brooklyn skillshare: a day of learning, making, sharing, doing

I just love learning new skills. How 'bout you?

In the last year I've taken classes on block-printing, jewelry making, and sewing, and taught myself crochet. I'm also learning about permaculture, and I've signed up for a lotion and soap-making class that starts this fall (oh yeah, Happy Autumnal Equinox!). I keep piling on learning upon learning, and I'm hoping there's room in my noggin to squeeze in some more new skills.

That's where Brooklyn Skillshare comes in. The Brooklyn Skillshare is a one-day event of learning, making, sharing, doing!

The best part is, it's free to the public with a suggested donation for participation. But in order for it to remain free, Brooklyn Skillshare needs your help. They have 18 days to reach their goal of $1200 to cover costs such as renting the venue for the event, paying a bike valet, supplies, food, and more.

It's shaping up to be an amazing event with the following groups sharing skills:

* Bags for the People - create sustainable alternatives to plastic bags using re-purposed materials
* Fiber Arts - knitting and felting using natural materials
* Treasure Everywhere! - glass bottles into cups, bowls, and vases
* Home audio production using Digital Performer
* Bicycle Mechanics 101
* How to brew kombucha
* Natural/organic metal casting and jewelry making
* Screen-printing basics & DIY techniques
* Taking care of yourself with massage basics
* DIY Electronics: Fun with LEDs, solder, sound, and the Arduino
* Basic Raw Food Preparation: the art of “uncooking”
* Party Favorites: infused liquor, homemade ginger ale & tasty snacks
* Make Your Own Butter and Ricotta (with Recipes and Ideas for Using Both)

It's an all day affair with 5 blocks of classes that are 1.5 hour long, and 3 classes happening per block. You can attend as many or as few classes as you wish, so make the most of it and attend the whole day!

Won't you help fund this incredible event? I just did. So far they've received $221 in funding. That means they only have $979 to go. You can pledge as little as $1. So after you pledge (click on the widget above or go here), go tell 978 of your friends to help out with this amazing day of skill sharing.

Oh, and here are the details for the event:

The First Annual Brooklyn Skillshare
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10th, 2009
@ Gowanus Studio Space
119 8th street
Brooklyn, New York, 11215
Suite 202, Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

See you there!

do chickens get seasick?

Below the BQE, in a barren industrialized part of Brooklyn, was docked the Waterpod...

Do chickens get seasick? Does sea air help or hinder the tomatoes? If you get a chance to visit the Waterpod – 3,000 square foot living 'art-installation' barge – could you do me a favor and ask these questions? A combination of heat and a weekend's worth of permaculture lessons fried my noodle when I went to visit the operation on the Brooklyn waterfront last Sunday.

Here are some things to look forward to on your visit (they're currently docked in Staten Island):


Bucky, eat your heart out.


Hey, your squash is hanging out!


These ladies are just minding their own business.


Grey water filtration system - awesome!


There shouldn't be a mutiny on this bounty. (Ouch!)


Looks like a healthy tomato crop - no scurvy here


Some worthy shipmates saving amaranth seeds


Inside the living room - it was pretty cozy I'll have to admit


Get the poop on the Waterpod

And some press on NY Times

bk farmyards fundraiser: come & get it!

Howdy pardners! The dinner bell's ringin' and I'm hungry for some change. And by change I mean bringing some country to the city - that new ol' fangled thang called urban farming.

BK Farmyards is itchin' to grow food on your tiny parcel of city land. So mosey on down to this Saturday's fundraiser to support the cause (RSVP here). Then take a gander at my latest post about BK Farmyards on the Brooklyn Food Coalition blog. But before you leave this here page, check out this video on Stacey Murphy, the lady behind BK Farmyards:

NYC's Cool New Backyard Farms: Growing More Than Just Produce from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

Here's the info again in case you missed it:

AUGUST 22
BK FARMYARDS FUNDRAISER
3pm-12am
hosted @ COMPOUND brooklyn
1287 Atlantic Ave, near Nostrand
2 blocks Nostrand A stop;
2-3 blocks B44, B65 , B25;
LIRR Nostrand stop steps away

Please RSVP on Facebook

Live bands, original artworks, dance troupe, local food & drinks, growing display, cooking demonstrations, and games: Fun for all ages. Bring along a blanket to picnic on the grass. Suggested donation $5 at the door or pay what you can. All donations go toward creating more farmyards. We are currently working with developers on converting 3 acres to farm next year. Gift certificates for Get Fresh Table and Market, Ici, Franny’s, The Farm on Adderley, Brooklyn Kitchen, Edible Brooklyn, and more will be auctioned off.

Pass the word along! Help us build more farms!

growing & greeting & eating for a cause

Several sustainable food-type events of note are coming up -- from lessons on growing your own food to a peaceful protest against unhealthy school food.

Window Box and Container Gardening 101
Saturday, August 15, 2009
12:30 pm
Pershing Hall, Governors Island, NYC



Come check out featured speaker Bilen Berhanu, from Green Thumb NYC,
in an event sponsored by the CUNY Institute for Sustainable City's
Summer Speaker Series and Art and Science Exhibition on Governors
Island.

"Want to eat from your own garden, but think you don't have enough
space? Learn the design elements for a good container or window box-
the perfect solution when you're short on growing space-as well as
soil mixtures that work well, and tips for planting and maintaining
containers all year."

Transportation to Governors Island is free and easy! For more
information, including ferry schedules, check out govisland.com.

For more information on the CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities and
our other events on Governors Island throughout the summer, check out http://cunysustainablecities.org or email ciscevents@gmail.com.

Check out our Art for Sustainability and Science Research Poster
Contests, exhibited every Saturday in Pershing Hall on Governors
Island from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., all summer long from June 27 to
September 5 (except July 4).

The Welcome Table
Thursday, August 20
6:00 pm
Red Hook Community Farm
Free and open to all



This event is the culmination of Youth Leaders' work at Added Value. Teens have designed the layout, menu, and activities for the night that include an interactive culinary lesson led by teens as an appetizer and a prepared meal in collaboration with chefs and food professionals.

The night will begin with a Community Meal led by our young culinary wizards. You will experience first hand what your meal looks like from soil to salad and break bread with all hands who have helped prepare our food. In addition, we will share a meal of seasonal vegetables, locally raised meat, and other delicious treats prepared by a local chef and food professional. You will take home a full belly, how to make three winning dishes and good conversation with people in our community.

The night is supported by Partnership for Parks and the Added Value Welcome Table dinner series. The mission of the Welcome Table is to bring people from different backgrounds and communities together by gathering around tables of good food to learn and converse about topics and issues important to the work of Added Value. On August 20th, teens will be presenting how they have grown as individuals in the food movement and creating dialogue with guests about sustainability, growing and cooking your own food, and the mission of Added Value.

[via The Word on Columbia Street]

Time for Lunch Eat-In
Get Real Food In Schools
Labor Day, Monday, September 7
12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Schoolyard of PS 9 Teunis G. Bergen School
80 Underhill Ave on St. Mark’s Ave

What: Potluck lunch, kids’ activities, speakers, conversation
Why: To send a clear message to Congress: It’s time to provide America’s children with real food at school.

We are asking participants to bring a dish to the Eat-In. But to really get the point across to budget-conscious administrators and politicians, we are issuing the following challenge.

Please try to bring a dish to share that:
• Is nutritious and uses whole, plant-based foods (not processed foods)
• Costs less than $20 to make
• Is delicious to kids

If you can, please also bring your own plates, cups, utensils, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Get more info and to RSVP

Other Eat-Ins are happening throughout Brooklyn. Find out where.

forbidden sweetness

As we rebel against the current crappy industrialized food system, and as more & more people migrate to big cities, urban agriculture is going to become more & more prevalent. And where would a successful urbanized & localized agricultural system be without pollinators?

By pollinators in this case, I'm strictly talking bees.

Unlike other cities across the nation, beekeeping is still illegal in NYC. Despite that little obstacle, it's becoming increasingly popular, especially in Brooklyn.

Here's a great little video featuring some Brooklyn restaurateurs who are in the business of bees:

Brooklyn's Urban Beekeepers: Breaking The Law For The Planet (Part I) from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

Read more about the work being done to legalize beekeeping.

Sign the petition to legalize the bees.

local food love: the bk farmyards fundraiser

Come one, come all to the BK Farmyards fundraiser event - our own little slice of local food heaven right here in Brooklyn. Guaranteed to be a good time with live bands, original artworks, dance, local food & drinks, cooking demonstrations, and games. Won't you join me?

CELEBRATE LOCAL FOOD



bk farmyards FUNDRAISER
hosted @ COMPOUND brooklyn
AUGUST 22, 2009, 2pm-12am

1287 Atlantic Ave, near Nostrand: 2 blocks Nostrand A stop; 2-3 blocks B44, B65 , B25; LIRR Nostrand stop steps away

RSVP on facebook

Live bands, original artworks, dance troupe, local food & drinks, growing display, cooking demonstrations, and games: Fun for all ages.

Bring along a blanket to picnic on the grass.

Suggested donation $5 at the door or pay what you can. All donations go toward creating more farmyards. We are currently working with developers on converting 3 acres to farm next year.

Gift certificates for Get Fresh Table and Market, Ici, Franny's, The Farm on Adderley, Brooklyn Kitchen, Edible Brooklyn, and more will be auctioned off.

Pass the word along! Help us build more farms!

nyc has 48 hours worth of food

What would happen if we were cut off from the US food supply chain? A scary prospect, but NYC has become wholly dependent on outside resources for food. But there's a growing trend in this city - urban agriculture. Come support this movement toward food independence with an organization that's making it all happen: BK Farmyards.

BK Farmyards Fundraiser
Saturday, August 22
3pm-12am
@ COMPOUND Brooklyn
Atlantic Avenue (btwn New York & Nostrand)

We are raising money for farming a couple sites next year, and we need your help!

How you can help us build more farms:
1. VOLUNTEER to help the day of the event.
2. DONATE FOR AUCTION. We are looking for local restaurants who want to donate a meal coupon to be auctioned off at the event. These restaurants will be featured in all promotional fliers. We are also looking for local artists who would want to donate work for a silent auction. Artists determine base price and what percentage they would like to donate to BK Farmyards.
3. PERFORM. Would your band like to play? Would you like to make balloon animals for the kids?
4. OTHER IDEAS? You tell me.

Please pass the word on: this will be an all-day party for all ages. We will auction off our produce with cooking demonstrations. There will be trampolines and food...great combination!

bk farmyards is a Brooklyn based decentralized farming network providing local food to reduce the city’s reliance on fossil fuels and offering local jobs to boost the economy. We are seeking partnerships with developers willing to temporarily transform their idle land to farmyard; homeowners who want to eat from their own yard; and city agencies holding under-utilized land. Our strategy is to stay nimble, growing food between the cracks of urban development. bk farmyards mission is to bring communities together around the dinner table: our organization’s educational agenda includes eating seasonally, how to grow food locally, how to store and prepare food, species biodiversity, and food democracy.

is the gowanus canal really sponge worthy?

The Gowanus Canal Issues, dlandstudio

Most New Yorkers, especially Brooklynites, know the beloved Gowanus Canal is teeming with nasty things: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), petroleum, raw sewage, and even gonorrhea. Since the late 1800s, the canal has been an unregulated dumping grounds for industry along its banks.

The canal is finally getting the attention it needs. Whether it ends up being an EPA Superfund site, or - if Bloomie get's his way - the city cleans it up without the Feds, there is one organization ensuring the clean up and beautification happens - The Gowanus Canal Conservancy.

The Conservancy is working on, among other things, a Sponge Park that will make the Gowanus an inviting place for a leisurely stroll or sit, instead of the putrid, toxified wasteland it currently is. The "sponge" in this case are plants that filter out the nasties (sewage, heavy metals, petrol) that seep into the canal - water which eventually flushes out into the East River and the Atlantic beyond. A tall order indeed, but I'm optimistic that it'll happen. All government agencies are on board and $300,000 was recently earmarked to help fund the park.

You can help out by donating or by volunteering for on one of their Clean & Green days. There's one this Saturday, July 25. Sign up via email:
volunteer@gowanuscanalconservancy.org
(include your name, phone number and dates you’d like to participate).

farm to table guest post

On Sunday, I visited Rooftop Farms, an amazing (as the name suggests) rooftop farm in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Read all about it in this guest post I did on Farm to Table, sustainable food blog and reality show.

brooklyn food coalition general meeting

Do you like food? Do you like food that's healthful and sustainably produced? Want to get involved in shaping the way food is produced and distributed locally?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, come to the first
Brooklyn Food Coalition General Meeting!

What: Brooklyn Food Coalition General Meeting
Why: To approve the mission and structure of the Coalition and the convening of neighborhood groups
When: WEDNESDAY, JULY 22nd from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Brooklyn Ethical Culture Society
53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Get the full details here.

upcoming events - food, water, walking, and more

Friday, July 17

The Transition Movement Talk
7pm to 8:30pm
(RSVP for location)

The Transition Movement is a method of community organizing and education that builds broad, grassroots support for sustainability while increasing resilience to the climate change, energy and economic crises. The future will be increasingly low carbon and local. Engaging people now in a planned transition will ensure ways of life that are more abundant, fulfilling, equitable, sustainable, and socially connected. Since emerging in Ireland in 2005, the Transition movement has spread virally across the UK and beyond, with hundreds of Transition initiatives now underway. Learn about this rapidly growing global movement. Tina Clarke of the Sustainability Institute has served as director of Greenpeace USA’s citizen action network and as campaign director for Clean Water Action. The Training will show you how to set up a successful Transition Initiative, or to enhance current sustainability projects. Receive imaginative and inspiring tools for community outreach and engagement.

The talk is free, but the subsequent workshop, held over Saturday and Sunday is $250.

More info here


Saturday, July 18

City of Water Day
@ Governor's Island
10am to 4pm
FREE

A FREE day of entertainment, education & adventure for the whole family celebrating the potential of our waterfront!

On July 18th thousands from the Tri-State region will float, ferry, paddle, row, splash, canoe, and kayak their way to beautiful Governors Island for the 2nd Annual City of Water Day Festival.

From the upper Hudson to Raritan Bay, we are a City of Water—yet too many of us are cut off from this tremendous resource. Help us revitalize the waterfront with a festival for the entire family.

More info here and here


Sunday, July 19

Rooftop Farms
Farm Market and more!
9am to 4pm

Rooftop Farms, a 6,000 square foot organic vegetable farm in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

• 10am-4pm Farm Market! We’re selling straight from the farm. Help keep us packaging-free by bringing your own favorite bag or basket
• 9am-4pm Volunteers welcome. Email rooftopfarmer@gmail.com for details
• 2pm Free workshop on urban gardening and farming. Troubleshoot, ask, grow!

More info here

[Tip-off thanks to Judy Harper @ GreenEdgeNYC]


GreenEdge NYC & Green Boroughs Walking Tour
12:45pm to 3pm

The tour on July 19 (register now!) begins in the West Village and ends in Soho. It features a wonderful green bakery, two beautiful community gardens, and a couple of charming green boutiques. The last stop will be the new Green Depot store in Soho. The tour on Sunday, October 25 (register now!) is in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It features a couple of charming green boutiques, 3R Living, a wonderful Revolutionary War museum, and a community garden. All tours have plenty of opportunities to stop and rest, buy a beverage, or use bathroom facilities.

Tickets: Special recession pricing $15! (was $25)

More info here


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Farm Stand
@ The James Beard House
167 West 12 Street
6:30 to 8:30pm

The Food Bank For New York City Young Professionals and James Beard Foundation Greens present The Farm Stand. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Food Bank and the James Beard Foundation. Proceeds will go towards purchasing farm shares at Roxbury Farm to help fill the Food Bank's Community Kitchen & Food Pantry of West Harlem with seasonal fruit and vegetables for hungry New Yorkers.

Participating Chefs:

• Daniel Eardley of Chestnut, Brooklyn
• Shanna Pacifico of Back Forty, Manhattan
• Matt Weingarten of Inside Park, Manhattan

Tickets are $85; or $75 for James Beard Foundation Members
For reservations, call 212.627.2308 or 1.800.36.BEARD

More info here

[via Manhattan User's Guide]


And in the near future...

Let Us Eat Local
Gala & Award Ceremony
brought to you by Just Food

Wednesday, September 16
6pm to 10pm
Tickets available now at the New York Charities website. Early Bird ticket prices available for a limited time only. Click here to buy your tickets now. General Admission: $150 - early bird $125 VIP: $235 - early bird $215 This year, we will offer tastings from more than 30 of NYC's best restaurants and food producers, including: Angelica Kitchen - Aureole - Blue Hill - Candle 79 - Cookshop / Hundred Acres / Five Points - Da Silvano - Dirt Candy - Gramercy Tavern - Great Performances - The Green Table - Jean Georges - Jimmy's No. 43 - Marlow & Sons - Mas - Pure Food and Wine - Rose Water - Rouge Tomate - Saul - Telepan - The Tipsy Parson - Join us as we celebrate Just Food's delicious mission -- to connect New York City residents with sensational, seasonal, locally grown food.

growing food in unlikely places

Sales of organic seeds jumped about 50% this year from the last. Books and films about sustainable food are oozing into the mass market. Whether people are starting to care more about where their food comes from or are just looking to save a few bucks, homegrown food is sprouting up everywhere. Even in some unusual places...

A shelf in our office


The flatbed of a pickup truck in Red Hook, Brooklyn



A 6,000 sq ft rooftop in Greenpoint [Rooftop Farms]



A barge (and another barge) in NYC [Waterpod and Science Barge]

[image: NY Times]

Governor's Island [Added Value]

[image: Treehugger]

Where does your garden grow?

latest brooklyn food conference post

Hey trusty readers, check out my latest post for the Brooklyn Food Conference/Coalition! (click the pic below)

wink eco beauty bar

I'm a pretty low-maintenance lady. I only wear makeup maybe twice a year, have very few products in my daily beauty regimen, and keep my nails au naturale. So these days, because it's sort of a special occasion for me to get a manicure and pedicure, I'm particular about where I have this service performed.

Luckily for me, I live right near a new eco-friendly beauty salon - Wink. I noticed their sign a few months ago, and had been waiting for an opportunity to check them out. Enter this weekend's wedding.

My friend and I got there for our appointments right when they opened at 11 am, despite the pouring rain (blech!). We picked from the selection of DBP-, touluene-, and formaldehyde-free nail colors on the wall and headed over to the cushy chairs for the pedicure. All of the products used at Wink Beauty Bar are sans parabens, phthalates and other nasty chems.

After the pedicure we enjoyed a manicure at the bar that's covered in AFM Safecoat non-toxic finish. Wink offers other services, like massage, body scrubs, makeup, and waxing, all with earth-friendly ingredients.

I highly recommend Wink for their friendly and professional service, comfortable environs, and of course, green products and practices.

W!NK eco beauty bar
602 Vanderbilt Avenue
(St. Mark's Ave & Prospect Pl)
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn 11238
718.230.3443

Don't live near Wink? Check out this post about less toxic (no nail polish is really non-toxic) options for painting those toe- and finger-tips, plus a few additions:

• Zoya
• Peacekeeper
• OPI (look for the green label!)
• Dr. Remedy
  

blogging for brooklyn food coalition

I'm psyched. I'm part of an amazing movement that's happening in Brooklyn right now. It started with the Brooklyn Food Conference (well, I guess it started months before the BFC, by those great people that planned and organized that incredible event). It's taken on new life as the Brooklyn Food Coalition, and it has the power to change the way people in this borough (and city, and nation) eat, for the better.

My part in this whole thing is specifically participating in neighborhood meetings, especially meetings in my own neighborhood, and blogging about it.

Check out my first post on the Brooklyn Food Conference/Coalition website

And in related news...
New food co-ops coming to Brooklyn
If you live in Park Slope or any of the surrounding neighborhoods, you probably know about the Park Slope Food Co-op. It's a thriving cooperative business that provides a community of participants with healthful food choices, including locally sourced produce. Well, it seems other neighborhoods in Brooklyn are seeking a similar arrangement. As I mention in the BFC post, new co-ops are springing up in other parts of Brooklyn. That's good news for small farms in the New York area, for the local economy, and of course for Brooklyn residents. When I wrote the post, I didn't know about a new Bay Ridge food co-op that's forming, but I was quickly informed. (See email message below). So if you live in Bay Ridge and are interested in becoming a member, check out their website, sign up for their newsletter, check them out on Twitter (@thefoodcoop), get involved!

Hi Liz - just saw your piece on the Brooklyn Food Conference site, and thought I'd get in touch. I'm coordinating the effort to bring a food co-op to Bay Ridge, and sat on the food co-op panel at the conference, alongside Greene Hill, Kalabash and others. I wanted you to know a little bit about us too.

The Bay Ridge Food Co-op has a database in excess of 700 people, and is now moving to start collecting membership equity from people, we've made as much progress as the other co-ops you've mentioned. Like all the nascent co-ops though, we need help to drive membership, and if you do anything on co-ops again, it would be great to get a mention...

Best wishes,
David Marangio

another food film, part of BAMcinemaFEST

[image: BAM]

What's On Your Plate?
Saturday, June 27 at 9pm
Outdoor screening in Fort Greene Park
FREE
Part of BAMcinemaFEST

Directed by Catherine Gund
With Sadie Hope-Gund, Safiyah Riddle
2009, 73min

You’ve read Omnivore's Dilemma and Fast Food Nation and you try to buy local and organic produce at your neighborhood farmer's market. But do you really know how what you're eating ended up on your table? Through the eyes of two intelligent and inquisitive eleven-year-old girls from New York City, we follow the many paths, the conflicting economics, and the disparate decision makers who all play a part in what we eat. Ideal for families to watch together, the film presents a variety of perspectives on how food reaches our urban community and its associated challenges. Presented in conjunction with The Afro-Punk Festival, July 3—8.

Check out the film's website here.

food rules: events coming (really) soon!

Food. We can't live without it. This fact is especially clear to two disparate groups: the impoverished and the powerful (i.e., big agro-biz). And because of this (and other reasons), our current food system is pretty messed up. Learn how you can get involved by supporting local food and getting informed with these events, from film screenings to bee celebrating.


Brooklyn Food Coalition neighborhood meetings
Starting Wednesday, June 10

The recent Brooklyn Food Conference held in Park Slope Brooklyn, a wildly successful event brimming with valuable information on how to secure healthy food for all has spawned these neighborhood gatherings to help people get involved in food policy and other food-related action. Find out if your neighborhood is hosting one and when it's happening at the BFC website.


Food, Inc. (the film)
Wednesday, June 10
@ Bell House

An eye-opening look at the current state of the creation of modern food. This looks like a must see, for sure. Too bad it's happening at the same time as my neighborhood BFC meeting!
Here's a little preview:


Watch the official trailer
Get tickets
[via Brooklyn Based]


We Feed The World (another film)
Thursday, June 11
@ The Be-Hive
(55 Bethune St #215)

$10.00 suggested donation
Doors Open at 6:30 pm, screening begins at 7pm
Bring a dish for a Potluck Supper!
Stay for the discussion after the film

In case one disturbing food film isn't enough for you - A sobering portrait of the people who define the contemporary food industry, where the constant pursuit of profit takes precedence over the health of the workers, the hungry & the environment. (Austria-96 min)

The trailer is in German, but you'll get the idea:


Learn more about the event here.

NB - If you can't make it to the screening, this one's on DVD, and I think the whole movie is available online here.


Celebrate Pollinator Week
with Just Food
Monday, June 22 to Sunday, June 28

In honor of our hard-working, winged friends, Just Food and the Pollinator Week Planning Committee are pulling together a whole series of sweet events in order to raise awareness and support for urban beekeeping. We hope you'll join us:

Beekeepers Ball
Monday, June 22
Water Taxi Beach - South Street Seaport
(Pier 17 - 89 South St)
I'm getting buzzed just thinking about it (ha!)...
A not-to-be missed evening of sweetness and buzz... Indulge in the nectar of honey-infused cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and waggle dance the night away.
Find out more and get your tickets here.

New York Nectar
All week long
Mmmmm, I'm getting hungry!
Signature Pollinator Week dishes & drinks featuring local honey at New York's favorite restaurants, including: Back 40, Bobo, Jimmy's No. 43, Mae Mae Cafe, Palo Santo, Rose Water, Savoy and many more!

Honey Fest
Friday, June 26
@Union Square
A full day of fun at Union Square Greenmarket! Come enjoy tastings, demonstrations, and costumed antics in the park - and don't forget to pick up some local honey while you're there!

And stay tuned - there's more to come!
Sign up for Just Food updates to stay in the loop.


Sharecropper
All summer long
Throughout the city
An experiment in urban agriculture...

Sharecropper invites you to participate in this public art project and micro farming installation by artist Leah Gauthier for one growing season in New York City, Summer 2009. Leah will be using organic growing methods to plant rare and endangered heirloom vegetables and herbs, and to cultivate wild edibles on 17 parcels of donated land or growing spaces located in each of the five boroughs. A portion of the harvest will be shared with local soup kitchens, and series of public programming, including urban farming panel discussions, art happenings, and cooking performances around the city are being planned. This is a personal journey exploring agricultural plant matter and wild edibles as sculptural material, community building through growing and cooking food, re-imagining land use, and re-incorporating agrarian sensibilities and simplicity into modern life.

Read more about this local harvest at Brooklyn Based and Inhabitat.

a whole lotta stuff going on this weekend

Oh man, this is what I live for. Stuff swapping, supporting local arts, enjoying the great outdoors of the urban jungle. Unfortunately I won't be around for the fun this weekend. Hopefully you'll get to enjoy some of these tasty events...

Saturday May 30

"Score!" Freecycling Event
@ BKLYN Yard
11am - 6pm
FREE!


Start gathering your old Twisted Sister albums, ill-advised sample sale purchases, well-intentioned gifts from grandma, those jeans that just don’t fit anymore, etc, and get ready to exchange them for new treasures.

MeanRed Productions is teaming up with FreeNYC, Newmindspace and RefugeNYC (the same folks who brought you the Wall Street Pillow Fight) to transform the waterfront venue, BKLYN Yard, into an open-air free boutique.

Over hundreds of records, clothes, household items, and regretful “impulse buys” will find new homes. This one-day event celebrates the joys of finding treasure in some one else’s trash.

Also:

• Enjoy delicious sweets from the Treats Truck
• All leftover stuff goes to Rock and Wrap It Up – an anti-poverty “think tank” that distributes donations to worth non-profits throughout the city

Full details here.

Sunday May 31

Brooklyn Bike Jumble
@ JJ Byrne Park & Old Stone House
10am - 2pm

On May 31st, JJ Byrne Park and the Old Stone House will host the 1st Brooklyn Bicycle Jumble, New York's only outdoor bicycle flea market and celebration of New York City bike culture.

At this one-day-only-event, private, non-professional vendors will be on hand to sell bicycles, bicycle components, and clothing to the public. If you're looking for kid's bikes, cruisers, BMX, mountain, racers, fixed gears, or any wheeled, pedal-powered machine, or any part for one, come to the Brooklyn Bicycle Jumble.

Click here to send us an email.

[via Brooklyn Based]

All weekend: Friday May 29 to Sunday May 31

Local Produce
You won't find locally grown veggies here - more like fresh food for the creative spirit. Park Slope's own creativity and performance art haven, Spoke the Hub, is putting on one heck of a weekend full of dance, music, stilt walking, hula hooping, you name it. Activities for kids and adults. Let the good times roll. Full details here.

And coming soon, every Sunday in June

Summer Streets
Vanderbilt Ave in Prospect Heights
(this is my 'hood!)


[Not my shot. Image via Brownstoner]

During four consecutive Sundays in June, three blocks of Vanderbilt Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic and transformed into a temporary pedestrian plaza.

Summer Streets on Vanderbilt is designed to encourage the community to come together to shop, stroll and socialize. There will be music, art and gardening, face painting, sun and trees, eating and relaxing, biking and performances, people watching - and whatever else you might like to do. Plus a few surprises.

This temporary, experimental street closure, organized by the Vanderbilt Avenue Merchants District and the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council in cooperation with the NYC DOT, is a smaller version of the successful Summer Streets program that ran along Park Avenue in Manhattan last August and is part of the city’s efforts to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable city as envisioned by the PlanNYC initiative.

How can you help?
You can help by: setting up and clean up on any of the days of the event; distributing flyers and postcards; supervising activities in the "kids zone"; arranging musicians and performers; making a donation to help cover expenses and spreading the word to friends and neighbors. See our contact here.

What if you want to perform?
We welcome musicians, acrobats, visual artists, etc. We'd appreciate it if you could contact us in advance – especially if you are interested in using our sound system and stage. Otherwise, don’t hesitate to bring out your acoustic guitar, juggling balls or hula-hoops.

Can you sell merchandise or promote your business?
No. This is different than a street fair; we will not have outside vendors.

[Streetsblog via Brownstoner]

events for memorial day weekend and beyond

No plans yet this Memorial Day weekend? Here are a few eco-minded events for the holiday and beyond.

Saturday, May 23

Flatbush Supper Club Compost Potluck
Get your hands dirty digging in compost and enjoy a lovely (vegetarian or vegan) potluck meal with some new friends. The fun begins at 3pm.

The Flatbush Supper Club - an ongoing series of community-led potluck meals and environmental discussions - is sponsored by Sustainable Flatbush, GreenEdge Collaborative NYC, and Educating Tomorrow.

Hosted by collaborators just like you, these small potlucks are intended for neighbors to get to know neighbors while sharing their skills, ideas and interests in urban sustainability.

RSVP and get the full details at GreenEdge NYC.

Saturday, May 23 or Sunday, May 24

Crawfish Boil to benefit the Make It Right Foundation
@ SolarONE
(2420 FDR Service Road East @ 22nd Street)
Help yourself to some tasty crawfish while helping the Make It Right Foundation rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans using environmentally sound designs and materials. Make It Right is working with the heavy-hitting cradle-to-cradle architecture firm of William McDonough + Partners.

The feast includes 4 crawfish pours (4-5lbs of crawfish per person) along with corn on the cob, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, sausage and spices served with unlimited beer and New Orleans Hurricanes!

The good times roll from 4 to 8pm.

Get tickets here.

Sunday, May 24

What Will it Take to Create a New World?
The Awakening the Dreamer Initiative
@ Park Slope Food Coop
(782 Union St btwn 6th and 7th, Brooklyn)
Upstairs in the Community Room
FREE

This workshop connects the dots between environmental sustainability, social justice and personal fulfillment, and zooms out to ask, How did we get here? Experience a new sense of hope grounded in action, understanding the future of our planet as not inevitable, but creatable through the global movement of many acting on behalf of our world.

Combining reflection, video and dialogue, this is an experience you will remember! Please plan to attend from start to finish.

RSVP here

Monday, May 25

On the Horizon: Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Potential in New York City
@ SolarONE
(2420 FDR Service Road East @ 22nd Street)
7pm
FREE

Anyone who has visited the top of a Manhattan high-rise knows that our city enjoys a wealth of wind power potential. However, it is only recently that technological designs have emerged that can efficiently, cost effectively and silently convert that potential into electrical power for city buildings.

Russell Tencer is the CEO of AeroCity, a Hudson Valley based start-up that manufactures and markets vertical axis wind turbines. In this discussion Mr. Tencer will survey the technology’s potential and readiness in the New York City area, and review case studies of current and upcoming projects.

FREE AND OPEN TO ALL. Space can be limited, RSVP by calling 212.505.6050 or by e-mail to greenrenter@solar1.org.

Tuesday, May 26

Help Build Biking into NYC's Social Green Map!
@ Open Green Map
(220A East 4th St. in Manhattan's East Village)
4 to 7pm
FREE

We're inviting cyclists and 'non-smoking lane' advocates citywide to Green Map's global office to contribute their fav bike sites, routes and resources to the Open Green Map. Open to exploration, comments and contributions anytime at http://OpenGreenMap.org/nyc, you can help build in the bike sites and lanes in person at this special Bike Month event.

this saturday, the great american book drive!

This Saturday, May 16 from 10am to 3pm at the Brooklyn Public Library, it's the Great American Book Drive. Bring your old, your tired, your weary books to the steps of the grand ol' library in Grand Army Plaza and give them a new home. Full details from BPL below:

As many of you know, this Saturday, May 16, is our second Great American Book Drive, held in conjunction with Better World Books (BWB). Better World Books, is an environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible company that collects and sells books to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. This event at Central Library offers you a chance to clean out your bookshelves and donate unwanted materials to a good cause -- your library!

But before you pack up that shopping back full of old textbooks and Windows '98 user manuals, we wanted to clarify our policy regarding donations:

1) Our first step when we receive a donation is to check the ISBNs of the books we receive with BWB's database to see if they're "sellable"
2) We send "sellable" ones to BWB, which they sell and give proceeds back to us
3) We recycle those books BWB cannot sell
4) We also weed our collections so that we recycle worn-out books, or those that do not circulate to make way for more popular materials

So before you come, please review our donation policy as it would be a shame for you to herniate a disc carrying old items to Central that we ultimately can't use.