detectable levels of pesticides.
Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_10066.cfm

Tobacco ...

Ludgate Farms has been here 35 years and like most locally based independant natural product retailers, we have never sold tobacco, alcohol or lottery tickets. The latest desperate marketing ploy from the mega-box markets is to surrender their tobacco sales and try and convince their customers, they are doing it for them ... awww shucks. I'll betcha' if the bottom line wasn't affected they wouldn't give it up :-)

From an online blog: "Do any retailers really make any profit on cigarettes anyway? It is and will always be a high theft item, it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars just to inventory them in a chain like xxx, and what about the labor costs to stock, order, manage, etc. that inventory. Perhaps there is more here than just health. Most cigarette sales used to have slim margins."

In memory of Paul "Squire" Ludgate - 1932-2007

Some of you are already asking after seeing a death notice in the Ithaca Journal Monday morning November 5th. Yes, that was my Dad. Many friends and customers knew him by his nickname "The Squire" so perhaps you weren't sure which Ludgate Paul was. Dad’s full name was Paul James Ludgate Jr. (his Dad was Paul Sr.) He passed away Saturday night November 3^rd at the age of 75 years playing cards at home. My Dad really hated funerals and formal services, so there will be no funeral home or church service. We will instead have an open gathering at the farm house behind the store on Hanshaw Road this coming Sunday November 11th (Veteran's Day) from Noon until 3 pm. If you knew my Dad or members of our family, feel free to stop and say "hi". The whole gang will be here then!

Flowers are discouraged, but donations to LOCAL charities are encouraged. The folks at Hospicare were very helpful for example – but pick your favorite local. Dad died of complications due to lung and liver cancer so donations to the local Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes (formerly IBCA) are great too – they were a big help when Raylene had breast cancer!

Many thanks for all the phone calls, emails and offers of help so far! My mom and I (Roberta) are going to go through old photos and put some more on a virtual album. But we do already have this: Dad was a veteran of the Korean War in the early 1950's and he and his grandson (my son) Bryan put together this photo album for a history project Bryan did for school.

Look at these links for more photos 2 separate albums ... Family photos with Squire and Paul in the Korean Conflict.

What can you do to help? - Continue to support our family business, we need your support more than ever. With the invasion of the big boxes (it's happening to every city in the USA): You, the consumers, are the only ones who can stop it. You really can make a difference.

Here is a little more history …

The closest thing to an official obituary you'll get from the Ludgate clan for now is here on this web site. The printed newspaper business is floundering: I am convinced they are going to put themselves out of business once and for all by charging money for what used to be a standard community service, the obituary. My Dad surely agreed with that one. :-)

My Dad was born in Old Forge, PA on July 27^th 1932. My grandfather (Paul Sr.) worked for the Erie Lackawanna railroad and when my Dad was young had the opportunity for advancement here in Ithaca at the local railroad station. The depot is now the bus terminal near the local food coop. When the Ludgate family moved to Ithaca in the early 40’s Paul Jr. was the eldest of three sons of Nellie (Lynch) and Paul Sr. His two younger brothers were Dick and Ted. Dick lives in the Ithaca area still, Ted is down south.

The three Ludgate brothers attended the Immaculate Conception Catholic School for grade school and all graduated from Ithaca High School. Word is they were a bit rowdy at times. In high school Paul Jr. and Dick shared the nickname “Bugs.”

Dad was in the Army infantry from 10/22/52 through 9/10/54. He served on the front lines during the Korean conflict. The peace treaty ending the Korean war was signed on Paul's birthday: July 27th 1953 - what a great birthday present! There are photos from that time here http://picasaweb.google.com/michael.ludgate He also attended Ithaca College. He worked as a union meat cutter at local shops and at the P&C (the one that is now the Fall Creek Theater). My Dad met and married Roberta Harper in 1957. There are photos from the wedding at that same link above where you will see family photos of the three Ludgate brothers. My mom was from a local Ithaca family – her Dad, Morris Harper, was a jazz musician and her mom, Ina Knuutila from a local family of Finnish descent.

As a young couple, Paul and Roberta lived in downtown Ithaca. They moved to country when I was a toddler and rented a home from the O’Connor family on Sapsucker Woods Road. This is when Paul Jr. earned the nick name “Squire” because Don O’Connor got such a chuckle from the city boy trying to play farmer. A few years later in the early 1960’s they had the opportunity to buy a home on Hanshaw Road where the family business eventually started as a road side stand in 1973.

Dad loved to cook and often puttered for hours in the kitchen feeding family, friends and employees. He had great Christmas spirit as he always decorated a tree even after his kids had grown and settled into their own homes. The store and the customers occupied the major part of his life.

So yes: Paul is survived by his wife, Roberta (Harper), two brothers Dick and Ted, his son (me, Michael), daughter Linda Ludgate Lomber, two grandchildren Bryan and Megan and loads of nieces and nephews.

Thanks again for your help understanding and support. -Mike

NOTE: Ludgate Farms stocks Organic Valley Coop organic milk - one of the Organic Valley farmers is in Dryden NY!

WEB VIDEO: HOW THE ("big box corprate") FOOD INDUSTRY BRAINWASHES AMERICANS

This five part YouTube series with now deceased TV newscaster Peter Jennings explores how the food industry spends billions of dollars to sabotage your health. Jennings also takes a critical look at our government's agricultural subsidy programs, and the consequences of misguided government policies on our diet and health. For example, sugar and fat receive 20 times more government farming subsidies than fruits and vegetables. The food industry spends $34 billion per year marketing their products, $12 billion of which is spent marketing unhealthy foods to children. Learn how misleading advertising, food additives, and a corrupt subsidy system have undermined public health.
Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_6933.cfm

Ithaca Festival Photo Albums

The FIFTH year of photos from the Ithaca Festival on Ludgate Farms

website! I'll confess; my initial motivation for this was because my son, Bryan and daughter, Megan were stilt walkers in

previous years ... see previous photos (way) below ... (this year Megan was on a uni-cycle). But the parade is such fun and involves so many local folks - I now try to capture images of the whole procession to share each year. Thanks to the unicycle club members at F.L.O.W. for teaching my kids and Raylene to Uni-cycle (Keith, Robbert, Brendan, Lesley) This photo album has 8 pages of thumbnails for a total of 226 images of the parade Thursday May 31st, 2007. Sorry, if I missed anybody. These images are low resolution so they will load over the web fairly quickly - if you have a favorite and want a hi-er-res image send me an email request, I'll try and accommodate. -Mike [ photo index ]

Seafood Watch
Northeast Seafood Guide [ here ]

From the Monterey Bay Aquarium -- "Our Seafood Watch regional guides contain the latest information on sustainable seafood choices available in different regions of the U.S. Our "Best Choices" are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Seafood to "Avoid" are overfished and/or fished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. You can view the guides online or download a pocket-size version." [ info ]

New local product ...

This is a fun one!! Local potato chips made from potatoes that they grew themselves! And they are good. Yum :-)

BENEFITS OF GRASS-FED BEEF AND DAIRY

Animals raised on factory farms are routinely fed genetically modified grains, slaughterhouse waste, chicken manure, and municipal garbage.
Because ruminants have evolved to eat fibrous grasses (not starchy low fiber grain) they are more prone to disease when they are reared on a diet of grains rather than pasture and pasture forage.
Compared to corn and grain-fed cattle, beef and dairy products from grass-fed animals have higher levels of vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, andomega-3 fatty acids
The manure from pasture-fed animals is easily taken up by the soil as natural fertilizer. In factory farm feedlots, the animals are confined to such a small space, the manure collects and runs-off into area waterways, increasing algae and bacteria levels.

Source: http://www.eatwild.com

Photo gallery of Ludgate Farms at Ithaca College ...

Ithaca College Student Chris White submitted a photo essay to the Ithaca College School newspaper. Here is the online version [ here ]

New varietal Olive Oils from Israel ...

Two new extra virgin varietals from Israel "Israeli Gold" are

available at Ludgate's .. one from manzanilla olives, this delicious olive oil is fruity and well balanced with a hint of spiciness. The second oil of olives native to the Middle East: the soury olive produces a bolder oil with a nice peppery finish. If you enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine, this oil is a must for your pantry. It is delicious on hummus, other Israeli or Middle Eastern dishes, or anywhere you want a flavorful, spicy oil.

Israeli Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Manzanilla, has won the Best New Oil, Vinegar or Salad Dressing Product Award in the Kosherfest 2005 New Product Competition.

Organic Fair Trade Bananas ...

We now have a more reliable source for organic FAIR TRADE bananas.

We will stock these whenever we can get them! Bananas are a tropical fruit... this may seem obvious, but they really do not respond well to refrigerated produce trucks and walk in coolers. In many markets they get thrown in with the rest of the produce for storage and then they turn gray and ugly and the flavor is off. Ours are never refrigerated (just like our tomatoes) which is why we don't always have them and also why when we do have them they are yellow, not gray.