• Common Ground •

Progress: Sometimes it's hard to pursue a vision

As the Hell's Kitchen members remember from last year we were kind of vagabonds for the second half of the season. Going back to the beginning, for perspective, we began Upper Meadows Farm CSA in 2001. On farm, with a very small group, we worked out the basic mechanics of harvest schedule and distribution. Concurrently, a number of our friends who live in NYC and came to the farm were impressed with the great food and expressed a desire to be able to eat our food at home. The following year, 2002, Dan and Kim Reagan made a solid commitment to drive out to the farm and bring veggies back to town for the other members who were interested. My playing schedule in NYC allowed me to drop off 11 shares and Dan and Kim drove the rest. By 2003 there were more people interested and carpooling to pick up at the farm wasn't practical so we began distribution and vending at the newly opened Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.

Then in 2004, [my worst year growing], we had a great group largely due to the hard work of Cindi Clark and scratched through the season still distributing at the HK Flea Market.

Last year I was the only person, aside from the management, to set up at the HK Flea Market for the first 10 weeks of the season. On the 11th week the market was full due to the closing of the 26th St. Annex. that was also managed by the same people as the HK Flea Market.

Until you look close

The market manager, on that 11th distribution morning, was unnecessarily rude and obnoxious regarding our presence at the market and so I and the members who witnessed his behavior decided not to return to the HK Flea Market. We spent the next 7 weeks distributing on the sidewalk with my van parked at the curb next to Bob's Park on W35th near 10th Ave. During this time one of our members made an arrangement for us to distribute on the sidewalk on W43rd St between 9th and 10th Ave. with agreement from Manhattan Plaza management.

After inadvertently forgetting a copy of the email with the details of where we were supposed to set up, and (of course) setting up in the wrong spot, I met the MP Security team and the Building Maintenance head. After about 2 hours we finally got the details ironed out. After making certain to set up in the agreed upon location, we distributed in this location for the last 4 weeks of last year's season.

There was a very strong response from the folks in the neighborhood to the idea of a fresh food market in that spot and the CSA members agreed that it was definitely preferable. Enter Trina, our HK Coordinator this year. Trina really took the initiative and started to 'connect the dots' in a number of ways. First bringing a member of the Community Board 4 to our second winter CSA meeting at Hartley House and discussing the synergy of having a CSA and a market in the same location she then made certain to keep up with the meeting schedules so that we were represented. Based upon last fall's response I strongly urged that the W43rd St location would be ideal for a market especially with support from Manhattan Plaza. After a snowballing sequence of events we began distribution the first week of June at the park next to the Little Pie Company as guests of Related Management and Manhattan Plaza.

During the course of events, the NY Council on the Environment at the urging of the CB4 member who attended our Hartley House meeting, completed the process to start and run a Greenmarket on W43rd St adjacent to the MP park. This past July 1st marked the opening of the 43rdSt/Hell's Kitchen Greenmarket in this location.

I am certain that we can be very proud of our role in facilitating and catalyzing the locating of a NYC Greenmarket in Hell's Kitchen. While it is clear that there were a number of folks working to locate a fresh farmers market in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, it is equally clear that our advocacy and our membership support at every level has had a hand in helping bring fresh farm products to Hell's Kitchen at this location. So far, there is a meat producer, a fisherman, an orchard and a vegetable grower in addition to our CSA distribution and market stall.

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