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NEWSLETTER
the Youth Farm. Its incredible how the farm transforms in just a few months, from an easy 360 view unobstructed by much else besides our hoop house and tall Sweetgum trees, to a lush landscape pocked with tiny forests of 8 tall Sunflowers, ever- higher climbing tomato plants, bushy eggplants, and vining cucumbers. Its harvest season! Im sure those of you who also shop at farmers markets have noticed its really summer! My own weekly trip to my neighborhood farmers market found me shelling out way more cash than usual as I couldnt help but try some of the awesome variety of specialty peppers, heirloom tomatoes, seasonal fish and herbs On another slightly related note, I save my compost throughout the week in my freezer and then hand deliver it to my local farmers market. Every week I meet my neighbors at the line of special trash bins that Greenmarket designates for your home food/flower waste, and it feels great to share in a somewhat personal weekly event with people I dont know. All of our food scraps combine and are then processed by a local organization somewhere in the city. I love the fact that I am reducing my household waste, and that my trash barely smells! If you are curious about composting, want to do it at home but are not sure where you can bring your scraps, look here: http://www.grownyc.org/compost/locations. Since the mayor is proposing citywide composting, its a great time to experiment with the current composting initiatives, if you arent already! FARMER MOLLY
Of
Special
Note:
Specialty
Spinach!
Spinach
as
we
commonly
know
it
(Spinacia
oleracea)
is
in
the
goosefoot
family
(Chenopodacea
family,
like
chard
and
beets)
is
a
cool
season
crop
that
is
very
sensitive
to
hot
temperatures
and
long
days.
So
during
the
summer
we
grow
2
alternative
"spinaches,
Perpetual
Spinach
and
Malibar
Spinach.
Perpetual
spinach
is
actually
a
variety
of
chard
that
was
bread
to
be
planted
densely
and
cut
small.
It
was
bred
in
California
in
the
60s,
and
is
not
commonly
known
on
the
east
coast.
Malibar
Spinach
(Basella
alba)
also
known
as
asian
spinach,
or
climbing
spinach,
or
phooi,
is
a
tropical
perennial
vine.
Its
a
semi
succulant:
you
will
notice
its
thick
leaves
and
slight
muscogenous
texture.
Its
most
common
in
southern
Indian
and
Bangladeshi
cuisine.
You
can
use
both
alternative
spinaches
as
you
would
Spinacia
oleravea,
either
raw
or
cooked
up.
Both
have
high
amounts
of
Vitaman
A
&
C
and
of
course
Iron!
Cerci:
Bitter
Melon
Leaves.
Cerci
are
the
leaves
of
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NEWSLETTER
Voila!
Bittermelon is a type of squash that is most commonly grown in east asia, the carribean and parts of Africa. It is grown both for its bitter cucumber-looking fruit, and its pungent bitter leaves for medicinal purposes. The leaves can be made into a strong tonic by submerging them fresh or dried in boiling water. The tea has been used to help with diabetics, because of its insulin balancing properties; it is also a blood cleanser, aids in digestion, and is anti-viral. Its a great tea to make when you have overindulged in drink or rich foods to balance out your body, or when you feel a cold coming on. Externally a cool tea can be used to clear up bad cases of acne or skin fungus. Be careful not to drink too much at once, as its strong glycosides and momordicin compounds can to quickly detox your kidneys and take a toll on your immune system.
Meet
one
of
our
Apprentices:
Sesame Vinaigrette, Serves: 4 Is it possible to make a delicious tasting salad without using any oil? Absolutely! Please give the recipe below a try: For the Salad: cup raw whole pecans 12 ounces of some variety of spinach 1 pint fresh strawberries, halved For the Dressing: 2 cups fresh strawberries 4 pitted dates 1 tablespoon unhulled sesame seeds 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Lightly toast pecans at 250 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven for three minutes and add them to the other salad ingredients in a bowl. Blend dressing ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Pour over salad.
Brother Khepera Damu is a 21-year-old Brooklyn resident who was born in NYC and raised in Prospect Heights. He grew up raised by parents who were focused on health. Brother Kheperas interest in growing food took root after traveling to Belize in Central America. The day after graduating high school, his mother sent him to Belize for three days. He visited an elder black male and his family who are all black and from the States, and now enjoy living off the land while only consuming fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, herbs and spices - live food that is uncooked! Brother Kheperas mother wanted him to get grounded. In Belize, Brother Khepera got an opportunity to be in a rural setting filled with vegetation and surrounded by a family that worked hard to grow their own food and respected one another working in harmony with each other and the earth. He had never seen a black family who in their words and actions, showed such an appreciation for the earth and each other. This experience inspired Brother
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NEWSLETTER
need for a connection to nature would not be fulfilled. Meeting the elder black male who is the leader of this black family and being dealt with kindness, affection, and discipline without aggression was a new experience that he had never had or seen amongst any black men in the United States. Brother Khepera came back to Brooklyn, NY again and was determined to earn a living honorably by doing something positive. It took a bit of planning and a few mistakes along the way, but one day his mother told him about the Youth Farm and he and his mother began to volunteer there. Brother Khepera says upon entering the Youth Farm that he saw large stalks of okra growing alongside other vegetables and herbs in abundance and this excited him! He soon began volunteering a couple of times a week; Brother Khepera began learning more about the growing cycle of many edible plants. And he later earned an internship with the farm for the winter. When his internship was finished, he continued to volunteer at the Youth Farm and soon found out about their Summer Apprentice Program. He applied because he saw an opportunity to make a living growing food. He is now learning and doing a lot of hands- on farm work. He says his motto is You can find nature right in your own area of the world; you just gotta look for it. One of Brother Kheperas biggest goals is to attain land for myself and my family to live on and to grow enough food to feed everyone while still having enough left over to barter and sell.
FREE
WORKSHOP!
Saturday,
August
3,
2-3:30
pm
Planting
for
the
Fall
NYC
Season
In
order
to
have
a
bountiful
fall
harvest
of
greens,
radish,
turnips,
and
other
delicious
vegetables,
planning
and
planting
needs
to
start
in
August!
Before
you
head
out
on
vacation,
come
to
this
workshop
in
which
we'll
practice
creating
a
fall
planting
calendar
and
discuss
ways
to
keep
your
fall
crops
protected,
comfortable
and
productive.
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