Upper Green Side

Sustainable Food: Organic, Local

Many people have heard about organic foods that are grown free of chemical pesticides and industrial fertilizers; that use heirloom seeds instead of monocultures in order to preserve the genetic diversity of the food we eat.

Just as important as buying organic is buying local food — food produced within 200 miles of your home. For a list of reasons why buying local food is important, see here and here.

You can also greatly help the environment and fight global warming by becoming vegetarian, or at least greatly reducing the amount of meat you eat. Most of our farmland is dedicated to feeding livestock, which also require food, water and transportation, just like you. According to a recent report by the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization, livestock production is responsible for more climate change gases than all the motor vehicles in the world. For more information, see here.

See below for where to find sustainable food in our neighborhoods. As always when shopping, Bring Your Own Bag. If you own a food-related business, local food can be part of greening your business.

Greenmarkets — Community Supported Agriculture — Eating Out Green — Local Beer & Wine

Greenmarkets

CENYC Greenmarkets, open-air farmer’s markets that bring in food from the New York region. WIC & senior FMNP checks accepted.

Upper Green Side has succesfully helped bring the following two Greenmarkets to the Upper East Side:

• St. Stephen of Hungary Parish
  414 East 82nd Street (between First and York Avenues)
  Saturdays, 10 AM to 3 PM
• Holmes Towers/Isaacs Center
  415 East 93rd Street (on First Avenue, between 92nd and 93rd Streets)
  Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM

Other Upper East Side Greenmarkets

• Mt. Sinai Greenmarket
  East 99th Street Between Madison and Park Avenues
  Friday 8am to 5pm July - Nov

Upper West Side

• Tucker Square Greenmarket
  West 66th Street, Near Lincoln Center
  Thursdays & Saturdays Year Round from 8am to 5pm
• Seventy Seventh Street Greenmarket
  West 77th Street & Columbus Ave.
  Sundays Year Round from 10am to 5pm
• Ninety Seventh Street Greenmarket
  West 97th Street & Columbus Ave.
  Sundays Year Round from 8am to 2pm
• Stranger’s Gate Greenmarket
  West 106th Street & Central Park West.
  Saturday July to November from 8am to 3pm
• Columbia University Greenmarket
  Broadway between 114th Street & 115th Street.
  Thursday & Sunday Year Round from 8am to 6pm

Community Supported Agriculture

On both the Upper East & Upper West Sides you can buy 100% local food at the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). In a CSA, you buy shares local farmers’ upcoming harvest. Each week, from June through November, the CSA farmer delivers the week’s share to a central neighborhood distribution site, and members collect their shares.

Here are the main CSAs in our area:

Yorkville Carnegie Hill CSA
PO Box 20402
Cherokee Station
NY, NY 10021-0066
212 502 8562
veggies@mindspring.com
Food from: Stoneledge and Lewis Waite Farms
**Shares for 2007 Season SOLD OUT**

Columbus Circle CSA
120 West 58th St.
columbuscirclecsa@hotmail.com
Food From: Norwich Meadows Farm

Roxbury CSA
550 West End Ave.
212-539-3826
Food From: Roxbury Farm

Chubby Bunny CSA
550 West End Ave.
Food From: Chubby Bunny Farm

Tuv Ha’Aretz
Anshe Chesed
251 West 100th St.
212-644-2322, ask for Leah
leah@hazon.org
Food From: Garden of Eve