Urban Garden Recipe For Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake

The runner-up to our Urban Farm recipe contest is Janet Simmons! As judged by Chef Shimbo, an expert in Asian and many other cuisines, who has authored The Japanese Kitchen and The Sushi Experience, below is her fantastic cake recipe with ingredients that can be found in our own Bridge Urban Farms.

Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake

• 2 cp  flour
• 2 tsp.  Baking soda
• 1/3  cp  brown sugar -  I use raw sugar
• 1/2  tsp.  Allspice /or cinnamon
• 1/4 cp of bran flakes
• 1/4 cp of raisins
• 1/4 cp of chocolate chips
• 1/4  cp  orange juice
• 1/3 cp of oil - I prefer mazola corn oil
• 3 whole eggs  - mix with the orange juice & oil.  

The oven should be between 325 degrees & 350 degrees. As the baker you should know your oven. If your oven has the tendency to over heat you should bake this cake at a 325 & watch it carefully. The cake will bake within 35-45 mins. If you want a crispy edged cake then bake in an aluminum pan.

  

1. Mix all dry products together, sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg

2. With a mixer, mix eggs oil, juice until it is mixed well

3. Mix together dry & wet ingredients, mix well

4.  add in the raisin, chips into the batter

5.  Use a cake pan no larger than a 9". Oil and flour the pan

     put the batter in -  heat the oven for 5 min. before putting cake in

     Bake at 325 degree -  bake for 40-45 mins. Let cool!! 

For a  real treat add some delicious ice-cream  on the top grab a spoon!!!

Put on go tv show, ignore the phone and indulge yourself to sheer bliss!!!

Bone petit !!!!! YUM!!! 

Urban Farm Recipe Contest Winner

Felice's Urban Garden

The recipe contest we ran last month was a big success! Featuring the ingredients we are growing in our two Urban Farms, the goal of this contest was to continue our healthy eating education efforts. Renowned celebrity chef Hiroko Shimbo has chosen the winner and 1 runner-up who will get their recipes published here on our blog. Chef Shimbo is an expert in Asian and many other cuisines, and has authored The Japanese Kitchen and The Sushi Experience. We are pleased to announce that Felice Milani's Butternut Squash Macaroni is the winner! She will receive a $100 gift card to The Central Park Boathouse restaurant. Felice has her own urban garden where she grows sweet peppers, bell peppers, chili peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil and scotch bonnets. She is a Queens Public Defender and hopes to expand her garden this spring to include eggplant and squash. The runner-up is Janet Simmons with her Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake. Please see the winning recipe below and the Carrot Cake recipe will follow shortly. Congratulations to our winners!

Butternut Squash Macaroni

• 1 pound macaroni twists (the long macaroni)
•  Boil the water until rolling, add the macaroni and cook until the macaroni sticks to the wall. cooking the noodles in either chicken broth or vegetable broth instead of water is also good.

SQUASH

•  1 two-pound butternut squash
• Preheat oven to 400F. Cut squash in half, lengthwise and rub cut side with olive oil.
• Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast for 60 to 75 minutes or until completely cooked and soft.
• Scoop out flesh while still warm and break apart with a spoon. Timing-wise, finish the squash roughly the same time the pasta and the sauce is cooked so that it's still warm.
• OPTION 2 - just buy the frozen butternut squash from the supermarket (it takes about 2 containers).

SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped small
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 16 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

In a saucepan, melt the butter on MEDIUM heat til shimmery. Stir in the onion as it's prepped, then the nutmeg and white pepper, cook til onions soften. Stir in the flour and mix well. A tablespoon at a time, add the milk .Stirring often, let the sauce come almost to the boiling

point, it will thicken slightly. Add the cheese and let melt, adjusting temperature.

COMBINE: In a large bowl, break the squash apart, mashing it really, with a wooden spoon. Stir in the hot, drained pasta and combine well, distributing the squash throughout. Stir in the sauce and combine well. Transfer to a greased baking dish. If you like, sprinkle the top with pimenton or paprika, or breadcrumbs.

BAKE: Return dish to room temperature. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes til hot and bubbly throughout. To add color to the top, place under the broiler for 2 - 3 minutes, watching carefully so not to burn. When covered with foil, holds its temperature for a good 30 minutes.

ENJOY

Bridge Urban Farm Flyer

The Bridge Urban Farm and Horticulture Program wants to spread the word about what we do and how we do it. Check out this new flyer, print it out and give it to a friend! The Fall harvest is coming!

Bridge Urban Farm Fact Sheet

View more documents from The Bridge

Recipe Contest Features Bridge Urban Farm Produce

From now until September 30th we will be conducting a recipe contest featuring the ingredients we are growing in our two Urban Farms!  Our client-cultivated Urban Farms are brimming with produce, and to help continue our healthy eating education efforts, we welcome you all to submit a recipe for this contest. The winner will receive a $100 gift card to The Central Park Boathouse restaurant. Creatively using the crops that can be found in our gardens (see below), recipe submissions should be an original or family recipe, delicious, healthy and fun. Renowned celebrity chef Hiroko Shimbo will choose the winner and 2 runner-ups who will get their recipes published on our blog. Chef Shimbo is an expert in Asian and many other cuisines, and has authored The Japanese Kitchen and The Sushi Experience. Please email us your recipe submissions to Contest@thebridgeny.org or post them here to our blog (in the comments), Facebook page or LinkedIn group walls. Judging will take place in early September and the winners will be contacted directly.

CROPS WE ARE GROWING RIGHT NOW-

LEAFY GREENS:

• Collards & Arugula                          
• Lettuce & Cabbage                              
• Spinach                               
• Kale & Kohlrabi                                                   
• Mustard Greens & Swiss Chard                      

VEGGIES:

• Cucumbers & Pickling Cucumbers              
• Radishes & Turnips
• Sugar Snap, Snow Peas & Black Eyed Peas                 
• Yellow Wax & Green Beans                      
• Sugar Baby Watermelon & Cantaloupe                         
• Mini & Large Pumpkins
• Spaghetti, Yellow & Butternut Squash
• Zucchini & Purple Eggplant
• Carrots
• Blue & Sweet Corn
• Orange Bell & Sweet Green Peppers
• Cherry & Heirloom Tomatoes

GRAINS:

• Quinoa & Amaranth

HERBS:

• Basil & Thai Basil
• Rosemary & Italian Parsley
• Chamomile & English Thyme
• Marigold & Nasturtium
• Dill & Lavender
• Pineapple Sage & Spearmint
• Oregano & Cilantro
• Chives & Nutmeg

Easy Cold Herbed Pasta Salad Recipe

As part of The Bridge's healthy eating initiative, fantastic recipes are made available to clients, often ones that include ingredients that can be found growing in our Urban Farms. Cooking classes for clients are held three times a week by Natalie Brickajlik, Horticulture Program Coordinator/Employment Specialist, in our headquarters as part of the PROS program. The Bridge also has horticulture "workshops" twice a week in various residences, which involve a variety of activities like cooking with veggies from our 2 urban gardens in the Bronx and the Upper East Side of Manhattan, making birdfeeders, or taking lessons in organic pest control.

Here is a simple recipe for a cold pasta salad flavored with fresh herbs, and inspired by the traditional Italian flavors of garlic, basil and Parmesan that The Bridge clients made in a recent cooking class. You can add your own favorite veggies such as olives, sweet peppers or tomatoes. It's also delicious as is, as the fresh herbs really shine in this easy and simple pasta salad. If you are trying to avoid salt and cholesterol, omit the Parmesan cheese and add a bit more lemon juice.

Ingredients:

•     10 oz. whole wheat corkscrew (rotini) or bow-tie (farfalle) pasta

•     ¼ cup good quality olive oil

•     3 cloves garlic, minced

•     ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

•     ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

•     ½ cup fresh vegetables

•     ¼ cup pinenuts

•     ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

•     1 Tbsp lemon juice

•     Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain well and allow to cool. Heat half the olive oil and add the garlic. Cook for just a minute or two, then reduce heat to low and add chopped fresh basil and parsley. Add any remaining veggies. Cook for just one minute, until heated through. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a large bowl, combine pasta with remaining ingredients, including cooked garlic and herbs, the remainder of the olive oil, lemon juice, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Season carefully with salt and pepper. Toss well and serve cold.

Profiles of Success: Urban Farm Inspiration

Stacey Joel Van Rossum was born in Brooklyn, and came to The Bridge in 2004 after a brief stay at Bellevue Men’s Shelter in Manhattan. He started in The Bridge’s Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment Program (IPRT), which is now PROS, while attending Brooklyn College where he received a BA in History in 2007. While at The Bridge he also participated in the work stipend program, working in the computer room. 


After a few years working in the computer program, he began working in The Bridge’s Horticulture Program. He has been the primary blogger for the My Urban Farm blog since its start in 2008. During the Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteer day in May, Stacey helped to supervise the volunteers and instruct them where to plant. Here is Stacey’s success story in his own words:

 “After achieving success gardening in my first year in the Horticulture Program, this stipend job became a paid job with an hourly wage. So I became a Bridge employee. While gardening I was encouraged to take a class at The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) in the Bronx, NY, where I was certified as a Master Composter. I continue to volunteer at the NYBG from time to time and have accumulated approximately 60 hours of volunteer service.

I lived in a Bridge residence on East Houston Street in Manhattan, NY for approximately 2 years then moved into my current home in the Bronx, NY where I sub-lease an apartment from The Bridge. One of my problems during my hospitalizations and brief times in jail was a lack of communication on my part and The Bridge’s IPRT program helped me to realize that I need to speak to and communicate with people. I had been working since I was 14 years old so my work in the Bridge’s computer room and on the Bridge’s Urban Farm helped me further acquire necessary work skills.

I continue to grow as a man and my time at The Bridge helped me to better my life. Thank God.” – Stacey Joel Van Rossum

Community TeamWorks Volunteers Plant Urban Farm

Community TeamWorks (CTW) volunteers from Goldman Sachs recently helped to plant in our Urban Farm at the Upper East Side residence in Manhattan. Under the tutelage of our partners at the Horticultural Society of New York, the volunteers helped to get the garden ready for summer’s bounty.

The garden now looks fantastic! Check out all the wonderful pictures on our Flickr. But it’s not only beautiful; it’s functional as well. Our Urban Farms are an integral part of our integrated approach to mental and physical health. Growing some of our own vegetables teaches clients how to eat healthier, as well as provides them with a sense of accomplishment and pride for cultivating them. Lunch for the clients and volunteers was prepared using vegetables that can be found in the garden, and the whole event was topped off with the planting of a commemorative peach tree.

The Bridge extends its deepest gratitude for the time and effort the Goldman Sachs CTW team put in to this project. We encourage all types of volunteering. Some of the main areas for people to volunteer with The Bridge are teaching a skill to our clients, like using the computer or cooking, and leading social or recreational activities, like a trip to a museum or residence activities. For information about volunteering please contact Ann Hyatt, Director of Development and External Relations, at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org. or call 212-663-3000, ext. 379.

National Volunteer Week 2011

National Volunteer Week is from April 10-16th this year. The theme is "Celebrating People in Action," to honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities. To commemorate this week of volunteer recognition, The Bridge will be working with the Community TeamWorks (CTW) group from Goldman Sachs on May 11th to begin planting in the Upper East Side residence Urban Garden in Manhattan.

CTW is Goldman Sachs’ volunteer program that allows each employee one day away from work to volunteer on a team-based project with a nonprofit organization. They will be joining The Bridge Horticultural Team to plant a fruit tree, transplant seedling, ready plant beds and prepare a celebratory lunch featuring the herbs and vegetables being planted.

Here at The Bridge we are very excited to welcome the CTW team and celebrate National Volunteer Week. We encourage all types of volunteering. Some of the main areas for people to volunteer with The Bridge are teaching a skill to our clients, like using the computer or cooking, and leading social or recreational activities, like a trip to a museum or residence activities. For information about volunteering please contact Ann Hyatt, Director of Development and External Relations, at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org. or call 212-663-3000, ext. 379.

Urban Farm Roof Deck Garden Revitalization

Our Urban Farm Roof Deck garden revitalization project is underway. Along with our 2 urban farms located at our residences in the Bronx and the Upper East Side of Manhattan, we also have a thriving roof deck garden at our headquarters on the Upper West Side. With the start of Spring, we are preparing our outdoor spaces for flowers, trees and beautiful colors.

On our roof deck garden we are upgrading planter boxes and benches. We will begin planting flowers and trees as soon as the weather stays warm. Currently Bridge horticulture workers maintain the roof deck garden; they help with new plantings and regular watering during the season. This year we plan to add an area for growing herbs. We will use the herbs in The Bridge food program and in cooking classes we offer to clients.   
 


The roof deck garden was started in 2005 with an initial grant from The Burpee Foundation, the founding donor of The Bridge Horticulture Training Program. The program is a unique community partnership with the Horticultural Society of New York (HSNY). Additional support from The Burpee Foundation this year will help continue the roof deck garden, which can encourage new Bridge horticulture interns to get involved. The program offers clients work training, stipends, and an important opportunity to be productive, active and is therapeutic.

In June we will honor George Ball, President of the W. Atlee Burpee Company and The Burpee Foundation, for his outstanding support for this important program. The horticultural training program that was started on the roof deck garden has grown each year with private support and now includes two urban farms.

Partners in Caring Awards Dinner

Cynthia C. Wainwright, President of the Board of Directors of The Bridge has just announced the distinguished honorees for the upcoming 57th Anniversary Partners in Caring Awards Dinner. The three honorees have made significant contributions that have positively impacted the lives of many Bridge clients and the community.

The Caring Awards Dinner will honor Ron Garfunkel, President and CEO of Service Directions, Inc. a leading laundry equipment company, as the 2011 Corporate Partner, for being a valued provider of equipment and services in Bridge residences and a supporter of The Bridge for more than a decade. George Ball, Chairman and CEO of W. Atlee Burpee & Co. and the Burpee Foundation, will receive the 2011 Individual Partner Award for being the founding supporter of The Bridge Horticultural Training Program and Urban Farms. NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, will also be honored as the 2011 Government Partner, for her work as a long time activist in providing innovative solutions for combating geriatric homelessness and improving services for disabled New Yorkers.  

Ms. Wainwright said, “We are delighted that Ron Garfunkel & Service Directions, George Ball and Speaker Quinn will accept our 2011 Partners in Caring Awards, as partners in our work with the homeless, adults with serious mental illness, substance abuse disorders and HIV/AIDS.  We honor them for their commitment to The Bridge and our community.”

The fundraising Dinner will be held on June 9, 2011 at The Boathouse in Central Park, with cocktails at 6:30 pm and dinner at 7:30 pm.  The Gala’s theme is “A Night in Venice” with gondola rides for our guests on the lake outside the Boathouse.  Dinner proceeds will support the agency’s broad range of services, including homeless housing initiatives for recent veterans, as well as the horticultural training program and urban farms. For information about Journal Ads and Tickets, contact Ann Hyatt, Director of Development, at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org. or call 212-663-3000, ext. 379.

The Bridge Horticulture Program

The Bridge Horticulture Program just took a huge step forward. Dr. Peter Beitchman, Executive Director of The Bridge, recently announced that George Ball, Chairman of the Board of the Burpee Foundation, has awarded a generous $25,000 grant for The Bridge Urban Farm Horticultural Program. The goals of the Urban Farms are to teach clients about the benefits of eating vegetables and fruit, provide free and easy access to vegetables in order to increase their intake in order to improve their health; to reduce reliance on food banks and other food resources, and to teach them about good nutrition.  The farms also provide our clients with work training opportunities in horticulture and paid jobs.

As reported in the New York Non Profit Press, Dr. Beitchman said, “We are delighted that The Burpee Foundation has donated this generous grant to our Urban Farm Horticultural Program. George Ball and The Burpee Foundation were pioneer supporters of The Bridge’s Horticultural program when it began in 2005.”

The Bridge Horticulture Program, in collaboration with The Horticultural Society of NY, began on the garden roof deck of the Manhattan headquarters of The Bridge (where a plaque commemorates the Burpee Foundation support), and has expanded to include two urban farms, one in the Bronx and one in East Harlem. The Urban Farm Program has grown dramatically as it impacts several neighborhoods throughout the city.

For the clients of The Bridge, eating and growing their own vegetables and fruits, coupled with working and being outdoors triggers both illness prevention and healing responses. Clients have started and maintain a blog of their experiences called My Urban Farm where they outline their accomplishments and illustrate their enthusiasm and involvement.

Urban Farms Harvest

Pardon the pun, but our urban farm collaboration with the New York Horticultural Society continues to grow!  In addition to collaborating on our headquarters roof deck, this year we had two farms in full operation, on Morris Avenue in the Bronx and on East 111^th Street in Manhattan.  While the Horticultural Society provides the technical assistance, the work is carried out by our Green Team, which now involves more than a dozen Bridge clients.  The variety of vegetables has been expanding and now includes several varieties of squash, eggplant, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, green peppers, collards, lavender and a number of herbs.  

The bounty was so great this year that, in addition to using the products at our own residences, we sold some at a greenmarket in the Bronx.  The proceeds of the sale are being used to buy supplies and cover other costs for next year’s planting.   

Down on The Urban Farm: Start of Another Season

Before any work can be done, our horticulture team
sits down to create a plan for this year's urban farms.

As spring begins, our six-member horticulture team has returned from hibernation and has started to plan and prepare for the 2010 harvest season. It will be an exciting season as there are many new activities happening in The Bridge Horticulture Program.

The plan for East Harlem's urban farm.

The plan for the urban farm in the Bronx.

“Our goals this season are to maintain 2 sustainable urban farms in the Bronx and East Harlem, as well as educate our clients on healthy eating habits with nutrition/cooking workshops using produce from our farm in East Harlem. The produce from the farm in the Bronx will help us link up with a local farmer's market that will make fresh produce available to low income communities” stated Natalie Brickajlik, Horticulture Program Coordinator/Job Developer at The Bridge.

On April 22, in honor of Earth Day, our team plans to plant heirloom and cherry tomatoes, pole beans, bell peppers, beets, radishes, purple and white eggplant, black eyed peas, scallions, summer squash, spaghetti squash, pumpkins, sunflowers, cantaloupe, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, potatoes, kale, arugula, swiss chard, and bok choy. In addition to these vegetables and herbs, our team is going to plant, for the first time ever, strawberries, maize and a grape vine.


Working hard at our urban farm in East Harlem.

If you look closely, you can see the sun ray pattern (on the right)
at our urban farm in East Harlem.

Another first for our horticulture program is the medicinal herb garden at our urban farm in East Harlem. The garden will include chamomile, spearmint, cayenne peppers, lavender, rosemary, nettle, and calendula. The herbs will be used in workshops to make soaps, lotions, teas and more. Our horticulture team is also excited about the addition of potatoes to our farms. To induce proper sprouting, our team has started growing the potato seedlings indoors (along with other seeds). These will then be transplanted to our farms on April 22.

Here is a snapshot of some of the seeds
that are starting to sprout.

A before picture of the urban farm in The Bronx.

This season wouldn’t be possible without funding from the Burpee Foundation and The United Way in addition to the continuous support from John Cannizzo and The Horticultural Society of New York.

John Cannizzo along with one of the members of our horticulture
team, Stacey are turning some of the soil at our urban farm in the Bronx.

To hear the latest news from our horticulture team, visit: My Urban Farm.

The Bridge Horticulture Program began in 2004 with the partnership of The Horticultural Society of New York. The program is offered as part of our vocational services which provides our clients with horticultural therapy, job training, real jobs as well nutrition education. In addition to the two urban farms at our residences in the Bronx and East Harlem, our horticulture team tends to the rooftop garden at our headquarters in Manhattan.

Worming Around NYC

The Bridge Horticultural Team with John from HSNY

Yesterday, The Bridge Horticulture Team along with John Cannizzo from The Horticultural Society of New York (our horticulture program partner) participated in NYCNEN's seminar, 'Urban Food Production" held at the Children's Health Fund. The goal of the seminar was "to provide an overview of the current urban farming landscape in New York City with an emphasis on community based programs" (NYCNEN).

Our team found themselves in great company as the seminar drew 40-50 participants from diverse backgrounds including graduate students from Columbia University, Bailey House, NYS Department of Health, Food Bank of NYC, Iris House, United Way of NYC, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Just Food and many more!

After introductions, a speakers panel presented resources and ideas on urban agriculture in the community. Here is the list of panelists.

• Chris Grace, Manager of the Urban Food Systems Program for the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
• Kristen Schafenacker, Senior Farm Assistant at Added Value
• Dr. Melony Samuels, Founder and Executive Director of Bed Stuy Campaign Against Hunger
  
• GreenThumb: NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
  
• Horticultural Society of New York
• Stacey from The Bridge Horticultural Team

John and Stacey lead the group in a discussion on composting techniques.

Stacey stole the spotlight at the seminar with his hands-on composting presentation. Stacey discussed how he applied the fundamentals of composting that he learned in The New York Botanical Garden Master Compost Certificate Program to the worm bin for The Bridge Urban Farms. Some of the participants even donated their food scraps to the bin.

The worm bin.

Taking donations for the worm bin.

It was a very productive morning as our team was able to network and compare gardening notes with other agencies and individuals. With all the new ideas and friendships made during the seminar, our horticulture team can't wait for next season to begin.

Here are some upcoming events in the community garden and urban farm communities that were announced at the seminar:

February 6: What's On Your Plate will air on the Discovery Channel at 10pm. "The documentary follows two 11-year-old city kids in exploring their place in the food chain and understanding the food systems of New York City and the surrounding areas" (Discovery Channel)



February 6 & 7: The New York City Community Gardens Coalition will be hosting a FREE conference to discuss the safety and security of community gardens when a legal agreement expires in September 2010

March 12: The Horticultural Society of New York is hosting a Horticultural Therapy conference -->Our horticulture team will be in attendance!

March 13: Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is hosting it's 28th Annual "Making Brooklyn Bloom" festival

March 20: GreenThumb is hosting the 26th Annual "GreenThumb Grow Together" at Hostos Community College in the Bronx

Be sure to visit, My Urban Farm Blog which is where you can get the latest updates and pictures of our urban farms in the Bronx and East Harlem. More photos can be found on our Facebook Fan Page.

To learn more about The Bridge Horticulture Team and Program or if you would like a copy of The Bridge Curriculum Guide on Urban Farming contact:

Natalie Brickajlik
Horticulture Program Coordinator
nbrickajlik (at) thebridgeny (dot) org

Thank You to Our 2009 Supporters!

We are grateful to the following funders for their contributions to The Bridge's $25 million annual budget that gives 1,800 men and women the opportunity to lead more independent lives.

Public:

• NYC Council
• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• NYC Department of Homeless Services
• NYC Human Resources Administration (HASA)
  
• NYS Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services
• NYS Office of Mental Health
  
• NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
• NYS Office of Vocational and Educational Services to Individuals with Disabilities
• Public Health Solutions
  
• US Department of HUD

Private:

• AstraZeneca
• Burpee Foundation
• DeLaCour Family Foundation
• DSJJ Fund of Tides Foundation
• Educational Foundation of America
• Fay J. Lindner Foundation
• Glickenhaus Foundation
• Helen M. DeMario Foundation
  
• Herman Goldman Foundation
• Irma L. & Abram S. Croll Charitable Trust
• J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation
• Taproot Foundation
• United Way of NYC Emergency Food Shelter Program (HPNAP)
• van Ameringen Foundation
• And many business and individual donors!!!
  

Community Partners:

• CHEM Rx Pharmacy
• Exclusive Ambulette Service Inc.
• Harlem United Community AIDS Center
  
• Helene Fuld College of Nursing
• Jewish Home and Hospital Lifecare System
• Museum of Modern Art
• The Horticultural Society of New York
• William F. Ryan Community Health Network
  

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

If you haven't already, be sure to read the 2009 Winter Edition of The Bridge News posted on our website. If you would like to receive updates about The Bridge events, programs and services sign up for our e-newsletter here.

If you're on Facebook - vote in our poll about which program/service you would like to get to know more about....housing, urban farms, treatment, creative arts therapy - we want to hear from you!

Recipe from The White House

Over the summer we sent First Lady, Michelle Obama a copy of our "How-To" Urban Farm Curriculum Guide as a resource to help her plant the first garden on White House grounds since Eleanor Roosevelt.

*Click image to enlarge

In return she has sent us her favorite recipe for Cucumber Soup (which uses ingredients from The White House Garden) along with a letter (see below) thanking us for the guide and reinforcing the message of eating healthy meals to lead healthy lives. One of the concerns she addresses in her letter is community access to fresh fruits and vegetables - "in many communities, fresh healthy food is simply out of reach" she states.

At The Bridge we share her concerns as many of our clients have diabetes and/or don't have access to healthy meals. Our solution? A collaboration with The Horticultural Society of New York to create TWO urban farms. Not only have the urban farms in East Harlem and the Bronx trained clients in horticultural skills, but they have provided our residences with fresh fruits and vegetables - reinforcing the importance of nutrition and eating healthy.

Be sure to subscribe to The Bridge Horticultural Team's Blog, My Urban Farm to read updates and view pictures of our urban farms.

*Click image to enlarge

Fall has "fallen" on The Bridge Urban Farms

Fall is among us with shorter days and cooler temperatures which means our urban farms are in their final stages of the season. A worker from our urban farm crew discusses this season's successes in the latest blog post of My Urban Farm.