Sponsored Post - Astoria Grown Loves Being A Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market Vendor, It's The Highlight Of Our Week Coming Here Says Owner - Put Microgreens On Your Salad, Sandwich, Pizza, Tacos, Pasta & More, Eat Them Like A Snack

Astoria Grown is a family owned solar powered micro urban farm growing Microgreens located in a private home located a few minutes from the Roosevelt Island Bridge. Astoria Grown became a vendor at the Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market last April and very quickly established themselves as a popular destination for Roosevelt Island residents with their tasty and healthy Microgreens and friendly service.

I spoke with Astoria Grown owner John Fawcett last week. According to Mr Fawcett:

We're really happy to be here on Roosevelt Island. The community has been so welcoming over this spring and summer. Repeat customers coming by. They're so happy to be able to buy something they can't get anywhere else. In fact, some of these greens you can't get in New York at all. This is the only place.

Roosevelt island has been so fabulous to us. We now know people. We're friends with them. It's the highlight of our week to come here.

The Microgreens are grown indoors, hydrorponic so they're not growing in soil, they're growing in water, on the top floor of our house. We can grow them 12 months out of the year. We have lights and fans and the whole area of the house is designated just for growing the Microgreens.

One of the things we're seeing is a lot of people come to the market because of the Wengerds Farm and it's great. It's wonderful they got everything. What we say to people get the salad at Wengerds, it's great salad. Then come over here and Jazz it up with our Microgreens.

 Mr Fawcett adds:

Micro greens are very young vegetables harvested at 2 to 3 weeks old. 

Microgreens are high in several key vitamins, including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin K They are also rich in many essential minerals, such as Brassica micro greens (broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.) and are rich in the precursors necessary to protect against cancer. Microgreens have far higher nutrient levels than the same mature vegetable.

We grow:

• Arugula, 
• Broccoli,
• Cabbage, 
• Kale, 
• Kohlrabi,
• Peas, 
• Daikon Radish and
• Purple Radish

You eat Microgreens fresh, like a salad. No cooking necessary. Put them on everything, in salads, sandwiches, pizza, tacos, pasta.

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Get them out of the fridge and onto the table, 

nibble away regardless of what else you are eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack.

Young children love this finger food.

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Astoria Grown Microgreens are locally grown for local consumers using no pesticides. They are available at the Roosevelt Island Farmers market and 5 grocery stores in Astoria and Long Island City.

Stop by the Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market, chat with John and Alba

and try some Astoria Grown Microgreens.

More info on Astoria Grown available at their website and Instagram page.

Welcome Astoria Grown To The Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market - A Solar Powered Home Based Urban Farm Selling Nutritious Microgreen Vegetables

Astoria Grown is a new vendor at the Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market. Astoria Grown is a home based urban farm located in a private home located a few minutes from the Roosevelt Island Bridge.

I spoke with the Astoria Grown owner last Saturday. Meet the newest Roosevelt Island Farmers Market vendor, Astoria Grown .

According to Astoria Grown 

The farm is an indoor facility on the top floor of our house in Astoria.

The house, including the farm are powered by a solar installation on the roof. 

We use and reuse stainless steel mesh as our growing medium, We use only organic nutrients and no pesticides. We disinfect our materials with hydrogen peroxide vinegar and the sun . 

Our seeds supporters are True Leaf and Johnny’s Seeds. Our nutrients come from Farmers Pride and Ocean Solution.

All of our containers are recyclable and compostable.

Nutrition. 

Microgreens are high in several key vitamins, including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin K They are also rich in many essential minerals, such as Brassica micro greens (broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.) and are rich in the precursors necessary to protect against cancer. Microgreens have far higher nutrient levels than the same mature vegetable.

Our products.

 Micro greens are very young vegetables harvested at 2 to 3 weeks old. We grow:

• Arugula, 
• Broccoli,
• Cabbage, 
• Kale, 
• Kohlrabi,
• Peas, 
• Daikon Radish and
• Purple Radish

Stop by the Roosevelt Island Farmers Market every Saturday and learn more about Astoria Grown and try their microgreens.

More info on Astoria Grown at their web site and Instagram Page.

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Community Supported Agriculture Comes To Roosevelt Island From Vermont Based Holton Farms - Delivery Service Now And Soon Buy Fresh From The Truck

You Tube Video of Holton Farms CSA Truck

Last summer a Riverwalk resident let us know about a Community Supported Agriculture program from Vermont based Holton Farms that was serving Roosevelt Island residents by delivering fresh food direct from the farm. Holton Farms is back again this year:

Our goal is to produce and deliver wholesome food with integrity directly to the consumer. We are committed to producing high quality food and delivering it fresh. We are honest with our customers about where their food comes from and how it was made. In order to get the maximum amount, of the best products available, we will partner with other farms to provide customers with a wider selection of products to fit everyones taste and preference.

We want to completely cut out the middle man wherever possible. We will form direct relationships between farmers and urban communities. This allows farmers to earn a fair wage and focus on quality. It also enables farmers to sell amazing food to those who can’t afford gourmet pricing.

Last Sunday the Holton Farms Delivery Truck was asked to leave Roosevelt Island by the Public Safety Department while parked and delivering food ordered by residents. According to the 5/23 -24 Roosevelt Island Public Safety Report:

Investigation- Two food trucks parked opposite 455 Main Street. PSD responded. Neither truck had a RIOC permit. Drivers notified they needed a permit. Trucks exited the Island.

I inquired of Roosevelt Island Public Safety Director Keith Guerra what happened. Mr. Guerra replied:

We have had a number of complaints from residents asking us if certain vendors have permission to sell/distribute products on Roosevelt Island. RIOC has a policy which states that Vendors need to obtain a permit in order to sell/distribute products here on the island.

and suggested I contact Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. (RIOC) VP Of Operations Fernando Martinez for additional information. From Mr. Martinez :

If Holton Farms is just delivering food similar to Fresh Direct, then a permit is not required. However, if they want to be a vendor on Roosevelt Island (e.g. fruit stand), then the owner should contact Donna Masly and obtain a permit.

Farmer Jurrien of Holton Farms clarified what occurred and is very complimentary of the manner in which Public Safety Department handled the matter:

I saw your email exchange with our CSA member Carol. There wasn't really an incident, it was just PS doing their job. They were courteous and professional. We should have parked on the street in front of 455, but there wasn't any space. So instead, we just went into the leasing office driveway to wait for a space to open up. Unfortunately, one never did. People were so excited to see us there that they kept on coming over and asking us about our drop off service. We were so busy answering questions that we forgot the time!

I am trying to reach out to RIOC to get the proper permissions as I think that despite the Saturday Amish farmers market on RI, not everyone is around on Saturdays and we offer a convenient and much needed alternative. People coming to the truck were begging us to sell to them on the spot, but because the city does not have a category for mobile farm stands, we can only legally sell from private property. So I hope the nice folks over at ROIC can figure out a way to make our project happen.

We are currently working on getting am EBT terminal which would allow us to take food stamps. Should have that in the next few weeks. I think that would make us even more accessible to everyone on the island.

Kindly,
Farmer Jurrien

In addition to the existing Holton Farms delivery service, hopefully Roosevelt Island residents will soon be able to buy some of their fresh Farm products from their Truck on Sundays.

Image of Holton Farms Truck

Community Supported Agriculture Comes To A Part Of Roosevelt Island - And They Deliver Too!

You Tube Video of Park Slope Brooklyn Community Supported Agriculture

I received a message from a Riverwalk reader reporting that a Communty Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is now available for Roosevelt Island residents but only those who live in Southtown, at least for now.

Holton Farms is in Vermont and they started a CSA this year (community supported agriculture) with delivery to NYC. ... and they deliver to our building on Friday evenings and can leave with the doorman. I have looked into other local CSAs, but they require a bigger commitment of money and time and no one else delivers! We have enjoyed the fresh eggs, freshly picked greens and su said they had excellent bacon. If we build up enough of a population on roosevelt island we may be able to ensure delivery here as their business expands in future years (they are guaranteeing delivery to 455 this season). ...

According to blogger Lifestyler, CSA's usually work like this:

... Now, for those of you aren’t totally familiar with the concept of Community Supported Agriculture, here’s the 411: It’s a pretty new model for farming and food distribution. The way it works is pretty simple, with a group of local community members getting together and basically pledging to support a local farm, which they then become “shareholders” of. It’s a less-risky model for the farmer and gives them a closed market of buyers. The community members, on the other hand, get fresh, locally grown and in-season produce. Instead of buying produce from a supermarket where you may or may not be eating food that was grown with pesticides, you know exactly where your food is coming from and under what conditions it was grown...

and this is the CSA experience from neighborhood blogger Ditmas Park.

Holton Farms appears to operate differently in that they deliver and:

No Commitment Required. Unlike most community supported agriculture programs (CSA), our CSA Select™ program allows you to join us for the season (our preference) or go with our week to week service (fine by us too!).

If enough Roosevelt Island residents are interested in this service, perhaps it can expand to include all of the buildings.