[May 9] Long Beach Farmer's Market

At last, I've figured out how to share the Friends & Farmers emails for the Long Beach farmer's market! You can subscribe to Friends & Farmers' email list to have them sent right to your inbox, too.

Today's market is on rain or shine from 10am - 6pm at Kennedy Plaza in Long Beach (right next to the Long Beach train station. It's on West Park Avenue between Centre Street and National Blvd).

This season's 2012 Farmers Market Calendar coming soon!

Kennedy Plaza Farmer's Market Markets & Times of Operation Long Beach at Kennedy Plaza:Wednesday & Saturday 1 West Chester Street, Long Beach NY May 2, 2012 through November 21, 2012 Wednesdays Hours: 10:00 A.M- 6:00 P.M. Saturday Hours: 9 AM - 2 PM   Elmont:  Thursday ATS Parking lot on Hours 11:00 am -6:00 pm July 5, - November 15, 2012 Oyster Bay:Saturday Audrey Ave, at the Gazebo June 16 - November 17, 2012 Hours: 9 am - 1 pm Nesconset:Saturday Nesconset Plaza 127 Smithtown Blvd. July 7 - November 17, 2012 Hours 9 am - 1 pm Kings Park:Sunday Municipal Lot. 25A and Main St. Across from the Fire Dept. June 24- November 18, 2012 Hours 9 am -2 pm   Hicksville Farmer's Market:Sunday Kennedy Memorial Park Broadway & Jerusalem Avenue June 24- November 18, 2012 Hours: 9 am- 2 pm   Ok so more rain today, great day for a rain gear fashion show... A few of us will be out on the plaza today, so come on out and support your regional growers. We are collecting compost again this season, you can drop off your bagged raw vegetable scraps, eggs shells, coffee grinds, etc at the managers stand.  Please do not compost any cooked materials, meat, or anything with oil on it. Also we give weekly to the Food & Friendship in so we would be happy to drop a perishable or non-perishable food item for you. Tom Ryan will be playing this Saturday, if the weather is agreeable. Casey Ward, the fish guy will start market next week, and Paul the Saturday fish guy will be with us this weekend. Home made dog treats are coming to market too, next week, so be on the lookout. See you on the Plaza, Bernadette Carucci Farms Casmo has got great deals on Bedding Plants for your flower gardens. He also has some tomato plants for your vegetable gardens. Stan Pat Farms Will be selling Fresh Asparagus, spinach,herbs and mesclun mix, some LI potatoes, along with 10" geraniums, strawberry plants, and really nice coleus.  Bread Alone Bakery  Danish, muffins and croissant, and check out the new brownies too. Gentle Brew Coffee Sweet To Lick I had one of their Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Blondies on Wednesday. I'm trying their Vegan Chocolate Twinkie Next :-) Hormans Pickles Get attacked by some Killer Pickles. Live Music                          Saturday May 12, 2012 11:00 AM- 1:00 PM Tom Ryan has been active on the Long Island music scene for over 20 years. He is a singer-songwriter and plays guitar, keyboards and bass. He has studied classical guitar with the head of the music department at Molloy College, and is currently working on fingerstyle techniques with Toby Walker, international blues artist. He started out performing while still in high school when he joined the Coalition for Disabled Musicians= rock band, Range of Motion. He is an active member of OOMPA, Organization for Open Mic Performing Artists on Long Island, and also plays with Copper Rose - a Cajun and Blues band and traveled to Louisiana with them for a cultural immersion to fine tune and fire up their performances. Currently Tom is doing solo gigs at local coffeehouses and restaurants as well as private parties and organizations for the disabled. Visit Tom Ryan's website at: www.tomryanmusic.com

Farmer's Market Returns to Long Beach May 2nd & May 5th

Today is the first Long Beach farmer's market of the season! The market is held at Kennedy Plaza right next to the Long Beach LIRR station from 10am - 6pm. They will also be open Saturday from 9am - 2pm.

At the market, you'll find....
At the market, you'll find.....

• Goodale Farms, LI: dairy & veggies
• Sweet to Lick, LI: vegan baked goods
• Papa Pasquale, Brooklyn: pasta, ravioli, sauces, cheese, pesto
• Horman's Best, LI: pickles
• D&J Organic, NY: veggies, greens
• Bread Alone, NY: organic bread
• Millport Dairy, PA: baked goods, raw milk cheese, fresh bacon, eggs, poultry
• Sannino Vineyards, LI: wines
• Coach Farms, NY: cheese, milk, yogurt, maple syrup
• Gentle Brew, LI: fresh coffee
• Casmo: bedding plants

Donations of fresh & canned food for the Food & Friendship Inn will be accepted this week at the Market Manager Table.

To read more, visit the City of Long Beach's press release for the market.

[EVENT] 2012 Small Farm Summit, April 14th at Hofstra University

Today is the last day to register online for the Long Island Small Farm Summit!

"Last year, more than 600 interested and committed people attended the 2011 Small Farm Summit on Friday, April 15, 2011 at SUNY College in Old Westbury to promote locally sustainable agriculture.

The original [sic] six breakout sessions grew into 20 with the help of the Long Island Chapter of NOFA. Interactive workshops covered a wide range of topics from food equity to organic gardening 101. Panels of experts, organizers, and practitioners offered their knowledge and help to stimulate a free flow of ideas between group leaders and participants. The conference also include a networking lunch, a series of exhibits, and a closing session to aid in turning the ideas of the day into next steps toward supporting an active and sustainable local farming community." [text & photos from SmallFarmSummit.com ]
           

This year, the 2012 Small Farm Summit features keynote speakers Will Allen of Growing Power and Chef Ann Cooper, the Renegade Lunch Lady. There will be a concert by Tom Chapin to close the evening, as well as a movie screening, cooking demonstration, and build-your-own hydroponic planter workshop. The agenda includes 19 panel discussions, 18 interactive workshops, and a closing wine & cheese celebration, as well as 50 Long Island exhibitors (including yours truly, Locally Long Island!). 

You can register online today or at the door. There are also still plenty of volunteer opportunities for the day of the event. 

This will be a networking event you don't want to miss to get your finger on the pulse of Long Island's sustainable food scene. (And, the food at food conferences isn't bad, either!)

Long Beach Farmers Market Winter Hours

Great news! Friends & Farmers just announced that Kennedy Plaza Farmers Market in Long Beach will have extended winter hours this year!

Kennedy Plaza Farmers Market
Long Beach City Hall Lobby
1 W. Chester Street, Long Beach, NY
Open: Wednesdays from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
December 14, 2011 - February 29, 2012

http://www.kennedyplazafarmersmarket.com

The Kennedy Plaza Farmers Market always has a great selection of food & plenty of vendors available so you can find everything on your grocery list at one stop. And, if somehow something's still missing, there's always Bob's Natural Foods across the street. Another reason to love this farmers market is the accessibility through the LIRR -- the Long Beach station is directly across from Kennedy Plaza.

This Wednesday, you'll find:

• Apples (Red Jacket Orchards)
• Root veggies (Madura Farms)
• Mushrooms (Madura Farms)
• Salad mix (Madura Farms)
• Pickes (Horman's Best Pickles) 
• Eggs (Millport Dairy)
• Bacon (Millport Dairy)
• Breakfast Sausage (Ronnybrook Farm Dairy)

• Eggnog (Ronnybrook Farm Dairy)
• Ice Cream (Ronnybrook Farm Dairy)
• Yogurt (Ronnybrook Farm Dairy)
• Pies & baked goods (Bread Alone)
• Wine - $2 off every bottle (Ronnybrook Farm Dairy)
• Coffee (Bread Alone, Gentle Brew)

• Ravioli (Papa Pasquales's)
• Pasta (Papa Pasquales's)
• Cheese (Papa Pasquales's)
• Breads  (Papa Pasquales's, Bread Alone)

• Soaps & lotions (Clean Essence)

Events: LI Small Farm Summit & Anti-Fracking Rally

There are two big Long Island sustainability events this week, starting tomorrow morning! For those interested in small- and mid-scale agriculture on Long Island, there will be a planning meeting for the 2nd annual Long Island Small Farm Summit. And for energy-minded residents, Food & Water Watch will be hosting a rally against hydrofracking in Manhasset, right next to the LIRR station.

Both events are sure to be great networking opportunities with other Long Island citizens concerned about sustainability. You may also happen upon chef & Slow Food Huntington co-founder Bhavani Jaroff of I Eat Green, who shared these Nassau events in her weekly newsletter & radio show.

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Tuesday: Long Island Small Farm Summit Planning Meeting
9:30 AM at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration
1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, NY

"Sold out in advance, the first Small Farm Summit held April 15, 2011 at SUNY College Old Westbury was attended by more than 600 people interested in locally sustainable agriculture on Long Island.

Organizers of the 2012 Summit are expecting to bring together an even larger, more diverse group of educators, farmers, parents, children, municipalities, land trusts, not-for-profits, community leaders, restaurant owners and chefs, and concerned citizens focused on strengthening the local food system and increasing community awareness of and access to more locally grown food."

Thursday: Rally Against Fracking with Food & Water Watch
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM at Mary Jane Davies Green

200 Plandome Road, Manhasset, NY

Facebook Event Page

"Long Islanders will be directly affected by hydraulic fracturing. Fracking upstate will increase our air pollution, and could send millions of gallons of toxic and radioactive wastewater to treatment facilities on Long Island. That is why this coming Thursday, December 15th, at 3:30 PM, Food and Water Watch, Grassroots Environmental Education and Reach Out America will be holding a rally to show that Long Islanders care about hydraulic fracturing. The rally will take place at the Mary Jane Davies Green in Manhasset- the small park right on Plandome Road, near the train Manhasset train station. Come, and bring as many friends and family members as possible!"

Event: Organic Corner's "Survive the Holidays"

Organic Corner, the newly-renovated health food store in Massapequa, will be hosting a "Survive the Holidays" workshop with Letitia Fowler, founder and nutrition & health counselor at Personal Best Health and Wellness.

Organic Corner writes:

"As the holiday season approaches we wanted to help each of you navigate thru the never ending parties/celebrations (aka: season for binge eating) !!! On Saturday December 10th, Please stop by and learn some pointers to not only survive the holidays, but also enjoy them without all the stress and guilt that goes along with it." 


The event will take place this Saturday, December 10th from 2:00 - 3:00pm in Organic Corner's lounge, 37 Broadway, Massapequa NY 11758.

Top Ten Reasons to Buy Food Locally

The list below is copied from With an Ear to the Ground, a collection of essays about sustainable agriculture by Vern Grubinger (available at UVM bookstore):

Ten Reasons to Buy Local Food

1. Local food tastes better. The crops are picked at their peak, and farmstead products like cheese are hand crafted for the best flavor. Food imported from far away is older, has traveled on trucks or planes, and has sat in warehouses before it finally gets to you.
2. Local produce is better for you. The shorter the time between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food.
3. Local food preserves genetic diversity. In the modern agricultural system, plant varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen uniformly, withstand harvesting, survive packing and last on the shelf, so there is limited genetic diversity in large-scale production. Smaller local farms, in constrast, often grow many different varieties to provide a long harvest season, in an array of colors and flavors.
4. Local food is safe. There's a unique kind of assurance that comes from looking a farmer in the eye at farmers market or driving by the fields where your food comes from. Local farmers aren`t anonymous and they take their responsibility to the consumer seriously.
5. Local food supports local families. Wholesale prices that farmers get for their products are low, often near the cost of production. Local farmers who sell directly to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food, which helps farm families stay on the land.
6. Local food builds community. When you buy direct from a farmer, you are engaging in a time-honored connection between eater and grower. Knowing the farmer gives you insight into the seasons, the land, and your food. It gives you access to a place where your children and grandchildren can go to learn about nature and agriculture.
7. Local food preserves open space. When farmers get paid more for their products by marketing locally, they are less likely to sell their farmland for development. When you buy locally grown food, you are doing something proactive to preserve our agricultural landscape.
8. Local food keeps taxes down. According to several studies, farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas most other kinds of development contribute less in taxes than the cost of the services they require.
9. Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Well-managed farms conserve fertile soil and clean water in our communities. The farm environment is a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds, and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife.
10. Local food is an investment in the future. By supporting local farmers today, you are helping ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow.

as found here.

And I'd add that...

11. Local food inspires new recipes & seasonal eating. Farm stands can introduce you to a variety of fruits & vegetables beyond the standard potatoes & carrots you can find in the store. Ever cook with a garlic scape or use celeriac instead of celery? Local farms can introduce you to new crops as they come up, and many farmers are even willing to let you sample unfamiliar items.

12. Local food gives a sense of place. I know that "fertility" and "abundance" aren't the first things that come to mind when I imagine my suburb's landscape, but seeing a productive farm emerge in my community makes me proud of where I come from & happy to be a part of this place.  Reconnecting to the towns we grow up in can restore those feelings of community & home.

13. Local food introduces new friends. With regular local shopping, you're bound to start seeing familiar faces, and chances are that many of those faces have something in common with you. They may be neighbors, members of local organizations, or fellow locovore/vegetarian/gluten-free/all organic -eaters like yourself. Many people shop locally simply because they prefer the friendlier environment of farm stands.

14. Local food helps sync bodies with the seasons. As reported in this Grist article, our bodies have been eating seasonally for hundreds of years, until the recent phenomenon of industrialized agriculture in the last few decades. Although these adaptations may not be necessary anymore (ex: stocking up on fats before a cold winter in the forest), it can still have effects on our hormones. 

Incredible, Edible, Humane Eggs

I know a post is long overdue!  I plan to continue posting, but Locally Long Island is no longer my senior thesis project.  Instead, I'm researching urban environmental education and the resources available in New York City.  If you have any information, please let me know!  I'll be posting some environmental education programs for children on Long Island ASAP.


So back to the topic: humane eggs!  I was thrilled to find out that the Nest Fresh eggs I bought from Walbaums today were as cruelty-free as they advertised.  Because there are no regulations or labeling standards for terms like "cage-free," "free-range," and "humanely raised" for meat and animal products, many manufactures use the terms very loosely.  For example, "free-range" chickens have access to outdoors, but the frequency, quality, and availability of their outdoor time is not standardized.  Therefore, a small window or doorway could qualify a facility as "free-range," even if the majority of the chickens never go outside in their lifetimes.  There are also many cruel practices manufactures use to increase chicken growth and output, like starvation to induce egg production and beak-clipping to prevent chicken interaction and behavior.  Be sure to pay attention to labeling so you can avoid supporting these practices!

It's also important to note that the terms "organic," "all-natural," and "fair wage" are frequently misused, too.  Carefully check out the label's certification system (if there is any) on the web to ensure that the product supports its claims.  Usually there is a section that outlines the standards that must be met for a manufacturer to use their label.

How to Find Health Food Stores in Your Area

[ updated Nov. 20, 2011 ]

Although I'll try my best, it's impossible for me to visit every health food store on Long Island -- but the good news is that this is because there's so many!  I want to post a few tricks for how you can find health food and natural food stores near you.

A moment on shopping...  while chain stores can be easy to find and shop in, smaller family-owned businesses often have much better customer service.  You can feel more comfortable asking questions about products and get more experience-based answers.  You also know that the money you spend on groceries is going directly toward the owners, their employees, and their business, rather than the CEO's of huge conglomerates.

So, how to find health food stores...

[EDIT: Since revamping this blog in the summer of 2011, I've decided to focus exclusively on Nassau County resources. You'll find a listing of Nassau health food stores on the right of this page, under the heading "Local Links".]

1.  Word of Mouth
          Probably the best way to find stores near you is by asking around.  This way, you can get a review of the store from someone you trust.  Ask someone whose diet you admire, or maybe a personal trainer at your gym. 

2.  Yellowpages.com

          An old-school method brought into the modern day, the Yellow Pages' website can list some stores in your local area.  However, not all stores have chosen to be listed in the guide and may not be included.  It can still be a good resource if you don't know where to look.  Googling your city and "health food stores"/"natural food stores" may also work.

3.  Local Publications
          Skim the advertisements in your local newspaper, magazines, Pennysaver, or religious bulletins.  Small businesses sometimes chose to use these local services instead of a larger-scale advertising.

4.  Downtown Areas
          Does your town have a downtown area with lots of shopping and stores?  You may want to browse through those streets one day to see if there's a natural food store. 


Keep your ears and eyes open, and continue reading Locally Long Island!  I'll be posting about my visits to natural food stores on the online throughout the blog.

Rockville Center Farmers' Market

Last Sunday, I visited the Rockville Centre farmers' market at the intersection of Long Beach Road and Sunrise Highway.  The market is open Sundays from 7am-12pm from June through mid November.

I'm always astounded at the variety of fruits and vegetables that show up at this market, AND that this variety is from New York!  There was everything from the standard fall favorites of pumpkins, gourds, carrots, and apples (of every variety) to uncommon foods like Swiss chard, radishes, and bok choy.  I was especially impressed by the peppers selection - there were green, yellow, red, orange, spicy, mild, grilling & snacking peppers...  "The Pickle Man" was there with another impressive selection of standard sour and half sour pickles plus their own unique mixes like horseradish, mustard, and sweet red pepper (my favorite).  There were even treats for hungry canines - vegetable doggie treats, mints, and accessories!  You could also find a stand of local selections of meats and fish.  And last but not least is the stand I hold dear to my Italian heart - fresh, handmade pasta!  I picked up some smoked mozzarella, asparagus ravioli, and meatless rice balls.... mm mmm...



Check out all my pictures from the market.

And here's my shopping list of what I bought there that week:

• emperor, red delicious, and  honey crisp apples (the orchid's own variety - you'd never find THAT at a grocery store!)
• New York honey sticks
• apple pie
• apple cider
• veggie and pumpkin dog treats
• yellow tomatoes (make a great, creamy sauce)
  
• radishes
• carrots
• sweet red pepper and horseradish pickles
  
• smoked mozzarella cheese
• asparagus ravioli 
• meatless rice balls
• a pumpkin

Just walking around that market makes me want to cook!  Everything is so fresh and juicy, and there's such a large selection that excites & inspires you to put things together.  Be sure not to miss out on this market before it's gone until June!




[EDIT]:  For more information on farmers' markets and how to find one near you, see this post.

Looking for recipes to plan for when you go shopping at the market?  The New York Times has recently posted this article with veggie-packed pasta recipes.  You can pick up the vegetables and pasta at your local Long Island farmers' market. 



Please comment on my blog posts and take this survey so I know if I can use this as my senior thesis project!

Happy Fair Trade Month!

October is my favorite month for lots of reasons - it's the first month I'm happy to admit it's fall, there's pumpkins in all my favorite foods (pies, breads, tortellini, lattes), the leaves are changing, it's Halloween, AND it's Fair Trade Month!  A whole 31 days to celebrate the sweet taste of fair wages and sustainable sourcing... mm mmm!

So what is "Fair Trade"?  Check out the official site for more details, but briefly: it's an independent certification system through the nonprofit TransFair USA that lets consumers know that a product has been created with fair wages, safe working conditions, and sustainable practices.  A good example is Fair Trade Certified coffee.  Typically, coffee bean farmers receive the lowest pay possible for their labor from a "middle-man" company, which then sells the beans to larger processing company at a much higher price.  That way, the middle-man's costs are low, and their profits are disproportionately high.  Fair Trade cuts out that middle-man so that the farmers receive a reasonable and just price for their hard work.  They prohibit the use of "harmful agrochemicals and GMOs" (that's Genetically Modified Organisms - plants whose seeds' genes have been altered in a laboratory) for employee and consumer health.  They encourage organic farming and sustainable practices like crop rotation, careful logging selection, and hand-picking fruits (instead of a machine shaking them off a plant).  Overall, Fair Trade certifies that your product was made in conditions that respect workers' lives AND your life, by offering you hand-picked, carefully grown products.

How do you know if a product is Fair Trade?  The US Fair Trade logo is seen on their website: A man in black and white carrying two baskets with the colors inverted on each half of him.  You can scroll down on this page of their official website to see the logo, as well as other popular Fair Trade labels and how they are different.  If there's not an official TransFair logo, it's not Fair Trade!

Where are Fair Trade products on Long Island?  You can use their Where to Buy tool on their website to enter your zip code and see what stores near you carry Fair Trade products.  You can find certified products in almost every health food store and even some mainstream stores.  Some popular brands that have certified products in their line are Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, and Ben and Jerry's, and some stores they list on the "Where to Buy" page include Wal-Mart, Target, Sam's Club, Costco, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's.  I've also seen Fair Trade products in health food stores I've visited - Eden's Way in Massapequa, Jandi's in Oceanside, and Wild by Nature in East Setauket, Huntington, Hampton Bays, and Oceanside. 


Keep your eyes peeled for that Fair Trade logo, and have a happy Fair Trade October!  (click the link for a daily Fair Trade fact every day in October)

Farmers' Markets on Long Island

If you've been curious about farmers' markets on Long Island, it's not too late to visit one!  Harvest time is perfect to check out New York's selection of squash, zucchini, gourds, tomatoes, apples, apple cider, and other veggies.  You can also find fruit, homemade pies, fresh pasta, cheese and sometimes fish.  Most markets are open through November, so you can even have a local Thanksgiving.

Here's a quick list of markets for Bayville, East Meadow, Garden City, Glen Cove, Long Beach (Kennedy Plaza), Locust Valley, Port Washington, Rockville Centre, and Roslyn.  If you don't see your city listed, try your town's website or Googling your city and "farmers' markets".


Farmers' markets are usually open one day a week, often on the weekends (Kennedy Plaza in Long Beach is open two days).  At the market, farmers from a local radius, which varies from market to market, set up stands and sell their produce.  Usually they will invite guests to try their food and are eager to talk about their produce and practices.  Markets become much more of a community than just a store - there's "regulars" that come to the market every week, the same vendors all season, and a welcome for newcomers.  You're also always invited to BYO Bag and reduce disposable bag waste!

Happy Harvest, and enjoy the local bounty!