Boston Organics Blog!

With so many varieties of leafy greens coming from our local farmers each week, it can be difficult to figure out which is which. After all, they are all green and leafy!

Though these greens may appear similar at a glance, they are actually quite unique. We want to help you celebrate these unique greens in all their delicious, nutritious glory, so we’ve put together this quick visual guide to help you identify the common greens in your produce box.

Quick Leafy Green Terminology:
   • Spine: the large stem that runs through the center of the greens
   • Rib: small stems that come off of the spines and run through the leaves

Kale

Curly Kale: Light green spines and ribs with rough, curly leaves.

Red (Russian Red) Kale: Purple spines and ribs with flat, green leaves that protrude like fingers.

Lacinato or Dinosaur Kale: Off-white spines and ribs with slender, bumpy leaves.

Click here for kale storage tips and recipes!

Collard Greens

Light green spines and ribs with large, broad leaves.

Click here for collard greens storage tips and recipes!

Chard

Green Chard: Light green spines with small tender ribs and large paddle-shaped leaves.

Red Chard: Red spines and tender red ribs with dark green paddle-shaped leaves.

Rainbow Chard: Multicolored spines and ribs with dark green paddle-shaped leaves.

Click here for chard storage tips and recipes!

Arugula

Long, slender spines with quill-like leaves, usually packed in small bunches.

Click here for arugula storage tips and recipes!

We hope this guide will help you differentiate between the many greens that we get from our farm partners throughout the year.

Don’t forget – if you’re ever stumped, you can always snap a picture and send it to our leafy green experts at service@bostonorganics.com, and we’ll help you out!

Our Dogma Box includes produce sourced as close to Boston as possible throughout the year. Similar to a CSA, this box is filled with the best organic produce from local and regional farms.

This week’s Dogma Box includes the fresh flavors of garlic scapes, arugula, and radishes!

This week’s Dogma Box contains

• Kale – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Collard Greens – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Lettuce – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Arugula – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Tomatoes – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Garlic Scapes – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Bunched Radishes – Deep Root Organic Co-op (Johnson, VT)
• Chives – Happy Valley Organics (Whately, MA)
• Onions – Porter Farms (Elba, NY)

We hope you enjoy these bright local flavors and be sure to check back for more produce happenings.

Garlic scape season is here! We have Atlas Farm’s garlic scapes in boxes and available as add-ons this week. Also in boxes are lettuce, kale, and collards from Atlas, bell peppers, Vidalia onions, and even bunched radishes. The featured add-on of the week is Garlic Sauerkraut from Real Pickles. Check out the newsletter!

What do Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and YOU have in common? You all brought nature to life with your artistic touch!

Send us photos of your favorite pages from your completed coloring books, and we’ll put them up in our very special Coloring Book Facebook Gallery (BYO organic wine and cheese)! The beauty of this gallery is that you can view and share your coloring book creation with our 5,000+ fans, from the comfort of your home, without waiting in line or paying admission. You can even wear your sweatpants or jammies.

You can email your photos to marketing@bostonorganics.com, or post them to our Facebook wall, share with us on Twitter, or pin ‘em up on Pinterest.

We’re excited to see all the renditions of our farm-to-customer experience, from the classic to the funky.

This past Tuesday, June 11^th, we attended the MA Right to Know GMO labeling rally and public hearing at the State House in Boston. The hearing was held by the Joint Committee on Public Health on 21 different health related bills, 5 of which were on the labeling and safety of GMO’s.

The five GMO labeling bills cover a range of labeling issues and requirements. Many of the bills require that “clear and conspicuous” language be placed on the front and back of the product packaging. Specifically, the words “Genetically Engineered,” “Partially Produced with Genetic Engineering,” or “May be Partially Produced with Genetic Engineering” must be on packaging of GMO products.

Supporters from as far as Iowa, Connecticut, and Western Mass gathered on the State House steps Tuesday morning.  Advocates, business people, Frankencorns, mothers, parents, doctors, scientists, students, environmentalists, and farmers came together to show their support and fill the hearing with heartfelt testimonies. Their testimonies, each unique and important, all built up to one important message. The people of Massachusetts have the right to know what is in their food, and they have the right to make their own decisions based on that information. Click here to read the testimony submitted by Jeff Barry, Founder and President of Boston Organics.

The Massachusetts hearing comes at a very important time; both Connecticut and Maine passed GMO labeling bills this past week. Connecticut was the first state to pass such a bill into law, while Maine a few days later moved their bill through the House and Senate. These recent bills both carry clauses that halt them from implementation unless surrounding states adopt similar bills.  This puts added importance behind the 5 bills in question in Massachusetts and will hopefully be a call to action for lawmakers.

All in all, the feeling in the hearing room was positive towards GMO labeling. The committee officials listened with open minds, asked thoughtful follow-up questions, and seemed generally interested in the stories from the public before them.

Attending the public hearing was a powerful, interesting, and insightful experience into the makings of Massachusetts food law. It was great to see so many people come out and share their experiences with GMO’s and push for proper labeling and legislation.

Here are a few ways you can help motivate Capitol Hill:

• Sign the petition for the labeling of GMOs at MoveOn.org.

• Email your U.S. Senators and Representative in support of labeling.

Our Dogma Box includes produce sourced as close to Boston as possible throughout the year. Similar to a CSA, this box is filled with the best organic produce from local and regional farms.

This week’s Dogma Box includes the tasty flavors of asparagus, tomatoes, and fresh mint!

This week’s Dogma Box contains:

• Kale – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Collard Greens – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Lettuce – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Chard – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Tomatoes – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield, MA)
• Asparagus – Deep Root Organic Co-op (Johnson, VT)
• Mint – Happy Valley Organics (Whately, MA)
• Onions – Porter Farms (Elba, NY)

We hope you enjoy these great local flavors of spring and be sure to check back for more local produce happenings.

This week brings lots o’ local greens from Atlas Farm, plus fresh mint, zucchini, Vidalia onions, bunched beets, and more. Delicious plums, peaches, and pears are continuing to come in, while pluots are just on the horizon. Also in this week’s newsletter are details about the upcoming GMO labeling hearing in Massachusetts as well as our 4th of July delivery schedule. Check out the newsletter!

Congratulations to all of our Boston Organics customers who participated in the 1st Round of our Summer Rewards program! Throughout the month of May, each delivery you received and each referral you sent our way counted as entries towards our first round of prizes.

Using state of the art technology, our Marketing department (Amy L. and John) enlisted the help of a computer to randomly pick 3 winners for the first round!

The first round of Summer Rewards winners are…(drumroll please)…

Prize #1:   Chefs Collaborative Cookbook

And the winner is:  Aine J. of Winthrop!

Recently featured in Edible Boston, this beautiful cookbook is full of incredible seasonal and sustainable recipes from renowned chefs across the country. Learn more about this awesome book and the chefs behind it!

Congratulations to Aine!

•

Prize #2:   10-Jar Spice Gift Box from Soluna Garden Farm

And the winner is:  Susan T. of South Boston!

Susan is the lucky winner of 10 unique and flavorful spice blends from Soluna Garden Farm! These spice blends are made from 100% organic spices and hand-blended with love in Winchester.

Congratulations to Susan!

•

Prize #3:   Wusthof 8″ Chef’s Knife and Paring Knife Set

And the winner is:  Megumi S. of Jamaica Plain!

Wusthof has been regarded for their high quality knives for almost 200 years. Each knife is laser cut from a single piece of high–carbon stainless steel for a precise, razor–sharp edge. Perhaps the most frequently used kitchen cutlery, chef’s knives are perfect for slicing, chopping, dicing, and mincing large quantities of meat or produce. 

Congratulations to Megumi, who has been a customer of ours for several years now!

•

 Keep getting deliveries and referring your friends in June & July for a chance to win more prizes!

The Summer Rewards Program continues through June and July, so keep getting deliveries and referring your friends, and you’ll be entered to win the next round of awesome prizes.

In June, each delivery and referral count as an entry to win one of our 3 awesome June prizes:

• Breville 850-Watt Juicer
• $50 Gift Certificate for Veggie Planet or Veggie Galaxy
• Taza Chocolate Gift Box & Apron!

Click here for more information about our Summer Rewards.

Special thanks to Chefs Collaborative and Soluna Garden Farm for donating these amazing prizes!

Many folks wonder how vegetarians and vegans get enough protein in their diet, but there are plenty of plant-based sources of protein to choose from.
When you’re indulging in a variety of veggies from day to day, you’re most likely eating more protein than you realize.

Here’s a handy list of meat-free protein sources to keep you strong and healthy!

*All items are measured using 1 cup unless specified.

Veggies:

Vegetables are an overlooked source of protein!  Vegetables contain a decent amount of protein when consumed in larger quantities.

• Avocados – 10 g
• Broccoli -5 g
• Spinach  – 5 g
• Kale (2 cups cooked) – 5 g
• Peas (boiled) – 9 g
• Sweet Potatoes– 5 g

Legumes:

Along with grains, legumes might be the most well known vegetarian source of protein. These little guys pack a huge punch of protein per cup! Click here to see our selection of legumes on our website.

• Soybeans –  28 g
• Tofu –  22 g
• Tempeh – 30 g
• Lentils – 18 g
• Refried Beans – 15.5 g
• Garbanzo Beans – 14.5 g
• Pinto/Kidney/Black beans – 13-15 g
• Peanuts (1 oz) – 6.5 g

Nuts:

Nuts are a great source of protein and they’re easy to add to your favorite dishes! We love adding nuts to stir fries and salads. Click here to see our selection of nuts on our website.
*Protein per ounce

• Almonds – 4 g
• Cashews – 4.4 g
• Walnuts – 5 g
• Pistachios – 5.8 g
• Sesame Seeds – 6.5 g
• Nut Butters (2 tbsp) –  8 g

Grains:

Protein-heavy grains include ancient grains, sprouted grains, and multi-grains, amaranth, bulgur, brown rice, wheat germ, and oat bran. Click here to see our selection of grains on our website.

• Quinoa – 9 g
• Seitan, flavor wheat gluten – 52 g
• Oatmeal – 6 g
• Sprouted grain breads – 7-10 g

Non-dairy milks are also great sources of protein for our vegan friends and anyone who prefers non-dairy milk. Soy milk, almond milk, and milks made from nuts and grains all pack around 7-9 grams of protein per cup. Just make sure your soy milk is GMO-free!

On June 11th at the State House, the Joint Committee on Public Health has scheduled a hearing entitled “Food Safety, Nutrition and Labeling,” where three bills will be discussed related to the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods (“GMOs”).

At this public hearing, committees will hear testimonies regarding the proposed laws. Jeff Barry, the Founder and President of Boston Organics, has written a testimony that speaks to the importance of this issue, and we wanted to share these thoughts with you.

——

Hi,

My name is Jeffrey Barry. I am the founder and President of Boston Organics. As a resident of the Commonwealth and a small business owner that provides households and office breakrooms access to safe, healthy and certified organic produce, I support the proposed GMO food labeling bills, H.2093, H.2037, and H.1936.

Boston Organics delivers fresh organic produce and groceries to over 5,000 households and office breakrooms in the greater Boston area. I started Boston Organics in 2002 with the goal of delivering healthy and nutritious food that was not only safe for the families we serve but was also produced using practices both safe for the environment and for the farmers in the fields.

Since 2002, I have witnessed the growth, expansion and availability of certified organic fruit and vegetables both nationally, regionally and here in Massachusetts. It has been very exciting to see the associated expansion and growth of certified organic farmland and the consumers’ increased demand for food that is produced safely and sustainably.

However, at the same time, there has been a parallel trend of even faster adoption and wide-spread use of GMOs in our food system. Up to 90% of U.S. soybeans and corn are now genetically engineered and routinely found in human and animal foods with no labels.

The problem with this is that the FDA does not require safety testing to prove that GMO foods are safe for human or animal consumption or the environment.

USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC STANDARD PROHIBITS GMOs, BUT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH.
Fortunately, any foods that carry the USDA certified organic label must be GMO free.

However, given the rapid rise and pervasiveness of GMOs in North America, contamination of seeds, ingredients, and products is a real risk, even for certified organic products.

When you combine this real threat of contamination to organics with the lack of safety testing of GMOs, I feel, at a minimum, there needs to be more transparency for the consumer. That is one reason why I support mandatory labeling of foods that contain GMOs.

In addition to transparency, the labeling program and associated testing will provide protection to the National Organic Program and to a continued supply of non-GMO foods that are increasingly being produced by small businesses and farms in Massachusetts. Without GMO labeling, I fear that not only will organics be undermined, but our entire food system and nascent local food economy may be irreversibly impacted.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Barry
Founder and President of Boston Organics

——

If you’d like to get involved, there are a few things you can do!

1.  You can participate in the rally and public hearing on Tuesday, June 11th. Details can be found on the event’s Facebook page or at MArighttoknow.org.

2.  Sign the petition for the labeling of GMOs at MoveOn.org.

3.  Email your U.S. Senators and Representative in support of labeling.

If there are any events in your neighborhood, let us know and we’ll share with our community!