Capital City Farm Trenton NJ September 2016

It is well documented that I grew up in a village in Ewing Township NJ.  There I learned so many valuable life lessons from my parents, 6 siblings, Great Aunt, Maternal Grandparents as well as Aunts, Uncles, Nephews, Nieces and extended family and friends.

One of the lessons I am so proud of is the love of nature and food.  Of course we all appreciate food and recognize it's importance to life.

I remember the garden in my Grandparents backyard.  I looked forward to getting dirty and fell in love with the feeling of the soil under my fingernails, so much so that now I consider that a form of therapy.  A vivid memory is sitting on the back steps with Lula my Grandmother eating "our" cucumbers and tomatoes and walking a few hundred yards into the "hole" with my cousins to pick blackberries that "Grandmom" would use to make "blackberry pie" completely from scratch!

So when I heard that Trenton would have a farm I was stoked!  I recall a invite to a planning meeting conducted by the D & R Greenway Land Trust where we discussed the ongoing negotiations for the purchase of the property and potential site remediations.  I was fascinated to learn of the history of the land located next to the Trenton Police Department and adjacent to TASK - Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and the Rescue Mission, I was on board.

After negotiations and the subsequent finalized purchase, I met with Allegra Lovejoy who would be a key leader in the Capital City Farm, have a listen to our chat.

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/allegra-lovejoy-dnrgreenway-land-trust

Recently I visited the Capital City Farm, made some new friends and took in the efforts of the various partners to inspire me and others.

Have a listen to my chat with Andrew Blackwell, a locally born and raised young man who is excited about what the Capital City Farm means to his city.

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/capital-city-farm-trenton-nj 

Going forward expect to hear more from the Capital City Farm and other agriculture projects and initiatives through Trenton 365, in the interim have a look at some recent images.

Capital City Farm images from September 2016

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipNxtnOuaJw6EGGIjxdfrZhg3FVT7I8WystzP8_i

Bethany House of Hospitality visit August 2016

Since I was a little person I remember gardening.  The feeling of having my hands in the soil and the grit under my fingernails still excites me.

The most basic of human needs - FOOD is often taken for granted.  Thank you to my family for teaching me how to plant and grow my own food.  In addition to sharing this with my daughter I have been fortunate enough to share this passion with others in the Trenton NJ region.

One of those people is Landscape Architect David Byers.  David and I have built several gardens in the Trenton area including the Community/Share Garden of the Bethany House of Hospitality.

Like most of my efforts, the garden at BHOH was the culmination of several partners looking to build a better community.

Recently I stopped by the former home of the Senior Paster of the Bethany Presbyterian Church to deliver some books to the #lbot Library Box and chatted with BHOH residents, David and Linda Konrad-Byers as they worked on expanding the garden.

Bethany House of Hospitality video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-In-A7LOnY

Bethany House of Hospitality Blogpost
https://bethanyhoh.wordpress.com/about/

Crisis Minstry of Mercer County Hanover Street Garden
http://www.trenton365.com/blog/2013/09/crisis-ministry-hanover-street-garden.html

Press
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2011/08/bethany_presbyterian_church_pa.html

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Destination-Trenton-Newsletter---Aug--15-31st.html?soid=1103001796315&aid=025fO7GNBEI

http://www.iamtrenton.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/I-Am-Trenton-2012-Funding-Announcement-Press-Release.pdf


A few images of a recent visit to the BHOH

Fernbrook Farms Environmental Education Center

August 2015

Located just a few miles from Trenton NJ in Chesterfield Township outside of Bordentown is Fernbrook Farms. 

Located on the property is an;

Educational Center

http://www.fernbrookeducation.org/

Wholesale Nursery

http://www.fernbrooknursery.com/

CSA - Community Supported Agriculture

http://www.fernbrookfarmcsa.com/

(Definition by www.justfood.org)

CSA Stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  CSA allows city residents to have direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers.  When you become a member of a CSA, you’re purchasing a “share” of vegetables from a regional farmer.

Event Facility

http://www.innatfernbrookfarms.com/

The Fernbrook Farms Environmental Education Center is a 501 c3 non-profit organization.

The Mission and Purpose is to provide hands-on educational experiences for all young people by exploring the complex interconnectedness of our natural world.  Our purpose is to educate children about food, agriculture, and the environment.  We believe people should make meaningful connections with our natural world in order to become responsible stewards of local and global sustainability.

The Fernbrook Farms Educational Center offers year round programming and currently has openings for the Summer Day Camp program.  Some of the Fun-Filled Fernbrook Activities include:

• Catching frogs at the pond
• Harvesting and cooking vegetables from our garden
• Building a shelter and learning about wilderness survival
• Feeding the farm animals including sheep, goats, chickens, ducks & cows
• Capturing butterflies and caterpillars
• Discovering new life & treasures in the creek
• Weaving works of art from natural materials found in the meadow and more

(L) - Free Range (R) Mass produced store purchase

SCHOLARSHIPS INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION ARE AVAILABLE

Have a listen to my chat with Allison the School Programs & Urban Youth Initiatives Director

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/allison-fernbrook-farms

Save the date and mark your calendar for the 4^th Annual Farm Run fundraiser

https://fs4.formsite.com/fernbrookfarms/FRSEPT2015/index.html

Make sure you say Hi to "T-Bone"