On this day 50 years ago, 20 million people across the country joined together to fight for a better future for our environment in what became the first Earth Day. The Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC), now GrowNYC, was born out of the spirit of that day in 1970. 

CENYC was initially a policy-based organization, writing comprehensive reports about quality of life issues like air pollution, traffic, and noise. Our city has changed a lot since then and so have we. As the largest and most established environmental organization in NYC, we are proud to have played a pivotal role in helping New York City transform over the past five decades. 

Now, 3 million New Yorkers each year participate in our programs. We envision a New York in which every New Yorker can flourish. Every garden. Every school. Every street. Every neighborhood. Every borough. 

As we all do our part to stay home and stop the spread of the coronavirus, there are still many ways you can have a positive impact on the environment: 

• Support your local food system, either by buying from small farms at your closest Greenmarket or Farmstand or through direct delivery options; 

• Reduce waste at home by growing food from scraps or making something by reusing materials around the house; 

• Try your hand at home composting; 

• Become a master recycler; 

• Plant green spaces; 

• Donate to GrowNYC! 

We believe collective actions make a difference. Together we can create a city and a planet that are sustainable and resilient for generations to come. 

Happy Earth Day!

Out of an abundance of caution due to the current situation with COVID-19, GrowNYC has decided not to hold our Fresh Connect Fresh Food Box Training as an in person event on Tuesday, 3/24.  We are currently working to evaluate whether we will be able to hold an online training on Tuesday 3/24, or whether we will reschedule the training completely.  We will notify you as soon as possible about our updated plan for the training.  If you would be interested in attending an online training, you may wish to hold that time on your calendar from 1:30pm – 5pm on Tuesday 3/24 for now.

GrowNYC is happy to announce our Spring 2020 Fresh Food Box Training.  This free training is for nonprofit organizations interested in operating their own Fresh Food Box wholesale buying club for fresh, high-quality, local foods at below-retail prices. Customers pre-order bags one week in advance on the designated distribution day, and the next week pick up their Fresh Food Box share. Each share contains 6-10 seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as information on how to store and prepare the produce they’ve received.

This training will cover:

• How to source farm-fresh foods in wholesale volumes via GrowNYC Wholesale, GrowNYC's local food distribution program
• GrowNYC's Fresh Food Box best practices that can be adapted to meet the needs of your community
• Resources including manuals, order guides, and recordkeeping documents to help you operate a successful Food Box site

In order to operate a Fresh Food Box, organizations need the following capacity:

• 6-10 staff hours per week (for distribution, program administration, promotion, and bookkeeping)
• Accessible distribution location with good foot traffic
• Storage space for equipment (folding tables, tents, etc.)
• Some organizations may be eligible for $10,000 in funding from the New York State Department of Ag and Markets to support the operation of your Fresh Food Box site. For more information, click here.

If your organization or community group meets the above capacity guidelines and wishes to operate your own food box, please join us!  Please kindly fill out the google form.

Dear Community,

An employee of GrowNYC's FARMroots program recently received a demeaning, racist, and hurtful note in response to a newsletter acknowledging the important contributions made by Latinx individuals to US agriculture. I write today to firmly denounce this behavior, and unequivocally state that it has absolutely no place in our community.

As an organization that brings New Yorkers together across all of our programs, from Swaps to community gardens and our Greenmarkets, GrowNYC is appalled by the current level of comfort individuals have expressing hate speech. Moreover, we have the responsibility of ensuring our employees’ dignity, safety, and rights.

Accordingly, any member of our community who harbors racist or hateful beliefs like these should consider themselves unwelcome.

COMPLETE COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

There’s so much work for us to accomplish together in this incredible city of ours. Here’s to doing just that.

Marcel Van Ooyen
President & CEO
GrowNYC

For nearly 50 years, GrowNYC has been scaling individual actions to create a massive collective impact on the environment through our food access, environmental education, zero waste, and open green space programs. Serving over 3 million New Yorkers every year, our mark on the city covers every borough including Governors Island, half the city's public schools, and into NYC's greater agricultural region.

GrowNYC is HERE for the long run.

And we are dreaming bigger than ever, digging our heels into the ground in the face of global climate change and determined to amplify a movement powered by people.

Help us take your investment in your community to the next level. Make a gift before January 1 to participate.

Join us for GrowNYC Eco Hour: Back to the Farm on Monday, September 11 at Project Farmhouse for drinks, local snacks, a live DJ and green conversation.⁠
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We'll be digging into what's lighting a fire under a new generation of farmers. Featuring Yemi Amu of Oko Farms, Jacob Okam of The Campaign Against Hunger, Jason Slibeck of Sly Fox Farm, and GrowNYC's own Chris Wayne and John Johnson. Music will be courtesy of Caroline Shadood.⁠
⁠
Tickets available now at: https://ecohour_farm.eventbrite.com. Your first 2 drinks are included with admission. Bring friends, make friends, and join the conversation!

When: Monday, September 11 6pm-10pm

Where: Project Farmhouse, 76 East 13th Street, New York, NY 10003

GrowNYC Seasonal Jobs
Thank you for signing up for GrowNYC's Seasonal Job Fair. As a follow-up we want to make sure you have all the information you need to apply for a job with GrowNYC, our farmers, and/or our partners.

GrowNYC Job Opportunities
All GrowNYC job opportunities get posted here and more will be added in the coming months.

Greenmarket Farmers
Greenmarket farmers hire for their individual farm stands and on their farms. Listings are here and there's also a Facebook page.

GrowNYC Partners Seasonal Jobs
NYC Department of Health
The NYC Department of Health is hiring part-time Nutrition Educators, Culinary Educators, and Bilingual Educators (Spanish, Bengali, and Chinese speakers) to provide Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables Stellar Farmers Markets (JSY SFM) nutrition education and food workshops at farmers markets serving low-income New Yorkers. The goal of JSY SFM is to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables by building knowledge and skills about healthy eating.
Stellar Farmers Markets Nutrition Educators
Stellar Farmers Markets Culinary Educators
Stellar Farmers Markets Bilingual Educators (Bengali, Mandarin/Cantonese, Spanish)
To receive more information, please email Margaret at mdunncarver@health.nyc.gov.

Wearable Collections
Wearable Collections is a NYC based company focused on keeping clothing, textiles and shoes out of landfills since 2004. We are seeking applicants who are self motivated,
team oriented, courteous and friendly to join our team. We are looking for individuals who enjoy being outside, have an attention to detail and are dedicated to customer
service.
Job listings are here. ​Please apply to info@wearablecollections.com with your resume/experience and specify which position(s) you are interested in. Must provide a brief description of why
you want to join the Wearable Collections team.

Please join GrowNYC for the Whole Foods 5% Day Community Giving Program on Thursday, April 18. 5% of all sale proceeds made at Whole Foods Market locations in Manhattan will go to GrowNYC – supporting neighborhood Youthmarkets, food access programs, community gardens, recycling and environmental education for youth. GrowNYC staff will be present at select Whole Foods Market locations sharing information. Save the date and spread the word!

Every day, GrowNYC employees see first-hand the impact they have on the environment and the lives of New Yorkers in all five boroughs. We’re a non-profit organization founded over 40 years ago, and we operate farmers markets, Youthmarkets, food scrap collection locations, Fresh Food Box distribution points, and more.

We hire many seasonal staff starting in the early spring.

If you are interested in working for this dynamic organization to provide fresh food for all and reduce New York City's carbon footprint, come to our job fair and meet our team!

At the GrowNYC Seasonal Job Fair, you will meet staff from each of our programs, hear more about seasonal jobs available at GrowNYC, and get a chance to ask questions about working with GrowNYC.

You bring your resume, and we’ll provide the snacks. And raffle prizes!

GrowNYC Seasonal Job Fair
Monday, March 11
Project Farmhouse, 76 East 13th Street (at 4th Avenue), MHTN
5:30-7:30pm
FREE event, please register here.

Job Requirements:

• We are looking for early-risers who can work outside in various weather conditions and lift heavy equipment.
• Age 18+
• Available May - November, including weekend days

Additional Skills Valued (but not required):

• Proficient in languages other than English
• Valid New York State Drivers license, and an interest in driving in NYC

GrowNYC positions (seasonal and otherwise) and Greenmarket farm and farm stand job opportunities are posted here: 
GrowNYC job opportunities and Greenmarket farm and farm stand job opportunities.

GrowNYC is proud to participate in the second annual Rye Week, a celebration of rye as an agricultural product in New York State, which will take place from October 15 – 21.

October 19^th will be Rye Day at the Union Square Greenmarket. Johanna Kindvall, author of Smorgasbord: The Art of Swedish Breads and Savory Treats, will be at market signing books and demonstrating how to prepare flat breads with rye flour. Also in attendance will be Strong Rope Brewery, Breuckelen Distilling, Hillrock Estate Distillery, and the GrowNYC Grainstand. 

The Union Square Greenmarket will also host a number of Empire Rye producers on October 17 and October 20. Three years ago, six prominent New York State distilleries came up with the concept for Empire Rye, a whiskey style for the Empire State. Similar to the way Kentucky has a style of bourbon with strict standards, each Empire Rye distiller must adhere to the same specifications in producing their rye. 

“Not only does New York State’s craft beverage program create jobs, boost local economies, and financially benefit local grain farmers,” says GrowNYC President and CEO Marcel Van Ooyen, “it’s also great for the environment. Small grains are good for the soil when used in rotation with other crops. As the demand for grains like rye increases, so does the health of the soil on New York farms.”

We are so thrilled for GrowNYCers Jessica Douglas, Rishma Lucknauth, and Jerome Nathaniel, who were recently named “rising stars” in New York City Food Policy by Hunter College. The list recognizes individuals “who are working to transform the food system.” Here’s a snippet from their profiles:

Jessica: “My real education in food policy began 11 years ago when I began working for Greenmarket as a Market Manager. I now oversee logistics and operations for all 51 Greenmarkets throughout the five boroughs.”

Rishma: “I’ve always wanted to be a fisherman, but my seasickness wouldn’t allow that dream to manifest. Instead, I support our local fishermen (and women) who brave the high seas to bring fresh seafood to Greenmarket every week—they’re better at it than I could ever be.”

Jerome: “I … gained professional experience in the food justice world when I worked for Foodlink in Rochester as their SNAP Outreach Coordinator. It was during those three years that my passion for food justice was solidified.”

Jessica, Rishma, and Jerome will be honored at an event taking place on June 7th, 2018.

Click here to read the full interviews, and check out the other honorees working to make NYC a healthier and more sustainable place!