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

2018 Compost Giveaway

June 26, 2018
Posted in Recycling



Springtime food scraps bring summer givebacks!  Thanks to you, GrowNYC has collected more than 11 million pounds of food scraps that have been transformed into compost to nourish NYC green spaces--including yours!  Check out our July giveback schedule and bring your own container to one of GrowNYC's food scrap drop-off locations to take all the compost you can use.  First come first served, while supplies last.

COMPOST GIVEAWAY SCHEDULE

Friday, July 6

-Corona Greenmarket

Wednesday, July 11

-Manhattan Compost On-the-Go (COTG) locations

Friday, July 13

-Bronx Compost On-the-Go (COTG) locations

-Fordham Plaza Greenmarket

Saturday, July 14

-Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket

-Inwood Greenmarket

-Staten Island Mall Greenmarket

-St. George Greenmarket

Sunday, July 15

-79th Street Greenmarket

-92nd Street Greenmarket

-Carroll Gardens Greenmarket

-Columbia Greenmarket

-Cortelyou Greenmarket

-Parkside Food Scrap Collection

-Tompkins Square Greenmarket

Tuesday, July 17

-Bowling Green Greenmarket

-Bronx Borough Hall Greenmarket

-Ft. Washington Greenmarket

-La Familia Verde Farmer's Market

-Lenox Hill Fresh Food Box

-Poe Park Greenmarket

Wednesday, July 18

-57th Street Greenmarket

-Dag Hammarskjold Greenmarket

-Flushing Greenmarket

-Learn It, Grow It, Eat It Youthmarket

-New Settlement's 170 Farm Stand

-Project HOPE Fresh Food Box

-Tribeca Greenmarket

-Uptown Grand Central Fresh Food Box

Thursday, July 19

-175th Street Greenmarket

-Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket

-BronxWorks Food Scrap Collection

-Columbia Greenmarket

-Tucker Square Greenmarket

-We Stay / Nos Quedamos Food Scrap Collection

Friday, July 20

-97th Street Greenmarket

-Parkchester Greenmarket

Saturday, July 21

-57th Street Greenmarket

-82nd Street Greenmarket

-Halsey Community Garden Fresh Food Box

-Abingdon Square Greenmarket

-Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket

-Fort Greene Greenmarket

-McCarren Park Greenmarket

-Tribeca Greenmarket

-Tucker Square Greenmarket

Strawberries Are Here!

June 12, 2018

There’s nothing like coming out of the cavernous Union Square subway station to a canopy of tree branches covered in spring blossoms, the tents of the Greenmarket visible just beyond.

And then there’s the smell…strawberries.

Now you can make one of these delicious strawberry recipes!

Try it: Asparagus & Strawberry Kale Salad

As you may know, Greenmarkets don’t just provide fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, fish, and baked goods—they also serve as sustainability centers, enabling New Yorkers to join the effort to protect the environment. Most Greenmarkets collect food scraps for composting and textiles for recycling, as well as provide pop-up environmental education opportunities.

It’s your support that helps ensure that New Yorkers have access to fresh food, as well as recycling and educational opportunities at Greenmarkets. Make your donation today to keep Greenmarkets running strong!

And next time you walk through your local Greenmarket, say hello to the market manager working hard to ensure your market is a true resource for the neighborhood.

Find your local Greenmarket

Even MORE strawberry recipes:

Strawberry and Fava Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Strawberry Salsa and Kale Crostinis with Goat Cheese

Cider Summer June 22

June 12, 2018

Cider Summer Fun
Kick off the first day of summer with CIDER!

North end of Union Square
Date: Friday, June 22
Time: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Seven New York State hard cider producers are coming to the Union Square Greenmarket to show off their apple-y libations at our Cider Summer event. 

Come on out and meet your new favorite hard cider. 

Participating Cideries:
Brooklyn Cider House
Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider
Nine Pin Cider
Good Life Farm-Kite & String Cider
Metal House Cider
Fishkill Farms' Treasury Cider 
Descendant Cider Co.

Spring 2018 Garden Builds with GrowNYC's Garden Program

June 4, 2018
Posted in Community Gardens

This spring, GrowNYC's garden program has been busy doing what we do best: building new gardens! 

We've started work on 6 new community gardens in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, including four sites in close partnership with NYC Parks Green Thumb

 

Garden @ NYCHA's Melrose Houses and Bronxworks' Classics Center   
Melrose, Bronx
3,600 square feet

 

Eternal Life Community Garden
Morris Heights, Bronx
3,600 square feet

Eternal Life Community Garden

 

Georgia Avenue Community Garden
Brownsville/East New York, Brooklyn
1,961 square feet

Georgia Avenue Community Garden

 

Good Life Garden
Bushwick
13,500 square feet

 

Corona Taxpayers Association Garden
Corona, Queens
6,600 square feet

 

NYCHA Bay View Houses Garden #2
Far Rockaway, Queens
2,500 square feet

NYCHA Bay View Houses Garden #2

Summer Greenmarkets Now Open!

June 1, 2018

It’s happening!  Farmers market season is finally here, and this month we’re opening 15 seasonal GrowNYC Greenmarkets for our farmers to offer their bounty of delicious, local products throughout NYC.

 

Here’s the list of Greenmarkets opening in June.

Check out individual market webpages for information about upcoming activities such as guest chefs, kids programming, and book signings. Every market has free recipes and cooking demonstrations!

All GrowNYC Greenmarkets accept SNAP, and for every $5 a customer spends using SNAP, s/he receives one $2 Health Buck coupon to spend at the farmers market.

We’re on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Follow us for up-to-date market news.

3 GrowNYC Staff Named to Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center's '40 Under 40' 2018 List

May 30, 2018

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!

GrowNYC's 2017 Annual Report

February 15, 2018

We're proud to announce that our 2017 Annual Report is here

Highlights from 2017 include:

  • We renovated more than 30 community gardens throughout the year, and built our 100th new garden!
  • We launched Compost on the Go, 18 new food scrap collection sites conveniently located near mass transit in uptown Manhattan and the Bronx.
  • We gave mini-grants of $500-2,000 to 78 schools to build or expand their school gardens, and hosted 12 giveaways of seeds, plants, and tools.
  • FARMroots' Beginning Farmer Program helped start six new farm businesses, and graduated 21 participants from its Farm Beginnings training course.
  • Recycling Champions engaged in waste reduction education and outreach at 97 schools, engaging 50,000 students and faculty at more than 2,000 events.

And there's so much more! Read the report to see all we've done in the past year, and make sure to share with friends!

Greenmarket Home Bakers Meet-up

February 6, 2018

Home Bakers Meet-up
Monday, February 24th 
Project Farmhouse, 76 East 13th Street (Manhattan)
Tickets $20

Break bread with GrowNYC Grains and your fellow home bakers! Bakers of all experience levels are welcome to swap samples with fellow grain geeks and share secrets on how to get a really crusty crust. Some of New York City's best professional bakers, including Austin Hall of She Wolf Bakery, Sharon Burns-Leader of Bread Alone Bakery, and Peter Endriss of Runner & Stone will also be on hand to talk tips and techniques.

Bring a loaf of your favorite home baked bread, made with locally-grown grains and flours, and copies of your recipe and/or starter to trade with others. 

Tickets include event entry and one drink.

Purchase grains and flours from the GrowNYC Grainstand at the Union Square Greenmarket on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and other locations listed here.

THANK YOU to our sponsors Meyers USAToast AleMockmill, and Maine Grains.

All proceeds benefit the Greenmarket Regional Grains Project. 

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