Petra Fellow Ian Marvy – Report finds NYC leads nation in urban agriculture

July 24, 2012
by garden
3 min read

FIVE BOROUGH FARM STUDY DEMONSTRATES NEW YORK CITY’S NATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN URBAN AGRICULTURE

July 24, 2012 (New York, NY) – Today the Design Trust for Public Space, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving New York’s public spaces, released Five Borough Farm: Seeding the Future of Urban Agriculture in New York, the most detailed survey to date of New York City’s urban agriculture movement. The comprehensive publication provides a roadmap for public and private-sector partners to leverage existing programs and expand urban agriculture citywide.

The study was created in partnership with Brooklyn-based nonprofit Added Value and funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and David Rockefeller Fund. It found that New York City, a densely populated metropolis with some of the nation’s highest real estate values, is also a national leader in urban agriculture. The city is currently home to more than 700 food producing farms and gardens across approximately 50 acres of reclaimed vacant lots, rooftops, schoolyards, and public housing grounds – nearly ten times the number of urban farms and gardens as San Francisco and Seattle.

“In all five boroughs, urban agriculture transforms under-utilized land into vibrant, productive public space,” said Design Trust executive director Susan Chin. “Thousands of farmers and gardeners contribute to the social, economic, and ecological health of our city, particularly in neighborhoods hit hardest by the recession. These efforts dovetail with our mission to improve public space in New York City.”

Through maps, photographs, and interviews with more than 100 stakeholders, Five Borough Farm illustrates how New York City’s community-based farming creates jobs, educates youth, captures stormwater, decreases the city’s waste stream, and creates safe public spaces.

Some of the study’s key findings include:

 Urban agriculture has health, social, economic, and ecological benefits. Studies show that urban agriculture encourages healthier eating and physical activity, strengthens community cohesion, improves job-readiness skills, and reduces the urban heat island effect.

 The city’s farmers and gardeners face challenges obtaining critical resources. These include land, funding, soil, and compost.

 Scaling up urban agriculture requires municipal leadership. Citywide coordination, dedicated funding, and commitment from elected officials are needed to promote and sustain farms and gardens.

Building on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s and Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s support for urban agriculture in PlaNYC and FoodWorks, the Design Trust calls for creating a citywide plan to guide land use and resource allocation for farms and gardens, establishing an interagency urban agriculture task force to coordinate policy and procedures, and incentivizing temporary projects at more than 600 stalled development sites across the city.

The release of the publication and companion website (http://fiveboroughfarm.org) mark the start of the Design Trust’s implementation of key recommendations from the report to support agriculture. In the second phase of the project, the Design Trust will identify 100 publicly-owned sites citywide potentially suitable for food production, collect data on urban agricultural activity, and give New York City’s farmers and gardeners a voice in the policymaking process.

“People are starting to realize that our broken food system has serious consequences for our individual health, and for the health of our environment and our economy,” said Five Borough Farm project partner and Added Value executive director Ian Marvy. “It is increasingly important for all of us to be able to understand and articulate how urban agriculture can contribute to our society and economy, and to the planet on which we all live.”

The Petra Foundation
315 Duke Ellington Boulevard
New York, NY 10025

Contact: news@petrafoundation.org

Compost Platform Rebuild 2012

June 1, 2012
by garden
3 min read

With the beginning of the garden season, how can a gardener’s thoughts not turn to compost? Okay, so maybe your thoughts don’t, but as the days grew warmer, members of the West 104 th Street Garden’s compost committee were ready to start ‘posting as soon as possible.

First, though, the group had to build a new platform for the garden’s double-barreled Mantis composting unit. Alas, its previous platform had fallen into decay. So this spring, the group’s first task was the design, construction and installation of a new footing for the above-ground unit.

The new platform—made of highly durable manmade materials really put the community in community gardening. A number of garden members and neighbors were involved. Long time garden member, Walli Raninger, reached out to Compost Committee Chair, Jean Jaworek, when she learned that nearby Park West Village had decking boards to donate. Frank Grech, of the garden’s maintenance committee,  helped truck over the boards, and compost committee member, Dinorah Matias, designed an easy-to- build, attractive, modular platform for the compost operation which provides:

  • a secure, low maintenance under strata,
  • space for nitrogen-giving “green” collection barrels and
  • a container for carbon inputs, the “browns.”

Best of all, the project cost garden members no more than a bit of sweat and $6.50 for a box of set screws to facilitate assembly.

Thanks to all those who participated in the rebuild. In addition to those mentioned, Alan Tenney, Ron Whitlatch, Rob Eberhardt and Bridget Johnston all helped. Here are some pictures to show you how we ‘done’ it.

Composting Platform Rebuild 2012 Composting Pictures
Bridget and Jean assemble the new compost platform.

Composting Pictures
The compost platform completed.

Hey…Don’t Forget to Compost With Us in 2012!

The West 104 Garden has been actively composting for several years. In 2011 with the aid of a grant from the SWAB, the Solid Waste Advisory Board, the garden was able to begin including non-garden members in its composting operation.

Community members are welcome to donate their “greens,” left over raw vegetable and fruit scraps to the garden’s supply during the garden’s normal open hours posted by the entrance and any time the garden is open. Contributions can be emptied into the drop off barrels near the front of the garden’s eastern lot on West 104th Street between Manhattan Ave. and Central Park West. Just look for Scott the Composting Gnome standing on guard by the drop-off area.

Please note, tomatoes and eggshells are not accepted for composting at the West 104th Street garden. (We have had problems with tomato blight and the shells don’t break down enough.)

Composting Pictures
Jean and Bridget with Scott the Gnome

Gardening Classes at Riverside Farm

April 4, 2012
by garden
1 min read

Thanks to Walli for finding these course opportunities at Riverside Farm, East 29th Street at the East River.

Preparing planting beds, seeding and transplanting

Description: Learn how we get soil ready for planting and when to direct seed vs. starting plants ahead of time for transplant. Time: 9am – 12pm Dates: March 31, May 12, June 23

Plant Maintenance: Watering, feeding, mulching, pruning and weeding

Description: Here we’ll show you all the basics and teach best practices for successful growing. Time: 9am – 12pm Dates: April 14, May 26

Composting

Description: Learn how we turn kitchen scraps and farm trimmings into healthy soil for our plants. You’ll learn the basics and how to start your own systems. Time: 9am – 12pm Dates: April 28, June 9

Lamb or Veal Shanks Braised with Green tomatoes

November 14, 2011
by garden
3 min read

*from “The Gift of Southern Cooking”
​(to serve 4 people)  by Edna Lewis & Scott Peacock
 
4 lamb shanks, about 1 pound each, or veal shanks
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons dried thyme – 2 for the meat, 1 for the braising vegetables
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 large yellow onions, cut into ½ inch dice (about 3 cups)
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (1/2  cup)
1 medium carrot, diced (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3 medium green tomatoes, cored and cut into ½ inch chunks (2 ½ – 3 cups)
3 bay leaves
½ cup white wine
1 cup Chicken Stock or water
 
Preheat the over to 325 F.

    Rinse the shanks well, and pat them with paper towel until completely dry.  Trim the shanks of any excess fat, and rub 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and 2 teaspoons of the dried thyme into them so they are well seasoned.

    Heat a large sauté pan over high heat, add the butter, and heat until melted and bubbling but not colored.  Place the shanks in the pan and cook, turning on all sides, until deeply browned all over.

    Remove the browned shanks from the pan, and transfer them to a baking dish just large enough to hold them.

    Pour off half the fat from the sauté pan, then immediately add the chopped onions, celery, and carrot.  Sprinkle on 1 ½ teaspoons salt and the remaining dried thyme.  Stir well to distribute the seasonings and cooking fat.  Using a wooden spoon, dislodge any caramelized bits from the sauté pan and stir them into the vegetables – the moisture released by the sautéing of the vegetables will help to facilitate the deglazing.  Continue sautéing the vegetables until they begin to brown – about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, green tomatoes, and bay leaves, and stir well.  Cook for 2 minutes longer, and pour in the wine and chicken stock.  Bring to a full boil, and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, and taste carefully for seasoning.  Adjust as needed with salt and pepper.  Spoon the vegetables over the shanks, and place a piece of parchment paper directly over them.  Cover tightly with a double thickness of aluminum foil, shiny side down.  (Don’t omit the parchment; the acidity of the tomatoes in direct contact with the foil could impart a metallic flavor.)

    Cook on the middle rack of the preheated over for 1 ½ hours, or until a paring knife inserted into the thickest part of the meat pierces and releases easily.  Remove the foil and parchment and cook, basting occasionally, for ½ hour longer, or until the shanks begin to glaze and take on a rich, caramelized color.  Remove from the over and spoon off any visible fat.  Taste the vegetables and sauce carefully, and adjust seasoning if needed.  Serve the shanks hot with the braising vegetables spooned over.
 

Labor Day Potluck

August 25, 2011
by garden
1 min read

Labor Day
 
Potluck picnic and BBQ
 
September 5, 2-6 pm
 
Come ring out the season with your fellow gardeners.
 
All members (and their guests) welcome!
 
Please RSVP to siswi@aol.com.
Tell us how many you will be and what you will bring

Peach Picking Time

August 10, 2011
by garden
1 min read

The annual Peach Picking party will take place two dates this year , July 30 and Sunday, August 14 from 4-6pm.

A Farming Concrete weigh station will be available to record the harvest. The peaches we collect should contribute mightily toward our federal grant weight goal!

Stay tuned for pictures!

UPDATE: The July 30 peach picking party totaled 25 pounds. Second date planned for August 14, 4-6pm. Unfortunately, someone saw renovation workers from 12 West 104th Street cutting down branches overhanging the property line. Sadly they did a careless job with a chain saw and some branches will need to be repaired. The Pruning committee is meeting at 11am on Sunday to repair the damaged limbs, so please take care when picking on the back side of the tree!

Steering, a play premiering July 22-24 in the garden

July 17, 2011
by garden
1 min read

Hello everyone,

The play, “Steering” will premier in the West 104th Street Community Garden this Friday, 6pm and continue Saturday, July 23 at 3pm & 6pm, then Sunday at 3pm & 6pm. Lillian Meredith is curating the play by Lucy Gillespie as a part of a series of plays pertaining to the Community Gardens. It’s free of charge.

For more info, check out the website: www.communitygardenproject.wordpress.com

Here is the flyer:
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=916fc3b5d047a0f191b0706dc&id=b736ee6ff5&e=

Enjoy!

Kristin

Compost Committee In Action

June 23, 2011
by garden
2 min read

Part of the Compost Committee’s project goals for 2011 involve expanding the West 104th Street Community Garden composting operation to include participation by neighboring non-garden members. Toward this end, compost committee members posted literature about the project and distributed the flyers in the neighborhood. A drop off barrel was installed in the garden’s eastern lot to receive compostable donations from neighbors – primarily fruit and vegetable scraps.

Another aspect of this year’s project involves giving back some of the garden’s freshly-made compost to area street tree wells most in need of soil improvement. The garden’s Street Tree Committee identified a nearby tree pit and tree (!) in need of TLC.

By early June 2011, the first compost was harvested and distributed. The following pictures tell the story.

4 9 2011 1st compost work day cutting up old cornstalks
1st compost work day cutting up old cornstalks (2011-April-09)
Compost delivery to street tree Jean Jaworek and Susan Yarnell (2011-June-04)
Compost delivery to street tree Jean Jaworek and Susan Yarnell (2011-June-04)
Paula Gifford and Bridget Johnston sorting greens and browns (2011-June-15)
Paula Gifford and Bridget Johnston sorting greens and browns (2011-June-15)
Susan Yarnell prepping compost for screening
Susan Yarnell prepping compost for screening
Jean Jaworek and Susan Yarnell and street tree
Jean Jaworek and Susan Yarnell and street tree
Manhattan Ave W 104 street tree with compost and mulch
Manhattan Ave W 104 street tree with compost and mulch

West 104 Garden Peach Harvest Gets NY Times Mention

May 2, 2011
by garden
1 min read

The May 1 edition of the New York Times Metro section featured an article on Farming Concrete which celebrates our 135 pound peach harvest! Garden web editor, Noreen Whysel, is one of the proud chard farmers. Here’s a link to the article with the excerpt on our “farm” (emphasis is mine):

City Critic: Concrete Farm Grows Chard (Callaloo, Too)

“Ms. Gittleman said all sorts of amusing anecdotes emerged from the statistics, and the act of compiling them. Brooklyn gardeners, for instance, grow lots of callaloo, a Caribbean green. In the Bronx, someone was actually growing sugar cane. (“Some gardeners get away with growing warm-weather crops here because of the urban island heat effect,” Ms. Gittleman explained.) Gardeners at West 104th Street in Manhattan coordinated their peach weigh-in and recorded 135 pounds in a single day. The East End Community Garden in Brooklyn “might as well be a farm,” as Ms. Gittleman put it; a grower there recorded 51 pounds of corn in one weigh-in. In the Bronx, a beekeeper added his 362 pounds of honey to the study. ”

Congratulations, gardeners!