Slow Grains 2019 - a bi-annual grain conversation, in partnership with GrowNYC Grains

Slow Grains is back! Join us for a dynamic conversation with leaders in the movement to bring small-scale grain growing back to the Northeast. Momentum around locally-grown grains is building – amongst brewers, distillers, bakers, chefs, and home cooks – our collective effort is creating a regional system of growing, processing, and distributing grains. Built into this movement is improved flavor, as well as on-farm diversification and resilience. Farm Breweries have generally lagged behind other sectors due to availability of barley, and limited capacity to malt grains grown in the region. In 2014 Brewers Choice became an event that showcased beer made with regional grains, malted in the northeast. Since then, 12 malting facilities have opened, the number of acres devoted to growing barley has tripled, the number of Farm Brewery licenses has increased by more than 450% and in 2019 the requirement to use New York State ingredients increased to 60%. And best of all, consumers are experiencing a golden era of delicious innovation in their favorite liquid form. Beer. Wow!

Come learn from the pioneering folks working on the Northeast local grain movement – we’ll share what we’ve learned, discuss grains varieties growing in our region, their important role in the building of a sustainable food system, and the infrastructure and distribution challenges involved in these efforts.

Join us on July 17 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for this all-inclusive event with outdoor space, sunset views, live music, and a ton of beer tastings. The Slow Grains' panel discussion will precede the awesome Brewers' Choice 2019 event. Purchase of a ticket allows entry to the event. This year 20 small batch brewers will come together to celebrate local grains and malts with Slow Grains of Slow Food NYC!

WIth much gratitude to Beer Sessions Radio™ and the Good Beer Seal for hosting us at this, the 9th annual NYC Brewer’s Choice™, a featured event of July Good Beer Month.

Tickets are 21+ and over and are All-inclusive Food + Drink

GrowNYC Greenmarkets & Food Scrap/Textile Collections 

GrowNYC Greenmarkets are OPEN during the heat wave on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, July 19-21. Food scrap and clothing collections will be open as scheduled.

Some producers may call out and some may leave before closing time so be sure to shop early. And don't forget to hydrate hydrate hydrate!

Stop 'N' Swap

Saturday, July 20 - Concourse  CANCELLED DUE TO EXTREME HEAT
12pm-3pm, St. Simeon's Episcopal Church Outdoor Lot* (map) (flier) 
1020 Carroll Place, Bronx
*Outdoor event, subject to cancellation with inclement weather. Check website for updates. 

Sunday, July 21 - LES Chinatown POSTPONED DUE TO EXTREME HEAT
11am-4pm, Chinatown ADA Weekend Walk* (map) (flier) 
Mott Street between Pell Street and Bayard Street, Manhattan
*Outdoor event, rain or shine

Stay cool with this Peach and Arugula Salad from Kitchn. 

Peach and Arugula Salad

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces peaches (about 2 regular or 3-4 Saturn peaches)*
• 5 ounces arugula*
• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon honey*
• 1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot*
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped tarragon leaves*
• Salt and pepper
• 2 ounces ricotta salata, shaved or crumbled*
• 1/4 cup toasted pistachios (optional)

*Ingredients available now at your neighborhood Greenmarket. 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Thinly slice peaches and place in a large bowl with arugula.

2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, and shallot. Slowly add the olive oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified. Stir in the tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Add dressing to peaches and arugula and toss. Divide salad between plates, sprinkle with ricotta salata and pistachios, and serve.

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.

PLASTIC CLEANSE PHOTO CONTEST! Show us how you shop plastic-free at the Greenmarket (lots of tips here) and you could win this Ultimate Plastic Cleanse Kit for #zerowaste shopping, supplied by our friends at @packagefreeshop and @beeswrap In NYC alone, plastic bags generate about 1700 tons of residential garbage on a weekly basis. Join us in our annual plastic cleanse and inspire others to change this environmentally damaging habit! Take photos at market or at home of your plastic-free shopping, for a chance to be regrammed by us, and one lucky winner will receive the Ultimate Plastic Cleanse Kit!⁣ 

⁣Contest rules:⁣
-Take a photo and post it to your Instagram account of your plastic-free shopping supplies before heading to market, a plastic-free interaction at market, or of your plastic-free market haul after shopping. ⁣
-Tag @unsqgreenmarket and hashtag #GMKTnyc #PlasticCleanse to enter.⁣
-Dates to enter are 4/6 - 4/31/19. ⁣
-GrowNYC and Greenmarket staff, volunteers, farm staff, or farmers, or family members are not eligible to win.⁣
-Open to NYC residents. Contest ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on 4/31/19.⁣
-On 5/1/19, GrowNYC will pick 1 winner to win the ultimate Plastic-Free Shopping Kit!⁣ ⁣
This April, we’re taking our annual #plasticcleanse to another level with weekly events and guests who inspire us to live a more #zerowaste market lifestyle! Our takeovers, demos, and special events will all have an emphasis on wasting less in your market routine.

Making up just 5% of the world’s population, the US consumes 30% of the world’s resources and creates 30% of the world’s waste.  We have so much stuff that finding a place to put it is big business; the self-storage industry is booming. Today, it is physically possible for every American to stand at the same time under the canopy of self-storage roofing in the US.  It’s no surprise, then, that Marie Kondo, author of best-selling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” has started a de-cluttering craze.

On her Netflix show, Kondo teaches clients to make their homes more livable through her special organizing process. The result is large piles of garbage bags filled with clothing, home furnishings, and other items that no longer “spark joy” for their owners.  Read on for tips to break free of clutter, sustainably! 

The true solution to too much stuff, of course, is to consume less, buy better, and care for what we already have—this makes it easier to maintain a comfortable home, and helps the planet too!  Next time you put your stuff on the curb, consider that for every garbage can placed out for collection, the equivalent of 71 garbage cans' worth of waste is created in mining, agriculture and other industrial processes to convert raw materials into finished products and packaging. 

Tips to Responsibly De-Clutter Your Life:

1: Clear it out.  To achieve the highest use for unwanted items, choose to swap or donate what’s usable.  For items such as electronics, household chemicals, and personal documents, check out local resources and special events to recycle or safely dispose.   Need a little extra help getting started? Check out How to Declutter Your Home Fast: A Checklist for the Messy.

2: Get organized.When you’ve successfully pared down, reorder your home for daily life.Good organization keeps you from buying things you don’t need or already own, and can create a happier, less stressful living environment.Check out 10 Ways to Unclutter Your Life.  

3: Change habits.To remain clutter free, slow the flow of new things into your home.  Prevent future waste buy buying wisely—choose high quality items you truly need and intend to use.  Try out zero waste practices like repairing what you already own and love,  (see Fixers Collective, Mend It Mondays, Fix It Fridays) and buying bulk and package-free groceries.  Spend less time shopping and managing stuff, and more time on non-commercial activities like enjoying culture, spending time in nature, and volunteering.

Want to stay on top of NYC zero waste news and resources? Subscribe to our monthly NYC Recycling Updates!

From May 24 to June 5, the GrowNYC Compost Program will give out free ready-to-use compost to participants who drop off their food scraps. Finished compost is a natural fertilizer that you can apply to houseplants and outdoor plants. The distributed compost is courtesy of the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and made out of residential food scraps and yard waste from New York City. For more information about getting compost from DSNY, visit nyc.gov/getcompost. 

Please see below for the schedule of Compost Giveaway events and refer to the Compost Program Schedule for site-specific hours. Note: additional dates for giveaways at seasonal locations will be announced soon.

The compost distribution will take place during food scrap drop-off hours at each site, while supplies last. In an effort to reuse, reduce, and recycle, we are asking participants to bring their own container. Bring a coffee beans bag, shopping bag, brown bag, cereal bag, clamshell, etc. to fill with loose compost on the day of the Compost Giveaway at your food scrap drop-off site.

2019 Compost Giveaway Schedule

Friday, May 24
149th Street Compost On-The-Go  
161st Street Compost On-The-Go
Brook Avenue Compost On-The-Go· 
    
Saturday, May 25
Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket
Inwood Greenmarket
Staten Island Mall Greenmarket
Saint George Greenmarket
    
Sunday, May 26
Carroll Gardens Greenmarket
Cortelyou Greenmarket

Tuesday, May 28
Bowling Green Greenmarket
Lenox Hill Fresh Food Box

Wednesday, May 29
96th Street Compost On-The-Go
116th Street Compost On-The-Go
137th Street City College - Compost On-The-Go
145th Street Compost On-The-Go
157th Street Compost On-The-Go         
181st Street Compost On-The-Go    
Cathedral Parkway (110th Street) Compost On-The-Go
Central Park North (110th Street) Compost On-The-Go
Dyckman Street Compost On-The-Go
Project H.O.P.E Fresh Food Box
Uptown Grand Central Fresh Food Box

Thursday, May 30
BronxWorks Fresh Food Box
Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket
Columbia Greenmarket
Nos Quedamos Public Food Scrap Drop-Off Site
Parkside Plaza Compost On-The-Go
Tucker Square Greenmarket

Friday, May 31
97th Street Greenmarket

Saturday, June 1
57th Street Greenmarket
82nd Street Greenmarket
462 Halsey Community Farm Fresh Food Box
Abingdon Square Greenmarket
Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket
Fort Greene Greenmarket
McCarren Park Greenmarket
TriBeCa Greenmarket
Tucker Square Greenmarket

Sunday, June 2
79th Street Greenmarket
Columbia Greenmarket
Tompkins Square Greenmarket

Wednesday, June 5
57th Street Greenmarket
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Greenmarket
TriBeCa Greenmarket

It is with a heavy heart that we write to report the passing of our beloved founder and honorary chairwoman Marian S. Heiskell. Her vision of, and passion for, a cleaner greener NYC led to the creation of our organization in the Mayor’s Office in 1970. She tirelessly worked to raise funds and awareness in service of more green space, recycling, education, and Greenmarkets. Her wisdom, strength, generosity, and especially her kindness will be missed greatly. Her legacy lives on in the countless lives touched by all the great work she enabled.   

Truly hers was a life well lived because it was in service of others.

You can read more about Marian Heiskell's accomplishments and legacy in her New York Times obituary.

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 year hundreds of everyday heroes help guide their fellow New Yorkers down the path to zero waste by keeping clothing and food scraps out of landfills, reusing items too good to toss, and by adopting new habits to reduce waste and recycle more.  Check out our new video to peek into the exciting world of our zero waste volunteers and the invaluable work that they do! Itching to get involved? Follow the link to sign up for an upcoming orientation or opportunity: http://bit.ly/recycleopps

People throughout the world are celebrating advancements in gender equality today, International Women’s Day.

At GrowNYC, we are thrilled to report that, as of last November, 54% of businesses that sell at our Greenmarkets are either owned or co-owned by women (nationally, women comprise 30% of farmers in America).

Check out this slideshow of female Greenmarket Farmers. You go, girl – today and every day!