An Ode to Farmer Jesica Clark.

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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

Kingston Farmers’ Market and Winter Sun Farms Comes to Uptown this Winter.

By Rebecca Martin

The last Farmers’ Market in Kingston of the season is Saturday, November 20th. Boy, do we need a winter market. I had heard rumors of one being organized at the Dutch Church, and have been hoping that the organizers can pull it off. We will certainly help them promote it in every way possible.

What is happening however is  Winter Sun Farms is going to do an uptown delivery over the winter at Hudson Coffee Traders. Give Donna a call at 845/338-1300.

Here is the final press release of the season.  Let’s pack the joint next weekend and give our farmers and vendors a good send off.  Thanks to those who make such an effort to make it all possible – and we are eternally grateful to our farmers and artisans of all kinds.

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Kingston, New York – The last Kingston Farmers’ Market of the season will be held this Saturday, November 20th.  The Healthy Eating Series concludes with “Thanksgiving Dishes from the Market.”  Join nutritionist Noel Conklin as she prepares candied yams for the chef demonstration.   Don’t forget to stock up on locally crafted gifts for the holidays this season from Crafts on John Street. Amazing wares from talented Hudson Valley artisans are sure to please everyone on your gift-giving list.  Save time this Thanksgiving, buy your pies, tarts and other desserts fresh this year from the Kingston Farmers’ Market.   Side dishes taste better when prepared from fresh ingredients.  The wine is sure to flow when purchased at the Market from a local vineyard.  Natural and free range eggs and meats, fresh squashes and vegetables for soups and side dishes, cheeses, hearty breads, desserts that delight, fresh coffee, locally brewed autumn ales and so much more are the Hudson Valley’s finest fare awaiting you at the Kingston Farmers’ Market.  Fresh from our Market to your home, cut out the middleman, buy local.  Your holiday begins here.  The Kingston Farmers’ Market has more than 30 vendors offering organic and natural fare. Healthy eating is affordable for everyone with FMNP and EBT naturally accepted.  The Kingston Farmers’ Market will be held rain or shine, 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The Market is located on Wall Street in the historic Stockade District of Uptown Kingston near the New York State Thruway at Exit 19.   Admission is free as is parking.

For more information visit our website at: www.kingstonfarmersmarket.org or call (845)853-8512.  Find us on Facebook.  The Kingston Farmers’ Market wishes to thank everyone fo supporting our local farmers and other local vendors.

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.

Volunteers Needed at Kingston Farmers’ Market

The Kingston Farmers’ Market is looking for volunteers this weekend to count visitors to the market. They need one person from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and four people from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Interested volunteers should call Donna Brooks, Hudson Coffee Traders, at 338-1300.

This weekend, the focus of the Healthy Eating series is on blueberries. There’ll be chef demonstrations showing how to prepare this local fruit. Additionally, County Executive Mike Hein is scheduled to be on hand. Hein will be helping out with a corn roast from noon until 1 p.m.

Kingston Natural Foods Opens Market In The Spring of 2010

Jennifer McKinley-Rakov, Founder of Kingston Natural Foods

Have you heard the news? Kingston Natural Foods, an organic food store and provider of local artisan products, is opening in the Rondout Spring 2010!   That means that Jennifer McKinley-Rakov will not only host one of the biggest organic and natural foods buying clubs (in the NATION! Here, you can purchase anything and everything natural and/or organic for your family affordably) but she will also be open to the public five days a week selling healthy food items galore!

It also appears that the once a month ‘farmers market’ she organizes may be expanding. It’s long overdue to have an outdoor market downtown. What a great complement to what’s already happening Uptown.

There aren’t any short cuts in creating a small business, and hard work most definitely pays off.  We think her model is most inspiring.

Read all about it:

Kingston Natural Foods

Join the Kingston Natural Foods Buying Club

Winter Wednesday’s Farmers Market

KNF in the Daily Freeman

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