POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Poughkeepsie Farm Project (PFP) is hosting Harvest Fest to celebrate the grand opening of Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm, a new quarter-acre urban farm taking root in the heart of Poughkeepsie, on Saturday, October 2 from 11am-3pm. Harvest Fest is a culmination of a community-wide partnership with PFP, Ecological Citizens Project (ECP), Nubian Directions, Glynwood Foundation, Poughkeepsie Alliance, Community Changemakers, New City Parks, Scenic Hudson, Pershing Parknership, and the City of Poughkeepsie to create a community-led food resource and skill-building hub for children and families that lack easy access to fresh produce and after-school programming.
Visitors to Harvest Fest can experience a variety of games and activities including crafts, dancing, music, giveaways, stone painting, drawing, blueberry bush planting, free food, garden bed sign-ups, and DIY herbal body care products, all led by PFP, Scenic Hudson, and ECP. Free produce and school supplies will be available for visitors to take home along with PFP’s favorite recipes, tips, and ideas for how to use and store vegetables. Event speakers include Desiree King, from St. Marks AME Zion; Madeline Henriquez, PFP’s Executive Director; Tania Hernandez-Martinez, PFP’s Assistant Garden Educator & Community Garden Steward; Jocelyn Apicello, ECP’s Program Director; Nick Jackson, ECP’s Pershing Urban Farm Regenerator; Dave Llewellyn, Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming Director of Farmer Training; Will Artist, Nubian Directions II Inc. Construction Manager; and more.
Scenic Hudson took the first step in supporting and building healthy lifestyles for city children and families by spearheading the construction of the Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm last Fall. This Spring, YouthBuild Americorps Program of Nubian Directions II, Inc., built the farm’s tool shed and garden plots with help from PFP and Scenic Hudson who have also facilitated free cooking workshops and learning opportunities. To date, garden beds have been filled by local residents or community organizations that provide work or services within Poughkeepsie. Scenic Hudson and Glynwood have provided financial support to ensure the success of the Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm.
PFP’s Executive Director, Madeline Henriquez, said, “This event manifesting is in line with our mission to cultivate local leadership in sustainable farming, food access, and education, and to foster an inclusive, welcoming community for everyone.”
Scenic Hudson’s River Cities Program Director, Zoraida Lopez Diago, said, “Scenic Hudson is excited to be partnering with Poughkeepsie Farm Project and the other groups involved in the creation of the Pershing Avenue Neighborhood Farm. I also want to thank the City of Poughkeepsie for making this land available. The response of the neighborhood to these positive changes has been so gratifying, and we look forward to deepening this work in the years to come.”
PFP has grown its impact substantially since it began in 1999 with three acres of revived farmland leased from Vassar College and 70 CSA shareholders. Twenty years later, the organization has grown to support 500 CSA shareholders that take home 80% of the 90 tons of certified naturally grown produce harvested each year from PFP’s 15-acre urban farm. The other 20% is distributed through PFP’s Food Share program, which aims to address hunger, increase local food access, and create a healthier community.
The farm is also an educational resource for children, teens, and adults to experience learning through a variety of hands-on activities, such as identifying and harvesting vegetables, cooking with farm-fresh produce, and interacting with the environment on farm tours. Each year, PFP reaches more than 7,000 children and adults through its educational programming.
To learn more about Poughkeepsie Farm Project and the Harvest Fest Event, contact Executive Assistant, Lydia Hatfield at pfpadmin@farmproject.org.