Announcing the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket Shopping Club & Tour Series

This fall, we’re starting something new. An idea fledged by myself and Liz Carollo, Greenmarket Publicity Coordinator for the Council for the Environment of New York City (CENYC), the Shopping Club & Tour Series begins this Saturday, October 4th at Brooklyn’s busy Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket. To kick it off, I’ll be making an early-fall veggie risotto at the information stand at 12:00 noon beforehand, so I hope you can come for some freshly-made grub, and stick around for the first many weekly meet ‘n greets.
Do you try to shop at the Greenmarket each weekend, too? Wish you could find out more about the farmers and their offerings — where they’re from, what their values are? Want to chat up other shoppers, neighbors and like-minded foodies, too? That’s the basic idea behind this informal shopping club and tour series. We’ll be meeting at the information stand at Grand Army Plaza’s Greenmarket Saturdays at 1pm. Liz will take us through the tables of the market, talking with the various vendors whom she works with every Saturday. Once we’re done shopping, we’ll find a spot to sit and share ideas about what to cook with our purchases. Following this Saturday, we’ll also try to spotlight different farmers/vendors each week at a time, so no one tour will be alike.

The tours are completely free, and there is no need to RSVP. Just come, bring your appetite and appreciation for fresh, local, humanely-raised and sustainable foods. Plus, there’s a food demo at this Greenmarket, New York’s second-largest, almost every Saturday.

I hope you’ll want to join us on this new project, and help shape what it’ll ultimately become. One of the reasons I thought it would be a good idea is that I’ve always been curious about the individual farmers and wanted to ask questions, but felt it impolite to take up too much of their time. They’re always so busy, especially in the summer. You might recall a video I shot in the spring, a different approach to introducing the farmers and their food to people. But, for anyone who’s local and might be shopping there already, I’d much rather meet in person! And my cameraman’s taking a little vacay. And cameras make me stutter.

Anyway, hope to see you Saturday!