We aren’t expert gardeners or farmers. We are students. We started this club because we want to learn more about this process — the growing, the technology, the soil, the composting, the harvesting, the cooking and the community building! We’re interested in members who have knowledge to share, and those who want to learn with us!
Hello! Thank you for you interest in Community Agriculture and Gardening at NYU! The Community Agriculture Club is an All-Square Club at NYU focused on learning the theory and practice of urban agriculture. We grow seasonal fruits and vegetables in cold-frames in Washington Square Village and host other agriculture related events, including talks, sustainable cooking parties, community service days, film screenings and more!
History
Zoe Abram and Rachel Greenspan, two Gallatin students (now graduated), began the Community Agriculture Club with a Green Grant from NYU’s Office of Sustainability. They used the grant money to purchase cold frames and start a demonstration garden for the Community Agriculture club so that we would have a place to put our thoughts into action!
What is Community Agriculture at NYU?
So far, we are a small club with lots of enthusiasm about our garden. We share cold frames with the Food Studies department in a small space in Washington Square Village right behind the Citibank on Laguardia and W. 3rd Street. We are also looking to partner with other community gardens, to host educational events, to participate in urban ag-related community service, to put on relevant workshops and to host fun social events for our members. Our club has a social focus as well as an environmental one.
How did this project start?
As local food advocates, we were unsatisfied with the lack of attention paid to food production at NYU. We want to involve students in the local community outside the University, and at the same time raise awareness and involvement in growing food. Urban agriculture has great potential, and will serve as an integral part of a sustainable food system. Growing food is also a powerful point of connection for communities. It is productive (literally), exciting, and rewarding. In a recent discussion with other students interested in social justice, someone asked whether the local and sustainable food movement was just about choosing to consume differently. We say no. While food is a basic type of consumption we all practice daily, the ideology, politics and practical benifit of local and sustainable food is not just confined to making different purchasing decisions. Through our new club at NYU, we would like to increase students knowledge about food production as part of a fun and engaging community!
Executive Board
C0-President: Caylee Clay (Steinhardt) ’13
Co-President: Nikki Mokrzycki (CAS) ’13
Vice President: Lisa Rifkind (Tisch) ’14
Treasurer: Emily Young (CAS) ’14
Secretary: Robert Raymond (Gallatin) ’13
Public Relations: Sarah Thacher (CAS) ’14
Join our email list by sending a blank email to join-community-agriculture-club@lists.nyu.edu
Here is our Calendar. Check the ‘blog updates’ section for up to date information about meeting times and locations, volunteer opportunities and more!
And follow us on twitter! @NYU_CommunityAg
Email with questions, ideas, suggestions, or just to say “hi” at community.agriculture.club@nyu.edu
Please do join us regardless of experience. We have a lot of fun and are getting a lot done in the 2011 – 2012 school year.
