An Ode to Farmer Jesica Clark.

Unknown
Photo by Dion Ogust

Over the past seven years, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with some amazing people. But none as dear and few as great as Farmer Jesica Clark.

I met her years ago, when she approached me to help as a consultant to the Kingston City Hall Victory Garden back in 2007, a project that was a 10×10 foot raised bed organic garden on City Hall grounds –  pretty unprecedented  – with the support of then Mayor Jim Sottile and former city clerk Kathy Janeczek who sadly passed in 2009.

Jesica was a young first generation farmer , who was working as the head farmer of Phillies Bridge Farm Project in Gardiner, NY – and I was so pleased to have her support and to pick her brain on how to make this project successful then. Allyson Levy of Stone Ridge also volunteered at that time, who has since become  a master gardener through the Cornell Cooperative Extension program and is co-owner of Hortus Conclusus. With such help, I couldn’t go wrong.

When I took post at the Kingston Land Trust as Executive Director back in 2010, Jesica got in touch with me again – as she was moving to Kingston and was looking for land to farm hoping for 10 acres. All I had then to offer was a small 1/4 acre parcel in the midtown area thanks to Binnewater Ice who had donated the land and a partnership with the wonderful Diane Reeder and the Queens Galley.

The space came with a free water source,  and I convinced her that creating a ‘farm’ on a small parcel could help Kingston to learn the benefits of urban farming.

She ran with it and moved away from her desired farm space and within a few weeks, Jesica had a three year business plan and a fundraising platform on Kickstarter. Very soon after, we negotiated a lease, a sublease – and she raised almost $6,000.00 to make the ‘farm’ concept a reality. The South Pine Street City Farm was born.

…and it was completely Jesica’s invention.  A space that grew over 150 varieties of vegetables with an educational component. In addition, she took on the task of developing ‘The Dig Kids – an Urban Farm Program” with me that in the past two years has successfully worked to transform the Everette Hodge Center garden and new garden plots at the Van Buren Street playground that not only educated each of us, but also dozens of children and their families in farming practices with the invaluable help of Megan Weiss of Kingston Cares who is someone else I hold in the highest esteem.  She started a farm stand (that Hugh Cummings built for free) selling her beautiful produce to the community three days a week at the farm, got involved with the Kingston’s Farmers market’s in uptown and midtown – and also developed a farm to table program providing vegetables to local businesses all over Kingston.

Jesica is one of the most hardworking people I know. But on top of it all, she has a deep understanding of how things work and is a savvy business woman. What’s more is her ‘can-do’ attitude that makes the impossible possible, with a personality that all of us have simply fallen in love with.

But her vision in being completely sustainable through farming a larger parcel is her dream – and she found such a space across the river. Although I am very happy for her, it is also with great sadness for me to see her leave Kingston.  She and her husband Daniel Clark (of Prime Print Shop in Poughkeepsie, who has also been essential and generous to our efforts) are the kind of residents that you  lose with a heavy heart.

Jesica Clark has put Kingston on the map on the Urban Agriculture front – something that is critical for us in this current climate. She has helped to remind us all something that our grandparents knew but has been lost in only two generations. We must grow our own food, help one another and do so with grace, beauty – and simplicity.

Her additional gift to our city is that she attracted another first generation farmer to Kingston – Kaycee Wimbish and her family – who will take over the South Pine Street City Farm, the Dig Kids Program and work towards a new and larger farm at the YMCA.  Because of Jesica, we will continue to pursue urban agriculture to benefit our community and continue to be a model for other Hudson River cities.

Thank you, Jesica.  For all of your hard work and in helping to make us more healthy and thoughtful citizens.

Rebecca Martin

A Farm Grows in Kingston

By Rebecca Martin

Kingston Land Trust partners Diane Reeder (The Queens Galley) and Diane Davenport (Binnewater Ice)  approved the mission and business plan for turning the South Pine Street Garden into a ‘Farm’ under the stewardship of Farmer Jesica Clark.

Community outreach and a press release will be available in the coming months. In the meantime, Jesica will begin preparing the plot in it’s entirety to include erecting a fence, doing soil tests, bringing in compost and other augmentation and trimming/removing trees in preparation for planting in 2011.

A working mission, partnerships and collaboration and bio of Farmer Clark is below. The garden name will change to reflect the farm’s mission.

If you wish to make an early donation towards this project, you can do so through the Kingston Land Trust.



Those who worked to farm this location during the 2010 season should be directed to Jesica while she is devising a new system for the space. If anyone is interested in working with Jesica this fall please email her directly as well.   jesicaclark21@gmail.com

If you have any additional technical questions at this time, please feel free to contact the Kingston Land Trust  at rebecca@kingstonlandtrust.org or call their office:  845/877-5263.

This is exceptional news for the garden movement in the City of Kingston.

Mission

The South Pine Street Garden will serve as a model of urban agriculture for the city of Kingston and beyond.  A small scale market garden will show that agriculture can thrive in an urban environment and the site will be a place of learning as well as teaching for community organizations, businesses and schools.

Partnerships, Collaboration, Community

The garden and its growers will work in partnership with individuals and organizations in the community to achieve a garden and food based network.   Partnerships include: Binnewater Ice Company, The Queen’s Galley and the Operation Frontline Program, the community (*) and the Kingston Land Trust.

In particular, an extraordinary partnership between the garden and the upcoming restaurant “Rosemary” is planned wherein the garden would provide featured produce to this high profile, innovative Kingston restaurant and the garden would also serve as a learning space for the restaurant staff.

(*)  We will encourage members of the community to participate in the garden through volunteerism, workshops and organized garden “work and play” parties.

Farmer Jesica Clark Bio

Jesica Clark has worked in farming and small scale agriculture for eight years.  She has organized community gardens, managed a small diversified farm in the Hudson Valley and worked for several for-profit as well as not-for-profit, educational farms.  Having grown up in New York City and apprenticed in central Pennsylvania, she has experience in both urban culture and rural living. She is comfortable working with all members of a community and feels that good food is integral not only to physical health but also to social health.

Get Your Tickets to The Hudson Valley Hunger Banquet

The Queens Galley Logo

Not a single member of our community should ever go hungry, and if Diane Reeder has her way no one will.  Her tireless efforts and creative ideas fuel what is The Queens Galley, an organization that began back in 2003 and “provides awareness, education, relief and prevention of food insecurity in America. The Queens Galley supports, creates and implements programs dedicated to the affordable nutritional education of children, families and seniors”.  It also happens to be one of the more unique soup kitchens in the State if not beyond. Since she launched it back in 2006, Diane provides three meals a day to anyone in need, no questions asked. No paperwork to fill and file. What’s more is it’s restaurant style, where folks are served what look like gourmet meals table side. With a focus on local and sustainable foods, Diane collaborates with local farms and farmers incorporating nutritious and seasonal items into each meal that the Galley creates.

As meaningful as the work is in our community, it is really just the tip of the iceberg of what this powerhouse of a gal accomplishes on the food security front.

One of her upcoming events, the “Hudson Valley Hunger Banquet” is an impressive effort. On Sunday, March 28, twelve hunger relief organizations in the Hudson Valley will come together to host the first collaborative hunger event, a Hunger Banquet at Backstage Productions. Few experiences bring to life the inequalities in our world more powerfully than an Oxfam Hunger Banquetevent.  Unique and memorable, The Hunger Banquet event allows participants to experience firsthand how our decisions affect others in the world.

Upon arrival at the event guests draw tickets at random that assign them each to either a high-, middle-, or low-income tier-based on the latest statistics about the number of people living in poverty.   Each income level receives a corresponding meal.  The 15 percent in the high- income tier are served a sumptous meal catered by celebrated chef Samir Hrichi of Ship to Shore; the 35 percent in the middle-income section will dine on an offering from the Kingston Consolidated school lunch menu; and the 50 percent in the low-income tier help themselves to small portions of rice and water.

Chef Sarah Copeland

Their guest speaker, Chef Sarah Copeland (writer, blog author of edible living, recipe developer for the Food Network Magazine, spokesperson for the Food Network and Share Our Strength’s fight against childhood hunger, and a co-founder of our Good Food Gardens initiative).

Queens Galley, Family of Woodstock, Caring Hands Soup Kitchen, Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, Ulster Corps, Angel Food East, Saint James Food Pantry, Rosendale Food Pantry, People’s Place, Chiz’s Heart Street, God Given Bread Food Pantry and Libertyview Farm.

Click on this link to purchase tickets.

Caring For Your Community: Food Glorious Food

We lost one of our weekend soup kitchens on Pine Grove avenue located inside of the Church of the Holy Cross in Kingston.  It’s the kind of loss that will no doubt be a major hit to our growing families in need.  It was reported that they do hope to be up and running again in the future. Whatever the case, a big thank you is in order for Rev. Charles Arlin, his staff and all of the volunteers for providing food to those in need since 2002.

I want to ask our members to do one small thing right now. Take a moment to make plans to lend a hand;  or to make donation of money or food to a local soup kitchen or food pantry near you.

For Kingstonians, consider Queens Galley who are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – offering three meals each day to anyone in need. No questions asked. I expect Diane to have more mouths to feed starting immediately due to Holy Cross’s kitchen closing.  Can you help? Visit QUEENS GALLEY for more.

Other favorite and helpful locations is Chiz’s Heart Street on West Chestnut Street in Kingston. Chiz organizes a food pantry for those in need. We recently featured her on the KingstonCitizens.org blog.    Visit:  LEND A HAND TO HEART STREET

Below is a pretty comprehensive list of other soup kitchens and food pantries in the area. If there are any that you find are missing, feel free to add them in the comment section of this post.

Thanks.

– Rebecca Martin

FOOD PANTRIES AND FREE MEAL SITES IN THE KINGSTON AREA

Caring Hands Meal Site and Food Pantry
Clinton Avenue Methodist Church, 122 Clinton Avenue, Kingston NY
845-331-7188   Darleen Kelley Pastor

Lunch served Monday thru Friday about noon.  Offerings range from the epicurean (a peppered split pea soup that they ought to bottle) through the misguided (slippery slop, a lovely dish you get when you don’t drain overcooked spaghetti before adding the sauce.)  After lunch, the diners are given a choice of prepackaged goods from local supermarkets such as cookies, pies, brie cheese, salads, birthday cakes, quiches, etc..   There is also a table offering unlimited bread products and fruits and veggies in season.  On request, a bag of food to take home will be given from the food pantry.   If I manage to get it together, this will be the location for Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, a pet food pantry.   Ambience of a medium security prison.   Usual pronouncement, “If you don’t like eating here, go to the Blue Light Diner.”

Catholic Charities (two food pantry locations)
Patricia LaRue, director   Mary Francis, Manager.
St. Joseph’s Mission Church Connifer Lane,
Hurley, NY
845-338-7121

Extensive food pantry (and even more extensive free clothing distribution!!)  Open to the public Monday and Tuesday, 10-2 and Wednesday, 10-noon.  Free clothing store only on Mondays.  Consumers cn get two bags of food once a month (or sometimes more if they have a good enough story.)   Offerings include peanut butter, frozen chopped meat, canned stew, canned fruits and veggies, and occasionally yogurt, cottage cheese, bread, or other items depending on availability.  Also soap, toothpaste, and personal care items such as diapers, sanitary pads, mouthwash. Fresh fruit and veggies always welcome.  Free clothing and food outreach on variousWednesdays at 1pm at the Everette Hodge MidTown Neighborhood Center on Prospect Street.

Special Needs Food Pantry
59 Pearl Street, Kingston, NY
845-340-9170

Doctor’s note required.  Food pantry for diabetics, hypertension, obestiy, or other conditions requiring a special diet.  Open Tuesday from 11 am to 3 p.m.

Animal Hospice of NY
PO Box 1463, Kingston, NY 12402
845-382-2435
Bruce Van Bramer, Director

This not-for-profit distributes food donated by area supermarkets.  It primarily distributes the food to OTHER not-for-profits, such as Family of Woodstock.  However, sometimes distributions on a limited basis of human and animal food can be arranged through the director, depending on his supply, which fluctuates.   Because this location does active composting and feeding of farm animals such as pigs and goats, it welcomes donations of produce that is not quite ready for prime time.

The Queen’s Galley
254 Washington Avenue, Kingston, NY
845-338-3468
Diane Reeder, director

Meal site only.   Serves three meals a day, 365 days a year. Including a mind-blowing thanksgiving banquet.  China dishes, fabric tablecloths, real silverware, nutrition lessons.  Meals served at 8a.m., 12 noon, and 5p.m..  Atmosphere of a rather hectic restaurant.

Pointe of Praise Family Life Center
243 Hurley Avenue, Kingston, NY
845-339-4615
Sandra Giles, Pantry Director

Monday through Friday, 9a.m. to 3 p.m. Superb access for persons with mobility challenges, but its out of town a bit.

Salvation Army of Ulster County
35 Cedar Street, Kingston, NY
845-331-1803

Open 9a.m. to noon daily

Peoples’ Place
Corner Broadway and St. James’s Street
Kingston, NY
845-338-4030
Peter Quinlan, Director

Food pantry open Mon. through Friday, 10a.m to 1 p.m. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.  It’s like applying for welfare.   Also produce and bread occasionally available in the thrift shop that offers used clothing for sale.   Wheelchair accessible.

St. James’s  United Methodist Church
Corner Fair Street and Pearl
Kingston, NY
845-331-3030

The “new kid on the block” food pantry, available Sundays from 11a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kingston Seventh Day Adventist Church
24 West Union Street
Kingston, NY
845/339-4983

“Soup and Bread” meal site, Sunday’s at 11am – 2pm.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Family
32  John Street, Kingston, NY
845-338-2370
Michael Berg, Director

Does not have food distribution in Kingston, but does have it in Woodstock, New Patlz, Ellenville, and other locations.   In Kingston will give a ticket good for some groceries at Hannaford.   In Woodstock, every time you stop in there is coffee and pie or cake and free sandwiches available and a warm welcome, and FREE CLOTHING, tons of it.

Community Action
70 Lindsley Street, Kingston, NY
845-338-8750,

Provides services to the underprivileged including locating food sources.

VOLUNTEER: Lend A Hand To Heart Street

We have a great volunteer opportunity for our local Citizens.

“Chiz’s Heart Street” located at 106 West Chestnut Street is looking for compassionate Kingston citizens to help around the house.

2009 YWCA Tribute to Women ‘Community Advocate Award’ honoree Mary ‘Chiz’ Chisholm has been called to some of the most important work in our community.  At her ‘house on the hill’, Mary provides residents suffering from mental illness a safe and loving home. She also maintains one of the food pantries in the city of Kingston that feeds our local families on a regular basis.

Can you make a contribution of your time? Two hours a month is all it takes to help to change lives in a profound way. Yours included.

An example of time of days and tasks:

Mondays, 10am – 6pm
10-12, Lunch prep / anytime: laundry or light cleaning / 3-6 dinner prep
* Special Monday Task: Help to re-stock food pantry once a month.

Tuesdays, 10am – 6pm
10-12Lunch prepanytime: laundry or light cleaning / 3-6 dinner prep
Special Tuesday Task: Musicians to play in-house piano or bring an acoustic instrument.

Wednesday’s, 10am – 6pm
10-12, Lunch prep / anytime: laundry or light cleaning / 3-6 dinner prep
Special Wednesday Task: Musicians to play in-house piano or bring an acoustic instrument.

Thursday’s, 10am – 6pm
10-12, Lunch prep anytime: laundry or light cleaning / 3-6 dinner prep
Special Thursday Task: Musicians to play in-house piano or bring an acoustic instrument.

Friday’s, 10am – 6pm
10-12, Lunch prepanytime: laundry or light cleaning / 3-6 dinner prep
Special Monday Task:   Musicians to play in-house piano or bring an acoustic instrument.

Saturday’s, 10am – 6pm
10-12, Lunch prepanytime: laundry or light cleaning / 3-6 dinner prep
Special Saturday Task:  Musicians to play in-house piano or bring an acoustic instrument.

Sunday’s, 10am – 6pm
10-12, Lunch prep / anytime: laundry or light cleaning / 3-6 dinner prep
Special Sunday Task:  Musicians to play in-house piano or bring an acoustic  instrument.


For more information, Contact Mary ‘Chiz’ Chisholm at   845-399-7891 or email heartstreet106 at yahoo.com

Lend a hand…and a heart.  Thank you.

– Rebecca Martin, KingstonCitizens.org

Read the short interview of Mary and press below, and click on the link to watch the short film ‘Touched’ on Mary and the residents.

TOUCHED by Malcolm Burn – A beautiful short film on Mary and the residents of ‘Chiz’s Heart Street’ by Grammy Award producer Malcolm Burn.

Press, Times Herald Record: “Heart Street Will Beat On Screen”

When did Chiz’s Heart Street begin, and why?
Heart street began in 2003, when i was working in the jail and then for Mental Health Association. I saw the sadness of those who were far out of the margins. People who were mentally ill and had not been successful in other homes. When I saw this house, I knew that it was a place that could offer a home to people who were lost and left for the street.

What does a day in the life of Heart Street look like?
I am up at 4 am to get breakfast started and to put all of the medications out. I spend a lot of time talking and getting people ready for day treatment programs, figuring out the accounting of the house, holding hearts, cleaning rooms and bathrooms. Nurses arrive at about 8 am and all throughout the day. Lunch is served at 11, and dinner at 3: 30. Each day is different. People who are ill need to get to the hospital. Time is given talking with all of the necessary agencies. Sitting with what is and seeing and recognizing the frailties and stopping long enough to stroke a brow. The work is endless. Laundry done 7 days a week. Stocking the food pantry and doing yard work. The nights are also filled with tenderness to quell the fear and anxieties that speak to mental illness. Going to the ER to pick up homeless people who have no where to go. Giving the medication sleeves to people who are resistant to taking their meds. Taking pictures, laughing, crying. Running up and down the stairs….

Describe the residents living in the house.
Most people are schizophrenic, schizoaffective, bipolar. The “throw always”, and each one a human being. A gift on this earth filled with the pain of mental illness and the joy of a moment in the sun.

If you had one wish for the house, what would it be?
That people would come here and hold what I know are the most beautiful people in the whole world.