myrtle minutes

Farm Stand today, rain or shine! We've got peaches!

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:17:00 -0400

Have you stopped by yet? We've gotten lots of visitors at the Myrtle Farm Stand so far, even Senator Montgomery dropped by last week! Community support is what will make this project successful, so grab a friend and come on over! This week we've got tomatoes, carrots, collards, corn, green leaf lettuce, spring white onions, peppers, tomatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, eggplant, basil, and peaches...yum!

Seeking designs for Myrtle Avenue tree guards!

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:47:00 -0400

On Myrtle Avenue, were serious about protecting our street trees...but, why do it like everyone else does it, right? Weve been working with the Pratt Design Incubator to design tree guards that are both functional and durable, but also offer a canvas that reflects the spirit of local creativity. Tree guards with a Myrtle twist.

Thats where you come in.

Were inviting artists and designers (both amateur and professional!) to submit designs for the panels of a new Myrtle Tree Guard. Each winning design will be laser cut into the 4 panels of an individual tree guard (visit the prototype, pictured above, on Myrtle between Clinton and Waverly). We may select up to 20 unique designs for 20 new tree guards to be installed this fall on Myrtle!

Download the full application here.
Submit your design using this Adobe Illustrator template. Dont worry if you dont have illustrator contact us if youd still like to submit a concept. Well have a professional designer convert your design to the appropriate file format if selected.

Make sure to submit your design concepts by Monday, August 16th at 5pm. Contact meredith@myrtlavenue.org if you have any questions.

Free Summer Meals

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:09:00 -0400

Summer meals (breakfast and lunch) are available free for youth ages 18 and younger. No registration, documentation, or identification is required. Check out the list of nearby locations below or click here for locations citywide. NYCHA-Walt Whitman 132 Carlton Avenue 9:00:AM-10:00:AM (breakfast) 12:00:PM-01:00:PM (lunch) PS 67 51 St. Edwards Street 8:00:AM-09:15:AM (breakfast) 11:00:AM-01:15:PM (lunch) JHS 113 300 Adelphi Street 8:00:AM-09:15:AM (breakfast) 11:00:AM-01:15:PM (lunch) Commodore Barry Park Flushing & North Elliott Place 8:30:AM-09:30:AM (breakfast) 11:30:AM-03:00:PM (lunch) Brooklyn Technical High School 29 Fort Greene Place 7:30:AM-09:15:AM (breakfast) 11:00:AM-01:15:PM (lunch)

Cooking Demo at Fort Greene CSA

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:49:00 -0400

Community Chef, Ms. Yvonne Bodrick, showed visitors how to cook a seasonal,mixed veggie stir fry of collard greens, cabbage, carrots, onions, and garlic with brown rice. It was delicious! Next week, Ms. Millie Davis will be cooking from 5-7. Come by and have a taste!

Wednesday, July 21
5-7PM
Northeast corner of Fort Greene Park (Myrtle Avenue & Washington Park -- Cumberland Ave. south of Dekalb).

The Local Visits the Myrtle Avenue Farm Stand

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:43:00 -0400

Thank you to The Local for coming to the Farm Stand last week! This article helps greatly in the movement towards getting more fresh and affordable food to all!

Karen's Body Beautiful: Spa...ahhhh!

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:15:00 -0400

Friday is a perfect day for a spa opening (with thoughts focused towards the weekend and relaxation). And ANY day of the week is perfect for enjoying one. The spa at Karen's Body Beautiful opens tomorrow, Friday, July 16th. Stop in and pick up a menu of services or better yet, stop in and enjoy a service or two. KBB will offer a plethora of services, including pedicures, manicures, facial and wet room services (herbal wraps, body exfoliation, etc.). Free hand lotion with a manicure on opening day. The spa is actually a natural progression for the business. With the sleek look of the KBB store and the yummy-smelling and feeling natural hair, bath and body products made on premises (which of course are still available!), Karen and employees would very often get requests to see their menu of spa services. So, wait no further. Stop in and check out the newest spa on Myrtle Avenue. Karen is located at 436 Myrtle Avenue between Clinton and Waverly Avenues. Drop in or call 718.797.4808 for an appointment. *********************** On Sunday, July 18th, a 'Loving Your Hair w/Natural Care' workshop with celebrity stylist, Felicia Leatherwood. Leatherwood has worked with stars such as Jill Scott, Sanaa Latham and Will Smith and has appeared in People Magazine, Essence, and InStyle, as well as in film and television. Felicia is the ultimate natural hair guru. Felicia specializes in helping women transition hairstyles and grow healthier hair, happier hair! Admission for the 'Loving Your Hair w/Natural Care' workshop is $35. To RSVP call KBB at 718.797.4808.

Jive Turkey Re-opens between Emerson & Classon

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:46:00 -0400

Decked out w/ its signature bright blue awning and also at the ready with its famous turkey dishes (including the deep fried turkey!), sides, sauces, homemade drinks and delicious desserts: Jive Turkey is open for business. With more than 15 different flavors of whole turkeys and a daily menu of delicious sandwiches, salads and dishes, Jive Turkey has been featured on the Food Network show Unwrapped, Road Tasted with the Neely's and the Travel Channel's Food Paradise and in Gourmet Magazine. Eat in (front of store or garden) or take out. What are you waiting on? Stop in. Jive Turkey is located at 570 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson and Classon. Call 718.797.1688, option 2 with any questions.

Yamashiro Re-opens w/Funkier Look

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:57:00 -0400

Yamashiro reopened on July 13th, right on schedule. After a very brief hiatus to make some aesthetic adjustments, the restaurant has reopened, sporting a much funkier and definitely more well-lit look. Light gray walls, new multi-colored lighting installed on the ceiling and at the base of the sushi bar gives the restaurant a more modern flair. A projected waterfall on the wall behind the sushi bar area will be added by the weekend or early next week. The food is just as fresh and delicious as ALWAYS, so stop in soon. Yamashiro is located at 466 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Avenue and Hall Street. Call 718.230.3313 for additional details.

Garden Workshop Series at the Garden of Eden

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:50:00 -0400

Maureen, with Just Food, gave the gardeners great advice in Saturday's workshop, "Organic Pest Control: Planting techniques to increase yields and decrease pests". Did you know that ants don't like mint? To reduce their presence you can crush up fresh mint, add it to water and use it as a spray around your garden and plants. This workshop was the second in a series of seven that will run through September. The next, "Planting for Fall Harvest", is scheduled for July 24, 2010 10-noon (weather permitting) at the Garden of Eden on Myrtle Ave between Prince and Navy. All are welcome!

Fort Greene Park Voted Best for Public Art

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:14:00 -0400

Fort Greene Park voted one of the top parks for public art viewing by TimeOut Magazine. In an article in the mag last week, 'Five Best Parks for Viewing Public Art', Fort Greene is listed along with City Hall Park and Battery Park City. The article highlights the current Myrtle Bird Town exhibit, which consists of more than 50 birdhouses made from salvaged materials, created by artists, Jennifer Wong and Daniel Goers. BirdTown can be viewed at the NW entrance to Fort Greene Park (Myrtle and St. Edwards) as well as the Carlton Triangle (Myrtle and Carlton)now through December. Check out the artists' website for additional information: www.myrtleavenuebirdtown.com.

Teens: Wanna Write?

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:03:00 -0400

The Local, the New York Times' hyperlocal news blog in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, is looking for some teen contributors this summer. The blog, which you can see here -- http://fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com/ -- is run by the New York Times and by CUNY's Graduate School of Journalism. We are offering a free training session in journalistic and multimedia skills, plus the opportunity to produce blog posts for our website (which make great clips for aspiring writers or for your college applications). For examples of recent published posts produced by teens, click here http://fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/the-parade-begins-class-of-2010-graduates/ or here http://fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/high-school-students-experience-sat-hangover/. To participate, you must be able to get to Fort Greene and Clinton regularly to report stories. We ask teen participants to commit to a three-day training on July 18th, 19th and 20th, followed by regular mentoring, editing, and story meetings with our professional news editors over the rest of the summer. To take advantage of this free summer journalism opportunity, Blogging for Broolyn Teens, please email Indrani Sen, who is an editor at the Local, at indrani.sen@journalism.cuny.edu.

Opening Day at the Myrtle Avenue Farm Stand

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:19:00 -0400

Opening day was a great success! We had approximately 60 customers and sold out of many items within the first hour. We now know to order more fruit for next week! The farmers bounty was beautiful! We had: Kale, Collard Greens, Zucchini, Carrots, Beets, Blueberries, Cherries, Corn, Spinach, Mustard Greens, Lettuce, Onions, Celery, and Radishes.

Ms. Singleton, one of our very own Myrtle Eats Fresh Community Chefs, did a knock-out cooking demonstration! She prepared a delicious veggie stir fry with brown rice and treated us with an extra special addition - bean pie for dessert!

The three Community Youth Managers, two Elder Supervisors, and MARP staff thank all who came out to visit! We look forward to seeing you again and meeting all who have yet to visit.

Where: 177 Myrtle, between Prince and Navy, in front of the Ingersoll Community Center
When: Every Thursday through October
Time: 4-7PM
*Please bring your bags for shopping and use us as a drop off for the pile you most likely have stacking up.

Myrtle Avenue Farm Stand Opens Today, 7.8.10, 4-7PM!!

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:07:00 -0400

Come by between 4-7PM and buy affordable fresh fruit and vegetables direct from New York and New Jersey farmers to you! We are located at 177 Myrtle Ave btwn Prince and Navy in front of the Ingersoll Community Center. Today's bounty will include blueberries, cherries, collard greens, spinach, beets, zuchinni, and much more! We accept Cash, EBT, FMNP, and WIC. Please bring your bag and extras for others if you have some to spare. See you at the market!

Compost Project Needs Volunteers

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:06:00 -0400

We received the email below from our friends at the Fort Greene Compost Project. Here's more information on how to sign up with this wonderful group: Composting at the Fort Greene Farmer's Market is an all-volunteer, community supported project -- which means we need your help to keep this neighborhood service going! Volunteers are needed to mind the drop-off bins, take donations, and help turn the compost at our sites around Brooklyn. If you have never volunteered before, please consider taking a shift. This locally-grown project is the first of its kind, but needs its friends and neighbors to participate in order to keep running every Saturday. Take a look at our Volunteer Schedule -- we need people to fill shifts in the red, green and blue spaces. If you can help out, email us at fortgreenecompost@gmail.com with the date and shift time and we'll sign ya up or to request further information. Our pals at Habana Outpost, a local solar powered eatery, are offering folks another incentive to help out with the Fort Greene Compost Project. Those who take a spot on our Volunteer Schedule will not only keep the compost drop-off running as a neighborhood service, but they'll also receive a $10 Gift Certificate to Habana Outpost at 757 Fulton Street. Lunch is on them. Or dinner.

Summer Street Trees

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:15:00 -0400

The current feels like on weather.com for New York City is 107 degrees! There is nothing like heat advisories and air quality alerts to make you appreciate the local street trees hard at work reducing heat and pollution. A couple of tree facts on this sweltering summer day:

" Trees can be a natural air conditioner. The evaporation from a single large tree can produce the cooling effect of 10 room size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. (USDA pamphlet # FS-363)
" Trees clean the air. Remove dust, particulates; absorb ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants. (ISA Pamphlet, 1991)

Trees provide enormous environmental, human health and social benefits from lowing blood pressure and street crime to increasing property values and sales in local stores (you can find more facts at TreeLink.org, Plant-it 2020, and Walkable Communities). Thats why the Partnership works year-round to advocate for more trees in the area and to keep our street trees alive and healthy!

Last week, Greenzone Landscape Design cleaned, aerated, weeded, and mulched the tree pits along Myrtle and on corners of intersecting streets between Classon and Vanderbilt. And this week, theyll begin the second phase of the project, continuing their work from Vanderbilt to Prince Street. You also may have noticed that young trees along Myrtle are outfitted with tree gators. These gators, filled once a week, deliver a deep watering by slowly releasing water into the trees roots and soil.