Tour de Farms is a unique eco-tourist event that will promote local farms in the Hudson Valley on October 11, 2009 through a unique bicycle tour.

The bike tour will consist of several routes of varying length throughout southern Ulster County’s scenic farms and farm stands.  After the tour, a gathering at Phillies Bridge Farm will feature skill-sharing workshops led by farmers and community members. Topics will include gardening, cooking, and food storage techniques. Local caterers and restaurateurs will also be offering local food creations for purchase.
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New York CIty once boasted several wholesale farmers markets enabling local farmers to directly supply food stores with locally grown produce. In 2007, the New Fulton Fish Market Cooperative and the Bronx Terminal Market Growers, with assistance from the Governor of New York along with the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, established a new Wholesale Farmers Market in the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center in the Bronx. Now to be managed and developed by CENYC, this market will provide small retailers, food service professionals and the public with opportunities to buy fresh, healthy, local produce directly from the farmer at wholesale prices. Read the rest of this entry »

This week get to know Mya.  And if you like Scrabble, she would like to get to know you.

Who are you? Mya Walker

What do you do? Stay at home mama

Where do you live? Rutland One

Where did you grow up? California

How long have you been a member? This is my first year.

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I meant to post this last week, but I forgot. All is not lost though… the Solar Powered Film Festival is continuing for a couple more weeks with four more FREE outdoor screenings of environmental documentaries at Stuyvesant Cove Park. Check it out!

Th Sep 17 – A Sea Change
Fr Sep 18 – The Garden
Sa Sep 19 – Burning in the Sun
Fr Sep 25 - What’s On Your Plate?

Several food-related events are happening in September.

Let Us Eat Local

Just Food, New York City’s food justice and advocacy organization (and coordinator of CSAs in NYC among other things) has their annual fundraiser, Let Us Eat Local, tomorrow, September 16, at Prince George Hotel Ballroom. They will celebrate our honorees and recipients of the 2009 McKinley Hightower-Beyah Awards with twenty-five of the city’s best restaurants. Each tasting will be paired with a local brew in conjunction with NY Craft Beer Week!  Proceeds from the event will go toward furthering Just Food’s mission of creating a sustainable and just food system for all New York City residents. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. (Click the article to see more events) Read the rest of this entry »

On all four Sundays this September from 11am to 7pm, Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn will be closed off from Clinton Ave to Emerson Avenue.  This busy street will transform into an active, interactive, pedestrian-friendly public space perfect for walking, cycling, dancing, and people-watching.

Partnering up with with DOT’s Weekend Walks initiative to create Move About Myrtle, this event will bring together residents, merchants and visitors in celebration of community and public space. Read the rest of this entry »

This week, meet Bossa Nova lovin’ Gabby.

Who are you? GABBY MERILES

What do you do? MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR WWW.GILT.COM

Where do you live? FLATBUSH

Where did you grow up? QUEENS, NY

How long have you been a member? 3 YEARS

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New Amsterdam Market will inaugurate its first season of monthly, one-day markets on Sunday, September 13, 2009, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. The markets will take place on South Street, between Beekman Street and Peck Slip in Lower Manhattan, and will also convene at the same time and location on the following Sundays, October 25, November 22, and December 20, 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

I was psyched to get leeks.  I like potato leek soup, but I realize I never make it and don’t really cook with leeks.  Last year, I’m sure I braised or sauteed them.  This year, I am determined to do more.  So I did some research on the “poor man’s asparagus”.  Here’s what you should know.

-We are going to be the healthiest bunch of people ever.  Eating allium vegetables (leeks, onion, garlic) as little as two times a week is associated with a reduced risk of prostate and colon cancer.

-The ancient Romans and Greeks believed the leek had beneficial effects on the throat.  The Roman emperor Nero supposedly ate leeks every day for a strong voice.

-Leeks should be firm and straight with dark green leaves and white necks.    Look for a diameter of 1 1/2 inches or less.

-Unwashed untrimmed leeks can be stored in the fridge for one to two weeks.  Wrap them loosely in a plastic bag to help retain moisture.  

Some serving suggestions:

• Healthy sauté leeks and fennel. Garnish with fresh lemon juice and thyme.
• Add finely chopped leeks to salads.
• Make vichyssoise, a cold soup made from puréed cooked leeks and potatoes.
• Add leeks to broth and stews for extra flavoring.
• Braised leeks sprinkled with fennel or mustard seeds makes a wonderful side dish for fish, poultry or steak.
• Add sliced leeks to your favorite omelet or frittata recipe.

Enjoy!

This week, meet Anita.  She makes rain.

Who are you? Anita Mambo Cohn

What do you do? I hang out with my one-year-old son, Joaquin and chow/lab, Lionel. I’m a psychotherapist in private practice, three days a week.

Where do you live? Sterling St. between Rogers and Nostrand

Where did you grow up? Kenya, New York City and Western Pennsylvania

How long have you been a member? Since it began!

When you do your pickup where are you coming from? It varies but Joaquin and I usually are en route from the Botanic Gardens.

Where are you going to? Usually home to feed my hungry baby.

What are you never without at pickup ? My kid!

What time is it usually? 4:30-5:30

Who cooks your veggies/fruits? My husband and I do.

Who eats them? The adults do. Joaquin is currently going through a “no slimy veggies” phase right now but he loves fruit and will eat zukes, if grilled with olive oil.

What do you think you use the most? Tomatoes

What’s your favorite fruit or veggie score? Nectarines, collards

What’s the best part of the CSA? Farm fresh food with a community-oriented focus.

Is there a fun fact about you that you would like to share? My second middle name “Nyumvula” means “comes with the rain.” When my husband and I traveled to a small desert town in Northern India, we were told it hadn’t rained for four long years. My husband, Mischa joked that because I had arrived things might change. The very next day, it poured! Our host family expressed their sheer joy and gratitude by dancing with us, on their rooftop, in the rain.

If you were a fruit or veggie what would you be? Why? A nectarine- they are sweet, refreshing, colorful and so satisfying.