What Grows On in Rhode Island News

Winter Coat Giveaway ~ Friday, November 23, 2012

Winter coats to be given away at 9 locations around Rhode island this Friday

Contact: Greg Gerritt 401-331-0529 [email protected]

Location of all Winter coat exchange sites http://prosperityforri.com/2012-bnd-sites/

The 16th Annual Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange will take place at 9 locations in Rhode Island on Friday November 23. Winter Coats will be given away starting at 9 or 10 AM at locations in Bristol, Cranston, East Providence, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, Wakefield, and Warwick. In the age of Wall St crashing the economy and climate change, we have raised overconsumption to an art form that is tearing apart the ecosystems of the planet and our communities. To remind us of the madness many years ago people started celebrating Buy Nothing Day to protest basing our society on consumerism.

This year for the 16th year people in Rhode island will gather to collect winter coats from those who no longer need them, and distribute them to Rhode Islanders who can use them. Over the years we have grown to 9 sites and hundreds of volunteers (thanks to the YMCA for adding a number of sites to the network this year) that collect and give away winter coats instead of heading to the malls, We are sending a message of rethinking consumerism while actively providing a resource for our communities.

Anyone who can donate a coat is asked to donate a coat. Anyone who needs a coat is invited to come get a coat. Visit http://prosperityforri.com/2012-bnd-sites/ for the sites near you.

Four Weekly Farmers' Markets Open this Week at State Parks ~ May 3, 2012

RI Department of Environmental Management Press Release:

DEM ANNOUNCES OPENING OF FOUR WEEKLY FARMERS' MARKETS AT STATE PARKS THIS WEEK; OTHER MARKETS  OPERATED BY DEM SLATED TO OPEN IN MID-JULY

Bedding Plants, Flowers Available at Farmers’ Markets for Mother’s Day, Memorial Day

            PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that four farmers' markets located in state parks will open on a weekly basis beginning this week. For the first few weeks, the popular markets primarily will offer bedding plants, hanging plants, cut flowers, early vegetable crops, honey, and maple syrup. As traditional local summer crops become available, more vendors will participate.

“The growing demand for local food is sending consumers flocking to farmers’ markets and farm stands across the state,” said DEM Director Janet Coit.  “Greater access to locally grown products is also improving the nutritional health of Rhode Islanders.  What a win-win this is for all involved – the public who have an opportunity to buy the freshest produce, meats and seafood possible, and the farmers who sell their products directly to consumers.”

The farmers' markets in DEM-operated parks and market hours of operation are:

• Goddard Memorial State Park Farmers' Market in Warwick, Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning on May 4.
• Colt State Park Farmers' Market in Bristol, Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on May 4.
• Fishermens' Memorial State Park Farmers' Market in Narragansett, Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning on May 6.
• Haines Memorial State Park Farmers' Market on Route 103 on the East Providence/Barrington line, Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on May 2.

            The opening of the DEM Farmers' Markets coincides with the opening of many other farmers' markets throughout the state. Several additional farmers’ markets operated by DEM will open in mid-to-late July, including:

• Capitol Hill Farmers’ Market in Providence, Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning on July 19.
• Pastore Complex Farmers’ Market in Cranston, Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning on July 20.
• Blackstone River Visitor Center Farmers’ Market on Rt. 295 North in Lincoln, Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on July 17.
• Johnston Farmers’ Market at Memorial Park on Route 6 (Hartford Avenue), Mondays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on July 23.
• State Pier Nine Farmers Market at State Pier Nine in Newport, Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on July 20.

            DEM Farmers' Markets accept farmers' market checks from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) administered by the Department of Health. The successful Senior Farmers' Nutrition Program, administered by DEM for the past eight years, will be offered as the season progresses, with coupons expected to be available at senior centers sometime in July. To qualify for the program, persons 60 or older make a simple self-declaration of income based on household size. DEM coordinates the program in conjunction with the RI Department of Elderly Affairs.

Rhode Island has 1,219 farms, mostly family run, which occupy 61,000 acres.  The state has a growing number of farmers markets (50) and other retail venues and collaborative efforts. According to the 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture,  Rhode Island was ranked number three in the country for direct marketing sales of fruits and vegetables from farms to consumers, on a per farm basis.  Rhode Island also had $6.3 million worth of agriculture sales sold directly to the public, equal to 9.5 percent of all agriculture market sales, which ranked Rhode Island first in the US for percentage of direct market sales.  “Farmers’ markets help create a more sustainable, locally-based food system that benefits the Rhode Island economy and environment,” Director Coit noted.

DEM's Division of Agriculture and Resource Marketing, which helps farmers with marketing information, offers a free brochure that lists the locations of all farmers' markets and roadside stands, along with addresses, hours, days and months of operation, and telephone numbers. To obtain a free brochure, or participate in the state farmers' markets, please contact the Division at 222-2781. The brochure is also available on DEM's website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on “Agriculture in Rhode Island” on the left side of the homepage, then “For Consumers,” then “Farmers Markets.” 

Alternatives to Miracle Grow ~ Workshop ~ February 29, 2012

News from the Winter Farmers Market at Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St, Pawtucket, RI

WORKSHOP TODAY @ 5PM

"Alternatives to Miracle Grow" - Take home growing tips and tweaks for the 2012 growing season.
Hosted by New Urban Farmers. Find them every other Saturday, selling microgreens and mushrooms at the market!

Also note several workshops coming up throughout March.

 

 

15th Annual BUY NOTHING DAY WINTER COAT EXCHANGE ~ November 25, 2011

If you have a coat to give, please drop it off.
If you need a coat, please pick one up.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25 10-2PM                                                          

• State House lawn (directly across from Providence Place mall)  (rain location  St Johns Cathedral   271 N Main St Providence)
• Pawtucket Visitors Center, 175 Main St. Pawtucket

On November 25th 2011 – the busiest day in the American retail calendar and the unofficial start of the international Christmas-shopping season – thousands of activists and concerned citizens in 65 countries will take a 24-hour consumer detox as part of the annual Buy Nothing Day, a global phenomenon that originated in Vancouver, Canada.

Some see it as an escape from the marketing mind games and the frantic consumer binge that has come to characterize the holiday season and our culture in general. Others use it to expose the environmental and ethical consequences of over-consumption.  In Providence as part of International Buy Nothing Day, we hold a winter coat exchange on the lawn of the State House directly across from Providence Place mall. In Pawtucket the transfer of coats takes place at the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center. Events are also held at 4 other locations in Rhode Island. There are many partners for this event: community organizations, places of worship, civic, and environmental groups. Volunteers are needed to help with this life-affirming event.

Contact information:  Providence

 

• Greg Gerritt: 331-0529; [email protected];
• Phil Edmonds: 461-3683; [email protected]

Pawtucket -  Arthur Pitt 396-1918; [email protected] 

Other participating locations     

• Newport – St Paul's Church 12 West Marlborough St. 10 AM to Noon Maggie Bulmer   846-0966
• Wakefield --St. Francis Church, 114 High Street, 10AM to noon Tom Abbott 364-0778
• Barrington  Bayside Family YMCA  70 West St   Connie Ganley [email protected]
• Warwick  Kent County YMCA  900 Centerville Rd  8218-0130

Buy All You Can at the Farmers' Markets and Farm Stands before Irene Barrels In!

From Coastal Market Manager, Bevan Linsley (Casey Farm, Saunderstown)

As Irene blows up the coast your farmers are working frantically to harvest everything they can just in case she really does hit us hard.  If she does, the damage to crops here may be substantial and our guys are already pretty tired at this time of the year.  Now, at the height of the harvest season, they have to stop their usual work, store everything away, tie everything else down, make sure the animals are safe and then harvest, harvest, harvest just in case there is nothing left next week. And then what to do with all that fresh produce if we don't come to market?  This is where we understand what local and sustainable really means, for this is the time for us to come to the aid of our farmers and share the risks of the weather and the season with them.

So, what they need from us now is our support on Saturday morning at the market. Come early, come often and buy as much as you can possibly afford to cook, can, freeze and eat while you are stuck inside during the storm this weekend!  The forecast currently anticipates Irene arriving here later on Sunday, so we are likely looking at a stormy morning on Saturday with wind and maybe a little rain but the [SOUTH COUNTY] MARKET WILL BE HELD AS ALWAYS!

See What Grows On in Rhode Island Sales Subcalendar for an easy-to-see summary of times and locations of upcoming Farmers' Markets. Full details about what's for sale when and where, and who sells what in addition to lists of farm stands, are on the Farm Fresh RI website.

Reminder ~ RI Wild Plant Society Annual Sale ~ June 4, 2011

Come to the "Best Native Plant Sale in Rhode Island!

We have beautiful, quality native plants for your garden which will support the environment by providing sustenance and shelter for birds and butterflies, the "winged blossoms" of our landscape. A silent auction for rare and collectible plants will be ongoing until 10:30 am. For more information: (401) 789-7497 or email us at [email protected]; riwps.org. Sale is at URI's East Farm, Route 108 in Kingston, RI from 9 am to noon, rain or shine.

ReUse Sale for ecoRI ~ June 4 & 5, 2011

The sale is at 111 Hope Street, Providence, 8am to 1pm each day.

Do you have unwanted antiques, books, magazines, sports collectibles and memorabilia, photographs, movies, CDs, kids and adult clothing, gardening supplies, household items, computer accessories or tools? You can still donate stuff! Open those closets and drawers, and empty the cellar. Find out more at ecoRI.com.

RI Farm Scavenger Hunt & Pick Your Own ~ May thru October 2011

It's time for the farm stands and more farmers' markets to open, which are enjoyable by themselves. But the RI Fruit Growers Association has created a scavenger hunt to juice things up even more. There's a gameboard with photos to identify. Some special prizes will be awarded to the first people who enter their completed boards. And while you are out at the farm stands, you can pick your own strawberries or other fruit as they ripen. The strawberry plants in my yard are now setting yellowish fruits, and soon they'll be ready for munching. I'm sure the farmers will have fresh strawberries soon.

Wondering how to find out when fruit is available for picking? The RI Fruit Growers Association website has a list of the fruit-growing farms with detailed info about what's grown where and when it's ripe. Click on the links to the fruit growers' own websites for more details. Call ahead if in doubt about open hours and what's in season.

Farm Fresh RI also has an updated list of what is in season and where you can Pick Your Own fruit as well as vegetables. The RI Harvest Calendar is a good place to begin, and you can find more details through the links on the great Farm Fresh RI website.

For instance, today, May 20, on the Farm Fresh RI home page, the following are "What's in Season:"

Edible flowers • Lavender • Lemon Verbena • Sliced + Diced Veggies • Sprouts • full Harvest Calendar...

For details about the Scavenger Hunt, see the Providence Journal 7 to 7 blog post of May 13: Game boards available for scavenger hunt at RI fruit farms. Especially note:

"Organizers urge that families check a farm's operating hours before visiting. Addresses, phone numbers and websites of participating farms are listed on the brochure and in the list of farm stands on the Fruit Growers Association website."

ecoRI Reuse Sale ~ June 4-5, 2011

ecoRI News Looks to Save Unwanted Items

In an effort to find homes for some of Rhode Island’s unwanted items, ecoRI News will be hosting its inaugural Reuse Sale the weekend of June 4 and 5 at 111 Hope St. from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

This consumer-friendly fundraiser will feature antiques, books and magazines, sports collectibles and memorabilia, photographs, movies, CDs, kids and adult clothing, gardening supplies, make-it-yourself rain barrels, countertop compost bins, household items, computer accessories and tools.

Stop by and enjoy a cup of coffee with the ecoRI News staff, snack on some delicious baked goods and check out the nonprofit’s news office.

If you would like to donate items to this fundraiser, there are several ways to do so:

Starting May 4, ecoRI News staffers will be collecting items for the Reuse Sale at the Wednesday (4-7 p.m.) and Saturday (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) farmers’ markets at Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St. in Pawtucket. The same location we have been collecting compost since November.

Make an appointment to drop off donated items at ecoRI’s worldwide headquarters, 111 Hope St. in Providence. Contact ecoRI News executive director Frank Carini at 401-678-0206 or via e-mail at [email protected] to set up a time.

Schedule a pickup. The ecoRI News staff will pick up, on a limited basis and depending on the item(s), donations. To schedule a possible pickup, contact ecoRI News executive director Frank Carini at 401-678-0206 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Southside Community Land Trust Plant Sale ~ May 15-16, 2011

Southside Community Land Trust’s Annual Plant Sale Celebrates Local Artists
Event Features Live Music and Original Artwork

[press release from Southside Community Land Trust]

Southside Community Land Trust is excited to announce the 19th Annual Rare and Unusual Plant Sale, to be held Saturday, May 15th and Sunday, May 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at City Farm, located at the corner of W. Clifford St. and Dudley St. in south Providence.
 
The Plant Sale is a festive annual event in Providence where people enjoy listening to live music as they browse thousands of varieties of flowers, vegetables, and herb seedlings for purchase. All proceeds from the Plant Sale go to support the Community Land Trust’s educational programs and community gardens, which have been around since 1981. The Plant Sale is free and open to the public and will feature nine different local bands and musicians this year: Circle of the Drum, Phil Edmonds and Friends, Boombamtronix, Two Time String Band, Chris Monti, Bay Spring Folk, Jake Haller and Friends, The ’Mericans, and the Classical High String Quartet.
 
Each year, the Community Land Trust also commissions a local artist to create an original, hand-drawn poster for the sale. Far more than simple flyers, these posters are beautiful, one-of-a-kind works of art that commemorate each sale and celebrate the vibrant arts culture in Providence. The 2011 poster was hand-drawn by Ian Cozzens of Secret Door Projects, who has produced posters for the last two Plant Sales. The poster can be seen in area shops, restaurants, and community centers—a video of the artist at work on the design is also available on his website, www.secretdoorprojects.org.
 
Members of the Community Land Trust enjoy admittance to a special preview an hour before the sale officially starts, giving them first access to the plants available and a 10% discount off of all of their purchases; people can become members by going to www.southsideclt.org/membership, calling (401) 273-9419, or signing up at the sale. More information about the Plant Sale, including directions to City Farm, is available at www.southsideclt.org/plantsale.
 
Southside Community Land Trust (SCLT) provides access to land, education and other resources so people in Greater Providence can grow food in environmentally sustainable ways and create community food systems where locally produced, affordable, and healthy food is available to all. For more information, please visit www.southsideclt.org.