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

ESY PJ Hill School Trenton NJ

(Some of the following information was taken from the website of the Center for Child and Family Achievement)

I met Wanda W. Stansbury in 2015 when I was contacted about a Art Fundraiser that was taking place in Princeton NJ.  I am a big supporter of Original Art and several of the participating Artists are friends so it was a no brainer for me to support and cover the event.

My initial meeting with Wanda W. Stansbury who is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Child and Family Achievement was a very pleasant one.  I met with Wanda, Fanya Gallo (Co-Chair Special Events) and Artist Tasha O'Neil in space #49 of the Princeton Shopping Center which was also the location of the fundraiser.   After viewing the artwork we chatted, have a listen.

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/center-for-child-and-family?in=trenton365/sets/center-for-child-and-family

The Center for Child and Family Achievement, believes that parents and children can learn together, and seeks to inspire and to develop stronger academic achievement in children living in poverty from Kindergarten through High School graduation, by addressing the needs of the family.

Since that initial meeting and interview our friendship has grown and included some partnering as we work to build a better community for everyone and address the achievement gap.  The Center for Child and Family Achievement has adopted a Library Box of Trenton NJ and we are working on plans to have #lbots in all of the public schools in Trenton NJ, stay tuned!

I took Wanda up on the offer to visit PJ Hill School in Trenton NJ for the ESY (End of School Year) Celebration but first I stopped by John Mennell's organization Magazine Literacy to pick up some items to share with the children and families.  www.magazineliteracy.org has partnered with Trenton 365 and others to distribute magazines, comics and periodicals.

After picking up ~300 Highlights Magazines and chatting with some workers at the Isles Mill One building, I headed to PJ Hill school.

I chatted with 2 Security Officers who helped me carry the magazines into the gym.  As I moved down the corridor I could smell fresh popcorn, something sweet and could hear the delightful sounds of children enjoying themselves.

The gym was setup with visual displays from the students, several tables with books, a refreshment station provided by a local vendor Lavalles Party Jumps and music.

I grabbed several images of the parents, children and teachers before the crowd went crazy upon the arrival of the ADC Kid mascot Prada Enchilada.  Dancing to some of the most popular dance music Prada Enchilada led the children and adults through several moves and took me back to my "Dance Party USA" and "Dancin on Air" days.  More on that at another time!

I chatted with Trenton Board of Education Superintendent Lucy Ferria and Wanda about the event and some of the expectations going forward.

Have a listen to some of the audio captured at the event.
https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/sets/esy-pj-hill-school-trenton-nj

I also want to give a shoutout to Robinson who I recalled from my days playing basketball at Moody Park and the Lawrence Neighborhood Center.

I also want to give a shoutout to Robinson who I recalled from my days playing basketball at Moody Park and the Lawrence Neighborhood Center.