April 26, 2010

Celebrating Earth Day at MSLO

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we teamed up with education nonprofit PENCIL to launch an Earth Day poster contest for nine New York City public schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, the Bronx, and Queens.  Each school chose a winning poster to represent grades 1-5.  On Earth Day, we held an event in my New York City offices to celebrate the students and their creative posters.  I, along with four esteemed judges; Lisa Belzberg - PENCIL Founder and Board Chair, Alex Postman - Body+Soul: Whole Living editor, Adrian Benepe - New York City Parks and Recreation Commissioner, and Martin Carey - artist and creator of one of the first Earth Day posters, had the challenge of determining the five grand prize winners. Each entrant received a $50 gift card to Barnes & Noble and the five grand prizewinners each received two roundtrip airline tickets from Jet Blue Airways.

The menu served at this event was mostly local and mostly focused on Greenmarket farmers/producers.
Greenmarket refers to the largest and most successful open-air farmers market program in the country, with 50 Greenmarkets located throughout New York City. It is one of many programs run by GrowNYC (formerly Council on the Environment of NYC).

Guests enjoyed crudités, cheeses, and hors d’oeuvres made from ingredients purchased from the growers listed below.  In addition, there were two non-Greenmarket items served - eggs from my farm and delicious sliders from Fleisher’s grass-fed and organic meats.

Cato Corner Farm
At Grand Army Plaza Saturdays, Union Square Saturdays, Ft. Greene on Saturdays

Consider Bardwell Farm
At Union Square Mondays, Greenpoint/McCarren Park Saturdays, Ft. Greene Saturdays, Tompkins Square Sundays, Abingdon Square Saturdays, Cortelyou Sundays, Carroll Gardens Sundays

Boditree Farm
At Union Square Wednesdays and Fridays and Abingdon Square Saturdays

Cayuga Bread
New York state grown grains!
At Union Square Wednesdays, Grand Army Plaza Saturdays, Greenpoint Saturdays, Cortelyou Saturdays, Carroll Gardens Sundays, 77th Street Sundays
Cayuga Pure Organics has partnered with Orwasher's Bakery to create the most local and responsible bread ever produced!  It has been generations since New York State has produced it's very own bread wheat.

Migliorelli Farm
At Union Square Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and many other locations!

Mountain Sweet Berry Farms
At Union Square Wednesdays and Saturdays

Lynnhaven Goat Cheese
At Union Square Wednesdays and Saturdays and Grand Army Plaza Saturdays