Variety Showcase at GrowNYC's Project Farmhouse

July 26, 2018
Posted in Greenmarket


Monday, September 24, 2018 in at GrowNYC's Project Farmhouse. 

This year the Culinary Breeding Network is partnering with GrowNYC to bring the VARIETY SHOWCASE to Project Farmhouse in New York City. This event is an interactive mixer designed to build community between plant breeders, organic farmers and eaters where attendees have the unique experience to taste new and in-development vegetable, fruit & grain cultivars with the breeders that created them, share opinions, talk about needs & preferences and learn about the importance of organic plant breeding.

The event includes a series of tables featuring plant breeders with examples of their breeding work. The tables provide attendees with a tangible example of the bio-diversity being created with organic production and flavor in mind. Each breeder is paired with a chef that creates a dish that highlights the breeding project and samples are tasted by attendees.

The ticketed, indoor Variety Showcase NYC will be held at two times - DAYTIME (12:00 - 3:00 pm) and EVENING (5:00 - 8:00 pm). Please note there are different breeders and chefs at each time. There will also be interactive tables at a free, public outdoor space 2 blocks away at the Union Square Greenmarket from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm. 

Tickets are $100 and available HERE. {Make sure to choose your desired time from the drop down menu.}
Sponsorship opportunities are available, view our Sponsorship Deck or contact Liz Carollo at lcarollo@grownyc.org with inquiries. 

Participating Breeders, Seed Growers, Farmers
A Field's Edge Research Farm
Campo Rosso Farm
Cornell University
Experimental Farm Network
Glynwood
GrowNYC's Greenmarket Regional Grains Project
Harris Seeds
High Mowing Organic Seeds
Hudson Valley Seed Company
Indigenous Seed Keeper Network
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Kitchen Garden Farm
Oregon State University
Organic Seed Alliance
PanAmerican Seed
Seed to Kitchen Collaborative
Sylvester Manor Educational Farm
The Bread Lab
Truelove Seeds
Uprising Seeds
Washington State University

Participating Chefs
Alex Raij, Txikito, El Quinto Pino, and La Vara
Ann Nunziata, Natural Gourmet Institute
Anya Peters, Kit an’ Kin
Arielle Johnson, MIT Media Lab
Ashley DuVal & Selena Ahmed, Shoots & Roots Bitters
Colin Wood, Flora Bar
Joel Viehland, Swyft
Jonny Hunter, Underground Food Collective
Luis Herrera, Brunch Gozón/Venezuelan Pantone
Mary Arquette, Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment
Mary Cleaver, The Cleaver Co
Matt Weingarten, Dig Inn
Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern
Monique Hamilton, The Cleaver Co
Negro Piattoni, Metta
Nicholas Tamburo, Momofuku Nishi
Patti Jackson, Delaware & Hudson
Peter Hoffman
Sonja Joy Key
Stephan Ilnycyj, Restaurant Norman
Suzanne Cupps, Untitled
Timothy Wastell, Antica Terra
Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit

 

Farmers Market Week Photo Contest

July 26, 2018
Posted in Greenmarket

Farmers Markets are very photogenic.

To properly celebrate National Farmers Market Week (August 5-11), grab your metro card, hit a market you've never visited (we have 50 Greenmarkets and 15 Youthmarkets!) and take some photos.

We invite photographers (professional, amateur, or student) to get out there, snaps some photos, and send us the image that best celebrates GrowNYC Greenmarkets and Youthmarkets. MAJOR bonus points if it is not a photo of the Union Square Greenmarket - we have plenty of images of our flagship market and want to see some beauty shots of our other markets.

Our team of judges will select the top 25 entries for a roving photography show at various markets throughout the city, and one grand prize-winning photograph will receive a gift certificate for Greenmarket-centric restaurant, Loring Place

Please email your high resolution photos, along with a short description of your experience visitng a new market, to photo@grownyc.org by Thursday, August 30th.

Good luck!

Photo Credit: June Russell, W 97th Street Greenmarket

Update: SNAP/EBT at Greenmarkets

July 16, 2018
Posted in Greenmarket | Tagged SNAP, ebt

August 2, 2018

Governor Cuomo Assures There Will Be No Interruption in Service for SNAP Recipients at GrowNYC Greenmarkets This Season

Thanks to the continued leadership of Governor Cuomo, New York State has created a plan to ensure that customers across the United States using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at farmers markets can continue to do so, thus protecting the viability of farm businesses in New York and throughout the country.

For the past month, the capacity to accept SNAP/EBT at many farmers markets was in jeopardy. Without Governor Cuomo’s support, the company that operated the app used by Greenmarket and 1700 other farmers markets across the country, Novo Dia Group, would have gone out of business on July 31st. Now, Novo Dia’s app, Mobile Market Plus, will remain in operation at least through February 2019.

GrowNYC is dedicated to ensuring that all New Yorkers can choose to participate in a regional food system, support local farmers, and have access to healthy, local food. We thank Governor Cuomo for his continued leadership in championing upstate growers and connecting them to New York City farmers markets.

"Governor Cuomo’s tenure has been marked by a steadfast dedication to safeguarding the viability of our state’s farms, whether through supporting the New York State Greenmarket Regional Food Hub or promoting and expanding the production of New York State craft beverages. This extension until February will allow enough time to find a permanent solution to processing SNAP at farmers markets; we are deeply grateful for Governor Cuomo’s help,” said Marcel Van Ooyen, CEO and President of GrowNYC.

In 2017, GrowNYC processed $1.1 million in sales for farmers through SNAP/EBT cards, and we provide an additional $400k in Health Bucks to SNAP customers to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables, all of which goes directly into farmers’ pockets, helping to keep their farm businesses viable and bolstering rural economies in New York.  Throughout the uncertainty of the past month, we’ve been heartened by the effluence of friendship and support from many, many organizations across the state and the country.

Update as of Thursday, 7/19: 
The National Association of Farmers Market Nutrition Programs is providing funding to keep Novo Dia Group operating for an additional 30 days. While we are thankful for this immediate short term solution, there remains a need for a permanent fix to this issue. Please continue to contact your represenatives and ask for their support of SNAP acceptance in farmers markets. 

Read the full press release here

Original Post: 
Recently, there have been stories in the press about farmers markets losing the ability to accept SNAP. GrowNYC was notified earlier this month that Novo Dia Group, the company that operates the app that Greenmarket uses to process SNAP at market, is going out of business as of July 31. This impacts farmers markets all over the country. 

GrowNYC’s priority is to continue to accept SNAP at every one of our locations without any break in service. We are dedicated to providing a marketplace accessible to all.

Partners in New York State, New York City, and across the country are working to come up with short and long term solutions. Additional updates will be shared on this blog post as they develop.

In the meantime, please contact your Congressional representative to ask them to sign on to the letter being led in the House by Congressman Jim McGovern. The letter expresses concern over the impact of NDG's shutdown and will be sent to USDA FNS. (NYS senators Schumer and Gillibrand have already signed onto the Senate’s letter.)

Slow Food Nations Unite

July 3, 2018

Greenmarket Director Michael Hurwitz is headed out to Denver to speak at Slow Food Nations, "a festival of flavor, culture and exploration."

Michael will talk about innovation – particularly how Greenmarket provides a favorable marketplace for producers to innovate and test out new ideas. The success of the Greenmarket Regional Grains Project is just one example (of many) of how advantageous this can be for farmers and producers. 

A big thank you to Market Umbrella Founder and Slow Food USA Executive Director Richard McCarthy and former Market Umbrella Assistant Director and now Farmers Market Coalition Research Associate Darlene Wolnick for including us in the event and being great partners over the years.
Left to Right: Michael Hurwitz; Darlene Wolnick; Richard McCarthy

Recent Posts

Programs

Tags

More tags

Archives