Prepare Beet Thoran with SonyaJoy

Beets are the October Harvest of the Month at PFP!

Make this simple, kid-friendly root vegetable stir fry with a kick of flavor from aromatic Indian curry powder. Before you start cooking, take a mindful moment to breathe and center. Learn about the journey curry took around the world. Finally dive in to prepare and taste test the dish.

Kids love getting their fingers pink from shredding the sweet beets. Be sure to protect your clothes from staining while you cook!

Jump to the end of the video for the complete recipe. Visit our website for more distance learning videos and seasonal recipes.

Companion Video
Learn About Global Beets: https://youtu.be/Wtv8CVVtRxc

Follow us on Social Media
http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarm...
http://facebook.com/farmproject
http://twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Beet Harvest of the Month resource page: http://farmproject.org/beets
More Online Learning with PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online...
Donate to support our work: http://farmproject.org/give

Credits:
Close-up Cooking Video by Rob Kissner
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily
Main Music: “Kids Background” by PeacockMusic

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Prepara Thoran Indu de Remolacha con Lala M.

La cosecha del mes de octubre en Poughkeepsie son las remolachas!

Haga este sencillo salteado de tubérculos para niñes con un toque de sabor del aromático curry indio en polvo. Antes de comenzar a cocinar, tómese un momento consciente para respirar y centrarse. Aprenda sobre el viaje que hizo el curry alrededor del mundo. Finalmente sumérgete para preparar y probar el plato. Esta receta es una versión adaptada de un plato tradicional, simplificado para cocinar con niñes. Para un auténtico thoran de remolacha, pruebe la receta tradicional de Onam Sadya de Kerala, India.

A les niñes les encanta enrojecerse los dedos al triturar las remolachas dulces. ¡Asegúrate de proteger la ropa de las manchas mientras cocinas!

Salte al final del video para ver la receta completa. Visite nuestro sitio web para ver más videos de aprendizaje a distancia y recetas de temporada.

Video complementario
Más información sobre las remolachas globales con PFP

Auténtica remolacha de Kerala Thoran de Onam Sadya
https://www.cookingandme.com/2013/02/13/kerala-beetroot-thoran-recipe-onam/

Página de la cosecha de remolacha del mes
https://www.farmproject.org/beets

Más aprendizaje en línea con Poughkeepsie Farm Project
https://www.farmproject.org/digital-online-learning

Créditos:
Primer plano de video de cocina de Rob Kissner
Edición de posproducción por Forge Media
Música de introducción: "Upbeat Funk Commercial" de GuitarsState
* detalles de la licencia
Mindful Moment Music: "Sweet Gentle Piano" de water_lily
* detalles de la licencia
Música principal: "Kids Background" de PeacockMusic

Learn About Global Beets with PFP

Join Kathryn and the team at Poughkeepsie Farm Project to learn about beet recipes around the world, beet plant parts and more. Then learn about curry dishes around the world, including an Indian beet dish that includes curry spice, Beet Thoran!

The word of the day is microgreens! We will even show you how to grow your own beet microgreens at home or in your classroom.

Relax and get centered with a mindful moment of deep breathing, and a nature moment in the discovery garden where we see how our plants get pollinated.

Companion Videos:
Cook Beet Thoran- English: https://youtu.be/VLoxMAKMuHk
Cook Beet Thoran - Spanish: coming soon!

Follow us on Social Media
http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarmproject/
http://facebook.com/farmproject
http://twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Beets Harvest of the Month page: https://www.farmproject.org/beets
More Online Learning with PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online-learning
Donate to support our work: http://farmproject.org/give

Credits:
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily
Main Music: “Kids Background” by PeacockMusic

Cook Soup Joumou with SonyaJoy

Cook Soup Joumou with SonyaJoy

Español abajo

Celebrate delicious local squash in a flavorful soup from Haiti. Learn how to make this simple recipe for Soup Joumou - Haitian Independence soup. Cook along with SonyaJoy as you dice, sauté and season your way to a dish that the whole family will enjoy. This video will describe where kids can safely get involved with cooking. This recipe was adapted from a traditional recipe, changed to make it easier to include children in cooking. For a traditional Soup Joumou, try the mouth-watering recipe from our friends at Soul Fire Farm.

Jump to the end of the video for the complete recipe. Visit our website for more distance learning videos and seasonal recipes.

Companion Video
Learn About Squash of the Americas with PFP

Soul Fire Farm’s Vegetarian Soup Joumou

https://www.soulfirefarm.org/soup-joumou/

Follow us on Social Media
http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarm...
http://facebook.com/farmproject
http://twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Squash Harvest of the Month resource page: http://farmproject.org/winter-squash
Resources for Educators on Squash: http://bit.ly/squashresources
More Online Learning with PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online...
Donate to support our work: http://farmproject.org/give

Credits:
Close-up Cooking Video by Rob Kissner
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily

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Cocina Sopa Joumou con Lala M.

Cocina Sopa Joumou con Lala M

Celebra la deliciosa calabaza local en una sabrosa sopa de Haití. Aprende a preparar esta sencilla receta de sopa Joumou: sopa de la independencia de Haití. Cocina junto con Lala Montoya, mientras cortas, salteas y sazonas hasta obtener un plato que disfrutará toda la familia. Este video describe dónde les niñes pueden participar de manera segura en la cocina. Salta al final del video para ver la receta completa. Visita nuestre sitio web para ver más vídeos de aprendizaje a distancia y recetas de temporada.

Video complementario Aprenda sobre Calabazas of the Americas con PFP: https://youtu.be/G33spjeDaLs

Síguenes en las redes sociales:

http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarm...

http://facebook.com/farmproject

http://twitter.com/farmproject

Obtenga nuestre boletín informativo para educadores o boletín informativo mensual: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up

Página de recursos de la cosecha de calabaza del mes: http://farmproject.org/winter-squash

Recursos para educadores sobre la calabaza o calabacines: http://bit.ly/squashresources

Más aprendizaje en línea con PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online...

Done para apoyar nuestre trabajo: http://farmproject.org/give

Créditos: Video de cocina de primer plano por Rob Kissner

Edición de postproducción por Forge Media

Música de introducción: "Upbeat Funk Commercial" de Guitars

State Música de Momento contemplativo: "Sweet Gentle Piano" de water_lily

Musica principal: “Kids Background” de PeacockMusic

Learn About Squash of the Americas with PFP

Join Kathryn and the team at Poughkeepsie Farm Project to learn about winter squash, indigenous culture and farming practices! Then learn about a Haitian recipe using winter squash called Soup Joumou.

The word of the day is indigenous! Find out about the indigenous story and wisdom of the three sisters - corn, beans and squash and the practice of seed saving to grow the three sisters crops!

Relax and get centered with a mindful moment of deep breathing, and a nature moment in our seed saving garden. Then learn about indigenous seed keeper Rowen White who is growing ancestral Mohawk seeds with SeedShed in New York's Hudson Valley.

Companion Videos:
Cook Soup Joumou with SonyaJoy - English: https://youtu.be/z-QIYg8HMTE
Cook Soup Joumou with Laura - Spanish: https://youtu.be/wzx6lziND9Y

Learn more about Rowen's seed keeping work: https://youtu.be/IooHPLjXi2g

Follow us on Social Media
http://instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarm...
http://facebook.com/farmproject
http://twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: http://farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Squash Harvest of the Month resource page: http://farmproject.org/winter-squash
Resources for Educators on Squash: http://bit.ly/squashresources
More Online Learning with PFP: http://farmproject.org/digital-online...
Donate to support our work: http://farmproject.org/give

Credits:
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily

West African Jollof Rice with Kale

Prepare West African Jollof Rice with Kale

Español abajo

Celebrate delicious local kale in a mouth-watering rice dish from Ghana, West Africa. This recipe is an adapted version of a traditional dish, changed to include a seasonal vegetable, plant-based protein, and simplified so even small children can help prepare it! Cook along with SonyaJoy as you dice, sauté and season your way to a dish that the whole family will enjoy. This video will describe where kids can safely get involved with cooking. For authentic Nigerian Jollof Rice, try Chef Yewande Komolafe’s traditional recipe featured in the NY Times.

Jump to the end of the video for the complete recipe. Visit our website for more distance learning videos and seasonal recipes.

Companion Video
Learn About Multicultural Kale with PFP: https://youtu.be/xASSV6jc3Fc

Chef Yewande Komolafe’s Nigerian Recipes, NY Times Cooking: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/dining/nigerian-food-yewande-komolafe.html

Follow us on Social Media
instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarmproject/
facebook.com/farmproject
twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
More Online Learning with PFP: farmproject.org/digital-online-learning
Donate to support our work: farmproject.org/give

Kale Harvest of the Month resource page: farmproject.org/kale
Resources for Educators on Kale: https://bit.ly/kaleresources
Tomato Harvest of the Month resource page: farmproject.org/tomatoes-1

Lesson Resource Page: Learn About Multicultural Kale with PFP
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K...


Credits:
Close-up Cooking Video by Rob Kissner
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily

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Prepara Arroz Jollof de África Occidental con Lala M.

¡La cosecha del mes de noviembre en Poughkeepsie es la col rizada! Celebra la deliciosa col rizada local en un delicioso plato de arroz de Ghana, África occidental. Aprende a hacer esta sencilla receta de arroz Jollof con col rizada. Cocina junto con Lala Montoya mientras cortas, salteas y sazonas hasta obtener un plato que disfrutará toda la familia. Este video describirá dónde les niñes pueden participar de manera segura en la cocina. Salta al final del video para ver la receta completa. Visita nuestre sitio web para ver más videos de aprendizaje a distancia y recetas de temporada.

Página de la cosecha de col rizada del mes https://www.farmproject.org/kale

Más aprendizaje en línea con Poughkeepsie Farm Project, la granja de poughkeepsie https://www.farmproject.org/digital-o...

Créditos: Video de cocina de primer plano por Rob Kissner

Edición de postproducción por Forge Media

Música de introducción: "Upbeat Funk Commercial" de GuitarsState

Música de Momento consciente: "Sweet Gentle Piano" de water_lily

Musica principal: “Kids Background” de PeacockMusic

Learn About Multicultural Kale with PFP

Join Kathryn and the team at Poughkeepsie Farm Project to learn about kale, multicultural recipes, and more. Watch kale growing on the farm and get to know an important vegetable that helps kale grow strong - beans!

The word of the day is multicultural! Take a trip to Ghana through storytelling and a classic Ghanaian dish, Jollof Rice.

Relax and get centered with a mindful moment of deep breathing, and a nature moment out in the farm fields. Illustrate and color 3 different kinds of kale: Dinosaur, Red Russian, and Curly Kale.

Companion Videos:
Cook Jollof Rice with Kale - English: https://youtu.be/AUIT2eDMlP0
Cook Jollof Rice with Kale - Spanish (coming soon)

Follow us on Social Media
instagram.com/poughkeepsiefarmproject/
facebook.com/farmproject
twitter.com/farmproject

Get our Educator Newsletter or Monthly Newsletter: farmproject.org/home#list-sign-up
Kale Harvest of the Month resource page: farmproject.org/kale
Resources for Educators on Kale: https://bit.ly/kaleresources
More Online Learning with PFP: farmproject.org/digital-online-learning
Donate to support our work: farmproject.org/give

Anansi and the Pot of Beans (Animated Story for Kids): https://youtu.be/Sau3E2LEfcI

Credits:
Post-Production Editing by Forge Media
Intro Music: “Upbeat Funk Commercial” by GuitarsState
Mindful Moment Music: “Sweet Gentle Piano” by water_lily

What’s Up, Watermelon?

By Kate Leahey, Education Intern 

Watermelons are one of our favorite summer snacks! If you’ve ever tasted a delicious slice of cold watermelon on a hot summer day, then you can understand why. Watermelons are a whopping 92% water, great for staying hydrated in the hot months. Thousands of years ago, ancient civilizations treasured this trait of watermelons. They would pummel watermelons into a juicy pulp full of water to provide enough water for everyone. Today’s watermelons are much sweeter and have softer rinds than the ancient ones, so we can enjoy the delicious flesh on the inside without having to do any pummeling. This month we are celebrating this sweet, cooling treat as our Harvest of the Month for August!

What do we know about watermelon plants? For starters, they are in the same plant family as other melons, squash, cucumbers, and pumpkins. Like the other members of their family, watermelons are vine-like plants that produce flowers. People grow watermelons all over the world, and there are thousands of different varieties. Though many of us may be used to watermelons that are bright red on the inside, they actually come in lots of different colors, like orange, yellow, white, and light pink. The outside part of the watermelon -- the rind -- can be many different colors, too. Some varieties have golden rinds, others have purple, and one variety called the “Moon and Stars” even has a green-black rind with yellow circles, making it look like the night sky. How cool is that?

People have been enjoying watermelon for years -- they are thought to have been cultivated first 5,000 years ago based on watermelon seeds that were found in the tombs of Pharaohs in ancient Egypt. Today, people all over the world enjoy their delicious taste and refreshing coolness. We have already mentioned how wonderful watermelons are in the summer because of their high water content, but the health benefits don’t end there. Watermelons contain significant levels of Vitamin C (an antioxidant that is also great for skin and teeth), Vitamin A (helps your eyesight and maintains healthy bodily tissues), and Potassium (good for heart health and well-functioning muscles and nerves). Watermelon also has anti-inflammatory properties due to its lycopene content and can help improve digestion because it is high in fiber. There are so many wonderful reasons to bite into a slice of watermelon!

At PFP, we grow watermelon varieties like Little Baby Flower, Dark Belle, and Mini Love. While the fruit is delicious all on its own, there are plenty of ways to use watermelon in summer dishes, such as in a watermelon, basil, and feta salad, or mixed together with some cucumber slices and mint. Check out our recipe ideas, educational flyers, and a coloring page below!

Resources

Watermelon Mint Salad

Melons

Watermelon Slushie

Melons -Educator

Watermelon Coloring Sheet

Victory Gardens: Then and Now

By Kathryn B. and Caitlin, PFP intern

What are Victory Gardens? 

The simple definition would be the planting of gardens by citizens to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs for their own sustenance in order to ration the canned food for the soldiers at war. This movement began during World War I and was soon practiced by many Americans as a way to survive, by using any available space to grow food. More than just that, these gardens were seen as a symbol of patriotism and safeguard during the war, boosting the morale of both troops and citizens as they contributed their labor to the cause and had the reward of fresh produce for their families.  With almost 20 million gardens planted around the country, these gardens became a normal, everyday activity performed by many Americans during both World Wars.

Victory gardens were also a way for communities to work together to keep everyone fed as they tried to make ends meet on their canned rations. You may have heard of the idea of “Grow a Row”, or growing an extra row of food to donate to a food bank, or to a neighbor that may be overworked, out of work, or without the time or space to grow their own food.

Why grow one now? 

The reasons may be different today, but we think we should all bring back the idea of Victory Gardens for a number of important reasons. 

With the necessity of social distancing, growing your own food results in less need to leave your home and risk your health. Having your own garden means an economical grocery list and the ability to offer different and nutritious fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs for your family. A home-grown garden also requires a fair amount of time and effort, giving the feeling of doing something helpful and positive and some much needed physical activity. Growing your own food and becoming self-sufficient during a pandemic, such as COVID-19 can be very valuable. No matter how small the space, whether you live in an apartment or on a farm, gardening is for everyone.

Gardening not only provides fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs, but it is an activity that the entire family can participate in together. Victory gardens can promote sustainability, self-sufficiency, healthy eating, and community building. Much like the school gardens that have been created in the Poughkeepsie area, they can transform an empty space into something new that can help promote food sovereignty and food justice for everyone in your community.  Additionally, gardening promotes sustainability because you have access to fresh food right in your own yard, and can conserve the many resources used to truck food across the country. 

Victory gardens, school gardens, and home gardens all are easy to set up with a few tools and materials. People are buying seeds more now than ever to start up their own home garden.  If seeds are planted now, there will be enough surplus to preserve food for the Winter months ahead and ensure your supply of healthy vegetables year round!

Now, some gardening Q & A :

What do you need to get started? 

Most fruits and vegetables require an area that gets 8 hours or more of sun. Find the sunniest spot in your yard or balcony, and determine what kind of container you can fit there. Many plants can be grown in a pot, or even recycled buckets and other containers. You may be able to do some form of vertical gardening, or hanging planters, too! If you need to garden on a windowsill, you can still do many herbs, miniature varieties of vegetables, and a PFP favorite, microgreens!

f you have a lot of space but aren’t sure about your soil, you may want to build raised beds. Common sizes are 4x4 feet or 4x8 feet, or a narrower 3 foot width if kids will be helping you harvest. The basic form would require lumber, or another material as the frame, and soil to fill them, and some tools to put it together.

Lastly, you’ll need seeds or seedlings to plant!

Where to get seeds and plants:

Well, you’re in luck! PFP has a yearly plant sale coming up, and we also have a seed bank that we sell seeds from. There are many other reputable seed companies out there, and you can find varieties that do well in the Hudson Valley from regional companies like Hudson Valley Seed Co., Turtle Tree Seeds, Fruition Seeds, or TrueLove Seeds!. If you are buying a seedling to transplant, make sure to inspect it for any signs of stress or disease like wilting, brown leaves, or signs of fungus or pests. You don’t want to introduce diseases into your garden!

What to grow? 

Grow what you will eat! Fruits, vegetables, or even grains if you have the space. There is a huge variety of options for the Hudson Valley. A few of my favorite container options are peppers, greens, beans, tomatoes, eggplant, herbs, strawberries, and carrots. I’ve also done things as large as squash or potatoes in pots successfully!

What to keep in mind? 

Growing something new is an adventure and an experiment! We learn new things all the time as gardeners - it’s part of the reason I love it. Sometimes your plants may not all make it, and that’s normal, don’t be discouraged. However, many issues can be fixed if you pay close attention to what the plants are telling you, so make sure to check on your plant “babies” every day if you can - besides, it’s something to do! That first taste of home grown produce will be worth it.

Earth Day in the Garden

By Kathryn B. and Sonya Joy

April is National Garden Month and we have lots of fun family-friendly ways to celebrate Earth Day and Garden Month while staying safe at home! One thing we can all do is start getting our gardens ready, so we’ve also got a few tips to reuse things to grow your own food from seed and ways to make your garden more Earth-Friendly.

Morse Worm Garden

If you’re looking for a reading suggestion to cure your boredom, Acadia Tucker’s newest book “Growing Good Food: A Citizen’s Guide to Backyard Carbon Farming,” tackles sustainable gardening practices to help do your part for the planet. The book is inspired by the idea of Climate Victory Gardens, pulling from the war-time Victory Gardens, a term coined by George Washington Carver, for gardens used to support self-sufficiency during periods of food rationing. It’s a great read to learn the basics of cultivating healthy soil and “farming” carbon, whether you want to start incorporating regenerative methods or dig into permaculture design.

Don’t forget about last month’s Ag Literacy book recommendations, which will soon be posted in video form on our social media accounts!

Need a fun project? We’ve got you covered:

Grow a Vegetable Garden:

Planting a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables helps build healthy soil, minimize pest and disease issues, and gives you a consistent bounty of fresh produce!

• Plant nitrogen-fixing vegetables like beans and peas to decrease your fertilizer needs.

• Perennials like Asparagus, Rhubarb, Strawberries and Raspberries all build healthier soil. There are many perennial herbs like chives, lavender, mint and rosemary to add diversity.

• Root vegetables like carrots, radishes and turnips aerate the soil. Plus, the whole plant is edible, not just the root!

• Add organic matter and compost regularly, and mulch to decrease watering in hot summers!

• Interplant quick growers like lettuce and beans with your cucumbers, tomatoes or corn to save space and keep the soil shaded. The 3 sisters, corn, bean and squash are a great example.

• Farm carbon and make new healthy soil with sheet mulching or Hugelkultur mounds:

Plant a Pollinator Garden:

Beyond growing your own food, you can also help the bees out by planting a pollinator garden with colorful flowers! Native plants and perennials should be your focus to be the most earth friendly and to provide lots of food sources for bees, butterflies, birds and other pollinators that we all need to grow our favorite foods.

• Attract all types of pollinators with colorful perennials like Bee Balm, Swamp Milkweed, and Butterfly Weed! 

• Herbs like Lavender, Chamomile and Anise Hyssop have multiple uses - as herbal teas and fragrant pollinator attractors!

Celebrate Spring with Natural Dyed Eggs

Looking for a way to celebrate Spring with things you already have at home? Use your beets and turmeric powder to dye eggs! For this fun activity, you’ll just need your plant-based dyes and some household items to share this special tradition with the whole family! Follow directions and get more ideas from Sonya Joy on this handout.

Download Instructions

Make Recycled Newspaper Planters

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in the garden! April is when many seeds will get started here in New York. Why not start seeds with reused materials? Making seed pots out of old newspapers is not only a thrifty use of old newspapers, but also good for the planet: newspaper is biodegradable, and provides a mulch and fertilizer for young plants as it breaks down.

Download Instructions

Build a Worm Bin

Recycle your food scraps into dirt! You can opt to build your own worm bin or purchase one to start Vermicomposting (that’s composting with worms!). The “worm castings” left by the worms will make free, rich fertilizer for plants in your garden!

Download Instructions

 WORM BIN TIPS:

• To use a plastic storage bin or recycled plastic container, drill holes in the top for ventilation. You may want to cover the holes with some screening to prevent the worms from escaping

• Drainage is key: drill a hole toward the bottom of the bin to drain liquid out of the composter. Worm bins need to stay damp, but not wet. 

• Use shredded recycled paper / newspaper for worm bedding.

• Feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps, shredded paper, coffee grounds, eggshells, plain rice, pasta or bread. Avoid food scraps that have oils or dressings as well as animal products like dairy, meat or bones.

• Not all worms are suited for recycling waste / living in this situation; consider using Red Wigglers, who live in decaying organic matter instead of soil. Earthworms do not do well in the worm bin! 

PFP Project Focuses on Environmental Justice Issues in Poughkeepsie

By Sonya Joy Key, Garden Educator

Chef Key leads a cooking workshop at the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory.

“So creative, I never thought of putting apples and sweet potatoes in the same dish!” An inspired smile spreads across the face of the woman taste testing. I can feel the excitement too, it bubbles up as I stir a pot full of finely chopped roots and fruit, seasoned with cinnamon and sea salt. There is definitely a warm, loving family energy happening on the black top of the basketball court at Malcolm X Park today. Children are dancing to the DJ’s kid-friendly hip hop, and adults from Scenic Hudson and a local mosque are leading a group on a exploration at the banks of the Fallkill Creek that flows alongside a shaded, grassy hill. MASS Design Group is also present, collecting community input about plans for accessible creekside parks.

That was the scene from last fall’s “Fall in the Park” where I offered a community cooking demonstration that was funded through NYS Department of Environmental Conservations’ Office of Environmental Justice Community Impact Grant. At the heart of environmental justice is the difficult work of ensuring that all voices are included in the making of policies for a healthier environment, particularly those from the most vulnerable communities, low income and people of color, who are disproportionately burdened with the impacts of industrial pollution and contamination. Our goals for the Community Impact Grant are to encourage city residents’ connection to nature, support existing community gardens and school gardens in ecological growing practices and cooking of local produce, as well as to increase the organic matter found in Poughkeepsie’s gardens.

The pursuit of meeting these goals has been such an incredible learning and relationship-building process. We began with Advanced Composting Workshops offered in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County and Nubian Directions II, Inc. Local youth, PFP education staff and interns, as well as a handful of community gardeners took part. We came together before the 2018 growing season to learn the science of soil, and to do real-time soil testing. The workshops were several hours in length, and very intensive. We found that it was not the right fit for the young people taking part. Another moment of learning occurred when I tried to lead a cooking class at the Community Family Development Center on Mill St for families of the children who go there for childcare, and no one showed up. Several CFD staff members, the custodian and I chatted while gnawing on some carrots. Had they encountered this issue before, I asked. Yes was the resounding answer, and as we talked much of our conversation reminded me of the similar struggles I have listened to Poughkeepsie public school teachers name about parent engagement. It was clear: in order to do a better job of connecting city residents to the opportunities that the Community Impact Grant was supporting us to offer, we needed to be much more flexible and responsive. So I, along with Jamie Levato, the Educator Direction, began to brainstorm. How could we reach people with already limited time and energy resources where they already are rather than asking them to stretch to make additional commitments?

Farm-fresh ingredients

Chef Key offers tastes of healthy dishes prepared with produce available at the Free Farm Stand.

Chef Key leads teens in preparing some zucchini fritters.

So we shifted focus off hours of content and focused on getting connected to folks where they are living, playing, or already have to go to get basic needs met. Cooking classes at Interfaith Towers senior housing were an absolute hit! Following the popular “Week in Meals” workshop which focused on making fresh foods last and making a delicious Thai Noodle Bowl, I returned in November for “Healthy Holidays” where 26 seniors enjoyed company and conversation while chopping and braising brussel sprouts, parsnip, and carrots to serve with Maple Soy Glazed Turkey Breast. We also started to do cooking demonstrations at events at local parks, housing projects, and schools. This partnership model of community engagement has led to successes like the Malcolm X Park day I described earlier, as well as our attendance at the Boys and Girls Club of Poughkeepsie Day for Kids, a playful outdoor event focusing on health and wellness which reached over 60 children living in the adjacent public housing on Smith Street. At the Morse School’s Thanksgiving celebration, where the entire community of teachers, firefighters, police officers and community leaders come together to feed hundreds of students and their families, I was invited into the school’s cafeteria to prepare fresh Kale and Apple Salad to pass from table to table.

Finally, an ongoing relationship has also evolved with the Dutchess Outreach Free Farm Stand. This free distribution of fresh produce takes place the 3rd Friday of every month. I began tabling each event during the early summer last year and have become a regular fixture at almost every distribution since. Nyhisha Gibbs, Dutchess Outreach Volunteer Administrator always manages to welcome me with a quick hug before she returns to directing the group of about 20 or more volunteers who help create the no-cost pop-up market. Long lines of more than a hundred people form well before the 2:30pm start time. Parents with strollers, seniors with rolling metal carts, and young siblings giggling together all wind their way along the parking lot at North Hamilton and Mill St, adjacent to the Family Partnership Center or, in cool weather months, stretch down the block from the Poughkeepsie Trolley Barn. There’s different produce each Free Farm Stand, so each session I create a new, creative dish to offer based on the available veggies. Greek Cucumber and Tomato Salad; Stir Fry of Snow Peas, Broccoli and Carrots; and Spinach Pasta Primavera were some of the dishes sampled by people while they waited in line for food. The Free Farm Stand radically transforms the experience of visiting a food pantry into a bustling, warm neighborhood gathering, and PFP fits right in. What a joy to fill the air with the smell of sauteing onions and chat about experimenting with familiar foods in new ways!

Teen interns get their peers excited about kale salad at Dutchess Outreach's Mobile Fresh Market.

Bintou Hinds, Jamie Levato, and Ozie Williams distribute produce at Dutchess Outreach's Free Farm Stand. Photo credit: Sean Hemmerle

PFP interns, Alyssa, Kitana, Zoe and Olivia offer tastes of fresh curdito at the Poughkeepsie Healthy Black and Latinx Coalition's Hispanic Heritage Festival.

With the weather warming up, I’m packing up more PFP produce for spring cooking workshops being held at Adriance Library, Family Services, Early Learning Center and Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory. Along with the team of educators staffing our afterschool programs in all 4 elementary schools, plus the middle and high schools, the DEC EJ grant will allow us to make permanent material updates to school gardens, improving their capacity as educational spaces. While environmental justice issues are a part of the many challenges Poughkeepsie residents face along with economic injustice and complex systemic social problems, these experiences have taught me that it can be a powerful and fun experience to cooperatively create a healthier, more just Poughkeepsie.

Chef Key and Chef Dave lead cooking workshops for teens at Poughkeepsie High School.