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.

Tyke Bikes

By Rebecca Martin

On the outskirts of the city of Kingston, NY. there is a bike shop that is wonderfully old school.

Last fall, Larry and I went looking for our sons very first bike. Lucky for me,  I came across the “Famous Bike Brothers” out on Boices Lane.  In business since 1974, their small shop was filled with a great selection of bikes, helmets and gloves. The service was outstanding, too.

Read more…

Breaking the Chain, Part II

Kingston's new "Harmacy". Poetic justice, as recalled by Rebecca Martin
CVS. Photo by Nancy Graham.

By Arthur Zaczkiewicz

As we continue to slog through this recession (we’re in a double-dip one, according to some experts), there are a lot of actions citizens like you and me can do to help weather this downturn. As consumers (two thirds of our GDP is driven by consumer spending), we have a lot of power to change the economy – especially on a local level.

Read more…

A Baker Lives in Kingston

Several months ago, I noticed something quite wonderful had changed inside of the baked goods case at the Mother Earth Storehouse Kingston location. I found myself beelining to the back each week where I’d find things like chocolate souffle cupcakes with white chocolate mint icing or vanilla malt cupcakes with pineapple cream cheese icing and pineapple flowers. Who in the world was responsible for these irresistible and creative desserts?

Now we know. KingstonCitizens.org took some time out to get the scoop on the talented local baker Terese Fantasia. Mother of two and wife of architect Scott Dutton, Terese and family reside in the city of Kingston.

Mother Earth's baked goods case made by Terese Fantasia

Rebecca Martin: How long have you lived in the city of Kingston?

Therese Fantasia: I have lived in Kingston for ten years. Before that I was living in Hoboken and working in Manhattan.

RM: What are your earliest memories of making meals, and when did you realize that you were a baker?

TF: I remember as a child, helping my dad make pancakes for the family, standing on a chair in front of the stove. I also remember helping him roll and hang up homemade pasta to dry all over our kitchen. We would drape the hand-cut spaghetti all over the backs of chairs, and over kitchen twine that was strung like a spider web all over the place! I also remember him teaching me to make his special meatball recipe, flecked with orange zest and hidden within each meatball would be one pine nut and one raisin. Of course when I was shaping the meatballs I would always sneak in more raisins! Also, my Mom is 2nd generation Hungarian and my Dad was 2nd generation French and Italian, so in our family we (there are five siblings) were exposed to a lot of eclectic and unconventional foods. I have always had a broad palate and a great interest in food. I guess the baking came into play later on. At work and family functions I was always the one making the desserts, and I developed a very strong passion for it. When I see a recipe I like, I won’t rest until I’ve tried it. Baking is more of a science and is less forgiving than cooking, and I’m very stubborn…when I see a challenge I won’t stop unless I’ve conquered it. I’m still working at it!


RM: How did the position at Mother Earth come about? Why was it a good fit for you?

TF: I guess I was in the right place at the right time to get this dream job at Mother Earth’s! They are so accommodating; they let me make my own schedule around caring for my two young daughters. I suppose they were looking for someone who had a passion for baking, and I definitely fit that bill! I love to be creative with my baking, and they have given me full reign over my little corner of their kitchen!

RM: What are your goals for their bakery?

TF: Well, obviously Mother Earth’s Storehouse is well-known for their quality and variety of natural packaged, prepared, and bulk food items. Ideally I would love for the store to become a destination for people who enjoy the baked goods that I provide. I try to come up with new ideas and flavor combinations that will raise eyebrows as well as pleasing taste buds. I guess I’d like the Mother Earth’s bakery to become a destination itself! I know that’s a tall order, but like I said, I’m stubborn!

RM:  I recently had one of your Green Tea cupcakes and have to tell you, that it was the most unique and delicious baked good I’ve ever had. What is your process in coming up with ideas like this and what other goodies do you have up your sleeve for the Spring?

TF: Thank you! I really like the flavor of green tea, and that COLOR!!! The wheat grass sprouting out of the top was an after-thought that I really liked once it was put together. I have so many places I go to for baking ideas, but most times I’ll see something in a cookbook or on the internet, and I’ll branch off and try to come up with something unique based on a simple recipe I’ve seen. Or, I’ll become obsessed with a particular ingredient and I’ll ruminate on it until I come up with a recipe to fit that ingredient. That’s what happened with the Green Tea idea. Also, it’s not hard coming up with ideas when you have the most wholesome, organic and beautiful ingredients at your fingertips!

RM: Do you offer private catering? If so, how can someone get in contact with you?

TF: Yes, I do baking for private events. My email address is tfantasia@polkadotcakebox.com

Bragging Rights

Did you happen to notice how many of Kingston’s small businesses made the “Best Of The Hudson Valley” list in 2009?

Each year, Hudson Valley Magazine publishes their ‘best of’ picks. Although they were announced in October of last year, we’re taking full advantage to bragging rights all throughout 2010. Congrats to those who were selected. We are glad that you have chosen Kingston to do business.

Here are the highlights:

Best Shrimp-Stuffed Jalapenos
Armadillo Bar and Grill
“This tasty appetizer beautifully fuses the refreshing quality of jumbo shrimp with the spiciness of the jalapeño. To make the treat, Armadillo owner Merle Borenstein dabs on a touch of Monterey Jack cheese, then crisp-fries the concoction in a bread-crumb covering. To cool the zesty appetizer down, dip the jalapeño in some sour cream before digging in. Dios mío — just thinking about that wonderful confluence of flavor has us salivating.”

Best Local Ice Cream
Jane’s Homemade Ice Cream
“I’m a coconut freak,” says co-owner Bob Guidubaldi, so coconut Almond Joy is among his faves. But partner and wife Amy Keller likes all 80 flavors sold to 70 shops, restaurants, and hotels from Manhattan to the Berkshires. The ice cream and sorbet is made in Kingston with lots of local products. Temptation awaits in a dish of cappuccino Kahlúa calypso, lavender, or Triboro — a nod to NYC made with vanilla ice cream, caramel swirl, and chocolate-covered peanut butter pretzels.”

Best Restaurant Expansion and Best French Cuisine
La Canard Enchaine
“The “chained-up duck” referred to in the restaurant’s title is shackled to a single location no longer. The upscale French eatery Le Canard Enchainé, long a staple of the uptown Kingston restaurant scene, opened a brasserie in downtown Albany in September 2008. Happily, an ever-larger swath of the Valley can now enjoy chef Jean-Jacques Carquillat’s authentically French flights of flavor. Entrées run from $24 to $38.”

Best Wine Bar and Best Tapas 2009!
Elephant Wine and Tapas Bar
“It’s called “Elephant’’ for no special reason, but the name fits because this is one cozy spot you won’t forget. “We’re a modern Spanish tapas bar,’’ says co-owner Rich Reeve. He and partner Maya Karrol offer a unique selection of wines and serve up a delicious menu of bite-size appetizers and snacks like fennel and clementine salad and chicken piri piri.”

Readers Pick: Fun In The Hudson Valley
Hudson River Cruise – The Rip Van Winkle

Reader’s Pick: Best Shopping/Butcher
Fleisher’s Grass Fed and Organic Meats

Reader’s Pick: Best Shopping/Outdoor Sports Store
Kenco

Home and Garden: Best Budget Gift Shop
Bop to Tottem
“It’s almost impossible to visit this esoteric emporium and come out empty-handed — there are so many colorful, inexpensive temptations that owner Karen Clark-Adin has gathered from all over the world. You’ll find quirky toys (including charming, hand-knitted finger puppets for a mere two bucks); home accessories like lamps, bowls, throw pillows, scented candles, and soaps — as well as jewelry, bags, hats, mittens, and such. You’ll also find the distinctive, rustic, black clay La Chamba cookware from Colombia that’s rugged enough to use on the stove top and good-looking enough to go straight to the table.”

Catskill Mountain Railroad Last Day Of The Season Tomorrow: Sunday, December 27th

Today we took our little boy to ‘catch the train’ at the Kingston Plaza.

The Catskill Mountain Railroad will have it’s last day of the season tomorrow (Sunday), December 27th. Running hourly, the fun begins at 1:00pm. Last train at 6:00pm. Their Caboose has a woodstove – so you can choose to be out in the elements, or warm and cozy by the fire. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for children. Children four and under are free.

If you are looking for something to do tomorrow, give it a try.

Visit their SITE for more details.

– Rebecca Martin

Looking Back On Kingston In 2009

Shortly, we will have traveled through the first decade of the 21st century. Huh? How’d that happen? If you are like me, then you are a bit bewildered that the year 2000 is now ten years ago. Granted, it’s been a jammed packed decade. But still, time flies as they say. Does it ever.

Looking back on Kingston in 2009, I’d like to mark the top 10 memorable land marks from all of us here at the KingstonCitizens.org’s blog.

1. The Kingston Digital Corridor – Here’s a concept that is as timely as it is brilliant. Local resident and tech geek #1 Mark Green created a way for Kingston to capitalize on it’s digital community and it’s proximity to New York City. Working with KJ McIntyre of Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty, they communicated to our local real estate community, banks and government how an independent contractor ticks, making it easier and attractive to those who work in the ‘tech’ world inside and out of the local area.  Mark’s solid team included Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Paul Rakov, Sharron Bower, Mark Marshall and Nancy Tierney who helped to bring it. Kudos. Perhaps one of the biggest advancements to Kingston this year.

2. The Main Street Manager Program It was with great pleasure (and to some degree of surprise) that the city of Kingston hired local artist Nancy Donskoy as Main Street Manager in Kingston this year. Her part time position is helping to bring together all three business districts and to create a BID which is so badly needed. I know first hand that Nancy works 60+ hours per week in helping to keep our small business community together while marketing the city of Kingston to the outside world.  There are many people who were involved in making this position so. Patrice Courtney Strong, Larry Zalinsky and Alderman Tom Hoffay to only name a few. I hope that 2010 brings more citizen support for this important role. I’m equally hopeful that perhaps some uniform signage in all the right spots will finally be put in place. Boy, do we need it.

3. Community Gardens Let’s face it. It’s been the year of gardens in the city of Kingston. In a years time now almost all of our schools have one. So does Kingston’s City Hall, who showcased a small ‘victory garden’ in their side yard for all to see.

4.  Julie and Steve Noble I don’t mean to harp on the subject as I have many times before, but I’ve got to publicly hand it to these two. Our Kingston raised environmental eductators could have settled down anywhere in the US with their expertise. But they came back home here to make the community a more forward and healthy one.  This dynamic duo continue to provide outdoor programs for Kingston’s elderly and our youth population and are experts on many subjects ranging from garbage to our sewer system to storm clouds. They are making a tremendous contribution to our community in more ways than I think most even realize. This year, they introduced the sadly misunderstood ‘Pay As You Throw‘ program. It’s a proven concept that could save the city residents a bundle in tax dollars over time while making our waste stream better managed. I’m certain it will come up again in the next few months which is a good thing. Do a little homework on the topic before pouncing on negative sound bites so to come to a reasonable conclusion.

5. The Kingston Land Trust Finally!  A trust for properties in the city of Kingston. You’d think that being an official ‘tree city’ Kingston would have had a trust a long time ago. The brainchild of Arthur Zaczkiewicz, this is an organization ready to collaborate with future developers and residents who wish to ‘trust’ their open space to their home town of Kingston (a tip of the hat must be given to Kevin McEvoy and Barbara Epstein. The two are behind the scenes in every good way imaginable, and The Land Trust probably wouldn’t have continued to exist as it does without their expertise and support).

6. The Queens Galley Hooray for Diane Reeder! In the worst economic downturn since the great depression, she continues to provide three meals a day to our families in need – no questions asked. But that’s only the beginning of what Diane does. This year, she started the ‘Operation Frontline‘ program in Kingston and acquired land on South Pine Street with Farmer Frank Navarro to start a one acre community garden that will provide local fresh produce to her kitchen. One acre makes a whole lot of food. To me, Diane is the Queen of Kingston.

7.  New Blood on Kingston’s Common Council I’m particularly pleased to have some new people to politics elected to the common council in 2010. I think it’s safe to say, it’s a little unprecedented. For our slow changing City of Kingston, that’s a good thing. Ward 1 Alderman Andi Turco-Levin, Ward 5 Alderman Jen Fuentes and Ward 9 Hayes Clement will no doubt be a breath of fresh air in helping our alumni work through all that ails us at this time in the city of Kingston. I think we quickly forget how much effort goes into running for office – and that our council members are ‘common’ men and women wishing to serve their community. Let’s complain less and help them out this season by taking part in more of their monthly meetings at City Hall. It’s the people’s city afterall – but not so much if you don’t come forward.

8. KPATV Back On Air It’s grand to have our programs up and running again on Kingston’s Public Access TV. Whether you are a fan or not of PA, I think we can all agree that it’s important that it exists. Many citizens worked tirelessly to make it so in the last 12 monhts. A big thanks to them and to 721 Media who has provided a new space to broadcast. 721 is most certainly one of our city’s gems.

9. Kingston Natural Foods What once was a simple and small effort to help provide locals with affordable organic foods has now turned into a tsunami. Local resident Jennifer McKinley-Rakov started an organic buying club that is now one of the top ten buyers in the nation and landed her a storefront in the rondout section of Kingston (33 Broadway). 2010 looks bright for us all in finally having an organic foods market in the city of Kingston thanks to her. Look for her winter Wednesday ‘Farmer’s Market’ where she has organized local farms who are still growing or making their hearty, healthy local foods for our citizens here and in the Hudson Valley. Bravo!

10. Kingston Local Business Fleisher’s Grass Fed and Organic Meats In The National Press Have you all been following Fleisher’s Grass Fed Meat’s recent press? Joshua and Jessica Applestone have given Kingston an enormous amount of national attention and stature as our local butcher in the Hudson Valley. The New York Times, Saveur and, GQ Magazine just to name a few. Josh was recently a guest on the hit Food Network series ‘IRON CHEF’. Thank you for landing – and staying in the city of Kingston you two! Mucho Brava.

and there is more. Way more. With all the unruly and sometimes downright negative news here and beyond, take a moment to change your perspective and love the city you live in. There are so many people working hard to make Kingston great. It’s all perspective – and I hope that this post has softened yours.

We want to learn of your favorite city achievement this year. What have we missed? Please, do tell.

Happy Holidays to all of our readers.

– Rebecca Martin

In the City of Kingston, More Pharmacies Than Food

Driving around Kingston this morning I was struck by the number of chain pharmacies there were to grocery stores within a 1/2 mile radius. 50 years ago, could one imagine it would be easier to get a prescription of some sort over a bag of fresh produce?

There isn’t any doubt that having meds when we need (or can afford) them is a great advancement to modern medicine. But what ever happened to healthy eating first? It’s kind of poetic that a new Walgreens is opening next to a Burger King – across from a gas station that sells all the beer and cigarettes one could want.

Luckily for the people living in that part of town, there is also a small locally owned market hidden away (the locals know where it is). Although it might be more accurate to call it a ‘deli’ rather than ‘market’, it is one of the very few in the city that at least carry some fruits and vegetables (even if the distance their produce has traveled to get to Kingston is anyone’s guess).

Food for thought at least.

Here is a little reading on this very thing:  MORE PHARMACIES THAN FOOD

– Rebecca Martin

Monthly Winter Farmer’s Market hosted by Kingston Natural Foods Buying Club

A Winter Farmer’s Market in the city of Kingston? Yes indeed.

Jennifer McKinley, founder of Kingston Natural Foods Buying Club, has started a winter Farmer’s Market at 33 Broadway in Kingston.  The ‘Winter Wednesday’s’ market will occur once a month on the following Wednesdays. Market hours are from 2:30pm – 6:30pm.

November 18th, 2009
December 16th, 2009
January 13th, 2010
Feburary 10th, 2010
March 10th, 2010

The Winter market coincides with the United Natural and Winter Sun Farms deliveries for members.

At this time, the local farm vendors present will include: Fitzgerald Farms, Four Winds Farm, Gardiner Eucalyptus, Liberty View Farms, Oliverea Schoolhouse Maple, Wild Hive Bakery, Winter Sun Farms – and more…

Find out how you can become a member of one of the top buying clubs in the nation (right here in Kingston!).  Save a bundle on natural and organic foods or learn more on Kingston’s Winter Farmers Market.  Visit the KINGSTON NATURAL FOODS BUYING CLUB website.   You can also call Jennifer McKinley at (914) 474-2676

Enjoy, and support our local farms and business.

– Rebecca Martin

Local Business: “Stop, Shop and Get To Know” Wants You!

With the holiday’s fast approaching, I think it’s time to turn our attention to our local business. With whatever extra money one plans to spend this season – if you aren’t going to ‘make it yourself’, than stay close to home and support your local business and neighbors.

In preparation, I invite all of our local business in the Kingston area to please take part in our ‘Stop, Shop and Get To Know’ campaign.

If you’d like to be listed, send the following in an email to info@kingstoncitizens.org

1. A short bio on your business and on you.
2. A special offer for the holidays
3. 10 fun facts about you and your business.

Keep it local…

– Rebecca Martin