Non-profit organization U.S. postage PAID Albany, NY Permit #916
594 River Street Troy, NY 12180 518-274-8685 www.capitalroots.org
News Fall/Winter 2016
IN THIS ISSUE: A Look at the Past Cover Story
A look at the past...and how far we’ve come
As we close out our 40th anniversary celebration, Capital Roots looks back on the moments and people that helped get us to where we are today. Forty years ago, we were a staff of one, managing a handful of gardens in Troy. Today, our staff of 30 manages 12 innovative programs throughout the Capital Region, that serve tens of thousands of people. Take a look with us as we remember how far we’ve come. (Continues on Page 7)
From our Food Hub Page 2 Healthy Streets Across the Region Page 3
sponsor a lane • Start a team • How will you put the fun in fundraising?
Join us as at
Capital Root’s 20th Annual
nter An Urban Grow Center of Excellence Page 4
1988 1975 to 1996 - Founder Dean Leith
Bringing Tree Planting Back to Troy Page 4
2015
Garden #52 is Coming Soon Page 5 People, Place and Produce Page 5 The Life of a Harvest Helperr Page 6
Register online at bit.ly/CR_GardenBowl
January 28, 2017 2:30pm - 5:30pm Uncle Sam Lanes, Troy
contact Abby for more information at events@capitalroots.org or 274-8685.
2009
2007
1996to now - Executive Director Amy Klein
Autumn Evening Recap Page 8-9
1975
BE SOCIAL! @CapitalRootsNY sNY
2015
2016 Page 1
From Our Food Hub by Amy Klein, Executive Director We grow, educate and provide. From the opening of its first gardens in 1975, to the dynamic and multifaceted organization of today, Capital Roots has worked to reduce the impact of poor nutrition on public health in the Capital Region. We organize community gardens, improve access to healthy food, offer nutrition and horticulture education for all ages and coordinate urban greening programs in Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady and southern Saratoga counties. Board
Kim Hickok - Board President John Carl - Executive Vice-President Raymond Smith - Vice-President Cynthia Nixon - Board Treasurer Jean Gerbini - Board Secretary Ann Pfau and Deborah Bennett - At-Large Michael Whiteman - Immediate Past President Kathy Beam William Karchner Sharon Bedford David Krupski Assie Bishop Eileen McCarthy Mark Bryant Tom McGuire Emily Cote Wendy Meola Barbara Hannelore Passonno Featherstonhaugh Rachel Hye Youn Ellen Flink Rupright Kimberly Sanger Jones
Staff
Amy Klein, Executive Director Sharon DiLorenzo, Program Manager Will Malcolm, Food Access Program Manager Matthew Schueler, Grow Center Planner Jessica Trowbridge, Operations Manager Audrey Bridge, Mobile Market Coordinator Keion Brown, Administrative Assistant Julia Cosgrove, Produce Project Farm Manager Rebekah Desjardins, Healthy Retail Organizer Katie Doyle, Educator and Farm to School Organizer Brooklyn Esposito, Volunteer Coordinator Brenna Healey, Mobile Market Assistant Brent Irving, Healthy Communities Coordinator Peter Jenkins, Produce Project Educator Kat Lawton, Food Hub Coordinator Danielle Marino, Garden Organizer Marissa Peck, Food Assessment Coordinator Tara Quackenbush, Community Gardens Program Manager Wanda Rivera, Programs Assistant Hannah Rosen, Healthy Stores Organizer Abby Schumacher-Benoit, Events Coordinator Amy Scott, Bookkeeper Mari Shopsis, Development Coordinator Sonia Soto, Outreach Assistant Joel Stewart, Delivery Specialist James Surano, Mobile Market Assistant Conor Vallee, Mobile Market Assistant Rebecca Whalen, Communications and Development Manager Cheryl Whilby, Squash Hunger and Outreach Coordinator
Page 2
Capital Roots’ is wrapping up our yearlong celebration of the organization’s 40th Anniversary. This has been a time to revel in all our milestones and the people who made them possible. As it turns out, December 2016 also marks my 20th year as Executive Director of Capital Roots. It doesn’t feel like two decades have passed since I first walked down the basement steps of the brownstone on Eighth Street (which housed our office at the time) to start this amazing journey. And while I knew that this organization had tremendous potential, I could never imagine we would grow into the Capital Roots of today. My partner in all work for these past 20 years, Capital Roots’ Program Manager, Sharon DiLorenzo, who has been with us for an amazing 24 years, and I like to regale new staff with stories of the “old days” when it was just the two of us in the basement without lights or pens. So much has happened in these past 20 years that we can all be proud of. In 1996, we were an organization of two staff, operating on a $60,000 budget, serving one community with 13 community gardens and street tree plantings. In 2016 Capital Roots has a staff of 30 plus student trainees, operating with a $1.7 million budget, serving four communities with 12 food access, urban agriculture, job readiness training and education programs, operating from a state-of-the-art, award-winning urban food hub facility. These changes happened because many people worked hard and believed in the vision of providing access to fresh healthy food and green spaces to all. We developed slowly over time, and so did our reputation for being an organization that advanced practical solutions to difficult problems using innovative techniques. And, supporters grew to trust that not only would our programs be effective, but that their donations would always be used wisely. So yes, we have pens now, but they’re the economy variety! I’m often asked what my biggest accomplishment has been or my favorite program that we’ve initiated. Frankly it’s impossible to choose one – so many community gardens developed and protected, the Veggie Mobile created and now a national model, the Produce Project changing the lives of our youth, the Healthy Stores program another national model, our successful name change to Capital Roots . . . The Urban Grow Center, a project 12-years in the making, is a goal that we all take particular pride in achieving. Few thought we could actually fulfill this dream, but we are doing it. Phase I was completed with the support of so many and has now received significant recognition for its impact on the community. The Urban Grow Center recently won an international “2016 Excellence in Design” award and was recognized along with Google and projects from as far away as China and Brazil. We are now embarking on planning for Phase II of the Grow Center with the purchase of almost two acres of land surrounding our current building to accommodate our future plans. And the USDA has already made a $100,000 investment toward this planning effort. When we began planning for Phase I of the Grow Center we had no money for planning and had to beg and borrow to get the effort off the ground. Yes, times have changed. As Capital Roots continues its important work in the coming years, including the next Phase of the Urban Grow Center, I renew my sense that there is tremendous potential ahead. I’m eager to continue the journey, and I hope you’ll be by my side.
The Rensselaer Club Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce Review Foundation Sage Brothers Company Scheidel Foundation Schwartz Heslin Group Scotia Glenville Lions Club SEFCU St. Andrew's Society of the City of Albany St. Peter's Health Partners Tri-City Valley Cats Trudeau Architects PLLC Trustco Bank U.W. Marx, Inc.. Walter Pratt & Sons, Inc. YWCA
In-Kind Donors Barbara Quint Mary Ann Rebel Bill Wurster and Cindi Jones Marge Moon Sharon T. DiLorenzo Debra Dunbrook Rebecca Keim Best Berry Farm Tributes in honor of: Amanda Spector & Peter Jenkins’ Wedding by Henry R. Block and M. Catherine Thomas Block by Vali Buland by Stephen Jenkins by Wallace Jenkins
by Janna King by Perry King by Nathan Loomis by Amy Scheiner by Elayne Scheiner by Carol Stanley by Kristen Welsh by Krystal Wilt by Alissa Wong Charlie and Cheryl Barnes by Drs. Michael and Cheryl DeVito Deb Kulbako-Arnold for her Birthday by Gail and Jerry Ostrander Excelsior College by Bethany and Paul de Barros Sue and Ed Connolly’s 50th Wedding Anniversary by Gregory Hains
Giving Online...it’s simple!
Amazon Smile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Capital Roots each time you shop on Amazon...at no cost to you! You can shop as you normally would but you get the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to us! Head here to make your first purchase with Capital Roots in mind:
smile.amazon.com
Wish List Baskets Folding carts for Squash Hunger pick ups Heavy duty utility cart on wheels Gas lawnmowers and rototillers (working) Lengthy garden hoses Computer tech support Hoes (stirrup preferably) Garden carts and wheelbarrows Good working vehicles Water barrels Good working all-terrain mower Set of metal ramps for loading equipment Laptop computers Long handled shovels Silverware Cake platters and pie servers Jumper cables iPods and iPhones 5s or newer To make a donation, call 518-274-8685.
Support Capital Roots with a donation today! Name: _________________ E-Mail: ________________ Phone: _________ Address: ________________________
Interested in getting more involved? Start a team for the 20 Annual Garden Bowl Volunteer doing research for the Urban Grow Center Phase II Deliver produce to area food pantries for Squash Hunger th
Tributes in memory of: Amy Stock by Mary Stock Annie Louise Gary by Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Education Department Caleb Chow by Kathleen McNamara and Larry Lichtenstein George A. Estabrooks by Carolyn Estabrooks Rudolph T. Meola by Karen I. Setzen and Dr. Gavin Setzen Lou and Ida B. Schneidman by Toby McErlean
$35 Friend $60 Sponsor $120 Supporter $300 Benefactor $600 Cultivator $1200 Gardening Angel Make me a Harvest Helper for $ ______ a month. In honor of In memory of _________________________
From Our Food Hub by Amy Klein, Executive Director We grow, educate and provide. From the opening of its first gardens in 1975, to the dynamic and multifaceted organization of today, Capital Roots has worked to reduce the impact of poor nutrition on public health in the Capital Region. We organize community gardens, improve access to healthy food, offer nutrition and horticulture education for all ages and coordinate urban greening programs in Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady and southern Saratoga counties. Board
Kim Hickok - Board President John Carl - Executive Vice-President Raymond Smith - Vice-President Cynthia Nixon - Board Treasurer Jean Gerbini - Board Secretary Ann Pfau and Deborah Bennett - At-Large Michael Whiteman - Immediate Past President Kathy Beam William Karchner Sharon Bedford David Krupski Assie Bishop Eileen McCarthy Mark Bryant Tom McGuire Emily Cote Wendy Meola Barbara Hannelore Passonno Featherstonhaugh Rachel Hye Youn Ellen Flink Rupright Kimberly Sanger Jones
Staff
Amy Klein, Executive Director Sharon DiLorenzo, Program Manager Will Malcolm, Food Access Program Manager Matthew Schueler, Grow Center Planner Jessica Trowbridge, Operations Manager Audrey Bridge, Mobile Market Coordinator Keion Brown, Administrative Assistant Julia Cosgrove, Produce Project Farm Manager Rebekah Desjardins, Healthy Retail Organizer Katie Doyle, Educator and Farm to School Organizer Brooklyn Esposito, Volunteer Coordinator Brenna Healey, Mobile Market Assistant Brent Irving, Healthy Communities Coordinator Peter Jenkins, Produce Project Educator Kat Lawton, Food Hub Coordinator Danielle Marino, Garden Organizer Marissa Peck, Food Assessment Coordinator Tara Quackenbush, Community Gardens Program Manager Wanda Rivera, Programs Assistant Hannah Rosen, Healthy Stores Organizer Abby Schumacher-Benoit, Events Coordinator Amy Scott, Bookkeeper Mari Shopsis, Development Coordinator Sonia Soto, Outreach Assistant Joel Stewart, Delivery Specialist James Surano, Mobile Market Assistant Conor Vallee, Mobile Market Assistant Rebecca Whalen, Communications and Development Manager Cheryl Whilby, Squash Hunger and Outreach Coordinator
Page 2
Capital Roots’ is wrapping up our yearlong celebration of the organization’s 40th Anniversary. This has been a time to revel in all our milestones and the people who made them possible. As it turns out, December 2016 also marks my 20th year as Executive Director of Capital Roots. It doesn’t feel like two decades have passed since I first walked down the basement steps of the brownstone on Eighth Street (which housed our office at the time) to start this amazing journey. And while I knew that this organization had tremendous potential, I could never imagine we would grow into the Capital Roots of today. My partner in all work for these past 20 years, Capital Roots’ Program Manager, Sharon DiLorenzo, who has been with us for an amazing 24 years, and I like to regale new staff with stories of the “old days” when it was just the two of us in the basement without lights or pens. So much has happened in these past 20 years that we can all be proud of. In 1996, we were an organization of two staff, operating on a $60,000 budget, serving one community with 13 community gardens and street tree plantings. In 2016 Capital Roots has a staff of 30 plus student trainees, operating with a $1.7 million budget, serving four communities with 12 food access, urban agriculture, job readiness training and education programs, operating from a state-of-the-art, award-winning urban food hub facility. These changes happened because many people worked hard and believed in the vision of providing access to fresh healthy food and green spaces to all. We developed slowly over time, and so did our reputation for being an organization that advanced practical solutions to difficult problems using innovative techniques. And, supporters grew to trust that not only would our programs be effective, but that their donations would always be used wisely. So yes, we have pens now, but they’re the economy variety! I’m often asked what my biggest accomplishment has been or my favorite program that we’ve initiated. Frankly it’s impossible to choose one – so many community gardens developed and protected, the Veggie Mobile created and now a national model, the Produce Project changing the lives of our youth, the Healthy Stores program another national model, our successful name change to Capital Roots . . . The Urban Grow Center, a project 12-years in the making, is a goal that we all take particular pride in achieving. Few thought we could actually fulfill this dream, but we are doing it. Phase I was completed with the support of so many and has now received significant recognition for its impact on the community. The Urban Grow Center recently won an international “2016 Excellence in Design” award and was recognized along with Google and projects from as far away as China and Brazil. We are now embarking on planning for Phase II of the Grow Center with the purchase of almost two acres of land surrounding our current building to accommodate our future plans. And the USDA has already made a $100,000 investment toward this planning effort. When we began planning for Phase I of the Grow Center we had no money for planning and had to beg and borrow to get the effort off the ground. Yes, times have changed. As Capital Roots continues its important work in the coming years, including the next Phase of the Urban Grow Center, I renew my sense that there is tremendous potential ahead. I’m eager to continue the journey, and I hope you’ll be by my side.
The Rensselaer Club Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce Review Foundation Sage Brothers Company Scheidel Foundation Schwartz Heslin Group Scotia Glenville Lions Club SEFCU St. Andrew's Society of the City of Albany St. Peter's Health Partners Tri-City Valley Cats Trudeau Architects PLLC Trustco Bank U.W. Marx, Inc.. Walter Pratt & Sons, Inc. YWCA
In-Kind Donors Barbara Quint Mary Ann Rebel Bill Wurster and Cindi Jones Marge Moon Sharon T. DiLorenzo Debra Dunbrook Rebecca Keim Best Berry Farm Tributes in honor of: Amanda Spector & Peter Jenkins’ Wedding by Henry R. Block and M. Catherine Thomas Block by Vali Buland by Stephen Jenkins by Wallace Jenkins
by Janna King by Perry King by Nathan Loomis by Amy Scheiner by Elayne Scheiner by Carol Stanley by Kristen Welsh by Krystal Wilt by Alissa Wong Charlie and Cheryl Barnes by Drs. Michael and Cheryl DeVito Deb Kulbako-Arnold for her Birthday by Gail and Jerry Ostrander Excelsior College by Bethany and Paul de Barros Sue and Ed Connolly’s 50th Wedding Anniversary by Gregory Hains
Giving Online...it’s simple!
Amazon Smile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Capital Roots each time you shop on Amazon...at no cost to you! You can shop as you normally would but you get the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to us! Head here to make your first purchase with Capital Roots in mind:
smile.amazon.com
Wish List Baskets Folding carts for Squash Hunger pick ups Heavy duty utility cart on wheels Gas lawnmowers and rototillers (working) Lengthy garden hoses Computer tech support Hoes (stirrup preferably) Garden carts and wheelbarrows Good working vehicles Water barrels Good working all-terrain mower Set of metal ramps for loading equipment Laptop computers Long handled shovels Silverware Cake platters and pie servers Jumper cables iPods and iPhones 5s or newer To make a donation, call 518-274-8685.
Support Capital Roots with a donation today! Name: _________________ E-Mail: ________________ Phone: _________ Address: ________________________
Interested in getting more involved? Start a team for the 20 Annual Garden Bowl Volunteer doing research for the Urban Grow Center Phase II Deliver produce to area food pantries for Squash Hunger th
Tributes in memory of: Amy Stock by Mary Stock Annie Louise Gary by Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Education Department Caleb Chow by Kathleen McNamara and Larry Lichtenstein George A. Estabrooks by Carolyn Estabrooks Rudolph T. Meola by Karen I. Setzen and Dr. Gavin Setzen Lou and Ida B. Schneidman by Toby McErlean
$35 Friend $60 Sponsor $120 Supporter $300 Benefactor $600 Cultivator $1200 Gardening Angel Make me a Harvest Helper for $ ______ a month. In honor of In memory of _________________________
Contributions From Our Friends Harvest Helpers (Monthly Givers) Karen Beck Dinah Crossway G. John Delory and Joseph D. Leonard Joanne Fortunato Jane and John Husson Wendell Lorang and Sherry Gold Patti Schachter Individual Donors ($20+ total) Jill M. Abelseth MD and Thomas E. Canavan MD Kathy and Carlo Agneta Barbara J. Ahern and W. Conard Holton Shawn Allan and Nicholas Hepler Lisa and Chris Allison Anonymous Dave and Sue Anthony Roger and Judy Armstrong Michele Bager Charles and Cheryl Barnes David Barnet and Julia Richards Donald J. Barron Katherine Beam Karen Beck Sharon Bedford and Fred Alm Deborah and John Bennett Michael Bergen and Abbie Kiley Assie Bishop Steve and Sarah Boggess Barbara Bradley and Tom McGuire Curt Breneman and Miriam Pye Melody Bruce and David Ray Mark Bryant and Lisa Callahan Margaret Buckley Doug Burns and Michele Pigliavento Burns Nancy Carey Cassidy and Tom Cassidy John and Patsy Carl Sam and Kellie Chiappone John and Joyce Chupka Rhea Clark Judith and Louis Clough Jeff and Debbie Cohen Jim and Phyllis Conroy John and Sue Corey Kevin Cornils Emily and Matthew Cote Leslie Craigue Don and Joan Csaposs Robert Cuviello Lorraine and John D'Aleo Susie Davidson Powell Justine and Brian Denison Pat and Emil DeToffol Heather Diddel and Samuel House Margaret Diggs David and JoAnn Duquette Joseph Durkin and Linda Stadtlander Ann Dusza Jeffrey and Lorraine English Mike Esposito Raymond E. Essiembre Tom and Lisa Evans
Page 10
Christopher and Jacqueline Falvey James and Barbara Featherstonhaugh Edward and Ellen Flink Angelo and Lilajane Frascarelli Jennifer Freeman Olivia Gagliardi Carolyn B. George and Michael M. Wright Jean and Antoine Gerbini Stephen and Cathy Golas Owen Goldfarb and Priscilla Fairbank Geraldine and Jerel Golub Jeffrey Gorbaty Mark and Gretchen Gorman Amanda Goyer Cory Griffard David and Marilyn Grimm Lisa M. Hall Joan Ham Denise Harlow and Blake Pavlik Deana Harrington and Jay Hymes Margaret and Jonathan Harvey Jessica and Theodore Hausler Emma Hearst and John Barker George and Christine Hearst III Kimberly Hickok and Mark Crabbe Barbara Higbee Marcia Hopple Marlene Horne Hon. Kathy and Vince Jimino Matthew K. Joyce Sam Judge Herb and Linda Jurist William Karchner Bob and Claire Karlicek Alexander and Gail Keeler Sandy and Frank Kiepura Arthur and Heather Kilmer Betsy Kindlon Noelle Kinsch and Hon. Darius Shahinfar Amy Klein Rebekah and Curtis Klope Rebecca Koch and Justin Pfeiffer Lawrence and Ellen Kotlow Eric J. Krans and Jennifer C. O'Connor David and Sheila Krupski Eileen and Kevin Lang Jessica and Douglas Lang Anita Lay Lynne Lekakis Douglas C. Liebig Gordon and Linda Mappes Christine Martino Barbara and Brian McCandless Mary McCarthy and David Gardam George and Kathleen McNamee Wendy and Rudy Meola John and Marney Mesch Annie and Zach Metzger Brandi Miller Anthony and Debbie Monticello R. Mihran and Ovsanna Mooradian Stephen and Mary Muller Stacy Myron and Tom Richardson Katherine Nadeau and Jimmy Vielkind
The following donations were received between July 2016 - October 2016
Annette Nanes and Scott Meyer Lynette and Bernard Noonan Rosemary Oathout Kevin and Pat O'Bryan Daniel Odabashian and Deirdre Brodie Harry and Kathy Odabashian Michael and Heather O'Heaney Chet and Karen Opalka Robert and Loretta Parsons John and Jane Pattison Richard Peck II and Vincent Gallerani Lisa and Robert Pett Sylvia Pirani and Mark Barth Julia Popova Dorothy F. Powell Nancy Meyers Preston Erin and James Puleo II Kerri and Phil Richards Glenna Roach Virginia and Willard Rogers Elena Rosenbaum and Steve DiStefano Sharon and Harry Roy Rachel Hye Youn Rupright and Alexander Monticello Elizabeth Rutnik Eve and Spencer Ryan Gail and Joe Sacco John Sanborn Anne Savage and Michael Myers Stephen and Alexandra Schmidt John E. Schumacher Abigail R. Schumacher-Benoit and John Pevey Rachel and Nicholas Sciolino Michael and Nancy Scott Donna Simms Paula and Len Sippel Janice and Stan Smith Onnolee and Larry Smith Raymond and JoAnn Smith Susan Stah-Cooper and Chris Cooper Jane Bucci Stewart Kathlene Thiel and J. Eric King Barbara Thompson Chris Thorne Christine Timber Jessica and Steve Trowbridge Edward and Karen Uttberg Cheryl Valenti Lee Vaughan and Varada Pandya-Vaughan Erica Veil and Peter Fox Caroline Verner Betsy Voss Kathleen Ward Andrew and Lynn Warheit Shelly Weizman Michael and Margery Whiteman Lianne and Ted Wladis David Wojeski Caryn Zeh Agnes Zink Community Partners 1st Playable Productions Albany Pine Bush Preserve
The Ale House Allstate Insurance, The LoFrumento Agency Ayco Foundation Ayelada Frozen Yogurt Ballston Spa National Bank Bank of America Foundation The Barry Alan Gold Memorial Fund of The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region Behan Communications Bouchey Financial Group Callanan Industries Capital Bank & Trust Co. Capital District Oral Surgeons Center for Disability Services CEO Chazen Companies Community Resource Federal Credit Union Cresa Albany Crisafulli Bros. Plumbing & Heating Direct Retirement Solutions Duncan & Cahill E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy Edward Jones Investments/Lisa Pett Envision Architects PC Faith Lutheran Church Faith Takes Family Foundation Fenimore Asset Management, Inc. First Niagara Bank First Reformed Church First United Presbyterian Church Flink Smith LLC GE Foundation Grainger Guth DeConzo Consulting Engineers, PC Hill & Markes Homestead Funding John Faunce and Alicia Tracy Roach Fund of the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region Junior League of Albany Keeler Motor Car Company Charitable Foundation Kinderhook Bank L.O.L.A (Live Organic. Love Animals.) Fund of The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region Marra's Pharmacy Martin, Shudt, Wallace, DiLorenzo & Johnson McCarthy Charities Monticello Real Estate National Grid New York State Conservation Partnership Program / Land Trust Alliance The Niles & Carl Group Niskayuna Food Co-Op NYSID PEF Region 8 Phoenix Life Insurance Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Healthy Streets Across the Region One of Capital Roots’ newest programs – Healthy Streets – has had an incredible year making our QHLJKERUKRRGV PRUH DFFHVVLEOH IRU DOO  5HJDUGOHVV RI how you choose to travel through our region – as a pedestrian, bicyclist, person with a disability, young or old – our streets should be a safe place to recreate and access all our community has to offer.
Volunteers and Capital Roots staff install a Creative Crosswalk in Lansingburgh in September.
To that end, Capital Roots completed a variety of infrastructure projects that create safe routes to walk and bike. In Lansingburgh, Capital Roots partnered with the city’s school district to create a safe route to school for students and their families. With the help of students, teachers, and volunteers, we installed “Creative Crosswalksâ€? at five intersections, which not only offer a unique dimension to the school community, but help to calm traffic and create better sightlines for pedestrians to see oncoming traffic when crossing the streets. Capital Roots also provided Knickerbacker Middle School with bike racks to provide a safe space for students to park WKHLU ELNHV GXULQJ WKH VFKRRO GD\ ÂŹ In Albany, we have also been focusing on installing infrastructure that is essential to encouraging Healthy 6WUHHWV ÂŹ 7KH &LW\ RI $OEDQ\ ZLOO VRRQ EH LQVWDOOLQJ new bike racks provided by Capital Roots, in
under-served neighborhoods where bike parking is OLPLWHG  :H KDYH DOVR SDUWQHUHG ZLWK WKH $OEDQ\ 3XEOLF Library to finish their network of bike fix-it stations which provide all the necessary tools (including air pumps!) to fix the most common problems faced by ULGHUV  7KHVH IL[ LWV DUH IUHH DQG DYDLODEOH WR WKH SXEOLF year-round and are an important part of making our FRPPXQLWLHV PRUH ELNH IULHQGO\  ,Q 2FWREHU ZH installed a walking trail in Albany’s South End neighborhood, with wayfinding signs that help residents VDIHO\ UHFUHDWH  6LJQV QRZ FRQQHFW DOO VHFWLRQV RI WKH neighborhood with the new Corning Park and recently completed Albany County Rail Trail, which connects 6RXWK 3HDUO 6WUHHW WR 9RRUKHHVYLOOH  7KLV LPSRUWDQW WUDLO will also be enhanced with a bike fix-it station in the coming months. In Schenectady, Capital Roots helped the city conduct two pop-up demonstrations which highlighted the various strategies that can be utilized to create safe routes for residents. The September event along Craig Street in the Hamilton Hill neighborhood saw over 100 youth using designated bike lanes, learning safety skills, getting bikes tuned-up, and receiving free helmets from WKH 6FKHQHFWDG\ 3ROLFH 'HSDUWPHQW  6KRUW WHUP SRS XS events like these help to educate both pedestrians and drivers about the positive impact Healthy Streets can have on a neighborhood and start a dialogue about future projects that can build on this momentum. Even though the cooler weather is upon us, new LQVWDOODWLRQV DUH VWLOO SODQQHG IRU WKH FRPLQJ ZHHNV  More bike fix-it stations are being installed across parts of Troy, Schenectady, and along the Hudson-Mohawk Bike/Hike Trail (Corning Preserve) to provide an LPSRUWDQW UHVRXUFH IRU ULGHUV  6DIH ZDONLQJ URXWHV DUH also being planned for communities such as Cohoes and Watervliet to better connect residents with the assets in their communities. By providing this infrastructure, we are empowering our neighbors to ditch their car and chose to walk or ride to their destination- increasing their physical activity and creating positive change in their neighborhood at the VDPH WLPH 
First use of the bicycle fix-it station at participate “Bike Erie Find us in the Apple App p Cyclists S Store torrree o or r Go G Google oog gle l inP Play laay Sto S St Store! tthe orree! o ! Canal� in Schenectady. the Urban Grow Center.
Community members complete a Creative Crosswalk in Lansingburgh. Page 3
Contributions From Our Friends Harvest Helpers (Monthly Givers) Karen Beck Dinah Crossway G. John Delory and Joseph D. Leonard Joanne Fortunato Jane and John Husson Wendell Lorang and Sherry Gold Patti Schachter Individual Donors ($20+ total) Jill M. Abelseth MD and Thomas E. Canavan MD Kathy and Carlo Agneta Barbara J. Ahern and W. Conard Holton Shawn Allan and Nicholas Hepler Lisa and Chris Allison Anonymous Dave and Sue Anthony Roger and Judy Armstrong Michele Bager Charles and Cheryl Barnes David Barnet and Julia Richards Donald J. Barron Katherine Beam Karen Beck Sharon Bedford and Fred Alm Deborah and John Bennett Michael Bergen and Abbie Kiley Assie Bishop Steve and Sarah Boggess Barbara Bradley and Tom McGuire Curt Breneman and Miriam Pye Melody Bruce and David Ray Mark Bryant and Lisa Callahan Margaret Buckley Doug Burns and Michele Pigliavento Burns Nancy Carey Cassidy and Tom Cassidy John and Patsy Carl Sam and Kellie Chiappone John and Joyce Chupka Rhea Clark Judith and Louis Clough Jeff and Debbie Cohen Jim and Phyllis Conroy John and Sue Corey Kevin Cornils Emily and Matthew Cote Leslie Craigue Don and Joan Csaposs Robert Cuviello Lorraine and John D'Aleo Susie Davidson Powell Justine and Brian Denison Pat and Emil DeToffol Heather Diddel and Samuel House Margaret Diggs David and JoAnn Duquette Joseph Durkin and Linda Stadtlander Ann Dusza Jeffrey and Lorraine English Mike Esposito Raymond E. Essiembre Tom and Lisa Evans
Page 10
Christopher and Jacqueline Falvey James and Barbara Featherstonhaugh Edward and Ellen Flink Angelo and Lilajane Frascarelli Jennifer Freeman Olivia Gagliardi Carolyn B. George and Michael M. Wright Jean and Antoine Gerbini Stephen and Cathy Golas Owen Goldfarb and Priscilla Fairbank Geraldine and Jerel Golub Jeffrey Gorbaty Mark and Gretchen Gorman Amanda Goyer Cory Griffard David and Marilyn Grimm Lisa M. Hall Joan Ham Denise Harlow and Blake Pavlik Deana Harrington and Jay Hymes Margaret and Jonathan Harvey Jessica and Theodore Hausler Emma Hearst and John Barker George and Christine Hearst III Kimberly Hickok and Mark Crabbe Barbara Higbee Marcia Hopple Marlene Horne Hon. Kathy and Vince Jimino Matthew K. Joyce Sam Judge Herb and Linda Jurist William Karchner Bob and Claire Karlicek Alexander and Gail Keeler Sandy and Frank Kiepura Arthur and Heather Kilmer Betsy Kindlon Noelle Kinsch and Hon. Darius Shahinfar Amy Klein Rebekah and Curtis Klope Rebecca Koch and Justin Pfeiffer Lawrence and Ellen Kotlow Eric J. Krans and Jennifer C. O'Connor David and Sheila Krupski Eileen and Kevin Lang Jessica and Douglas Lang Anita Lay Lynne Lekakis Douglas C. Liebig Gordon and Linda Mappes Christine Martino Barbara and Brian McCandless Mary McCarthy and David Gardam George and Kathleen McNamee Wendy and Rudy Meola John and Marney Mesch Annie and Zach Metzger Brandi Miller Anthony and Debbie Monticello R. Mihran and Ovsanna Mooradian Stephen and Mary Muller Stacy Myron and Tom Richardson Katherine Nadeau and Jimmy Vielkind
The following donations were received between July 2016 - October 2016
Annette Nanes and Scott Meyer Lynette and Bernard Noonan Rosemary Oathout Kevin and Pat O'Bryan Daniel Odabashian and Deirdre Brodie Harry and Kathy Odabashian Michael and Heather O'Heaney Chet and Karen Opalka Robert and Loretta Parsons John and Jane Pattison Richard Peck II and Vincent Gallerani Lisa and Robert Pett Sylvia Pirani and Mark Barth Julia Popova Dorothy F. Powell Nancy Meyers Preston Erin and James Puleo II Kerri and Phil Richards Glenna Roach Virginia and Willard Rogers Elena Rosenbaum and Steve DiStefano Sharon and Harry Roy Rachel Hye Youn Rupright and Alexander Monticello Elizabeth Rutnik Eve and Spencer Ryan Gail and Joe Sacco John Sanborn Anne Savage and Michael Myers Stephen and Alexandra Schmidt John E. Schumacher Abigail R. Schumacher-Benoit and John Pevey Rachel and Nicholas Sciolino Michael and Nancy Scott Donna Simms Paula and Len Sippel Janice and Stan Smith Onnolee and Larry Smith Raymond and JoAnn Smith Susan Stah-Cooper and Chris Cooper Jane Bucci Stewart Kathlene Thiel and J. Eric King Barbara Thompson Chris Thorne Christine Timber Jessica and Steve Trowbridge Edward and Karen Uttberg Cheryl Valenti Lee Vaughan and Varada Pandya-Vaughan Erica Veil and Peter Fox Caroline Verner Betsy Voss Kathleen Ward Andrew and Lynn Warheit Shelly Weizman Michael and Margery Whiteman Lianne and Ted Wladis David Wojeski Caryn Zeh Agnes Zink Community Partners 1st Playable Productions Albany Pine Bush Preserve
The Ale House Allstate Insurance, The LoFrumento Agency Ayco Foundation Ayelada Frozen Yogurt Ballston Spa National Bank Bank of America Foundation The Barry Alan Gold Memorial Fund of The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region Behan Communications Bouchey Financial Group Callanan Industries Capital Bank & Trust Co. Capital District Oral Surgeons Center for Disability Services CEO Chazen Companies Community Resource Federal Credit Union Cresa Albany Crisafulli Bros. Plumbing & Heating Direct Retirement Solutions Duncan & Cahill E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy Edward Jones Investments/Lisa Pett Envision Architects PC Faith Lutheran Church Faith Takes Family Foundation Fenimore Asset Management, Inc. First Niagara Bank First Reformed Church First United Presbyterian Church Flink Smith LLC GE Foundation Grainger Guth DeConzo Consulting Engineers, PC Hill & Markes Homestead Funding John Faunce and Alicia Tracy Roach Fund of the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region Junior League of Albany Keeler Motor Car Company Charitable Foundation Kinderhook Bank L.O.L.A (Live Organic. Love Animals.) Fund of The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region Marra's Pharmacy Martin, Shudt, Wallace, DiLorenzo & Johnson McCarthy Charities Monticello Real Estate National Grid New York State Conservation Partnership Program / Land Trust Alliance The Niles & Carl Group Niskayuna Food Co-Op NYSID PEF Region 8 Phoenix Life Insurance Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Healthy Streets Across the Region One of Capital Roots’ newest programs – Healthy Streets – has had an incredible year making our QHLJKERUKRRGV PRUH DFFHVVLEOH IRU DOO  5HJDUGOHVV RI how you choose to travel through our region – as a pedestrian, bicyclist, person with a disability, young or old – our streets should be a safe place to recreate and access all our community has to offer.
Volunteers and Capital Roots staff install a Creative Crosswalk in Lansingburgh in September.
To that end, Capital Roots completed a variety of infrastructure projects that create safe routes to walk and bike. In Lansingburgh, Capital Roots partnered with the city’s school district to create a safe route to school for students and their families. With the help of students, teachers, and volunteers, we installed “Creative Crosswalksâ€? at five intersections, which not only offer a unique dimension to the school community, but help to calm traffic and create better sightlines for pedestrians to see oncoming traffic when crossing the streets. Capital Roots also provided Knickerbacker Middle School with bike racks to provide a safe space for students to park WKHLU ELNHV GXULQJ WKH VFKRRO GD\ ÂŹ In Albany, we have also been focusing on installing infrastructure that is essential to encouraging Healthy 6WUHHWV ÂŹ 7KH &LW\ RI $OEDQ\ ZLOO VRRQ EH LQVWDOOLQJ new bike racks provided by Capital Roots, in
under-served neighborhoods where bike parking is OLPLWHG  :H KDYH DOVR SDUWQHUHG ZLWK WKH $OEDQ\ 3XEOLF Library to finish their network of bike fix-it stations which provide all the necessary tools (including air pumps!) to fix the most common problems faced by ULGHUV  7KHVH IL[ LWV DUH IUHH DQG DYDLODEOH WR WKH SXEOLF year-round and are an important part of making our FRPPXQLWLHV PRUH ELNH IULHQGO\  ,Q 2FWREHU ZH installed a walking trail in Albany’s South End neighborhood, with wayfinding signs that help residents VDIHO\ UHFUHDWH  6LJQV QRZ FRQQHFW DOO VHFWLRQV RI WKH neighborhood with the new Corning Park and recently completed Albany County Rail Trail, which connects 6RXWK 3HDUO 6WUHHW WR 9RRUKHHVYLOOH  7KLV LPSRUWDQW WUDLO will also be enhanced with a bike fix-it station in the coming months. In Schenectady, Capital Roots helped the city conduct two pop-up demonstrations which highlighted the various strategies that can be utilized to create safe routes for residents. The September event along Craig Street in the Hamilton Hill neighborhood saw over 100 youth using designated bike lanes, learning safety skills, getting bikes tuned-up, and receiving free helmets from WKH 6FKHQHFWDG\ 3ROLFH 'HSDUWPHQW  6KRUW WHUP SRS XS events like these help to educate both pedestrians and drivers about the positive impact Healthy Streets can have on a neighborhood and start a dialogue about future projects that can build on this momentum. Even though the cooler weather is upon us, new LQVWDOODWLRQV DUH VWLOO SODQQHG IRU WKH FRPLQJ ZHHNV  More bike fix-it stations are being installed across parts of Troy, Schenectady, and along the Hudson-Mohawk Bike/Hike Trail (Corning Preserve) to provide an LPSRUWDQW UHVRXUFH IRU ULGHUV  6DIH ZDONLQJ URXWHV DUH also being planned for communities such as Cohoes and Watervliet to better connect residents with the assets in their communities. By providing this infrastructure, we are empowering our neighbors to ditch their car and chose to walk or ride to their destination- increasing their physical activity and creating positive change in their neighborhood at the VDPH WLPH 
First use of the bicycle fix-it station at participate “Bike Erie Find us in the Apple App p Cyclists S Store torrree o or r Go G Google oog gle l inP Play laay Sto S St Store! tthe orree! o ! Canal� in Schenectady. the Urban Grow Center.
Community members complete a Creative Crosswalk in Lansingburgh. Page 3
An Urban Grow Center of Excellence Capital Roots’ Executive Director Amy Klein and Grow Center Planner Matthew Schueler travelled to New York City in October to accept an Excellence Award for Capital Roots’ Urban Grow Center from the Center for Active Design. The Excellence Award is an international award that recognizes buildings and public spaces that contribute to improved public health through their design. The Grow Center’s onsite produce market, pedestrian and bike-friendly design, and emphasis on encouraging physical activity within its walls made it a winner, but the larger impact of the Center and of Capital Roots was recognized as well. “The Urban Grow Center encourages healthy behavior not only among those in the building, but also in the surrounding community,” said award juror Chris Coleman, Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. “It capitalizes on its central location, offering a crucial neighborhood asset that’s responding to community needs.” Sharing the stage with companies such as Google and honorees from as far away as China was a thrill. For Klein and Schueler, it justified the hours spent with the design team from Envision Architects and the emphasis they put on creating a building that was a physical expression of Capital Roots’ mission. “To be honest, before this award I never even knew there was a thing called Active Design,” said Schueler. “We just
thought the choices we made creating a building that was welcoming, healthy, and fun to be in were good design.”
Grow Center Planner Matthew Schueler and Executive Director Amy Klein with Joanna Frank, Director of the Center for Active Design, after receiving the Excellence Award for the Grow Center.
Bringing Tree Planting Back to Troy
Eleven different types of trees ranging in size from the Despite a bleak forecast of rain and snow for the Troy tree planting scheduled for October 27th, the day was a Prairiefire Crabapple which matures at a height of only huge success with 51 new trees planted in neighborhoods 18’ to Japanese Zelkova at more than 50’ were chosen specifically for each planting site to ensure the right size throughout the City of Troy. After months of planning, outreach and site assessment, and structure of each tree fits the site. Fifty-one trees more than 50 people gathered in North Central Troy to were planted in neighborhoods throughout Troy kick off the first tree planting in more than five years. including North Central, Lansingburgh, Riverside, South Troy, and Downtown. More than 40 volunteers from the Funding from a NYS Urban and Troy Street Tree Advisory Board, Community Forestry grant was Troy High School, Cooperative secured by the City of Troy to get Extension, Capital Roots and these trees in the ground. The area residents looked on as city contracted with Capital Program Manager, Sharon Roots to implement the project. DiLorenzo demonstrated how to A second planting will take properly plant a tree. Steve place in the fall of 2017. For Strichman, Troy Commissioner of Planning, and Capital Roots more information on having a Executive Director Amy Klein tree planted in your each thanked volunteers and sent neighborhood, please email Healthy Communities Coordinator Brent Irving and them out in teams to Sharon DiLorenzo at Troy Street Tree Committee Member Ben Larsen neighborhoods throughout the trees@capitalroots.org. plant a tree on River Street. City to designated planting sites. Page 4
Page 9
An Urban Grow Center of Excellence Capital Roots’ Executive Director Amy Klein and Grow Center Planner Matthew Schueler travelled to New York City in October to accept an Excellence Award for Capital Roots’ Urban Grow Center from the Center for Active Design. The Excellence Award is an international award that recognizes buildings and public spaces that contribute to improved public health through their design. The Grow Center’s onsite produce market, pedestrian and bike-friendly design, and emphasis on encouraging physical activity within its walls made it a winner, but the larger impact of the Center and of Capital Roots was recognized as well. “The Urban Grow Center encourages healthy behavior not only among those in the building, but also in the surrounding community,” said award juror Chris Coleman, Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. “It capitalizes on its central location, offering a crucial neighborhood asset that’s responding to community needs.” Sharing the stage with companies such as Google and honorees from as far away as China was a thrill. For Klein and Schueler, it justified the hours spent with the design team from Envision Architects and the emphasis they put on creating a building that was a physical expression of Capital Roots’ mission. “To be honest, before this award I never even knew there was a thing called Active Design,” said Schueler. “We just
thought the choices we made creating a building that was welcoming, healthy, and fun to be in were good design.”
Grow Center Planner Matthew Schueler and Executive Director Amy Klein with Joanna Frank, Director of the Center for Active Design, after receiving the Excellence Award for the Grow Center.
Bringing Tree Planting Back to Troy
Eleven different types of trees ranging in size from the Despite a bleak forecast of rain and snow for the Troy tree planting scheduled for October 27th, the day was a Prairiefire Crabapple which matures at a height of only huge success with 51 new trees planted in neighborhoods 18’ to Japanese Zelkova at more than 50’ were chosen specifically for each planting site to ensure the right size throughout the City of Troy. After months of planning, outreach and site assessment, and structure of each tree fits the site. Fifty-one trees more than 50 people gathered in North Central Troy to were planted in neighborhoods throughout Troy kick off the first tree planting in more than five years. including North Central, Lansingburgh, Riverside, South Troy, and Downtown. More than 40 volunteers from the Funding from a NYS Urban and Troy Street Tree Advisory Board, Community Forestry grant was Troy High School, Cooperative secured by the City of Troy to get Extension, Capital Roots and these trees in the ground. The area residents looked on as city contracted with Capital Program Manager, Sharon Roots to implement the project. DiLorenzo demonstrated how to A second planting will take properly plant a tree. Steve place in the fall of 2017. For Strichman, Troy Commissioner of Planning, and Capital Roots more information on having a Executive Director Amy Klein tree planted in your each thanked volunteers and sent neighborhood, please email Healthy Communities Coordinator Brent Irving and them out in teams to Sharon DiLorenzo at Troy Street Tree Committee Member Ben Larsen neighborhoods throughout the trees@capitalroots.org. plant a tree on River Street. City to designated planting sites. Page 4
Page 9
the 10th annual Autumn Evening in the Garden Our 10th annual Autumn Evening in the Garden was a roaring success, raising a record-breaking $96,000 on September 29th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. Twenty of our region’s top chefs and bakers teamed up with 42 local farmers to create culinary dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients, from favorites such as braised beef brisket to sumac dusted delicata and everything in between. Eleven beverage purveyors served samples of favorite local wine, beer and spirits. The Neil Brown Jazz Quartet provided captivating sounds, and Liz Lajeunesse captured memories on film, while our nearly 400 guests mingled with chefs, farmers and friends during the gala. In commemoration of the gala’s 10th year, LeGrande Serras helped us raise an additional $40,000 during our live
auction. Our friends at First Niagara and another anonymous donor surprised us by announcing to the crowd a match challenge; both challenges were critically important to helping us reach our goal. The money raised will go directly to purchasing an additional box truck that will support our growing programs. All proceeds from the event will benefit our 52 Community Gardens, Veggie Mobile®, Produce Project, Healthy Stores, Squash Hunger and all of our other programs – allowing us to continue our mission of increasing access to fresh, affordable food in our region’s underserved neighborhoods. We hope to see you next year for our 11th annual Autumn Evening in the Garden on September 28, 2017!
Garden #52 is Coming Soon People, Place and Produce A new garden is coming to Lansingburgh! This garden is half-way between our two northernmost Rensselaer County gardens, Corliss Park and Knickerbacker Park, in an area where other community gardens do not currently exist. Capital Roots’ new 117th Street Community Garden is located just a few blocks from the house where Herman Melville lived between 1838 and 1847. Although Melville did not write Moby Dick until several years later, he is said to have gotten the idea for the story while sitting on his front porch in Lansingburgh listening to the adventures of the sailors who passed through the bustling port on the Hudson River. Instead of digging down, we’re building up on this parcel. Once completed, this 36-feet-wide by 50-feet-deep garden will serve roughly a dozen families and will be our first garden filled with raised beds, spaces that will prove more accessible to people of all abilities. Raised beds allow gardeners to know exactly what depth they are working with, provide great drainage for the soil, and make exceptional barriers for certain pests, grass and weeds. Tell your friends that we will be registering gardeners for this site in the spring of 2017 as the garden begins taking form.
117th Street Community Garden Our 52nd community garden will house raised beds and will serve roughly a dozen families.
Food culture refers to the practices, attitudes, and beliefs as well as the networks and institutions surrounding the production, distribution, and consumption of food. Positive food culture makes itself known through community gardens like Sand Street, where gardeners invite friends and neighbors, some who’ve just arrived from different countries, to the garden to grow, harvest, and eat. Take, for example, Sand Street community gardener Hhana. Hhana, who has been a long-time community gardener, was joined this season by friend, Saddya, from Somalia. With Saddya’s helping hands, the duo nurtured the plants in the plot to maturity through the season. The plant species were those meaningful to Hhana, such as Mulukhiyah (aka Egyptian Spinach) and Cousa Squash. (Mulukhiyah is popular in many countries of the Middle East, East Africa and North Africa.)
After having a rewarding experience assisting Hhana with her garden plot, Saddya asked Hhana if she would help her obtain a garden plot where she too could grow produce meaningful to her. “If someone gave me Mulukhiyah (if I didn’t have a garden to grow my own in) it would make me so happy,” Hhana tells us. “I want to give to others.” This food, grown with love and gratitude in the community garden, carries with it joy that can be passed onto others. In the same way Hhana shared with Saddya, Saddya intends to share what she grows with her friend from Syria.
Interested in signing up for a garden plot next year? 1. Go to www.capitalroots.org/programs/community. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Check out photos from the night! Page 8
2. Check out what gardens are close to home. 3. Contact us to sign up for a plot. Call Tara Quackenbush at 518-274-8685 with any questions. Page 5
the 10th annual Autumn Evening in the Garden Our 10th annual Autumn Evening in the Garden was a roaring success, raising a record-breaking $96,000 on September 29th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. Twenty of our region’s top chefs and bakers teamed up with 42 local farmers to create culinary dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients, from favorites such as braised beef brisket to sumac dusted delicata and everything in between. Eleven beverage purveyors served samples of favorite local wine, beer and spirits. The Neil Brown Jazz Quartet provided captivating sounds, and Liz Lajeunesse captured memories on film, while our nearly 400 guests mingled with chefs, farmers and friends during the gala. In commemoration of the gala’s 10th year, LeGrande Serras helped us raise an additional $40,000 during our live
auction. Our friends at First Niagara and another anonymous donor surprised us by announcing to the crowd a match challenge; both challenges were critically important to helping us reach our goal. The money raised will go directly to purchasing an additional box truck that will support our growing programs. All proceeds from the event will benefit our 52 Community Gardens, Veggie Mobile®, Produce Project, Healthy Stores, Squash Hunger and all of our other programs – allowing us to continue our mission of increasing access to fresh, affordable food in our region’s underserved neighborhoods. We hope to see you next year for our 11th annual Autumn Evening in the Garden on September 28, 2017!
Garden #52 is Coming Soon People, Place and Produce A new garden is coming to Lansingburgh! This garden is half-way between our two northernmost Rensselaer County gardens, Corliss Park and Knickerbacker Park, in an area where other community gardens do not currently exist. Capital Roots’ new 117th Street Community Garden is located just a few blocks from the house where Herman Melville lived between 1838 and 1847. Although Melville did not write Moby Dick until several years later, he is said to have gotten the idea for the story while sitting on his front porch in Lansingburgh listening to the adventures of the sailors who passed through the bustling port on the Hudson River. Instead of digging down, we’re building up on this parcel. Once completed, this 36-feet-wide by 50-feet-deep garden will serve roughly a dozen families and will be our first garden filled with raised beds, spaces that will prove more accessible to people of all abilities. Raised beds allow gardeners to know exactly what depth they are working with, provide great drainage for the soil, and make exceptional barriers for certain pests, grass and weeds. Tell your friends that we will be registering gardeners for this site in the spring of 2017 as the garden begins taking form.
117th Street Community Garden Our 52nd community garden will house raised beds and will serve roughly a dozen families.
Food culture refers to the practices, attitudes, and beliefs as well as the networks and institutions surrounding the production, distribution, and consumption of food. Positive food culture makes itself known through community gardens like Sand Street, where gardeners invite friends and neighbors, some who’ve just arrived from different countries, to the garden to grow, harvest, and eat. Take, for example, Sand Street community gardener Hhana. Hhana, who has been a long-time community gardener, was joined this season by friend, Saddya, from Somalia. With Saddya’s helping hands, the duo nurtured the plants in the plot to maturity through the season. The plant species were those meaningful to Hhana, such as Mulukhiyah (aka Egyptian Spinach) and Cousa Squash. (Mulukhiyah is popular in many countries of the Middle East, East Africa and North Africa.)
After having a rewarding experience assisting Hhana with her garden plot, Saddya asked Hhana if she would help her obtain a garden plot where she too could grow produce meaningful to her. “If someone gave me Mulukhiyah (if I didn’t have a garden to grow my own in) it would make me so happy,” Hhana tells us. “I want to give to others.” This food, grown with love and gratitude in the community garden, carries with it joy that can be passed onto others. In the same way Hhana shared with Saddya, Saddya intends to share what she grows with her friend from Syria.
Interested in signing up for a garden plot next year? 1. Go to www.capitalroots.org/programs/community. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Check out photos from the night! Page 8
2. Check out what gardens are close to home. 3. Contact us to sign up for a plot. Call Tara Quackenbush at 518-274-8685 with any questions. Page 5
Continued from Page 1
The Life of a Harvest Helper
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
with volunteers John and Jane Husson Q. Why do you donate to Capital Roots? A. We like the idea of supporting agencies that provide service to the community where we live, and we feel strongly that everyone should have access to healthy and affordable food. Volunteering for the organization and learning first-hand what actually goes on inside and outside the Urban Grow Center has increased our commitment to this wonderful organization. And, we know it means a lot to Capital Roots to have support they can count on year-round.
2005
1981
Hear Executive Director Amy Klein K narrate our 40 40 years of h history
ccapitalroots.org apitalroot
Q. Why did you choose monthly giving? A. It just made sense to arrange monthly deductions so that we don’t have to think about it at all, whether we’ve made an annual donation or not, or how much we should send. We also don’t feel as much of a financial impact as with one annual donation. Setting up the monthly giving online was very easy, even for us non-techy types! Directions are easy to follow online, and there’s always a pleasant human to talk to within the office, if needed. Q. What do you get out of being a Harvest Helper? A. Being a Harvest Helper makes us feel more connected to the organization and its well-being. When we see an article in the newspaper about Capital Roots, it gives us a great sense of personal satisfaction to be a part of the Capital Roots family and know that we’re helping those successes happen through our support.
1991
1980s
STAFF
2015
a pes Reci he t from
Ingredients:
ABOVE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT - Back Row: Matt Schueler, Mari Shopsis, Peter Jenkins, Will Malcolm, Brent Irving, James Surano; Middle Row: Jessica Trowbridge, Abby Schumacher-Benoit, Tara Quackenbush, Kat Lawton, Amy Scott, David White; Bottom Row: Brenna Healey, Rebekah Desjardins, Keion Brown, Audrey Bridge, Hannah Rosen, Amy Klein. RIGHT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT - Katie Doyle, Rebecca Whalen, Joel Stewart, Cheryl Whilby, Julia Cosgrove, Sharon DiLorenzo. NOT PICTURED - Brooklyn Esposito, Danielle Marino, Marissa Peck, Wanda Rivera, Sonia Soto, Conor Vallee.
Page 6
2014
2007
• • • • •
Kale, cut from stem Cabbage, chopped 1 Apple, sliced 1 Tbsp of olive oil Juice of ½ a lemon
2011 Kale, Cabbage and Apple Slaw Directions:
1. Cut kale from stem and pour 1 tbsp of olive oil over the kale. Toss oil and kale together. 2. Cut the cabbage in half. Then slice the two halves into long thin pieces. 3. Cut the apple into bite-sized chunks. 4. Toss the cabbage, apple, and kale together. 5. Add lemon to taste. Page 7
Continued from Page 1
The Life of a Harvest Helper
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
with volunteers John and Jane Husson Q. Why do you donate to Capital Roots? A. We like the idea of supporting agencies that provide service to the community where we live, and we feel strongly that everyone should have access to healthy and affordable food. Volunteering for the organization and learning first-hand what actually goes on inside and outside the Urban Grow Center has increased our commitment to this wonderful organization. And, we know it means a lot to Capital Roots to have support they can count on year-round.
2005
1981
Hear Executive Director Amy Klein K narrate our 40 40 years of h history
ccapitalroots.org apitalroot
Q. Why did you choose monthly giving? A. It just made sense to arrange monthly deductions so that we don’t have to think about it at all, whether we’ve made an annual donation or not, or how much we should send. We also don’t feel as much of a financial impact as with one annual donation. Setting up the monthly giving online was very easy, even for us non-techy types! Directions are easy to follow online, and there’s always a pleasant human to talk to within the office, if needed. Q. What do you get out of being a Harvest Helper? A. Being a Harvest Helper makes us feel more connected to the organization and its well-being. When we see an article in the newspaper about Capital Roots, it gives us a great sense of personal satisfaction to be a part of the Capital Roots family and know that we’re helping those successes happen through our support.
1991
1980s
STAFF
2015
a pes Reci he t from
Ingredients:
ABOVE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT - Back Row: Matt Schueler, Mari Shopsis, Peter Jenkins, Will Malcolm, Brent Irving, James Surano; Middle Row: Jessica Trowbridge, Abby Schumacher-Benoit, Tara Quackenbush, Kat Lawton, Amy Scott, David White; Bottom Row: Brenna Healey, Rebekah Desjardins, Keion Brown, Audrey Bridge, Hannah Rosen, Amy Klein. RIGHT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT - Katie Doyle, Rebecca Whalen, Joel Stewart, Cheryl Whilby, Julia Cosgrove, Sharon DiLorenzo. NOT PICTURED - Brooklyn Esposito, Danielle Marino, Marissa Peck, Wanda Rivera, Sonia Soto, Conor Vallee.
Page 6
2014
2007
• • • • •
Kale, cut from stem Cabbage, chopped 1 Apple, sliced 1 Tbsp of olive oil Juice of ½ a lemon
2011 Kale, Cabbage and Apple Slaw Directions:
1. Cut kale from stem and pour 1 tbsp of olive oil over the kale. Toss oil and kale together. 2. Cut the cabbage in half. Then slice the two halves into long thin pieces. 3. Cut the apple into bite-sized chunks. 4. Toss the cabbage, apple, and kale together. 5. Add lemon to taste. Page 7
Non-profit organization U.S. postage PAID Albany, NY Permit #916
594 River Street Troy, NY 12180 518-274-8685 www.capitalroots.org
News Fall/Winter 2016
IN THIS ISSUE: A Look at the Past Cover Story
A look at the past...and how far we’ve come
As we close out our 40th anniversary celebration, Capital Roots looks back on the moments and people that helped get us to where we are today. Forty years ago, we were a staff of one, managing a handful of gardens in Troy. Today, our staff of 30 manages 12 innovative programs throughout the Capital Region, that serve tens of thousands of people. Take a look with us as we remember how far we’ve come. (Continues on Page 7)
From our Food Hub Page 2 Healthy Streets Across the Region Page 3
sponsor a lane • Start a team • How will you put the fun in fundraising?
Join us as at
Capital Root’s 20th Annual
nter An Urban Grow Center of Excellence Page 4
1988 1975 to 1996 - Founder Dean Leith
Bringing Tree Planting Back to Troy Page 4
2015
Garden #52 is Coming Soon Page 5 People, Place and Produce Page 5 The Life of a Harvest Helperr Page 6
Register online at bit.ly/CR_GardenBowl
January 28, 2017 2:30pm - 5:30pm Uncle Sam Lanes, Troy
contact Abby for more information at events@capitalroots.org or 274-8685.
2009
2007
1996to now - Executive Director Amy Klein
Autumn Evening Recap Page 8-9
1975
BE SOCIAL! @CapitalRootsNY sNY
2015
2016 Page 1