Bronx River Ecomedia Blog

I like to buy fresh vegetables and fruits grown by farmers right here in the New York region, so I often hop on the #6 train and make a long trip downtown to Union Square to get my produce. No more! I have discovered the West Farmers’ Market at Drew Gardens, practically at my doorstep, where I will be able to buy local produce every Wednesday until November 15 between 10 am and 3 pm.

DrewGardens, in case you don’t know, is on Tremont Ave., a block or so from the West Farms stop on the #2 train and across the street from the Bronx River Art Center.

Last Wednesday, I stopped by and was personally waited on by Jennifer Plewka, the Environmental Educator at Phipps Community Development Corporation. Jennifer not only organized the market in the first place, but she and market manager Sara Katz begin work at 6 am on market days, themselves loading 50-pound bags of potatoes and onions and other vegetables onto a truck at the Botanical Garden site where they meet their farmers. They then go on to spend the day setting up the market and selling the produce with the help of one volunteer.

“We’re superheros,” Jennifer told me, and I couldn’t agree more. She said the market has been very successful, with lots of repeat customers and people lining up early to get items that move quickly, like peaches or corn.

There’s more. Some of the produce sold at the West Farmers Market was grown right in Drew Gardens, where 30 community gardeners have plots. This project was also organized by Jennifer. She’s proud that the garden has been certified by New York State’s Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, which gives vouchers to buy produce to women eligible for WIC and some eligible senior citizens. They can spend the vouchers at the West Farmers’ Market.

The community gardeners grow their vegetables without using artificial fertilizers or pesticides, and the garden has been certified by the New York Botanical Garden as “organic.” To get this certification, all gardeners had to take a course in proper composting and pass an exam on it.

The farm that supplies most of the vegetables for the market, Rogowski Farm, also uses organic methods, sending the produce into New York from Pine Island in Orange County. The farmer who supplies fruit, The Orchards of Concklin, comes from Pomona, NY. (By the way, if you want to pick your own apples and have a car available, The Orchards at Concklin is about 45 miles north of the city.)

I bought enough peaches (the last of the season), pears, greens, beets, lettuce, and corn (also the last of the season) to last me for the week. I’m already thinking about the cabbage, butternut squash and apples I couldn’t fit into my bag on Wednesday but will certainly try out next week.

For more information, see:
http://www.phippsny.org
http://www.rogowskifarm.net”>
http://www.theorchardsofconklin.com>”>

–Peggy Ray

Today’s environmental workshop about the Bronx River took place in Drew Gardens, a pretty place across the street from the Bronx River Art Center. Because of all the recent rain the river was unusually wide and full. The trees and undergrowth along it were still thick and green. Crossing busy Tremont Avenue and going into the garden seemed like making a quick trip to the country.

Children and teen-agers who are taking classes at the art center took part in the workshop which was taught by Anne Marie Rufola of the Bronx River Alliance. We learned that we live in the Bronx River watershed. The river runs through low-lying land and when it rains water flows from the high ground around it into the river. The definition of a watershed is “an area of land that drains into a body of water.”

During heavy rains water cannot soak into the city’s brick and concrete as it would into soil and so flooding occurs carrying garbage, gasoline and other pollutants into the river. Sewers also overflow into the river during heavy rains. When it’s hot the rain heats up from the streets. The warm rain entering the river dissolves oxygen from the water and then fish die off.

We learned that we could help clean up the Bronx River by joining restoration projects. There will be restoration work going on behind the art center.

–Peggy