GrowNYC Builds 7 new gardens in 2015!

December 17, 2015
Posted in Community Gardens

GrowNYC's garden program had an eventul 2015, full of new gardens, rejuvenations of existing spaces, and several innovative garden projects that help make New York a greener city.

We built 7 new community gardens this year, giving the city 80,000 square feet of new open space.  These new gardens include:

Additionally, our garden program did major rejuvenation projects on 7 community gardens and 1 school gardens, totaling 72,000 square feet of existing green space that was transformed.  All of this work is done alongside great partners, including GreenThumb, 596 Acres, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Queens Land Trust, FDNY, and New York Botanical Garden's Bronx Green Up.  

Throughout 2015, GrowNYC built 12 new green infrastructure elements in gardens, including:

  • 10 new rainwater harvesting systems, in Crotona Park East (BX) East Harlem (MN), Governors Island, Greenpoint (BK), Mott Haven (BX), and Park Slope (BK).
  • 1 new bioswale, in East Harlem.
  • A new aquaponic shipping container at an urban farm in Far Rockaway.

GrowNYC completed our second year of programming at Governors Island Teaching Garden, an urban farm that provides free educational programming for public schools students and summer camp groups from March to November, as well as holds open hours for the general public on weekends during the general Governors Island open season.  

We made some great additions to our farm space in 2015, including a high tunnel greenhouse, a solar oven, a rain garden, and several rainwater harvesting systems.

This year's Governors Island Teaching Garden programming included:

  • Working with more than 2,500 kids from more than 60 school groups
  • Interacting with more than 5,000 visitors from the general public during weekend open hours.

This fall, GrowNYC helped build T5 Farm at JetBlue's Terminal 5 at JFK Airport.  The 24,000 square foot farm features more than 4,000 recycled milk crates growing blue potatoes - the same variety that TERRA gives away on JetBlue flights - as well as other herbs and vegetables.  T5 Farm was created in collaboration with GrowNYC Partners, a consultancy arm of GrowNYC that returns profits to the mission-based activities of GrowNYC - like the 7 new gardens we built this year.

We also continued our efforts to bring community gardening to affordable housing developments.  2015 marked our fourth year of working at Via Verde, where a 5,000 square foot rooftop garden is enjoyed by the building's residents.  GrowNYC also ran seasonal workshops about gardening, healthy eating, and much more.

In Long Island City, GrowNYC helped to design a 2,300 square foot rooftop farm on top of Queens' newest affordable housing complex, Hunter's Point South. The farm features 13 oversized raised beds and a beehive, and will also host a GrowNYC-run Fresh Food Box for building residents.

We'll be back working at T5 Farm, Via Verde, and Hunter's Point South in 2016, working to continue bringing innovative programming to each one.  We can't wait!

 

Have a More Sustainable Holiday

December 8, 2015

You've made a gift list and planned the menu, now here's your holiday recycling checklist:

  • Wrapping paper, gift boxes, cardboard and other paper packaging can go out with other paper recycling (remove tape, ribbons and other decorations). 
     
  • Eggnog cartons, wine bottles, olive containers, cookie tins and hard-to-open rigid plastic packaging are easy to recycle alongside the rest of your metal, glass, plastic and cartons
     
  • Block Styrofoam and foam peanut packaging are not recyclable, but alternative paper packaging can be included in your recycling pile.  Styrofoam peanuts can be reused, and cornstarch peanuts can be composted. 
     
  • For those so inclined, even corks can be recycled--find drop-sites here 

Visit our Holiday Tips page for post-holiday tree collections, electronics recycling events and community swap events. 

For more tips on keeping your holidays green and merry, visit the NYC ZeroWaste page.

Buy a Local Tree or Wreath at Greenmarkets Across the City

December 7, 2015
Posted in Greenmarket

Get your locally grown Christmas trees, wreaths, and boughs from a local farmer. A list of markets where you can stock up on holiday greens follows:

Christmas Trees
Manhattan:
Union Square SaturdaysKeith's Farm, Trumansburg Tree Farms, Van Houten Farms
Union Square Wednesdays: Keith's Farm, Trumansburg Tree Farms, Van Houten Farms
Union Square Tuesday 12/22 only: Trumansburg Tree Farms
Union Square MondaysVan Houten Farms
Union Square FridaysVan Houten Farms
Tucker Square Thursdays & SaturdaysPrimrose Hill Farm
Brooklyn:
Grand Army Plaza SaturdaysTrumansburg Tree Farms
Brooklyn Borough Hall SaturdaysHurds Family Farm
Fort Greene SaturdaysHurds Family Farm 
Queens
Jackson Heights SundaysPrimrose Hill Farm

Wreaths and Garland
Manhattan:
Union Square SaturdaysJames Durr Wholesale Florist, Fiori Di Fenice, Keith's Farm, Mountain Sweet Berry Farm, The River Garden, Stokes Farm, Trumansburg Tree Farms, Van Houten Farms
Union Square Wednesdays: Keith's Farm, Mountain Sweet Berry Farm, The River Garden, Trumansburg Tree Farms, Van Houten Farms
Union Square Fridays: Mountain Sweet Berry Farm, The River Garden, Van Houten Farms
Union Square Mondays: The River Garden, Van Houten Farms
Union Square Tuesday12/22 only: Trumansburg Tree Farms
Dag Hammarskjold WednesdaysRexcroft Farm
Tucker Square Thursdays & SaturdaysPrimrose Hill Farm, Stokes Farm
Brooklyn:
Brooklyn Borough Hall SaturdaysHurds Family Farm
Fort Greene SaturdaysHurds Family Farm, Rexcroft Farm 
Grand Army Plaza SaturdaysLebak Farms, Trumansburg Tree Farms
Cortelyou SundaysNewgate Farm
Queens: 
Jackson Heights SundaysPrimrose Hill Farm

Make sure to bring your tree to one of the city's mulch fest locations once the season is over. 

Greenmarket Holiday Gift Guide

December 1, 2015
Posted in Greenmarket | Tagged greenmarket, holiday, Gifts


Holiday gift shopping for the Greenmarket lover is made easy with this list of popular holiday gifts from Greenmarket producers. Please note, not all of these items are sold at every market location so check the producer line-up to see what products are available at your local Greenmarket.

NON-FOOD ITEMS
Greenmarket Merch: Tote Bags, Bread Bags, Reusable Produce bags, Baby bibs, Tea Towels, Bamboo Spatulas, Note Cards, Mugs, Recipe Cards at Union Square Greenmarket Merch Tent  
Greenmarket Tokens: Wooden tokens can be purchased in $5 increments at the information tent at any Greenmarket using a credit or debit card. Tokens can be used like money at most vendors.
The New Greenmarket Cookbook: Available for sale at Union Square Greenmarket and various other markets, as well as on www.grownyc.org/cookbook.
Soaps 
Sachets, salves, lip balms, lotions, and body oils
Yarn from Catskill Merino, 3-Corner Field Farm, B&Y Farm and Rosehaven Alpaca
Herbal Tinctures from Violet Hill Farm, Thy Herb Collective, Tweefontein Herb Farm 
Wreaths
Decorative Garlic Braids from Keith’s Farm
Poinsettias, Paper Whites, Orchids & Other potted plants
Succulent & Cactus plants

FOOD GIFTS

Jams and Preserves
Hard Cider
Honey 
Wine
Cookies, Pies and Baked Goods
Maple Syrup, Maple Cotton Candy & Maple Candies
The Bronx Hot Sauce Gift Box from GrowNYC
Chicken Liver Bourbon Pâté from Yellow Bell Farms 
Soppresetta from Flying Pigs Farm
Egg Nog from Ronnybrook Farm
Gluten Free Babka from Las Delicias
Spirits: Gin, Corn Whiskey, Vodka, Unaged Single Malt Whiskey from Orange County Distillery
Bison Jerky from Roaming Acres
Beer from From the Ground Brewery including Pale Ale, Stout and Red Ale
Bitters from Violet Hill Farm
Dried & Smoked Chiles from Eckerton Hill and Oak Grove Plantation 

 

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