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August, 2013 Find us on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest
Special Edition: Harvest Market Goes to Costa Rica!
Like Charlie finding the golden ticket in his chocolate bar, Harvest Market Supplement Team Members Henry Long and Rick Martell were pleasantly surprised by being chosen for a unique and magical experience this past June. New Chapter Supplements provided Henry and Rick with an exclusive trip to Finca Luna Nueva, a biodynamic farm and eco-lodge in Costa Rica where New Chapter procures some of their turmeric and ginger. In this special email newsletter, Henry and Rick report back about their incredible experience in the tropics of Costa Rica. For more information on their trip, including two turmeric recipes, visit our Harvest Market Costa Rica Blog.
 We always strive to be the best in our field and we hope you agree. Please vote for Harvest Market Natural Foods in The News Journal's Reader's Choice Award contest by clicking here. You can vote every day until August 28. We appreciate your vote of confidence! |
| International Farm Profile |
Finca Luna Nueva Lodge
San Ramon, Costa Rica
Photos & Text by Henry Long
Deep in the rainforest of San Ramon, Costa Rica, thrives a breathtaking 207 acre biodynamic sustainable farm called Finca Luna Nueva Lodge. Originally beginning as a small organic ginger and turmeric farm, it has grown since 1993 to currently employing over 30 staff and interns. It now includes the cultivation of over 300 species of tropical medicinal plants and herbs; is a working food farm, feeding visitors as well as workers and staff; and with the addition of pigs and water buffalo, now incorporates livestock. Demeter certified, Luna Nueva accomplishes all this while supporting rainforest preservation as well as offering an Eco Lodge for scholarship, workshops and retreats.  | |
Trail sign for biodynamic garden.
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"When I first heard about biodynamic principles back in the early 70's, I thought the ideas where way out there," says Luna's chief executive farmer Steven Farrell. "I could understand organic farming, but it really took awhile before I could get my head around what 'biodynamic' was all about."
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Biodynamic bounty with Finca Luna Nueva's Chief Executive Farmer, Steve Farrell.
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Inspired directly from the lectures of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the 1920's, biodynamic farming, to the outsider, seems like an ancient fairytale, which combines science, mysticism and astrology. But it is real and palpable. It utilizes the influences of phases of the moon and movement of planets in relation to sowing, harvesting and over-all plant care. The holistic philosophy also engages the subtle energies of the world around us, specifically "non-physical beings" and elemental forces, and the interconnectedness with all life.
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Turmeric tongue!
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Having toured their farm and Sacred Seeds Sanctuary, (where I tasted over 60 various leaves, roots, shoots and berries, and enjoyed the most amazing golden turmeric right from the ground), I can personally testify that this particular synthesis of agriculture and spirituality works. And it works with a profound love and respect for Nature and its archetypal rhythms, patterns, and mysteries.
With a nod to Alan Moore's "Swamp Thing," Finca Luna Nueva is a place where The Green is alive and thriving, in magical harmony with The Red and The Rot. It may well be here where the future of our remarkable, beautiful planet is determined.
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Text by Rick Martell & Photos with Captions by Henry Long
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Part of the herb and food garden.
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Earlier this summer, Henry Long and I were granted the prosperous privilege of travel in order to visit New Chapter's Finca Luna Nueva herb farm, located in central Costa Rica. The purpose of this adventure was for New Chapter to demonstrate their longstanding adherence to unprecedented quality standards, an increasing consumer concern in light of their recent purchase by controversial conglomerate, Proctor & Gamble.
New Chapter, one of our industry's leading manufacturers of high-quality multi-vitamins, fell under considerable scrutiny early last year in light of the aforementioned acquisition. Health pundits and consumers alike found themselves polarized by the possibility that a once-trusted brand would be compromised by the business-minded bent of Proctor & Gamble, a company whose environmental track record is stinky at best. Predictably, New Chapter forecasted no major changes, claiming that the buy-out was an opportunity for them to grow, yielding a further expansion of the awareness fostered by their ethical commitments.
Although I cannot speak with any implied clairvoyance on the eventual outcome of P&G's role in New Chapter's development, the sponsored trip to Costa Rica was a reassuring revelation illustrating a well-groomed partnership between the company and one of its dedicated farms. Biodynamic in its arrangement, Finca Luna Nueva was thoroughly committed to upholding the ethics of New Chapter's high standards, with every consideration given to the maintenance of sustainability and the holistic philosophies that these practices encompass. It was made very clear during the visit that this farm was not an exception and that the techniques employed at their many other farms were on par with those witnessed at Finca Luna Nueva.
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"Queen of the Night". Zombie-fruit. Yikes!
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The significance of this trip was more than just personal. As a retail consultant who regularly recommends supplement products in his day-to-day doings, I always try to consider the impact of those recommendations on the consumer, the industry and the environment. Companies such as New Chapter (in addition to Oregon's Wild Harvest, Dr. Ohira's, et al.) have often received my endorsement over generic brands, due to my belief that these brands yield positive attributes that distinguish them over most of their competitors. There is a certain relief that accompanies having those beliefs reinforced by an experience that provides proof that the efforts of these companies might have lasting influence on both our immediate well-being and that of our environment.
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| Journal Excerpts from Henry |
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"Journal Excerpts from My Trip to Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, San Ramon, Costa Rica"
Text and Photos By Henry Long
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The rainforest, after the rain.
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Day 1.
An intense 12 hour journey to get here from the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica. Up and down arterial roads no wider than a driveway. Huge dramatic jagged green mountains. Coffee trees everywhere. Banana trees. Birds I've never seen before. Beautifully colored simple houses, some with ceramic roofs, some with tin, but all painted the same rusty red. Women walking out from the jungle edges carrying their babies in their arms. Meandering, brightly dressed school children. Men with other men talking around their old beat up trucks. No one is fat.
Stopped halfway to the lodge for the most amazing roadside tamales. A little while later, there was a traffic incident. By incident, I mean truckloads of Brahma bulls pulled over to one side, blocking what little of the road there was. Then around the bend came another truck pulling one lone raging Brahma bull by a rope around his massive neck. He was not happy. He was snorting and braking and doing very angry bull things. Somehow, I suppose, he had escaped from one of the big trucks of bulls. But they got him. Brave cowboys, I tell you. We eventually continued on our treacherous twists and turns, but I cannot say for certain what happened to the captured bull.
We arrived around 6pm. Rick got right out of the van and threw up.
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A typical lunch. Delicious.
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Our room ended up being the family suite bungalow. Separate bedrooms, enormous bathroom and lounging area. Our own private view of the green Costa Rican expansive. I have never seen so many shades of green! Our suite is a small walk to the ozonated river-water-fed swimming pool. And then there's the jacuzzi, which is nestled in its own private jungle across from the trees where the sloths like to hang out. I did not see any tonight, but they're around. There is a wonderful open air restaurant, where I had a delicious Rainforest Salad with everything in it grown right here at Luna Nueva. And tilapia with steamed vegetables also grown right here, and the incredible mashed potatoes that were deliciously spicy and yellow and had the consistency of buttery grits. Finished with a flan coated in local honey.
There is Brian, our New Chapter host. He is a California rich hippy. The other couple joining us here owns a health food store somewhere in Tennessee and won this trip with their wonderful display of New Chapter Wholemega. The other guest missed her flight and will be here tomorrow. Maybe.
It is absolutely amazing here. Beyond anything I could have expected.
I am missing my wife and daughter, and I think about how much Ava would love the pool, and Emma would love the lizard and giant moth who came by to say hello to me while I was eating, and the bats which flittered over my head while I swam, and the... what the hell was that... coming out of the dark mysterious dangerous jungle.
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Day 2...
Read all of Henry's Journal Excerpts and get two terrific turmeric recipes HERE! (Content may not be available until 8/3/13).
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The heat is here and what better time to enjoy the refreshing health benefits of a cold smoothie? Our own Green Smoothie Girl, Kim Lemberg, will be sampling some of her smoothie recipes on Saturday, August 10 from 11am-2pm and Monday, August 29 from 12-3pm. In the meantime, try this tropical smoothie by Kim:
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The Green Smoothie Girls' Book is available at Harvest Market.
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Tropical Turmeric and Ginger Green Smoothie
1 cup of spinach or kale
1 cup of almond or coconut milk
1 cup of fresh or frozen mango or pineapple chunks
1 fresh or frozen banana
1 tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric (I like to use fresh turmeric)
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ginger (I like to use fresh ginger)
A dash of sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender & enjoy!
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Harvest Market Sponsors "Year of Coverdale"
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 Presented in partnership with Harvest Market, the Delaware Nature Society is celebrating the "Year of Coverdale". Coverdale Farm is DNS' educational farm and home to their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). As a teaching farm, Coverdale offers visitor interaction with resident livestock by hand milking a cow, collecting eggs, feeding sheep and pigs. In addition to animal husbandry, the farm utilizes over an acre of organic vegetable gardens and a professional teaching kitchen.
 On August 28, Harvest Market will be providing Pennsylvania cheeses to pair with the bounty featured at Coverdale's Heirloom Tomato and Wine Tasting event. Enjoy a summer evening savoring the flavors of tomatoes like the deliciously sweet "Green Giant", the robust "Purple Calabash" and the floral "Garden Peach".
*As a Harvest Market customer, you benefit from our partnership with DNS by paying the DNS Membership rate when you mention Harvest Market at sign up!*
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Bugging out? 
Mosquitoes, ticks and other outdoor insect pests hate the smell of pungent essential oils such as citronella. The repellent will be more fragrant with the addition of geranium, which itself is a bug repellent. Another way to reduce the insect population outdoors is by burning a citronella candle, which you can make yourself by adding 20 drops of citronella oil to the wick of an unscented votive candle, then waiting 24 hours before using.
Natural Mosquito Repellents: Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Geranium, Pennyroyal.
 Make Your Own Bug Repellent
1/4 tsp citronella 1/4 tsp eucalyptus 1/8 tsp cedarwood 1/8 tsp geranium 2 ounces carrier oil or alcohol
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle. If you don't want to purchase all of the oils, use at least two of them and it should still be effective. This repellent will last one year and please be careful not to get it in your eyes!
Source: The Little Book of Aromatherapy by Kathi Keville. |
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