Lower East Side residents learned more about the farm that will be supplying the LES CSA (if enough people commit to buying shares) from the farmers themselves last Tuesday evening at the Educational Alliance. David and Melinda Rowley came down from Stuyvesant, NY to answer questions and shared pictures of their farm, Monkshood Nursery and Gardens.
The farm, which also provides fresh produce for the 14th Street YMHA’s CSA, is abuzz, preparing for their summer and fall season. Winter salad greens and tomatoes are already peeking out of the ground and pea seedlings will be planted next week.
Monkshood started out as an herb nursery in 2001 and has since expanded to include four greenhouses on an 82-acre parcel in Stuyvesant. David and Melinda sell certified organic potted and cut herbs, greens and mixed vegetables at local farmer’s markets, shows, festivals and CSA’s both in upstate New York and New York City.
In order for the L.E.S. CSA to be viable, David and Melinda need at least 50 shares to be confirmed by April 1st. Organizers are about halfway there. They are asking community members to help spread the word. Members can commit to a whole share ($610), which is sufficient for a family of four, or a half share ($310), which feeds two. The variety and amount brought directly from the farm will vary, as it is based on the actual harvest. It will be distributed once a week, starting in June, for 22 weeks. Leftover or unclaimed food will be donated to the Head Start Program through the Educational Alliance. For more information about the CSA and to sign up, visit their blog here.
