66 replies to this topic

[pax]

I am getting ready to move my animals to NY. I have a handful of castrated spring lambs who need to go away. I want to donate them to a charity. Does anyone know of a food-based charity who would be willing to pick the lambs up from a local USDA certified butcher? I can deliver them there.

My plan is to donate one to the DR Community-At-Large Charity of Choice. Pipe up and let me know your favourites! Whatever gets the most votes here wins.

-AND/OR-

I will donate it to the DR Community at Large for a group party (with lots of left over!) If you guys plan it, A DR Party Authority can pick up a lamb at Hemp's Meats in Knoxville, MD.

Speak up now 'cause the truck and trailer is leaving for NY with the ewes next week.

I want to thank you all for the enjoyment I've had using this board.

ETA: The lambs have been entirely pasture fed, with access to a conventional mineral/protein block. They have been conventionally de-wormed every 8 weeks, but not in the last 30 days. None have received innoculations or antibiotics.

I absolutely cannot sell these animals because I have no clue what the health regulations are and I don't want to have to find out.

[sparkycom]

I'm throwing my hat in the ring for DC Central Kitchen. We can pick them up from wherever! (full disclosure--I work for the catering division of DCCK and while my division won't be using the lambs, the division that feeds the homeless and provides food to others in need would certainly welcome the donation!) PM me and I will make this happen!

Quick edit--I would also be on board to share for a DR party-lamb-roast extravaganza! Not at my place in SE, but I would be willing to do fabrication, marination and cooking. (Calling Drs. Ferment Everything, Dan Cole, Zora and Ol_Ironstomach for any and all support they can give...hell, throw Sthitch in there and make it a real party!)

[synaesthesia]

I'm throwing my hat in the ring for DC Central Kitchen. We can pick them up from wherever! (full disclosure--I work for the catering division of DCCK and while my division won't be using the lambs, the division that feeds the homeless and provides food to others in need would certainly welcome the donation!) PM me and I will make this happen!

Quick edit--I would also be on board to share for a DR party-lamb-roast extravaganza! Not at my place in SE, but I would be willing to do fabrication, marination and cooking. (Calling Drs. Ferment Everything, Dan Cole, Zora and Ol_Ironstomach for any and all support they can give...hell, throw Sthitch in there and make it a real party!)

What if for the party we did it as a fundraiser of sorts. Charge admission, but doesn't have to be the unaffordable $100/person extravaganzas that tend to be par for the course for charity events. It might buy a lot more food quantity wise for a hunger charity.

[mame11]

What if for the party we did it as a fundraiser of sorts. Charge admission, but doesn't have to be the unaffordable $100/person extravaganzas that tend to be par for the course for charity events. It might buy a lot more food quantity wise for a hunger charity.

Great idea... we could treat the event like one of the picnics and everybody contribute money, and for those inclined bring side dishes.

I can't find them but there are statistics that talk about how much more efficient cash donations to food banks are than actual food... they can buy more with a dollar than we can.

[rislacoste]

Hello, my name is Ris Lacoste and I am on the board of DC Central Kitchen. We serve thousands of meals per day to the homeless and needy in DC. We have a culinary job training program, a catering company run by the graduates of the culinary program and a campus kitchen program that does similar work in many campuses all over the country. We would LOVE your lamb! How do we get it?

I am getting ready to move my animals to NY. I have a handful of castrated spring lambs who need to go away. I want to donate them to a charity. Does anyone know of a food-based charity who would be willing to pick the lambs up from a local USDA certified butcher? I can deliver them there.

My plan is to donate one to the DR Community-At-Large Charity of Choice. Pipe up and let me know your favourites! Whatever gets the most votes here wins.
-AND/OR-

I will donate it to the DR Community at Large for a group party (with lots of left over!) If you guys plan it, A DR Party Authority can pick up a lamb at Hemp's Meats in Knoxville, MD.

Speak up now 'cause the truck and trailer is leaving for NY with the ewes next week.
I want to thank you all for the enjoyment I've had using this board.

ETA: The lambs have been entirely pasture fed, with access to a conventional mineral/protein block. They have been conventionally de-wormed every 8 weeks, but not in the last 30 days. None have received innoculations or antibiotics.

I absolutely cannot sell these animals because I have no clue what the health regulations are and I don't want to have to find out.

[DonRocks]

Hello, my name is Ris Lacoste and I am on the board of DC Central Kitchen.

This is like saying, "Hello, my name is God and I am a member of the congregation."

Welcome Ris!

Two strong votes for DC Central Kitchen - I'll throw my hat in the ring for a ... hat trick.

[rislacoste]

Wow! Quel welcome! I should visit this site more often with a "how do you do" like that! Does wonders for a girl! Now, how about that lamb?????

[southdenverhoo]

can I just say, what a cool thing for pax to do? Cheers, pax!

[pax]

D.C Central Kitchen it is.

I will ring the butcher, which is Hemp's in Knoxville, just west of Frederick off of Rt 340. I will make an appt for the lambs with them, sometimes it can take a week or two to get them in. It then takes about a week for them to be ready to pick up. They will be frozen in pieces. If you have specific cuts you want, I need to know that before the appt.

I will have them ring me when the lamb is ready, because then I can deal with the butchering fee by credit card, and then I will ring one of you two to let you know it is time to go collect.

I think it's more humane to send two at a time. Can you handle two? You'd be shocked what a lamb dresses out as. I'd like the donation to be made in honour of the community at Don Rockwell.

If you could pm me names and phone numbers, please?

If you feel comfortable writing me a tax thingie for the cost of the butchering, (probably about $100, I can let you know when I know, which is generally at pick up) that would be nice. If you don't, doesn't matter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am happy to send a third lamb if you all want to have a party, but I do not want it to be a fund raising party, please. That puts too much on onus on Don, if you tried to do something all official.

[rislacoste]

D.C Central Kitchen it is.

I will ring the butcher, which is Hemp's in Knoxville, just west of Frederick off of Rt 340. I will make an appt for the lambs with them, sometimes it can take a week or two to get them in. It then takes about a week for them to be ready to pick up. They will be frozen in pieces. If you have specific cuts you want, I need to know that before the appt.

I will have them ring me when the lamb is ready, because then I can deal with the butchering fee by credit card, and then I will ring one of you two to let you know it is time to go collect.

I think it's more humane to send two at a time. Can you handle two? You'd be shocked what a lamb dresses out as. I'd like the donation to be made in honour of the community at Don Rockwell.

If you could pm me names and phone numbers, please?

If you feel comfortable writing me a tax thingie for the cost of the butchering, (probably about $100, I can let you know when I know, which is generally at pick up) that would be nice. If you don't, doesn't matter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am happy to send a third lamb if you all want to have a party, but I do not want it to be a fund raising party, please. That puts too much on onus on Don, if you tried to do something all official.

thanks, Pax. my name is ris lacoste. my e-mail is ris@rislacoste.com. my phone is 202-625-7698. i will get in touch with DCCK for the pick up. Just send me the info. my best to you!

[sparkycom]

thanks, Pax. my name is ris lacoste. my e-mail is ris@rislacoste.com. my phone is 202-625-7698. i will get in touch with DCCK for the pick up. Just send me the info. my best to you!

Hooray Pax, thanks so much for doing this! Ris, I can help--202-234-0707, x112; dmayberry@dccentralkitchen.org.

[rislacoste]

Hooray Pax, thanks so much for doing this! Ris, I can help--202-234-0707, x112; dmayberry@dccentralkitchen.org.

Yeah to pax is right. Debra, you are probably better connected to make the arrangements for pick up. I have already been in touch with Mike Curtin - you will know better how to proceed. I am available for anything you need, pax and you, too, Debra.

[rislacoste]

and, pax, we would be happy to take the third lamb. i would let don and southdenverhoo and others make the call as to its best use. thanks again. ris

[sparkycom]

Yeah to pax is right. Debra, you are probably better connected to make the arrangements for pick up. I have already been in touch with Mike Curtin - you will know better how to proceed. I am available for anything you need, pax and you, too, Debra.

Pax, I will be in touch with you tomorrow--thanks again!

[DanielK]

I've volunteered at DCCK doing evening prep work a couple of times, so I know there's always a need.

Maybe we could combine the lamb delivery with a DR.com volunteer night at DCCK?

[DonRocks]

I've volunteered at DCCK doing evening prep work a couple of times, so I know there's always a need.

Maybe we could combine the lamb delivery with a DR.com volunteer night at DCCK?

You know, there seems to be such a potential fit between this community and DC Central Kitchen that maybe we could do more than a single night. Perhaps one volunteer night to acquaint people (including me) with what's involved, and then hopefully there might be enough interest to sustain it?

Ris or Debra or Daniel, do you have any idea if there's a volunteer shortage? And if so, what type of work needs to be done, and how often?

I'd like the donation to be made in honour of the community at Don Rockwell.

And I'd like the volunteer night to be performed in honor of your generous donation. Perhaps you'll allow me to reveal your real identity, pax? Just let me know.

[sparkycom]

You know, there seems to be such a potential fit between this community and DC Central Kitchen that maybe we could do more than a single night. Perhaps one volunteer night to acquaint people (including me) with what's involved, and then hopefully there might be enough interest to sustain it?

Ris or Debra or Daniel, do you have any idea if there's a volunteer shortage? And if so, what type of work needs to be done, and how often?

I agree, there is a lot of potential. Give me a day to chat with some of our folks at DCCK and I will get back to you asap. Thanks for asking--I will be PM'ming you tomorrow to get this started.

[pax]

Oh, it's really no worries, I'd send you all six if I didn't have to worry about the butchering costs. I am really committed to doing the right things by my lambs, and that pretty much includes not killing animals for profit. (For me, only, not a judgement on any one else, ok?)

It's nice to good things for people, too. : )

Please don't do anything in honour of me. It isn't about me. Cheers. (All I am hoping for is not to get yelled at for double spacing or whatever it is. )

[pax]

Ris, I just had a thought. Does your culinary training program include butchering? 'Cause then I will just deliver ALL of them to you, wherever. Have Border Collie, will travel. I am not married to Hemps. Also, I just returned private messages with all my contact info to somebody. I have about thirteen phone numbers and three addresses, at this point, sorry. Moving is always such a muddle.

ETA
Er...I wonder, given your clout, if you'd get someone to butcher all of them for free, for the publicity for them and you? Then I could be shut of all six and you'd have an extra three sheep. I'm sorry, I really don't mean to be sheep..er, cheap about the butchering, but an extra couple of hundred bucks might make my husband look cross eyed at me, and I don't want that.

[sparkycom]

Ris, I just had a thought. Does your culinary training program include butchering? 'Cause then I will just deliver ALL of them to you, wherever. Have Border Collie, will travel. I am not married to Hemps. Also, I just returned private messages with all my contact info to somebody. I have about thirteen phone numbers and three addresses, at this point, sorry. Moving is always such a muddle.

ETA
Er...I wonder, given your clout, if you'd get someone to butcher all of them for free, for the publicity for them and you? Then I could be shut of all six and you'd have an extra three sheep. I'm sorry, I really don't mean to be sheep..er, cheap about the butchering, but an extra couple of hundred bucks might make my husband look cross eyed at me, and I don't want that.

Pax I'm heading into DCCK right now, and I have a meeting scheduled w/the CEO for this afternoon. We're on the move!

[goldenticket]

You know, there seems to be such a potential fit between this community and DC Central Kitchen that maybe we could do more than a single night.

As a recent new volunteer with DCCK (thanks legant!) I totally agree - this is a great organization and it is a volunteer activity where you can really feel like your efforts make a direct impact. The idea has been put out before, but there's been little interest. Maybe it will be different this time - I for one would be very happy to be part of a regular (monthly?) DR.com volunteer shift at DCCK.

Perhaps one volunteer night to acquaint people (including me) with what's involved, and then hopefully there might be enough interest to sustain it?

Let's do it

[cleveland park]

I would love to volunteer whenever. How does one go about that?

[rislacoste]

I would love to volunteer whenever. How does one go about that?

to all who are intreested in volunteering at dc central kitchen, here is the scoop: we have been working with local farmers and, as a result, receive tons of produce, some of which we buy from of the farmers and some is free. there are three co-op shifts - Monday, Thursday and Friday from 5-8pm. you can sign up individually or as a group. you may spend all evening peeling carrots but it is a joyous and very rewarding experience. I am there myself every Thursday evening. Chef Whitt Masters directs all and the employees of the kitchen are by your side helping out. sign up at www.dccentralkitchen.org/volunteer. I always feel better when I leave than when I arrived. Hope you do, too. see you there!

[Al Dente]

I'm in for some volunteer work. Perhaps someone could give everyone an idea of what the typical shift entails.

[pax]

It occurs to me there is potential profit to be made in selling tickets to the rodeo that will be me and my 6 yo getting them on the trailer.

[goldenticket]

I'm in for some volunteer work. Perhaps someone could give everyone an idea of what the typical shift entails.

I've only been once (so far) and it was for a weekend morning meal production. I peeled and chopped potatoes and onion (LOTS of them!) and prepared ham and cheese sandwiches. Other volunteers did a variety of other things (maybe someone else can chime in with a few more details). The shift was from 9am-12 noon on a Sunday, the staff were great to work with, as were the other volunteers, and the time flew by.

From the website description of the evening shifts, they are focused on preparing fresh produce for the next day's meals.

There is also a Crop Gleaning volunteer activity, which I think we would be a fun outing (at least once). It requires a minimum of 4 people and transportation to a site in MD or VA and involves picking crops for an hour or two and loading them in DCCK trucks.

[Al Dente]

From the website description of the evening shifts, they are focused on preparing fresh produce for the next day's meals.

We have an entire thread on learning knife skills. Here's an opportunity to improve your chops (sorry) and for a good cause to boot!

[Walrus]

to all who are intreested in volunteering at dc central kitchen, here is the scoop: we have been working with local farmers and, as a result, receive tons of produce, some of which we buy from of the farmers and some is free. there are three co-op shifts - Monday, Thursday and Friday from 5-8pm. you can sign up individually or as a group. you may spend all evening peeling carrots but it is a joyous and very rewarding experience. I am there myself every Thursday evening. Chef Whitt Masters directs all and the employees of the kitchen are by your side helping out. sign up at www.dccentralkitchen.org/volunteer. I always feel better when I leave than when I arrived. Hope you do, too. see you there!

I think both Tripewriter and I would be interested in joining a DR.com group one night peeling carrots

[pax]

Oh you guys, thanks so much for making this so much fun for me. I really am happy to see you all join in. Maybe I can drive back down for the volunteer night...ANONYMOUSLY, ok? I will bring my knife and maybe learn something. Oh joy!!!

[DanielK]

I've done the 5p-8p shift a couple of times now. First of all, Whitt is a gem. Really helpful and really patient to work with.

No need to bring your own knife - they have more than enough SHARP chefs knives of various sizes to work with. And aprons and hair nets.

Wear comfortable shoes, clothes you don't mind getting food on, and be prepared to chop. Both times I spent 3 hours washing, trimming, and chopping various vegetables. Simple, mindless, and when you go with friends, great fun! And, as Ris points out, you really feel amazing when you leave.

I think picking a Thursday a few weeks out, signing up a group, and grabbing dinner/drinks afterwards would be an awesome idea.

[rislacoste]

I am getting ready to move my animals to NY. I have a handful of castrated spring lambs who need to go away. I want to donate them to a charity. Does anyone know of a food-based charity who would be willing to pick the lambs up from a local USDA certified butcher? I can deliver them there.

My plan is to donate one to the DR Community-At-Large Charity of Choice. Pipe up and let me know your favourites! Whatever gets the most votes here wins.

-AND/OR-

I will donate it to the DR Community at Large for a group party (with lots of left over!) If you guys plan it, A DR Party Authority can pick up a lamb at Hemp's Meats in Knoxville, MD.

Speak up now 'cause the truck and trailer is leaving for NY with the ewes next week.

I want to thank you all for the enjoyment I've had using this board.

ETA: The lambs have been entirely pasture fed, with access to a conventional mineral/protein block. They have been conventionally de-wormed every 8 weeks, but not in the last 30 days. None have received innoculations or antibiotics.

I absolutely cannot sell these animals because I have no clue what the health regulations are and I don't want to have to find out.

i think volunteering as a dr.com group is absolutely fabulous and dinner afterward will be great!

[Merry Mary]

i think volunteering as a dr.com group is absolutely fabulous and dinner afterward will be great!

Count me in for Thurs pm volunteering and dinner.

[DanielK]

The next Thursday "Co-Op Produce Prep" 5p-8p shift that has more than a couple of spaces available is September 18th. 25 of the 30 slots are currently open.

Do we have enough interest to go hold 15-20 slots for our group?

[squidsdc]

The next Thursday "Co-Op Produce Prep" 5p-8p shift that has more than a couple of spaces available is September 18th. 25 of the 30 slots are currently open.

Do we have enough interest to go hold 15-20 slots for our group?

I'd love to help out...count me in.

[sparkycom]

I'm so thrilled with the response for volunteering--give me one more day to pull something together, you have my word! Watch this space....

[pax]

I just got your pm, I'll go ahead and ring Hemp's tomorrow and book all six in. Sorry to be be a bit short, it's been a very long day. Thank you for your help with this. I really wanted a food charity, most of my donations go to women's shelters, and there's only so much lamb a women's shelter can use at any given time. Anyway, this was perfect and I thank you. I'll ring you when I've spoken to Hemp's in the morning. Cheers!

[sparkycom]

I just got your pm, I'll go ahead and ring Hemp's tomorrow and book all six in. Sorry to be be a bit short, it's been a very long day. Thank you for your help with this. I really wanted a food charity, most of my donations go to women's shelters, and there's only so much lamb a women's shelter can use at any given time. Anyway, this was perfect and I thank you. I'll ring you when I've spoken to Hemp's in the morning. Cheers!

Yessss, thank you! You have my cell#, call me anytime. We are ready when you/they are, refrigerated trucks are standing by....

[goodeats]

The next Thursday "Co-Op Produce Prep" 5p-8p shift that has more than a couple of spaces available is September 18th. 25 of the 30 slots are currently open.

I would love to volunteer!

[susanmab]

yeah, you can count me in for a shift as well.

EDIT: okay, that's me +1.

Should we sign up on the site directly, or will we coordinate here?

[porcupine]

The next Thursday "Co-Op Produce Prep" 5p-8p shift that has more than a couple of spaces available is September 18th. 25 of the 30 slots are currently open.

I'm in.

[brettashley01]

I'd be in if I could arrive post 5...

[DanielK]

I'd be in if I could arrive post 5...

Debra will have to weigh in on that - there is some orientation that has to be done before you start, and when my company sent 15 people over for one session, they stressed a number of times about getting there on time so the staff didn't have to go through orientation 15 times.

[DonRocks]

Debra will have to weigh in on that - there is some orientation that has to be done before you start, and when my company sent 15 people over for one session, they stressed a number of times about getting there on time so the staff didn't have to go through orientation 15 times.

Mike Curtin (CEO of DC Central Kitchen) just registered. Welcome Mike - maybe you can chime in with some thoughts and guidance?

[SeanMike]

I haven't done any charity work in a while - so I'd like to jump in, too, if there's still space.

[Mike Curtin]

Mike Curtin (CEO of DC Central Kitchen) just registered. Welcome Mike - maybe you can chime in with some thoughts and guidance?

Thank you all for being so willing to be part of what we do. As someone said earlier, we do try to get everyone here as close to 5 as possible, but there have been, and I imagine always will be, straglers. One of the issues, and please don't let this distress or deter anyone, is security. As we only don't control the kitchen portion of the building and there are many people coming and going, we like to keep the doors locked after the evening volunteers arrive. But if we're good at nothing else, we are good at adjusting; so if we can put a group together, we can figure it out.

This evening shift is something that is pretty special to us as it represents a whole new way to accomplish one of our goals which is to make the most effective use of existing resources. In addition to what we are getting from the gleening network, we are buying seconds or unclassified produce from local farmers using a fair trade model. This allows us to help sustain local agriculture by purchasing food that would otherwise probably rot in the fileds or orchards, engage more community volunteers, put better, healthier product into the community and hire more graduates from our culinary job training program to staff these shifts, all while we reduce the amount of money we spend to supplement what we can't get donated.

Our next step is to start producing products using what we buy via the coop to sell off to producers, grocery stores, fellow nonprofits and sell ourselves at farmers' markets. In describing our programs, many people use the Chinese proverb, "give a man a fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime." That's worked pretty well so far, but it hasn't worked well enough. What we wnat to do now, is create a whole new way to fish.

If we can get a number of folks we think can attend, I'll have our Voluneer Manager block out that number of slots and we'll go from there.

Again, thank you so much for your support and your desire to help us feed the soul of the City -- Mike

[goldenticket]

Here's the list of 13 18 folks (so far) that have said they're interested in volunteering:

DanielK
DonRocks
goldenticket
cleveland park
Al Dente
Tripewriter
Walrus
Merry Mary
squidsdc
goodeats
porcupine
brettashley01
SeanMike
mdt
susanmab +1
ol_ironstomach
NCPinDC

If I missed anyone, please post or PM and I'll update the list.

September 18 has been put out there as a potential date. We'll see what sparkycom comes back with for us

As I said above, I think it would be great if this could become a regular thing, monthly perhaps. If week nights are tough, there is always the possibility of a weekend morning.

[mdt]

You can add me to the list.

[sparkycom]

Goldenticket, I just sent you the info for our volunteer coordinator. I spoke with her earlier today about getting a block set aside for that date. I just sent her another email, so I should know by tomorrow morning, if not sooner, about the 18th. Thank you, thank you all for doing this! I look forward to seeing you in the kitchen!

[sparkycom]

Goldenticket, I just sent you the info for our volunteer coordinator. I spoke with her earlier today about getting a block set aside for that date. I just sent her another email, so I should know by tomorrow morning, if not sooner, about the 18th. Thank you, thank you all for doing this! I look forward to seeing you in the kitchen!

Just got an email from Carolyn, there are 25 slots available. Goldenticket, Carolyn is ready to hear from you!

[DonRocks]

I look forward to seeing you in the kitchen!

I don't know how to chop a carrot.