July 2022

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HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

THE HEALTHY FOOD MOVEMENT THE GREAT NATURE GYM DIG DEEPER GET HANDS - ON AT CLOSTER FARM TASTY EDIBLE FLOWERS

July 2022 | Hudson County Edition | NAHudson.com

July 2022

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Key Foods offers a wide variety of healthy and organic products for you, your family and your pets. Items ranging from organic bath and body products to gluten- and dairy-free items to traditional grocery items and brands, to so much more!

COME AND SEE WHAT WE CAN ADD TO YOUR HEALTHY LIFESTYLE! Save Time • Save Money • Shop Healthy • Feel Great 574 Jersey Ave. (@ 3rd St.) • (201) 204-4200 • Jersey City Follow us on Instagram @keyfoodjerseycity July 2022

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

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letter from publisher

Food for Thought

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his July issue delivers up many healthy summer articles to support physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing, including that of your canine pals!

We all know that good nutrition has a huge effect and healing power on the body. More and more in our beloved Hudson County, we are seeing greater emphasis on healthy options for organic, sustainable and locally sourced food.

Following the pandemic, there has been a much greater interest in from where our food comes and how it is grown, the effect of which is a greater focus on our local community of nearby farmers and farmers markets. Find in our calendar section this month a list of local farmers markets with locations. We have also observed several local businesses and restaurants now providing organic, local food for delivery and/or pick-up (prepared or unprepared). An illuminating feature article this month on page 15 shines the spotlight on Closter Farm, a newcomer nearby that would be worth a visit to enjoy all they have to offer.

In our area, we don’t have a lot of backyard growing but can get involved in our local community gardens or do some balcony growing, especially with light edibles. They can provide some great taste and flourishes in our food in so many ways. Glean some great ideas from our article on page 18, Flower Power: Edible Blooms Add Flavor and Color to Summer Fare.

With summer fitness in full swing, encouraging the organized fitness route, see HobokenNJ.gov for a full schedule as well as concerts and movies to be presented under the stars. For some choices in Jersey City, check out JCFamilies.com. There is always the option of a nearby long walk or hike; for a list of some awesome local options, see page 17.

Don’t forget to just spend some time “hanging”—doing nothing. Marlaina Donato reminds us in The Art of Doing Nothing of the deep, intrinsic value in taking timeouts to simply “be”, like when we were kids and weren’t always trying to maximize efficiency and finish our “to-do lists”. Not only is it good for our health, but our happiness too.

Enjoy all July has to offer; whether with outdoor fitness classes, hiking in nature or just “being”, we hope you find this month’s magazine encourages you to sustainably feel good, live simply and laugh more.

In health and happiness,

Publisher@NAHudson.com

Natural Awakenings is a family of 50+ healthy living magazines celebrating 27 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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Contents 12 THE HEALTHY FOOD MOVEMENT

Pandemic Trends are Shaping Better Local Food Systems

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15 DIG DEEPER

Get Hands-on at Closter Farm

16 THE GREAT NATURE GYM Outdoor Workouts Make the Most of Summer

17 STAY LOCAL

Find Your Ideal Walk or Trail in and Around Hudson County

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18 FLOWER POWER

Edible Blooms Add Flavor and Color to Summer Fare

22 THE NATURAL GLOW

Radiant Skin with Fewer Health Risks

24 COOL TREATS FOR HOT DAYS

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DIY Recipes Even Kids Can Make

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact Roger at 917-699-6492 or email MrNaturalNYC@gmail.com. Deadline for ads: the 15th of the month.

26 THE ART OF DOING NOTHING

27 PET NUTRITION

Six Health Effects of Poor Pet Nutrition

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Tina@NAHudson.com.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Email Calendar Events to: Tina@NAHudson.com.

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DEPARTMENTS 6 news briefs 8 global briefs 10 health briefs 16 fit body 18 conscious eating 22 healing ways

24 healthy kids 26 inspiration 27 natural pet 28 directory 30 calendar

July 2022

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news briefs

A More Natural Approach to Dentistry

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r. Vladimir Gashinsky, founder of the Holistic Dental Center of NJ, has over two decades in private practice. He aims to enhance the quality of life of his patients through biological and holistic dental treatments such as ozone therapy, that value and honor the body through concentrating on delivering balanced dental care that is healthy for all the body as well as the teeth and gums.

At the Holistic Dental Center of NJ, their dental philosophy is one of holism. They believe that holistic dentistry is the practice of dentistry with the philosophy of doing no harm through the use of nontoxic materials, and eliminating disease and infections by finding the root cause and not only treating symptoms.

The center’s approach is to assess and respect the entire state of a patient’s well-being.

Understanding a person’s unique makeup allows the staff at Holistic Dental to cater to the individual’s physical, emotional and energetic health needs, delivering biological dental services without burdening or damaging the body.

Recognizing that the mouth is the gateway to the body’s health, Holistic Dental approaches a diagnosis with treatment recommendations that combine biological dentistry with functional and integrative modalities for affording their patients the achievement of exceptional oral and whole body health.

The Holistic Dental Center is a completely nontoxic dental practice, i.e. mercury-free and mercury safe; metal-free; fluoride-free; BPA-free and Bis-GMA-free. Start your journey to optimal oral and whole body health today!

Location: 91 Millburn Ave., Millburn. For more information, call 973-609-5984 and/or visit HolisticDentalCenterNJ.com. See ad on back cover.

The Margo Offers Up Slow Fashion

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he past decade or so has seen a wave of change sweep through the fashion industry. An increasing number of brands are rejecting the principles of fast fashion and opting for a more sustainable approach to making clothes.

Slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion. It encompasses an awareness and approach that considers the processes and resources required to make clothing. It advocates for buying better quality garments that will last longer, and values fair treatment of people, animals and the planet along the way. Slow fashion and sustainable/ ethical fashion have many similarities as sister movements and follow the same general guidelines; however, slow fashion hones in more specifically on reducing production and consumption.

Founded in 2019, The Margo Market offers a curated collection of sustainable and ethically made home goods, women’s clothing and accessories designed by indie artists, designers and small brands. Every item in the store is ethically sourced from independent artisans from all over the world. Owner (and slow fashion sage) Maggie Emma shares, “Our mission is to add value in each purchase through providing insight to the stories told by those creating the product,” whilst pushing the retail industry in a more sustainable direction. “We advocate a direction that not only values exceptional design and unique offerings, but also the artisans and their stories as much as the end consumer.”

Some characteristics of a slow fashion brand include high quality, sustainable materials like linen; garments more timeless than trendy; found in smaller (local) stores rather than huge chain enterprises; locally-sourced, produced and sold garments; more unique and/or exclusive styles per collection.

To shop “The Beach Edit” for summer, including sustainable swimwear, organic cotton cover-ups, non-toxic sunscreen and more, visit TheMargoMarket.com/collections/the-beach-edit.

Location: 1102 Washington St., Hoboken. For more information, call 201-683-6567 or email CurateMarketplace@gmail.com. Shop online 24/7, TheMargoMarket.com.

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Hudson County

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Healthy Gourmet Mushrooms Grown Locally

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ifeCap Farms, a sustainable urban farm based in Jersey City, is passionate about providing local gourmet mushrooms and mushroom-based products to the community. Founder Baris Sonmez shares his mission to spread the love of mushrooms based on the endless health benefits they possess and impart, and how they serve as a great meat alternative.

Eating local matters. Food should not come from thousands of miles away. LifeCap strives to make a positive impact to the environment by growing responsibly and leveraging technology efficiently. Their proprietary software enables them to monitor the slightest changes in the growing environment, allowing for continuous improvement in the production process. These efforts result in the most delicious gourmet mushrooms— all while reducing natural resource consumption—and delivered locally.

The nutritional value of edible mushrooms is due to their high protein, fiber, vitamin and mineral contents and low-fat levels. They are very useful for vegetarian diets because they provide all the essential amino acids for adult requirements. They also contain bioactive compounds with various human health benefits, including enhancing the body’s immune response as well as having anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.

LifeCap Farms was founded in 2018 with the mission of serving the community by providing produce to nonprofits at no cost, providing composting to urban gardens and offering youth education.

In 2021, LifeCap expanded to its new 6,000-square-foot location in Jersey City.

Currently offering a CSA program with a bi-weekly mushroom variety box that can be selected in one-to-three-pound sizes (3-month min. commitment). Four pick-up locations within Jersey City: Plant Base Market, 370 Pacific Ave.; Busy Bee Organics, 451 Palisade Ave.; Raine n River Apothecary, 299 Grove St.; Griot Café, 398 Central Ave; and in Ridgewood, Village Green Restaurant.

For more information, visit LifeCapFarms.com.

Plant Base The Vegan Community Fridge

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lant Base, a nonprofit, vegan, zero waste community café, is partnering with Chilis on Wheels and Vegan Activist Alliance to bring the first vegan Community Fridge in the state of New Jersey to Bergen/Lafayette in Jersey City. Available at no cost, all fresh produce and vegan grocery items that are factory sealed and not expired are welcome for donation.

Additionally, Plant Base recently introduced Plant Space, their new community project designed to fight the broken food system within their own neighborhood. The goal is to offer an affordable vegan food supply to residents as well as educate them about the benefits of being plant-based. Products include graband-go or eat-in meals (changing daily), package-free produce, bulk food items, inhouse-made body care and household products, pet supplies, and holistic healing items.

Shoppers have the option to borrow a reusable container from Plant Base or bring their own. With the addition of Plant Space, the market will now be completely donationbased in order to give everyone access to fresh and healthy food.

Some features of the new Plant Space include serving as an indoor/outdoor space for the community; free educational and holistic services; local gallery for artists; community garden with free locally grown herbs and veggies; free holistic health and wellness library; free and by-donation classes focusing on nutrition, cooking, yoga, meditation, sustainability, gardening, composting, dance, self-defense, art, music and more, including inspirational and educational guest speakers, drum circles and live music.

Plant Base was founded in November 2018 by Dhruva LaTorre and Andy Hertz, two friends who shared a passion for animal rights, protecting the environment, health, helping people, and bold ideas to change the world. Hertz was already vegan and an animal rights activist, while LaTorre was raised a vegetarian and had experience with his family’s nonprofit that helped feed underprivileged residents in Jersey City and surrounding communities.

Location: 370 Pacific Ave., Jersey City. To learn more, call 551-256-3868, email info@PlantBaseMarket.com and/or visit PlantBaseMarket.com.

Prime Cycle + Body Offers Premiere Indoor Cycling

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n the heart of Hoboken lies Prime Cycle + Body, a newly opened, high-end boutique fitness studio, replete with premiere indoor cycling. Founder and owner Julie Insogna-Jarrett has opened doors at 33-41 Newark Street, 2nd Floor, with three studios to accommodate epic workouts, complete with river views.

“Our mission is simple… fitness can be anything you need it to be and more,” shares Insogna-Jarrett. “Our community-focused business always puts our clients first by designing classes that are challenging and fun with price points that work for everyone. Whether it be one of our signature spin classes or one of our many other modalities, including strength, HIIT, Pilates, barre, dance or yoga, we are here to give you a workout experience like no other.”

Indoor cycling is a total-body workout and works all the major muscle groups. It is also a wonderful way to improve cardiovascular health. Similar to other forms of cardio, including running, swimming and elliptical training, it’s ideal for those who want a cardio workout without putting too much stress on their joints.

Riding a stationary bike reduces your risk of injury and makes you less prone to falls, which is ideal for people who have balance concerns. This includes people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis who may have balance difficulties after becoming inactive due to pain. (Healthline.com) Benefits of an indoor cycling class include individual instruction; meeting new people; pedaling away excess thinking; building mental stamina; coming into balance, inner and outer and much more.

Notoriously challenging, which means results, it is important to commit to regular classes, with the ideal being three to six classes per week for a total of 150 minutes. A journal or app can be used to track progress.

For more information, call 201-683-6956, email info@PrimeCycle.com and/or visit PrimeCycle.com.

Resilience Adventures Present Paddle Sports

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arning: Paddling on the Hudson may increase happiness!

In an extreme urban locale, there is high need for alternative means to stay fit, including work/life balance and having fun outdoors with friends. Kayaking and stand-up paddling provide an excellent full-body workout. Daily balance and relaxation— essential to maintaining health and wellness—are readily accessible on the water. There is nothing more peaceful than getting out of the city and paddling to calm one’s mind at the end of a busy workday or to reset priorities on a weekend morning.

Resilience’s Season Pass 2022 affords the opportunity to paddle frequently this season, offering unlimited classes, tours and paddle fitness sessions. Newcomers to paddling may want a tour or ongoing training to improve technique in order to venture out on self-guided paddling experiences. Either way, Resilience Paddle Sports offers classes and tours designed to increase paddling skills, promote boating safety awareness and get more people out enjoying the water.

Some businesses describe themselves as the cutting-edge. Resilience prefers to think of themselves as the green-blue edge, meaning they connect people to the water and care deeply about the places where land and water meet, including rivers, estuaries, coasts and watersheds. As paddlers, their unique perspective is to preserve and protect this beautiful planet starting at home. See the Get Out and Paddle Newsletter, The Green Blue Edge, featuring conservation events, discussion groups, classes and/or stewardship opportunities.

Advanced lessons, private tours/classes, birthday parties and other group or individual private programs available upon request; prices vary according to duration of program and number of participants.

Cost: Season Pass 2022/$600 for unlimited season paddling. Monthly Pass 2022/$200 for unlimited paddling per month. SUP or Kayak ABC 2022/$40 for 3 skill progression classes.

Location: 1301 Sinatra Dr., Hoboken, NJ. For more information, call 201-477-8713, email info@ResilienceAdventures.org and/or visit ResilienceAdventures.org.

July 2022

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Squawk Talk

global briefs

City Lights are Tough on Birds

Deep-Sea Mining is the New Frontier

kittitee550/AdobeStock.com

Whether mining the ocean floor will be allowed to proceed and the minerals obtained there play a role in supply chains of the future is one of the biggest decisions of resource governance today.

The seabed holds a vast quantity of mineral resources, yet is also one of the last pristine areas on the planet. A new white paper published by the World Economic Forum, Decision-Making on Deep-Sea Mineral Stewardship: A Supply Chain Perspective, has found that significant knowledge gaps make it hard to predict the scale of the potential effect, and decisions made now about mineral stewardship will have lasting effects for generations.

The World Bank and the International Energy Agency forecast a multifold increase in the demand for key metals used for decarbonization, many of which are found in mineral deposits in the deep seabed, but some organizations and more than 600 scientists have called for a pause or total ban on the exploitation of these minerals. Positive factors such as increased metal supply, wider use of decarbonization technologies and benefits to countries from extraction royalties must be considered against the generation of sediment plumes, noise from extraction and impacts on the seafood industry.

Using satellite maps and radar to estimate the number of migratory birds streaming across the night sky, Chicago tops the list of cities where birds face the most danger from light pollution in both spring and fall. North America hosts about 3 billion fewer birds today than in 1970, according to a 2019 analysis published in Science. The causes include light pollution, climate change, vanishing habitat and pesticides. Scientists believe the combination of factors could lead many abundant bird populations toward extinction.

For example, Cornell University ornithologist Andrew Farnsworth found that the seven annual Tribute in Light twin towers anniversary memorials on September 11 that project intense beams of light into the night sky attracted an average of more that 1 million birds. Within the first 20 minutes of each event, up to 16,000 birds crowded into a tight radius. Bird conservationists listen for disoriented chirps and if too many are circling aimlessly in the beams, the lights are turned off.

BirdCast incorporates large-scale weather radar and machine learning to forecast the exact nights when hundreds of millions of migratory birds will arrive over U.S. cities. The team sends the data to conservationists and policymakers to help the birds by dimming lights along the way.

SeanPavonePhoto/AdobeStock.com

Murky Waters

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Self-Empowerment

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Keeping Tooth Enamel Intact—the Fluoride-Free Way Looking at a tooth, it can be hard to realize that each one is a living organ. They look so hard. White. Bonelike. That’s the enamel which can be seen and which protects the living tissues inside.

In fact, enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body. Structurally, it’s amazing.

Enamel is also irreplaceable. If any of it is damaged—for example, by decay, excessive wear from habitual clenching and grinding, or the effect of acids from a heavy soda habit—one cannot grow new enamel; once teeth have developed, the specialized cells needed to do so are no longer available. Damaged enamel means sensitive teeth and easier access for harmful bacteria to get to the more delicate living tissues within.

Teeth Have Natural Defense Mechanisms The good news is that teeth have defense mechanisms.

As with the rest of the body’s defense systems, they just need support. Eating right is where it starts. Underneath the enamel of a tooth is a softer layer of tissue called dentin. Dentin actually consists of miles of microscopic tubules through which fluid flows, delivering nutrients from the pulp chamber to the dentin that surrounds it.

Normally, it flows in an outward direction which also helps repel pathogens, but under certain circumstances—most notably high sugar intake—the flow can stagnate or even reverse, drawing pathogens into the tooth.

Limiting sugars not only keeps this from happening, but maintains more alkaline conditions in the mouth—a more favorable state of affairs overall.

A healthy, nutrient-dense diet is also key for providing minerals that saliva continually delivers to the enamel, naturally remineralizing it. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are especially important along with the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, which help with calcium absorption and transport.

One mineral not needed is fluoride. It doesn’t occur

naturally in tooth enamel and too much of it can actually cause damage, discoloring and even pitting—a condition called dental fluorosis. On the other hand, calcium and phosphorus make up the bulk of natural tooth enamel in a combined form called hydroxyapatite (this mineral compound is dominant in your bones as well). Why give teeth a mineral they don’t need (which is also highly toxic to human life) when you can give them that from which they’re actually made?

Boost Remineralization with a Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste While the ideal is to get all the nutrients needed through healthy eating, that is not always the reality and extra help is more than welcome. That’s where a product like hydroxyapatite toothpaste comes into play. In fact, research has shown quite consistently that hydroxyapatite toothpaste is just as/or even more effective than fluoride toothpaste in preventing demineralization, reducing tooth sensitivity and even treating early decay.

Be aware: Not all toothpastes advertised as “remineralizing” contain hydroxyapatite. Look for the presence of hydroxyapatite and the absence of fluoride (as well as the absence of SLS, artificial colors and flavors, and other sketchy ingredients).

For more than two decades, the Holistic Dental Center of NJ has provided exceptional biological dentistry with surgical expertise in a friendly, home-like environment. For more information and to schedule a dental appointment, call 973-609-5984 and/or visit HolisticDentalCenterNJ.com.

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THE HEALTHY FOOD MOVEMENT

Pandemic Trends are Shaping Better Local Food Systems

by Bob Benenson

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Hudson County

NAHudson.com

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Prostock-studio/AdobeStock.com

ike so much else on the planet, the two-year coronavirus pandemic turned the health food world upside-down. “I found myself thinking real dystopian and wondering if people would be able to survive if grocery stores crumbled,” recalls Diana Mondragón, of Rockford, Illinois. “That scary thought train reminded me that I want to learn how to be more self-sustainable.”

Her once-occasional drop-bys to farmers markets are now an essential weekly ritual. “I want to support local farmers and food producers to help communities grow stronger and healthier,” she says.

When the long supply chains of the conventional food system became disrupted, many Americans found themselves feeling insecure about food availability for the first time in their lives. The industrialized food system that had operated so efficiently for many generations had relied on long and complicated supply links; when they broke down or became gridlocked, the result was empty supermarket shelves and long waits for home deliveries. Add the economic repercussions and job losses, and about one in nine households lacked enough nutritious food to sustain a healthy life, report researchers from New York University.

Faced with the system’s shortcomings, a noteworthy outcome has been a surge in demand for healthier food production using sustainable and humane practices. Unable to drop by a nearby grocery store and get whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it, many consumers began buying locally grown produce for both practical and environmental reasons. After two high-growth decades, farmers markets initially took a hit during pandemic closures, but they have since bounced back with renewed energy. A wide range of innovative solutions are being pursued by e-commerce entrepreneurs and food-equity advocates to get healthier local food into more hands and more neighborhoods.

Surging Concerns Sales of natural and organic products in the U.S. grew by about 10 percent in 2020, the year of the COVID-19 outbreak, and by another 8 percent in 2021, reports SPINS, a Chicago-based data research firm, in Nutrition Business Journal. Sales growth in that sector was six to seven times larger than for conventional products, which experienced barely any sales growth at all.

Helping spur the trend, cheap food at supermarkets isn’t so cheap anymore, making organic food look better by comparison. The research company Data Weave reported in March that conventional food prices jumped by 11 percent in the previous 12 months of the pandemic, while prices for organic food increased by a relatively modest 2 to 4 percent.

The price pressures on conventional food “will continue to go up rapidly,” says Matt Tortora, co-founder of WhatsGood, a Rhode Island-based food e-commerce company. “The war between Russia and Ukraine is going to exacerbate that issue. And it seems like most of what’s going on in the world is going to affect our global supply chains even further, and in more profound ways than just our gas pump.”

Food-to-Table Creativity

The dominance of supermarkets and big-box stores in the years following World War II greatly diminished supply and demand of farm-fresh local food. A back-to-the-future trend that started taking hold a generation ago spurred a five-fold increase in the number of farmers markets across the nation, along with a proliferation of farms selling community supported agriculture subscriptions that delivered weekly batches of fresh produce to members. These increased sales enabled many small farmers to offset the body blow from business lost due to pandemic-related restaurant shutdowns; a number of them thrived, with record sales.

The signs for the 2022 outdoor market season have been encouraging. Green City Market, widely regarded as Chicago’s premier farmers market, reported more than 13,000 visitors in a six-hour span on May 7, even though the weather was still on the cool side and few spring crops were in season after a chilly and wet April.

At the same time, a previously little-used conduit for local health food sales—e-commerce—shows signs of spurring long-term growth. Some individual producers nimbly built out their web-based product sales by also providing home delivery, previously a rarity in the local food scene. For example, the e-commerce site Avrom Farm (AvromFarm.com), of Ripon, Wisconsin, sells not only its own products, but also goods from other farmers, and Three Sisters Garden, of Kankakee, Illinois, which raises specialty vegetables, has converted entirely to e-commerce and home delivery.

Taking this concept to the next level is WhatsGood, which in 2014 began providing home delivery and pickup services for farmers markets in several cities. In the pandemic, the company became a lifeline to connect farmers with consumers at a time when stay-at-home orders and social distancing concerns hampered or closed farmers markets.

July 2022

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Late last year, WhatsGood introduced a new business model that bypasses farmers markets to allow consumers to order goods online directly from farmers for home delivery.

SourceWhatsGood.com now operates in 21 states. Tortora estimates that demand for local food is about 12 times greater than it was before the pandemic, even as supermarkets again start stocking more faraway-grown, conventional produce.

Even Better for the Planet While the pandemic created a sense of urgency about healthier eating, it also elevated concerns about the health of the living environment. An April 2022 study issued by New York University’s Stern Center for Sustainable Business found that products specifically marketed as sustainable had a 17 percent share of the market for consumer-packaged goods, up from 13.3 percent in 2015. Nearly half of all products introduced in 2021 touted sustainability benefits, up from 28 percent in 2017. Organic food sales in 2021 amounted to $51 billion; 30 years earlier, that market was estimated at a mere $1 billion, says the SPINS report.

Now there is growing support to take stewardship of the land to the next level through regenerative agriculture practices which focus on building and maintaining the health and biological vitality of the nation’s soils, and in some cases, means restoring soils stripped of their vitality by conventional farming practices. It has been most heavily promoted by the Rodale Institute, based in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, which has developed standards for a Regenerative Organic Certified food label.

The sustainability issue resonates deeply with people like Katlin Smith, founder and CEO of Chicago-based Simple Mills, a 10-yearold company that’s widely recognized as the preeminent natural baking mix brand nationally. “I started the company after seeing what a huge impact food has on all of our bodies, and I realized how much we had processed the heck out of our food. And it was really undermining people’s health,” she says.

In the last two years, the company has expanded its focus to work with farmers to improve soil health and biodiversity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It recently joined forces with the frozen smoothie company Daily Harvest and gluten-free frozen pizza maker Capello’s to advance regenerative soil practices in almond growing. “Regenerative agriculture is really just growing food in a way that leans into nature and builds a healthy ecosystem for all who are involved,” says Smith.

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Hudson County

NAHudson.com

Supplying Underserved Communities Local food communities around the country are also playing an increasingly dynamic role in addressing food equity, access and security issues. Less than a decade ago, fewer than half of all farmers markets nationwide accepted federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for purchases. Today, backed

by U.S. Department of Agriculture funding, most do, with many markets accepting state-backed debit cards. To further increase access to locally produced food for lower-income families, many states provide matching shopping funds up to a certain limit, as do programs run by nonprofit organizations such as California’s Market Match and Double Up Bucks, run by the Michigan Fair Food Network.

To get healthy produce to people that live in urban “food deserts”, nonprofits are pioneering creative approaches. The Urban Growers Collective operates eight farms on 11 acres of land on Chicago’s Southside that combine education, training and leadership development with the growth of organic crops, which are then driven in a “Fresh Moves” bus to local community and health centers, and churches. Founded by food justice advocates Laurell Sims and Erika Allen, the Collective worked with a coalition of nonprofits during the pandemic to deliver boxes of free food to households in underserved neighborhoods across the city. The pandemic “forced us to do some of the things we’d been talking about, but said we don’t have time yet. We just dived in,” Sims says.

The dramatic impact of the COVID-19 crisis drove up local interest in the Collective’s community gardens, with the number of volunteers jumping from 10 to 50. “It made a lot of people realize this ain’t no joke. People close to us were passing away,” says farm manager Malcolm Evans, who started volunteering for the Collective a decade ago as a teenager growing up in a nearby public housing project. “People wanted to really know how to grow food. We’ve been doing it for years, trying to bring this to folks’ attention. Everybody needs to understand food and know where it comes from.”

Bob Benenson is publisher and writer of Local Food Forum, a newsletter that covers all aspects of the local food community in the Chicago region. He can be contacted at Bob@LocalFood Forum.com.

DIG DEEPER

Get Hands-on at Closter Farm

by Nicole Teitler

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abel a food source as organic and suddenly it rises in both price and demand. But how many people know the true definition of organic, rather than blindly trusting a label at a supermarket?

Simply put, organic relies on a crop’s or animal’s natural growth process without the use of additives. As a result, organic farming has a lower crop yield compared to the more traditional, large-scale farming method, and the reason why it can be so expensive. Yet, the cost of not knowing where our food comes from is much higher, and a hands-on experience with what we consume is an essential part of the food connection. Fortunately, there are small production farms that oftentimes provide an opportunity for locals and visitors to become acquainted with their practices. And one of them is right here in our own backyard.

Closter Farm is a USDA-certified organic seven-acre farm just outside of Hudson County in Closter, New Jersey. Their commitment to environmental sustainability takes a holistic approach to the foods we eat through organic and regenerative agriculture, practices that help to restore the carbon content of the soil (rather than tractor tillage which is known to increase greenhouse gasses). Closter Farm implements crop rotation and composting to grow crops without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

“This is a much different experience from walking down a supermarket aisle and handpicking a tomato off a shelf,” explains Jon Friedland, who took over the Closter Farms property in 2019. “It’s a great introduction to understanding how our food system does, could and should work.”

Friedland and fellow farmer Jared Krawitz met in an online community where farmers and property owners find ways to work together. Soon after, Closter Farm opened under their leadership in the summer of 2019. “We both strongly believed that regenerative practices could produce the most nutritious food, healthiest soil, a thriving environment, healthy working conditions, and an economically viable small business,” shares Krawitz on their mutual farming philosophies.

The following spring they implemented a completely new infrastructure—100 perimeter trees; a whole-farm, frost-free irrigation system; walk-in refrigeration; converted vegetable field; climate-controlling caterpillar tunnels; and the relocation and reconfiguration of a 40tree apple orchard. All of these changes contribute to its mission of whole-farm health.

Closter Farm is community-run and community-centered. On property, it offers yoga, an introduction to beekeeping and gardening, at-home composting techniques, and twohour volunteer farming sessions. Each of these activities invites guests to dig deeper and expand their understanding of how an organic farm looks and feels.

Friedland expresses, “Being in the field and being able to taste the dozens of varieties of vegetables right off the plant enables us to understand the differences in taste, texture and appearance of a given vegetable at different stages of its lifecycle and ripeness.”

Volunteer opportunities take place from 10 a.m. to noon, Sundays and Tuesdays.

Individuals can sign up for a single session or return as often as they’d like in order to learn the entire process of preparing over 70 annual vegetable varieties—seeding vegetables, prepping the beds, removing the weeds, pruning the plants and harvesting. The hands-on experience creates an appreciation for cultivating crops and the farmers behind the food we eat every day.

Most recently, to expand its reach, Closter Farm began to offer agritourism with an Estate Farmstay Experience available on VRBO. “Guests can understand up-close the full extent of labor, love, planning, luck, creativity and improvisation that goes into the operation of a small community farm. Krawitz goes on to say, “We hope to create a much deeper connection with our community. Plus, we’ll stock the fridge for you with a farmer’s choice of produce.”

Closter Farm is located at 681 Closter Dock Rd., Closter, and is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

Learn more online at ClosterFarm.com.

Nicole Teitler, known by her trademark Nikki On The Daily®, is a brand storyteller based out of Hoboken, NJ. She is passionate about connecting communities through conversation.

You can reach her at NTeitler@gmail.com or NikkiOnTheDaily.com.

July 2022

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fit body

The Great Nature Gym OUTDOOR WORKOUTS MAKE THE MOST OF SUMMER

by Carrie Jackson

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ummer is the prime time to skip the gym and exercise in the fresh air. Studies show that outdoor workouts improve mental well-being and result in greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and positive engagement. Exercising in nature can reduce stress levels even more than being indoors and can make a workout seem easier.

Many outdoor activities are free or low-cost, can be done solo or in groups and are easily worked into a schedule. From a simple walk in the park to an organized club meet-up, there’s no shortage of options to get the heart pumping.

Outdoor Safety

There are a few factors to keep in mind when moving an exercise routine outside. Be sure to drink plenty of water, as the warmer temperatures can cause increased sweating and dehydration during exertion. Products like hydration packs provide an insulated way to easily carry water hands-free during a workout. While some exposure to vitamin D is beneficial, sun protection is essential as harmful UV rays can cause the skin to burn and lead to melanoma. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends using a waterproof, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapplying it every two hours. UVA rays can also lead to cataracts, macular degeneration and pterygium (a benign growth called “surfer’s eye”), so wear sunglasses that have UV protection.

Walking

An easy activity that can be done almost anywhere, walking requires only a pair of supportive shoes and a bit of wanderlust. It is a great introduction for people looking to get started with a fitness program.

Relatively low-impact, it can ease joint pain, help reduce stress, improve sleep and boost the immune system. Research suggests that distance is more important than speed for health benefits, so add a leisurely stroll to a daytime routine.

Running

KoolShooters/Pexels.com

As a weight-bearing exercise, running helps build strong bones and protects against osteoporosis. Over time, it can also reduce the risk of heart disease and lower the resting heart rate. Long- distance running is stellar for cardiovascular endurance, while sprinting is a quick way to jumpstart weight loss. Running clubs all over the country can help newcomers find inspiration, camaraderie and motivation when the couch is calling.

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Biking

Cycling is easy on the joints, can help improve balance and is a great low-impact cardio workout. Biking can be done solo or in groups and is a great option for families, as even little kids can ride along.

Many cities have bike-friendly street lanes, allow bikes on public

transportation and have rental bikes such as Divvy available for short-term rides.

Yoga

Classes in yoga and Pilates, traditionally done indoors, can be moved outside when the weather is nice. Practicing in the open air means breathing in higher quality oxygen while practicing deep breathing or moving through asanas. The ambient warmth allows soft tissue to relax more, making deeper poses more accessible. Plus, it’s just more relaxing to practice outside, and taking in the surroundings will heighten a mindfulness practice.

Water Sports

Canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding can be done on any kind of open water, including lakes, ponds and rivers. These activities strengthen the upper body as well, and water itself can have a calming effect. Take a class or rent a boat for an afternoon paddle, either alone or with friends.

Rollerblading

Popular in the 1990s, rollerblading is again having a heyday. Online skate manufacturer Rollerblade saw a 300 percent increase in sales at the start of the pandemic, as consumers looked for creative ways to get around outside. Rollerblading helps build endurance in a wide range of muscles, including upper legs, hips, back and glutes. It can improve balance, is easy on the joints and is just plain fun. Invest in a set of protective gear such as a helmet, wrist guards and kneepads to ensure safety.

Urban Fitness

To create workouts in the city, run up and down a hill or set of stairs, then find a nearby playground and do pull-ups on the monkey bars, tricep dips on a park bench and other bodyweight exercises. Or, grab a few friends and create a high-intensity interval training circuit in the park. Change up the routine and location to keep it fresh and fun.

Carrie Jackson is a Chicago-based writer and frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine. Connect at CarrieJackson Writes.com.

STAY LOCAL AND GET OUT IN NATURE

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etting out in nature might just be what we all need to maintain distance and enjoy the outdoors. Whether you prefer a leisurely stroll along the waterfront, a brisk walk with your canine companion through a forest or a work-up-a-sweat scramble on a challenging cliffside trail, you can find your ideal walk or trail right here in Hudson County and the surrounding area. Here are a few to consider: DeKorte Park 1 DeKorte Pk., Lyndhurst • NJSEA.com/parks-and-trails/ The one-square-mile home of the Meadowlands Commission features 3.5 miles of trails with stunning views of wetlands and wildlife, grasslands, pockets of forests, a butterfly garden, plenty of flowers and more than 280 bird species. For trail guides and other information, call 201-460-8300.

Terhune Park Hackensack River Greenway 550 River Rd., Teaneck • TeaneckGreenway.org A 3.5-mile greenway anchored by Terhune Park at its southern end and Clarence W. Brett Park at the northern end offers wildlife viewing of birds, mammals, reptiles and fish. The Hackensack River is on the Eastern Flyway and is a stopping point for egrets, swans, herons, cormorants and loons, among others.

Overpeck County Park Near the junction of I-80 and I-95 • NYNJTC.org/Park/Overpeck-County-Park The park consists of several discreet areas along the western and eastern banks of Overpeck Creek, with 6.3 miles of easy walks and trails. In redeveloping the land, not only did the County of Bergen create open space, residents in the surrounding communities can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing the land is safely protected from further pollution.

Losen Slote Creek Park Mehrhof Rd., Little Ferry • NYNJTC.org/Park/Losen-Slote-Creek-Park Three short trails (0.75 miles) through a rare remaining parcel of woodlands in the Meadowlands to a creek with a Dutch name dating from the original settlement of Bergen County by Northern Europeans, this wooded area is cool and pleasant on hot summer days. There is a great diversity of vegetation, and the woodland and field support a variety of birds.

Flat Rock Brook Nature Center 443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood • FlatRockBrook.org A 150-acre nature preserve and environmental education center situated on the western slope of the Palisades, just two miles from the George Washington Bridge. Visit 3.6 miles of self-guided forested hiking trails that lead to a cascading stream, wetlands, pond and meadows. This natural woodland is one of the last remnants of the Palisades Forest.

Palisades Interstate Park Alpine • NJPalisades.org/Hiking.html The Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey is about 12 miles long and half-a-mile wide, containing 2,500 acres of wild Hudson River shorefront, uplands and cliffs. Thirty miles of trails offer dozens of opportunities for hikers, ranging from easy riverside strolls to challenging rock scrambles.

Pyramid Mountain (Tripod Rock) 472 Boonton Ave., Montville • NJHiking.com/Best-Hikes-In-NJ-Pyramid-Mountain-Tripod-Rock The Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area, with 1,500 acres, offers rugged trails, fields, forests, rock outcroppings and wetlands as well as a magnificent view of the New York City skyline.

July 2022

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conscious eating

Flower Power EDIBLE BLOOMS ADD FLAVOR AND COLOR TO SUMMER FARE

by April Thompson

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photo courtesy of Marie Viljoen

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ruits, leaves, stems and roots are commonly eaten as part of a plant-based, farm-to-table diet, but until recently, the only flowers on the table were in a vase.

Today’s health-conscious foodies are finding edible flowers to be a fantastic way to eat the rainbow, adding fun flavors and colors to all sorts of dishes.

Urban homesteader Holly Capelle turned her family’s backyard in the Portland, Oregon, suburbs into expansive edible gardens, enjoyed by their flower-eating chickens and children alike. “We grow everything from seed, including 15 to 20 edible flower varieties, from spring through fall,” says Capelle. “I love to grow edible flowers for two reasons: one, to eat, and second, for the natural pest control they provide. I think of flowers as a beautiful army that I can eat along the way.”

Capelle’s favorite edible flowers are pansies and violets, as they “pop up again and again all growing season and make a beautiful garnish without overpowering flavor.” The home gardener likes to freeze the fresh flowers in ice cubes, press them on the outside of herb butter or dry them between pieces of wax paper to later add to the tops of homemade chocolate bars, along with dehydrated strawberries, lemon balm, mint or other botanical flavors.

The family’s fowl get in on the flower fun, too. “We make frozen treats for the chickens out of edible flowers, corn and strawberries, which they love in summer. We also add dried flowers like marigolds to their nesting boxes,” she says, adding that marigolds, with their bright orange hues and distinct flavor, are great in scrambled eggs or as a substitute for saffron.

For larger blooms like sunflowers, Capelle recommends pulling off the often-hard centers. “I often see whole zinnias on edible cakes, but no one wants to eat an entire zinnia. With daisies, for example, I will pull off the petals and recreate the flower on top of a dish, using peppercorns or chocolate chips in place of the center,” she says.

Capelle also loves chamomile for its distinctive, apple-like flavor that has the “feel of fall,” and dianthus, with a slightly spicy taste like cloves. “Nasturtiums are another super defender in the garden, with a delicious peppery flavor and nice orange pop of color in a salad,” she adds.

“Flowers brighten any dish up, especially hors d’oeuvres, omelets and soups. Pea soup is an ugly soup, but sprinkle some microgreens and a viola on top and it’s beautiful,” says Jan

photo courtesy of Jan Bell

Bell, of Gilbertie’s Organics, in Easton, Connecticut. The 34-acre farm, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, grows herbs, vegetables and microgreens in 24 greenhouses, including a microgreen blend with nasturtium and viola flowers.

“If you pick the flowers on herbs, the plant will grow better and last longer,” Bell adds.

Flowers like wild violets, chive blossoms and common milkweed can add bold color and flavor to vinegar with pinkish purple hues that power up salad dressings. Bell also likes to dry chive flowers to use yearround. “They are a nice purple sprinkle to add to dishes when things are boring in winter,” she says.

Marie Viljoen, a New York City forager, chef and author of the cookbook Forage, Harvest, Feast: A Wild-Inspired Cuisine, incorporates numerous wild and cultivated flowers, including tree flowers like magnolia and black locust, into her hyperlocal, seasonal meals.

Even common garden roses can add a delicious dimension to dishes and drinks, according to Viljoen. “I like to ferment roses into a simple soda, using organically grown rose petals, honey or sugar and tap water. It’s ready within a few days, or else you can leave to ferment a few months to make a sipping vinegar,” she says. “You can also combine really fragrant rose petals with a neutral honey like clover, then strain after a few days for a rose water essence you can add to yogurt or other dishes.” Viljoen also uses rose petals as edible garnishes for deviled eggs or as edible plates for goat cheese balls on her gourmet picnics.

Some flowers are for the eyes only, however. Many can be poisonous, so it’s important to ensure a particular species is edible before digging in. Viljoen also advises carefully distinguishing between poisonous lookalikes when foraging: A delicious daylily and a toxic true lily look similar, but are in different plant families, for example. She also says to look for organically grown flowers that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides.

Connect with Washington, D.C., freelance writer April Thompson at AprilWrites.com.

FLOWER SPRING ROLLS WITH TAMARIND AND PEANUT SAUCE

by Tara Lanich-LaBrie Spring rolls are a great way to eat all the fresh veggies, flowers and fruits of the season, and they look like little paintings with flowers on the outside and different colors and textures throughout. In the summer months, our bodies naturally gravitate toward eating more raw vegetables and fruits to cool our system and attune to the season of lightness. The grounding aspect in these petal rolls comes from the root veggies and the piquant, velvety peanut sauce. They are easy to make with whatever veggies and fruits we have on hand and are a great meal to take on the trail. Gather whatever ingredients sound delicious at the local market or farm, forage some delicacies if you have the time and put on your favorite music to inspire making these rolls.

Package of spring roll wrappers/rice wrappers 2-3 cucumbers or summer squash, cut into lengthwise strips Edible flowers (optional) such as scarlet begonias, nasturtiums, rose petals, calendula, dandelion petals, sweet alyssum, radish flowers, bachelor buttons, violets, violas or pea flowers 1 bunch mint (about 1 cup) 1 bunch cilantro (about 1 cup) Combination of fresh root vegetables in

an assortment of colors, such as turnips, radishes and carrots, sliced in thin sticks Spinach, nasturtium leaves or other tender green leaves to create a background for your petals 1 avocado, sliced thin (optional) Asparagus, sliced in thin sticks Red pepper, sliced thin, lengthwise 10-oz pack of thin rice noodles Snap peas, purple or green, sliced lengthwise

All of these ingredients are recommendations or suggestions meant to inspire, but they are merely ideas. Use what is available. Spring rolls are excellent with almost any combination of fresh ingredients. I use a general framework of one-third each of crunchy or harder ingredients, like cucumber, squash, radish and carrot; softer ingredients like avocado, peach, mushroom and iceberg lettuce; and flowers, herbs, leaves such as rose petals, calendula, basil, mint and squash blossoms.

First, prep all the ingredients and set up a space to roll and see all of the ingredients. It isn’t necessary to cut everything perfectly, and tearing lettuces or other leaves is a great way to save time and create texture. I like to have my ingredients separated by type or color to create the rolls like a painting, using a palette.

Have a bowl with water that is large enough to dip the spring roll wrappers. Next to this, have a plate that is large enough to hold the wrappers. Have bowls or plates or a large cutting board with all the ingredients laid out to access everything easily and quickly.

July 2022

19

SPICY MAGNOLIA SALAD CUPS

photo courtesy of Marie Viljoen

TRY FOR FREE!

YIELD: FOUR APPETIZER SERVINGS All magnolia petals have a strong, gingery flavor with a hint of cloves or menthol, depending on the variety. Blooming through summer, North American southern magnolia flowers (Magnolia grandiflora) are the size of dinner plates. Their substantial, fragrant petals make beautiful edible cups for assertively flavored salads or ceviche. Here, blandly creamy avocado, crisp peppery radish slices, quick-pickled onion and a kiss of high-quality soy sauce fill the luscious petals with complementary textures and flavors. Pick the whole petal up like a taco and bite to get the full effect in a mouthful.

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1 ripe avocado, cubed 3 radishes, very thinly sliced 2-3 Tbsp quick-pickled red onion rings 2 pickled Japanese knotweed shoots (optional) ¼ tsp chili flakes 2 tsp soy sauce (like organic Ohsawa nama shoyu) Roasted sesame oil

QUICK-PICKLED ONION The heavy seasoning is important to make these pickles pop. Leftover pickles keep indefinitely in the refrigerator, and the flavorful brine is delicious in salad dressings. ½ cup white wine or rice vinegar ¼ cup water 1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp sugar 2 small red onions, thinly sliced into rings In a Mason jar, combine the vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Close the lid tightly and shake to dissolve the seasonings. Add the onions. Allow the mixture to sit in the brine for a minimum of 30 minutes before using.

To assemble the magnolia cups, arrange the avocado cubes, radish and pickled onion between the four petals. Season lightly with chili flakes and soy sauce. Add a few drops of the roasted sesame oil. Serve at once and inhale.

Recipe courtesy of Marie Viljoen.

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21

healing ways

That Natural Glow RADIANT SKIN WITH FEWER HEALTH RISKS

by Marlaina Donato

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or basic hygiene and improved appearance, we wash, slather, hydrate, scrub and cover up, often forgetting that our skin is our largest organ and much of what we expose it to can be absorbed and accumulated in the body over time. If we are using products with potentially toxic additives, we are putting ourselves at a higher risk for hormone disruption, reproductive cancers and allergic reactions.

Many chemicals that have been banned or controlled in Japan and some European countries are still being used on an unregulated basis in the U.S. Even products labeled “organic” and “natural” can have harmful elements alongside the good stuff. Recent research from the University of Vermont Cancer Center has linked phthalates, the “forever chemicals” used as bonding agents in many personal care products, to a higher risk of cancers in children. The encouraging news is that with a little savvy preparation, these hazardous ingredients can be avoided, and we can have glowing skin with fewer health risks.

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Knowledge is Power

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Being an informed consumer is important when it comes to what goes into the body, and reading labels is just as vital for what’s applied on the outside. “The beauty industry can become fascinated with chemical-based ‘quick-fixes,’ but so often what you find is that these interventions can have long-lasting effects that may actually damage the skin,” says Tammy Fender, founder of Tammy Fender Holistic Skincare, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Liver-compromising and potentially cancer-causing formaldehyde, phthalates and parabens are plentiful in shampoos (including baby shampoo), soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, body lotions and moisturizers, and have been linked to breast cancer and other malignancies, kidney damage and depression. While some sources claim these substances to be low-risk due to minimal amounts in skin care products, looking at the broader picture can be disturbing when we consider long-term use and the number of products used daily.

On a superficial level, the skin just responds better when it is exposed to fewer toxins. “Our skin is our biggest organ and absorbs up to 60 percent of whatever you put on it. When you eat healthy, your body feels great. The same goes for your skin,” says Shannon Reagan, owner of Glimmer Goddess Organic Skin Care, in Frisco, Texas. “Throughout my life, I’ve tried just about every product in the stores looking for something that wouldn’t irritate my skin. I found that the cleaner the products, the better my skin looked and felt.”

What Our Skin Loves An outstanding resource for information about a particular product’s safety is the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database at EWG.org/skindeep, which evaluates and grades more than 88,000 personal care products for toxic-

ity. When shopping online or in a store, nixing any that have long, difficult-to-pronounce ingredients is key. Any label that simply lists “fragrance” is also a red flag for hundreds of possible chemicals. Instead, opt for skin care products with Latin botanical names for herbal and essential oil-based scents.

“Natural products may cost a bit more than store brands, but the benefits far outweigh the incremental cost. They contain vitamins, phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids that help heal, rejuvenate and protect skin,” says Reagan.

Fender, a holistic aesthetician and pioneer of clean skin care, concurs, “There is so much care that comes through the plants. Nature is generous.” Her favorite go-to ingredients in her organic skin care line range from white lily to citrus. “I love rose for its powerful rejuvenating benefits. I also love chamomile, an ancient calming and soothing remedy, which is so beneficial for sensitive skin.”

cated my clients are these days. They come to the treatment room with insightful questions, and they understand that caring for the skin is not separate from caring for the soul.”

Marlaina Donato is an author, composer and painter. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

TRY FOR FREE!

Fun in the Sun Chemicals found in conventional sunscreens such as avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, oxybenzone and PABA activate free radicals in the body, but natural sunscreens offer total protection without the elevated cancer risk. Reagan, whose products offer broad-spectrum sun protection, explains, “Chemical sunscreens are absorbed into the skin while natural sunscreens (mineralbased) sit on top of your skin, blocking the sun’s rays at the surface.

Natural sunscreens such as zinc oxide and non-nano titanium dioxide are usually thick like a body lotion texture. They work by reflecting UVA/UVB rays away from the skin and start to work right away.”

Essential oils like red raspberry seed and carrot seed are also reliable ingredients to look for in any natural sunscreen, and may even be helpful for certain types of precancerous skin lesions caused by UVA/UVB rays.

Overall, healthy skin comes from a well-balanced lifestyle. For Fender, it is truly a holistic approach. “I love how inspired and edu-

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July 2022

23

healthy kids

Cool Treats for Hot Days DIY RECIPES EVEN KIDS CAN MAKE

by Sheila Julson

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any of us have fond childhood memories of cool confections from the neighborhood ice cream truck on sultry summer days. By creating homemade, hot-weather treats with our kids, we get to enjoy the delights of fresh, seasonal produce and inventive flavor combinations, while also providing our kids with kitchen fun, healthy fare without unwelcome additives and summertime memories of their own.

“There are plenty of frozen treats from the grocery store that are in the natural or organic categories, but sometimes those still have levels of sweeteners, sugar or other preservatives that we don’t want or need,” says Annie Wegner LeFort, a Milwaukee-based chef and founder of the healthy living business EatMoveMKE.com. She has been making frozen pops for her 13-year-old daughter Vera since she was a toddler. Anything that is homemade is more economical and has less packaging, Wegner LeFort says. Pop molds can be used over and over, and even cups can be used and reused as molds to reduce waste.

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Crafting Cool Treats

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Making frozen pops can be as easy as mashing fruits and other ingredients in a bowl, pouring the mixture into molds and freezing them. A blender or a food processor can be used to make a smoother mix, with parents supervising younger kids. Older children that know how to use small appliances can safely blend—and clean up—without supervision.

Wegner LeFort notes that young kids might enjoy straightforward flavor combinations, but older kids with more developed palates can experiment with herbs or exotic concoctions.

Jenifoto/AdobeStock.com

Parents can deftly blend vegetables and herbs into frozen pops and refreshing summer smoothies without being detected by finicky eaters. She recommends adding spinach to fruit blends with berries or dark-colored fruits: “You don’t even really see the greens. They are overtaken by the blue and purple fruits.” Beets or beet juice, which is high in iron and vitamins, also add a beautiful color to berry blends.

Cooked and mashed sweet potatoes lend a vibrant orange to red and yellow blends made with strawberries or pineapple.

Gwen Eberly, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based chef who teaches cooking to kids and teens through the Zest! cooking school, recalls making healthy, decadent, frozen orange cream pops with her mother and enjoying them on her farmhouse porch on hot summer days.

“The original orange cream pops recipe came from a cookbook called More With Less, a compilation of recipes offered by Mennonite women in the 1970s,” Eberly says. She made them with her own children when they were young, and they became a family favorite. Now, as teenagers, they make the treats themselves all year long.

Other simple cool snacks include monkey tails—frozen bananas rolled in melted chocolate. “That’s a simple and healthy treat that can be topped with nuts or seeds. If you use dark chocolate, that helps cut down on sugar,” Wegner LeFort advises. Ice cream sandwiches can be made with either store-bought or homemade cookies and ice cream. “Those have endless options for creativity and different flavor combinations.”

Jessi Walter Brelsford, founder and “Chief Bud” at the cooking school Taste Buds Kitchen, based in New York City, recommends putting a fun twist on fruit salad with Rainbow Kabobs, which parents and kids can make together. “Our recipe uses fresh, summer favorites like strawberries, cantaloupe, kiwis and blueberries, but depending on your family’s preferences, you can easily make these with any fruit sturdy enough to go on the skewers,” she says. “Kids love helping out, so get them even more excited to be involved by using cool tools together, like a melon baller or crinkle cutter. It will help them practice fine motor skills and pattern recognition by threading the fruits onto the skewers in specific patterns.”

With a little encouragement and experimentation, kids will be proudly and happily creating their own delicious and healthy summer snacks.

ORANGE CREAM POPS YIELD: 8 SERVINGS 1 banana 1 cup vanilla yogurt, whole milk 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 Tbsp honey Combine all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour blended mixture into molds, leaving ½ inch for them to expand.

Freeze until hard, about 4 hours. When ready to eat, run under warm water and remove from the mold.

Variations: omit bananas or substitute milk with full-fat coconut milk.

Ms VectorPlus/AdobeStock.com

Recipe courtesy of Gwen Eberly, adapted from More With Less.

Sheila Julson is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

VEGAN WATERMELON-BEET POPS YIELD: 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

iStock.com

¾ cup vegan vanilla yogurt ½ cup non-dairy milk 2 heaping cups frozen or fresh watermelon cubes 1 red beet, cooked, peeled and chunked 1 small frozen or fresh banana ½ lemon, juiced Add all ingredients to a blender and process on high until smooth.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze solid.

Recipe courtesy of Annie Wegner LeFort.

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WE LOVE OUR ADVERTISING

inspiration

The Art of Doing Nothing

PARTNERS WE THINK YOU WILL TOO!

HOLISTIC DENTAL CENTER 91 Millburn Ave, Millburn, NJ 973-609-5984

WE ARE GRATEFUL! Thank you to our advertisers who make publishing this FREE publication possible each month. They are leaders in our natural living community. Please support them with your business and tell them you saw it in Natural Awakenings!

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M

ost of us can remember having the glorious ability to do absolutely nothing of practical significance as children. We rolled in the grass, laughed ourselves silly with friends on the street corner and happily squandered away Saturdays.

Somewhere along the line, someone planted a seed in our brains that programmed us to believe that we must earn our existence. We became self-conscious perfectionists that equate leisure and “be-ing” with laziness. As adults, we see “non-doing” as something trivial, something forbidden, unless we become ill or injured, and only then can we shrug off the societal guilt trip. Somehow, well-being has become a luxury, and our physical bodies are paying for it. We feel old before our time and suffer Monday morning blues every day of the week. The Yiddish proverb, “The hardest work is to go idle,” rings truer than ever.

We envy our beloved pets when they stretch out in a patch of inviting sun or dream away rainy days, not realizing that we, too, can curl up with the idea of doing nothing. Even foxes and squirrels pause in the survival game to soak up an hour of summer. Unplugging brings us back to our breath, aligns us with our true North and prompts our blood pressure to drop a few numbers. Taking a little time to exhale and watch the clouds overhead can also kickstart our immune systems. If need be, we can appease the to-do lister inside of us by scheduling half an hour of inactivity into the weekly calendar, and when we realize how much we like shooting the breeze, we can increase it to an hour.

Consider the last time we gave ourselves permission to sip a little freedom and watch the grass grow. Poet Winifred Druhan noted, “Wasting time is being free.” We won’t win any accolades for doing nothing, but we’ll surely be happier.

Marlaina Donato is an author, composer and painter. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

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StanislavAdobeStock.com

by Marlaina Donato

natural pet

SIX HEALTH EFFECTS OF POOR NUTRITION IN OUR PETS

by Jorelle Baker

A

healthy diet can be all the difference between your pet living a long life versus one full of illness and unpleasant bowel movements. Pets need a well-balanced diet that provides them all the essential vitamins and minerals they need for their body to perform optimally and fight off infections.

When you feed your pet low quality food, you leave them vulnerable to diseases which can affect their entire body.

To help pet parents understand better, here are the six most common health complications due to poor diet: 1. Obesity: Pets who are fed low quality food have a higher chance of suffering from obesity. According to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention, 53 percent of dogs and 55 percent of cats suffer from obesity in the U.S. each year. Due to their poor diets, these pets also have a higher risk for developing heart disease, diabetes and pancreatitis as well as having a shorter lifespan.

2. Dental Disease: Kibble is often cooked to have all moisture removed and replaced with carbohydrates to preserve shelf life.

These added carbs and reduced moisture content make the food stick to your pet’s teeth causing plaque to form. Without proper care, your pet’s teeth will develop excess plaque which can cause bad breath, periodontal disease, heart disease, trouble eating and expensive dental cleaning bills.

immune system, diseases like infections and cancer can grow uncontested.

6. Skin / Coat Issues: Without specific nutrients like omega 3 oil, your pet’s fur and skin become brittle and dry. Insufficient skin care leaves them susceptible to skin afflictions, including cracked paws, flaky skin and rashes and harsher side effects from allergic reactions.

A pet’s diet is crucial for them living a high quality of life.

Similar to humans, animals need good quality food so their body can function properly and combat diseases. Money saved in food can come back in more costly vet bills. Higher quality food should not only lead to a healthier pet but a happier one as well.

Jorelle Baker is the social media manager, content creator and webmaster for Holistic Pet Care (HolisticPetCareNJ.com). He has always loved writing, sharing stories and personal growth with the goal of continually refining his craft and spreading awareness about mental health. He aims to help open minds and further the spread of knowledge. To connect with Jorelle, email sharpwriter126@aol.com.

3. Gastrointestinal Issues: A poor quality diet leads to the digestive tract working harder to absorb fewer nutrients and expelling the excess material the body does not need. This causes severe flatulence as well as more frequent and larger volumes of feces.

4. Heart Disease: Similar with humans, if your pet eats poorly and does not exercise properly, they will develop clogged arteries and have a higher chance to develop heart disease which can shorten their lifespan.

5. Cancer: Improper nutrition means fewer essential vitamins and minerals the body needs to combat illness. With a weakened July 2022

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communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide, email Publisher@NAHudson.com to request our media kit.

BWÈ KAFE

DENTIST DR. VLADIMIR GASHINSKY DDS

Holistic Dental Center of NJ 91 Millburn Avenue, Millburn, NJ 973-609-5984 • HolisticDentalCenterNJ.com Holistic Dental Center focuses on oral care that’s good for the body as well as the teeth and gums. By treating the cause - not j u s t t h e s y m p t o m s , D r.

Gashinsky and his team of doctors seek to improve patients’ quality of life through holistic and biological dentistry that respects and honors the body. See ad on back cover.

LOUIS STEINBERG, DDS, MS

6050 Boulevard E, Ste LE, West New York, NJ 201-662-2020 • DrLMSteinberg.com Whole body dentistry focused on improving smiles and overall health. We provide full preventative services including safe removal of mercury amalgams, biological periodontal therapy, orthodontics, supportive therapies for toxin removal, TMJ dysfunction and chronic face pain and dental management of sleep disorders. See ad on page 8.

HEALTHY FOODS BUSY BEE ORGANICS

451 Palisade Ave, Jersey City, NJ 201-656-5065 • BusyBeeOrganics.com

Chef Michelle Berckes and her team make up Busy Bee Organics, which serves nutritious, immuneboosting eats to the local c o m m u n i t y. T h i s h e a l t h supportive, local eatery offers instore specials, a brand-new cafe menu & limited outdoor seating. With choices to accommodate every dietary restriction and allergy, you can expect to find delicious options for everyone organic, plant based, customizable & 100% gluten-free.

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1002 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 1401 Adams St., Hoboken, NJ 140 River Dr. S, Jersey City, NJ 201-683-0045 • bwekafe.com All three locations serve drink and food menus with several fun and fresh seasonal items. Offering fresh lemonade, housemade lavender coldbrew lattes, green water detox drinks, salads and toasts, bwé kafe is always thinking of creative and tasty drinks to satisfy your health and pallet. They also source and roast their own coffee beans. Order at the door, ahead of time online, or have them deliver right to your home.

CAFE PEANUT

586 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 201-721-6270 • CafePeanut.com Funky cafe dedicated to quality foods using locally grown, natural and organic produce. Menu selections include delicious salads, sandwiches, soups, pastries, and artisan coffees & teas.

KEY FRESH AND NATURAL

574 Jersey Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 201-204-4200 Local grocer offering huge selection of healthy products and quality brand names for the entire family. Fresh produce with many organic options, quality meats and poultry, organic baby food, grain-free and natural pet foods, non-toxic cleaning products and much more. Save time shopping in one location and get all your grocery needs met at Key Fresh and Natural. Hablamos Espanol. See ad on page 3.

PLANT BASE JC

370 Pacific Ave, Jersey City, NJ 551-256-3868 • PlantBaseMarket.com Plant Base, is a nonprofit, vegan, zero waste community café.

They recently introduced Plant Space, their new community project where the goal is to offer an affordable vegan food supply to residents as well as educate them about the benefits of being plant-based.

The market is now completely donation-based in order to give everyone access to fresh and healthy food. Plant Base is also a strong community hub, known as “the living room for the hood”, where neighbors come together to share knowledge and ideas.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS ANCHOR THERAPY

223 Bloomfield St, Ste. 121, Hoboken, NJ 201-565-2275 • AnchorTherapy.org Therapy is the anchor that holds life together through choppy waters. Anchor Therapy specializes in helping teens and adults through these times. Their experience and professional skills help clients feel better sooner. Call for a free consultation.

ACUPUNCTURE ATELIER

1321 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 201-708-8577 AcupunctureAtelier.com Acupuncture Atelier offers undivided personalized attention during each and every session.

Sara and Samia pride themselves on being unique and adaptable.

Tr e a t m e n t s m a y i n c l u d e acupuncture, reiki, aromatherapy, moxibustion, cupping, auricular therapy, as well as ancient Shamanic healing methods.

HOBOKEN CHIROPRACTIC + WELLNESS

Dr. Laura Brayton/Dr. Olga Alvarez 113 Monroe Street, Hoboken, NJ 201-792-3544 HobokenChiro.com Family wellness practice, specializing in pediatrics and maternity, that strongly believe in the body’s innate intelligence and ability to heal itself when blockages to the healing process are removed.

Utilizing chiropractic, soft tissue techniques, allergy elimination, nutrition/ supplements, and massage, health is restored and maintained for optimal wellness.

JACQUIE BIRD, SPIRITUAL WELLNESS JacquieBirdWellness.com

Jacquie Bird, Spiritual Wellness offers products and services that, support, guide and empower the individual. She is the the Creator/ Practitioner of Stress Busters Guided Meditations; she creates guided meditation as well as meditation music called SoundSoulVibin’ and is the Owner/Creator of the handmade wellness brand MODAL VISIONS, which is rooted in the energetically dynamic properties of gemstones, crystals and copper. Jacquie is also the Creator and host of the podcast Roll With Peace, In Mind. Her entire platform and intent is in mindfulness, personal growth, stress relief and stress management – in essence, how we can live more calm, centered, grounded and meaningful lives.

LEAH CRESCENZO

917-525-3477 • HeyLeahC.com Transformative healer who utilizes the powerful tools of Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) and Hypnotherapy to improve everything from emotional to physical conditions.

MIND BODY HOBOKEN

51 Newark Street, Ste. 402, Hoboken, NJ 201-994-3500 • MindBodyHoboken.com Mind Body Hoboken works with individuals, corporate teams and small business owners to find balance in their personal and professional life. Finding the calm and peace in life is essential to balancing out the “fight or flight” response caused by stress. Founder/practitioner Jennifer Araneo utilizes neurolinguistic programming, hypnosis, meditation and reiki to help clients find the Zen in their lives.

MINDFUL PLAY YOGA

646-552-2982 • MindfulPlayYoga@gmail.com Mindful Play Yoga brings out the kid in all of us by working with children, adults & caregivers through mindfulness, play & yoga to see the best in everyone.

MPY is committed to inspiring children ages 3 -15 & families to be curious life-long learners.

OLEVIA METRY, MD

Family Medicine 108 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 201-656-5688 • Linktr.ee/Dr_Olevia Dr. Olevia Metry is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician who grew up in Florida and has made Hoboken home for 3 years. She’s passionate about preventative medicine, lifestyle medicine, women’s health and diabetes.

RISE COACHING

Kelly Bonell West New York Kelly@YouWillRise.co • YouWillRise.co Serving ambitious professionals who strivie to live their best life, but sometimes get weighed down with stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and that ‘stuck’ feeling. RISE helps clients to close the gap between stagnation and success by expanding what their mind sees as possible, helping them release limiting beliefs, and accelerating their growth. Kelly Bonell is a trained life coach who provides her clients a non-judgmental, inclusive, and trauma informed space to empower them to rise to new heights. Virtual sessions available.

SALVATION WELLNESS

30 Provost St, Jersey City, NJ 551-689-0763 • SalvationWellness.com Salvation Wellness is a multiservice wellness center that offers services such as massage, meditation, yoga classes and sauna sessions. It also sells a variety of personal care products, including CBD bath and body items. Co-founders Celia and Andres Pender have lived in Jersey City for more than a decade. They both have been dedicated to holistic health studies and deductive, science-based, natural healing for more than two decades.

THE GREEN ROOM

109 14th St, Hoboken, NJ 64 Newark Street, Hoboken, NJ 512 Jersey Ave, Jersey City, NJ TheGreenRoomNJ.com Newly added Jersey City location. Hoboken and Montclair’s first CBD shops that provide both in-person and online shopping. Owner Darek Michael offers education and high-quality products. The Green Room is open Sunday through Thursday 11am-8pm and Fri and Sat 11am-10pm in Jersey City and Monclair.

VICTORIA REED MASSAGE THERAPY

Victoria Radzinski, LMT, CPT 80 River St., 3E-2, Hoboken 201-551-7154 • VictoriaReed.Info@gmail.com ReedWellness.com

PETS GALLA WELLNESS

Florentina Galla, Rdh.MS GallaWellness.com Florentina has been using holistic care and reiki healing for decades and now is providing that for pets.

She provides pet healing and holistic pet nutrition. She’s using gentle touching if an area is in pain after trauma and to reduce the healing time; she offers customized nutrition and supplement needs to manage stress and weight gain based on the pets need. She is a regular volunteer at North Star Animal Rescue and is the author of Confessions of a Holistic Hygienist in a New Era of Wellness.

HOLISTIC PET CARE

125 Paterson Avenue, Little Falls, NJ 973-256-3899 • HolisticPetCareNJ.com Holistic Pet Care of Little Falls provides guidance on optimum diet and environment, and how to minimizing negative elements/toxins to keep your pet healthier and living longer. Holistic and complementary modalities include acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, homeopathy, bach flow remedies, herbal therapies (western, chinese & ayurvedic), nutritional therapy, ozone therapy, cold laser therapy, and reiki for addressing problems and for preventive care.

As a licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Personal Trainer and Yoga instructor, Victoria’s healing and relaxing services reverse the effects of daily stress by repairing damaged muscle tissue to eliminate aches and pains throughout the body. Improve circulation, detoxify your body, and increase mental alertness as you decompress with her carefully designed massages.

Victoria’s drive behind her work stems from her observations on today’s lifestyle/living. See ad, page 10.

OUTDOORS MR NATURAL NYC

Roger Dubin 917-699-6492 • Instagram @MrNaturalNYC MrNaturalNYC@gmail.com My mission is to connect people with the beauty and health benefits of hiking and nature. I share this in my Instagram and practice it by supervising over 60 miles of trails in Harriman State Park and being a hike leader and naturist for the Nature Place Day Camp. I am also the Marketing Director for Natural Awakenings where I help people and businesses further healthy living on a healthy planet. Email me for hiking tips and route suggestions. Find Hikes: NYNJTC.org. Expose your kids to Nature: TheNaturePlace.com.

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calendar of events Recovery Meetings – RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery’s Hope and Healing Program offers emotional support services, education and community-based resources for individuals and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through a variety of virtual services, this program aims to assist those impacted by the pandemic to better adjust to their new reality, mitigate stress, review options, develop coping strategies, and, if needed, find linkages to agencies, programs, and other resources in their community. All Recovery virtual meetings provide social support for those seeking or maintaining recovery, as well as family members, friends and supporters of those who have been influenced by substance use. See website for a list of meetings and registration info. RWJBH.org/ treatment-care/institute-for-prevention-and-recovery/ programs/hope-and-healing/.

SATURDAY, JULY 2 Cooking and Singing with Gabrielle – Sat through Jul. 1pm. Learn some colorful home cooking. Get ready for an entertaining experience with One Great Vegan, aka the singing chef, Gabrielle Reyes in a live-streaming musical cooking class where you’ll learn to make colorful and flavorful treats you can create easily in your own kitchen. Be sure to log in and learn live how to cook quick, vegan recipes full of flavor and fun. Free virtual event. OneGreatVegan. com/Great-Events.

SUNDAY, JULY 3 Native Plant & Butterfly Walk – 10am-12pm. Join the Audubon Society as they tour the park and talk about butterflies and native plants and how you can make your own yard a butterfly sanctuary. DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst. Contact: Don Torino at GreatAuk4@ gmail.com. 201-230-4983. NJSEA.com.

MONDAY, JULY 4 Diabetes Support Group – 12-1pm. Join this virtual support group once a month to discuss issues you are having living with diabetes – with other people living with diabetes. Utilizing peer group problem-solving (asking questions, listening to responses and having a group discussion) we will come up with personalized solutions for you. Seize the opportunity to meet others living with diabetes and talk about your personal challenges as you would talk to a friend. Register online DiabetesFoundationInc.org.

Crossword Club – 5-6pm. Join on Zoom to do a crossword puzzle every Monday! Test your puzzle skills! Geared for children in grades 4 to 12.

NBPL.org/Event/Crossword-Club.

TUESDAY, JULY 5 Beginning Yoga – Tue through Jul. 6:30-7:30pm.

This class is suitable for those who are beginners with little or no experience, or for those simply looking for a gentle yoga class. The class consists of yoga postures (asanas) breathing exercises (pranayama), and meditation. Instructor Komal Majmundar. $20.

Roots Yoga, 2983 John F. Kennedy, Jersey City.

RootsYogaStudioJC.com.

All Recovery Wellness – Tues. 10am. All Recovery virtual meetings provide social support for those seeking or maintaining recovery, as well as family members, friends and supporters of those who have

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been influenced by substance use. RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery’s Hope and Healing Program Daily All Recovery Meetings offers emotional support services, education and community-based resources for individuals and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a variety of virtual services, this program aims to assist those impacted by the pandemic to better adjust to their new reality, mitigate stress, review options, develop coping strategies, and, if needed, find linkages to agencies, programs, and other resources in their community. RWJBH.org. Zoom Meeting ID: 921 8005 4325 Passcode: healing. 929-205-6099.

THURSDAY, JULY 7 Hoboken Museum Podcast – Jul 7, 14, 21, 28.

7-8pm. The Hoboken Museum offers a live-streamed program - Hoboken Talks! - streamed on YouTube, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Viewers can submit questions using the chat feature. YouTube. com/User/HobokenMuseum. See the website for other social media links to bookmark your preferred channel. Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St, Hoboken. 201-656-2240. HobokenMuseum.org.

FRIDAY, JULY 8 Storytime at the Museum – Fridays 10:30-11:45am.

Hoboken Historical Museum staff and other guest readers share stories, rhymes and sing-alongs with children ages 2 to 5 years and their caregivers. The program is open to all on a first-come, first-served basis; children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. $5 donation appreciated. Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St, Hoboken. 201-6562240. HobokenMuseum.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 9 Sea Glass Hunt – 11am-12:30pm. Guided hike with Eric Nelsen covers about 1-mile round-trip distance in about 1.5 hours (including time for beach combing) on relatively easy trails with some stone steps.

Participants should wear closed-toe shoes and bring a container for collected treasure! Hike will be held drizzle or shine, heavy or steady precipitation will cancel. Meeting 11am at the entrance to Alpine Picnic Area in Alpine. Free; metered parking in effect.

Alpine Picnic Area, Alpine Approach Rd, Alpine.

NJPalisades.org.

SUNDAY, JULY 10 Artisan Market – 2nd Sun. 11-4pm. Shop small and local at Main Street Pops outdoor market with artisanal foods, jewelry. home goods, fashion & accessories, beauty, fine art, photography, kid’s stuff, pet products and more! A variety of other attractions like live music, arts and crafts projects and special themed holiday activities. Under 14th Street Viaduct, 1401 Adams St, Hoboken.

MONDAY, JULY 11 White Noise, by Don DeLillo: A Book Club Discussion – 5:30-7pm. Winner of the National Book Award, White Noise tells the story of Jack Gladney; his fourth wife, Babette; and four ultramodern offspring as they navigate the rocky passages of family life to the background babble of brand-name consumerism. When an industrial accident unleashes an «airborne toxic event», a lethal black chemical

cloud floats over their lives. The menacing cloud is a more urgent and visible version of the «white noise» engulfing the Gladney’s - radio transmissions, sirens, microwaves, ultrasonic appliances, and TV murmurings - pulsing with life yet suggesting something ominous. Free; register online. Bistro La Source 85 Morris St, Jersey City. Meetup.com/JC-BookClub/.

TUESDAY, JULY 12 Tot Art Classes – Through July. 10am-1pm. Museum Kids Art Classes take place two days a week – Tues, Thurs – for fun art making in the Museum walkway.

Recommended for ages 2-5. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Art materials are provided; adults must wear masks and maintain social distance.

Seating available first-come, first-served. Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St, Hoboken.

201-656-2240. HobokenMuseum.org.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 Artist & Maker Market – Wed & Fri, 3-9pm; Sat, 12-6pm. The Market is an open-air bazaar featuring locally created fine art and premium hand-crafted goods. AMM connects artists and artisans with the Jersey City & metro NYC community. Their mission is to support handmade goods as an alternative to mass-produced items and to cultivate small business and entrepreneurship by providing a thriving place for them to sell. 201-547-3554. JCDowntown.org.

William D. McDowell Observatory – Weds, 8:3010:30pm, weather permitting. Experts will help you see the moon, planets and constellations in all their splendor. The state-of-the-art Observatory features a research-grade, Classical-Cassegrain telescope housed within a six-meter retractable dome with a 20-inch mirror and is capable of viewing objects millions of light years away. All ages welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. Twenty-five people may occupy the Observatory at any one time. Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis. Check-in at the Science Center adjacent to the Observatory. To access the Observatory, a visitor must be able to climb 25 steps in spiral formation. The stairs have railings on either side, approximately 2 feet apart. Free.

2 De Korte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst. 201-460-4619.

THURSDAY, JULY 14 Evening Nature Walk – 6:30-8:30pm. See DeKorte Park at twilight with members the Audubon Society. DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst. Contact: Don at GreatAuk4@gmail.com. 201-230-4983. NJSEA.com.

HOHA Run – Thursdays, 7:40pm. The Hoboken Harriers Running Club, a diverse group of runners/ joggers, welcomes runners of all abilities for a 5.2-mile run. 6th Street & Washington, Hoboken. Libations: Moran’s Pub. Info: HOHA.net.

SATURDAY, JULY 16 Wake-n-Rake: Volunteer Yard Work – Sats, 9am12pm. Looking for some Garden Thyme? Join for a variety of landscaping tasks. From light raking to weed whacking and chopping wood, we have whatever level of support you can give our all-volunteer mission. Attendees should wear covered shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves for protection. Please contact Anthony Susco at 973-219-9696 with any questions. Larger volunteer groups from community organizations, schools and businesses are welcome

to help. The Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery, 435 Newark Ave, Jersey City. 973-219-9696.

SUNDAY, JULY 17 Butterfly Day at DeKorte Park – 10am-3pm.

(Rain Date: Sunday, July 24) It’s the Park’s biggest event of the summer! Butterfly Day features walks and talks from Bergen County Audubon Society experts on these amazing winged marvels and their importance to the environment, plus a scavenger hunt, costume contest and other kid’s activities, information tables, and more. Free. DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst. Contact: Don at GreatAuk4@gmail.com.

201-230-4983. NJSEA.com.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 Groove on Grove – Wed through Aug. 6-9pm.

Jersey City’s free summer weekly music series featuring a wide variety of musicians and performers, and a wide variety of artisans and vendors.

This is a family friendly event that brings the community together to celebrate Jersey City and its diversity. Grove Street PATH Plaza. 201-547-3554.

JCDowntown.org.

Moonlight Meditations & Reiki – Wed through Aug 31. 8:30-9pm. No experience necessary, be guided through a mediation that promotes peace and spirituality. Also included some introductory reiki concepts that allow us to feel more energized, heal afflictions and manifest success. The idea is that everyone will get something different out of it and meditations are designed to be very simple, peaceful, and inspiring.

Yoga mats or towels are recommended for your comfort. Free. Columbus Park in Hoboken, at the corner of 10th and Grand

THURSDAY, JULY 21 Nature Walk: Mill Creek Marsh, Secaucus – 10am12pm. Keep your eyes peeled for spring migrants and ducks on this walk led by the local Audubon Society at one of the Meadowlands’ best places for birding. Call for meetup info. Free, registration required. Meadowlands Environment Center, DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst.

Don Torino: 201-230-4983. NJSEA.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 23 Silkroad Ensemble – 8pm. Stacked with fourteen groundbreaking performers, the multinational ensemble offers a musical rebirth and celebration as our world emerges from a long and stunning upheaval.

Contemporary and ancient, familiar and foreign, Silkroad Ensemble draws on a rich tapestry of styles and instruments—including the Indian tabla, the Celtic harp, the Persian kamancheh, the Chinese yangqin and the Japanese shakuhachi. $39-$89. New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Prudential Hall, Betty Wold Johnson Stage, 1 Center St, Newark. 888-696-5722.

NJPAC.org.

TUESDAY, JULY 26 Behind the Times at Mrs. Kearney’s Tavern – 7-9pm. Open-house evening at the Kearney House with lemonade and watermelon, music with Mr. Thaddeus MacGregor, games and amusements, storytelling and reading aloud with Mrs. Kearney’s crew.

Free and open to all (donation box by door – thank you). Kearney House, Henry Hudson Dr, Alpine.

NJPalisades.org.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

SATURDAY, JULY 30

Joy Of Breathing/Pranayama – Wed, 1:30pm.

Experience the powerful benefits of transformational breathwork. The breathing technique works to quickly and effectively allow you to access a deeper, more conscious connection with the body, mind, heart and spirit. Learn how to breath naturally and fully with this simple and effective method. Free.

EventBrite.com/O/Soul-Dimension-30784000070.

2022 Hoboken City Challenge Race – 9am12pm. The race features 25 obstacles set along the three-mile course. Both teams and individuals are welcome to participate. Start times are scheduled for every 15 minutes. Volunteers are needed to help make the race a success by pitching in behind the scenes: setting up, checking in runners, assisting on course and more. All volunteers will receive a race shirt, coffee, donuts in the morning, and free entry to a future City Challenge Race. Pier A Park, 100 Sinatra Dr. (across from Crunch Gym), Hoboken.

For more info, CityChallengeRace.com.

Hoboken Green Team: Sustainable Jersey – 6:307:30pm. The Hoboken Green Team is comprised of community members and City staff who work to advance environmentally sustainable goals and initiatives. Hoboken Green Team meets virtually.

Zoom Access: Meeting ID: 813 0621 5200 One tap mobile +19292056099,81306215200# US

FARMERS MARKETS The Bayonne Farmers’ Market – The market opens from 2-7 pm. and will run every Tuesday at the same time. The market is located on West 23rd Street between Broadway and DelMonte Drive. The Bayonne Farmers’ Market aims to foster “a sense of community by bringing farmers and local businesses together right in our neighborhood.” The goal is to offer a variety of fresh foods to the community.

Paulus Hook Farmers Market – The Paulus Hook Farmers Market is both a farmers’ market and a CSA pickup spot for local subscribers. It is open through December on Saturdays from 10am-4pm. The Market is located at the end of Washington Street in the Morris Canal State Park next to the Korean War Memorial, in Jersey City. For more information: PaulusHook.org.

Downtown Jersey City Farmers’ Market – Mon & Thu through Dec. 4-8pm. The Historic Downtown Jersey City farmers’ market features various NJ vendors and local Jersey City vendors. Operating for over a decade, the Historic Downtown Jersey City Farmers Market, conveniently located by the PATH Train station and Grove Street bus stop in the heart of the historic downtown, it’s the place to get your groceries and treats!

Come out and support NJ farms and businesses and get your fresh produce, pies, cookies, flowers and more.

201-547-3554. JCDowntown.org.

Riverview Farmer’s Market – This farmer’s market is held at Riverview-Fisk Park through November.

The vendors are between Ogden & Palisade from 10am-3pm. Take a stroll through Riverview-Fisk Park (with NYC views) in Jersey City Heights and enjoy live music, and a variety of awesome vendors like Alstede Farms, Stony Hill Farms, Headquarters Farms, RH Farms, Nature’s Own, and more.

Hamilton Park Farmer’s Market – The Farmers’Market runs weekly through the fall. The hours will be from 4-7pm, Wednesdays in Hamilton Park, 25 West Hamilton Place, Jersey City, easily accessible on foot from Jersey City PATH stations located at Grove Street and Newport.

Check the website for a list of vendors and products for sale. GNADF.com/Events/HNPA-Farmers-Market/ HDSID Farmer’s Market – The Historic Downtown Special Improvement District Farmers Market is open year-round, and the summer/fall session, begun in April, runs Mondays and Thursdays from 4-8pm. The location will remain at the Grove PATH Plaza, Newark Ave and Grove St, but will also include the “first green” area of the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Mall. Check the website for a list of vendors and products for sale. JCDowntown.org.

Hoboken Farmers Market – The Hoboken Farmers Market is open through mid-November on Tuesdays from 2-8pm. It is located between Fourth and Fifth Garden Street on the east side of Church Square Park near the Demarest School. Vendors in attendance will include Union Hill Farms, Roger’s Seafood, Melick’s Town Farm, Circle Brook Organic Farms, Pickle-Licious, Gourmet Dried Fruit and Nuts, and Hoboken Farms.

The Southwest Park Farmers Market – This farmers market is brand new to the 2022 season. Like other markets, the new market will offer an underserved neighborhood fresh vegetables, fruits, and baked goods. Where: North side of Observer Highway between Jackson Street and Harrison Street through mid-November Thursdays 2-8pm.

Uptown Farmers Market – The City of Hoboken will host the Uptown Farmers Market every Saturday, from 9am-2pm, under the 14th Street viaduct between Grand and Adams Streets, Hoboken. The market will have a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other local products. Some of the vendors in attendance are Stony Hill Farms, Cotton Cattle, Hoboken Farms, Roger’s Seafood, Pick-Licious, Choc-O-Pain and Paolo’s Kitchen. To add to the fun, there will be live music on some days.

Van Vorst Park Farmer’s Market – Van Vorst Farmers Market, Van Vorst Park, Montgomery and Jersey Avenue, Jersey City, will be open until December on Saturdays, 8am-2pm. This open-air market offers a wide variety of goods, including fresh organic and conventional fruits and vegetables, baked goods, seafood, fresh mozzarella, pickles, and flowers.

July 2022

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Hudson County

NAHudson.com