About this project
On November 8, 2011, we teamed up with the high school students at Bushwick Campus in Brooklyn, New York, and began construction on Bushwick Campus Greenhouse, a gorgeous, 40' x 12', energy-efficient, low-cost greenhouse, built with spare materials repurposed from an existing project. However, as the structure nears completion, our greenhouse is still empty. Over the next few weeks we will be finishing the greenhouse's interior and starting our winter curriculum, an extension of Bushwick Campus Farm’s Food Justice and Agricultural Education program.
We have already created a full greenhouse design, budget, and curriculum. Now we need the funds to complete the project!
The goal of the recently-founded Bushwick Campus Farm is to connect the dots between the food system, economics, health, the environment, social justice, and sustainable agricultural practices. For us, it's more than just a farm. It’s an outdoor classroom that supports youth empowerment. It’s a model of community engagement and source of nourishment. It’s an economic alternative to our modern food system. Bushwick Campus Greenhouse will complement our efforts at the farm site by amplifying its output capacity, and effectively making our garden-farm classroom a fully-functional, year-round reality.
Instructor Bassanio Clark and students perform at the Bushwick Campus Greenhouse ribbon-cutting party, November 18, 2011.
When you choose to support Bushwick Campus Greenhouse, you are contributing to an incredible team that has made this farm and greenhouse project possible: the schools of Bushwick Campus (Academy of Urban Planning, Academy of Environmental Leadership, Brooklyn School for Math and Research, and Bushwick School for Social Justice), EcoStation:NY, and Boswyck Farms.
Your donation to Bushwick Campus Greenhouse will have a ripple effect: the greenhouse will be used to support our organic farm at a public high school, a school farmers’ market, cooking and nutrition classes, community events, and service learning projects. Also, with planned features like aquaponic and hydroponic installations, the greenhouse will provide a place for scientific exploration and innovative curriculum development.
WHERE WILL YOUR MONEY GO?
The first $15,000…
The initial structure of Bushwick Campus
Greenhouse is in place: our plan is to now make it an environment for
year-round growing and learning by building shelves, tables, and workbenches,
installing solar panels, aquaponic and hydroponic systems, winterizing it for year-round use,
and implementing a water catchment system for rainwater harvesting.
We will pay our staff to support this construction and ongoing student education. Starting in January, we will be offering an course on Agriculture that will be open to all four schools and a 14-week Hydroponics course with side-by-side experiments comparing hydroponically- and soil-grown plants. We also plan to offer cooking classes, guest teachers, and field trips. It should be noted that all of these exciting options are in addition to the diverse array of classes we currently co-teach at the farm.
Above and Beyond the Initial $15,000…
Any funds raised over and above the initial
$15,000 would go towards developing our summer Food Justice Program at Bushwick
Campus Farm and Bushwick Farmers’ Market.
Right now, we have dozens of students interested in the project. We would like to compensate them for the invaluable work they do at the farm, but unfortunately we do not have the funds to pay them. Many of them are forced to get uninspiring jobs at local fast food chains or retail shops. We would like to be able to hire students for Saturday workdays in the winter, and for the duration of the summer recess.
Our goal is to hire 15 students; $30,000 would allow us to pay them. We’ve set our goal for the initial $15,000 (to cover completion of the greenhouse construction project and funding the education program during the school year), but we really need $55,000. Please help us make this happen!
Bushwick Campus Farm Dedication Dinner, September 16, 2011.
More information about the Bushwick Campus Greenhouse community partners:
Bushwick Farmers' Market
EcoStation:NY
Boswyck Farms
AUP FoodFighters
Bushwick Green Team
Watch our progress on BushwickCampusFarm channel on YouTube!
Thanks!
The team behind Bushwick Campus Greenhouse is
thankful for all the support we have received so far. Special thanks to:
The faculty, staff, students, and parent coordinators of Bushwick Campus, including:
Nilda Gomez-Katz, Principal, Academy for Environmental Leadership (AEL)
Rodney Orgi, Principal, Academy of Urban Planning (AUP)
Perry Rainey, Principal, Brooklyn School for Math and Research (BSMR)
Mark Rush, Principal, Bushwick School for Social Justice (BSSJ)
Vernon Dye, Athletic Director, Bushwick Campus
A special shout-out to the school’s building management team and custodial staff, especially Samberg and Jimmy!
Genesis Rodriguez, BSSJ Student & Green
Guerillas Youth Tiller?
Christina
Tamarez, BSSJ Student & Green Guerillas Youth Tiller
Bushwick Green Team
Ester Hidalgo, Student, AEL
Adam Schwartz,
Teacher, AUP FoodFighters
Marilyn
Fielder-Whitley, Secretary, BSSJ
Mia Lefkovitz, ESL Teacher, AEL
Marlene
DaSilva, Teacher, BSSJ
Dyron Holmes, Academic Advisor/Teaching Artist, Hospital Audiences
Lisa Kletjian,
School Social Worker, Hospital Audiences
Christine Caceres, Neighborhood volunteer
Mike Taylor,
Neighborhood volunteer
Nicole Bonia,
Media and Outreach consultant
bk farmyards
Gabrielle
Purifoy, Video Editor
Occupy Your Block Volunteers, Occupy Wall Street NYC
Lee Mandell, Chief Hydroponicist, Boswyck Farms
Maggie Cheney, Farm Manager, Bushwick Campus Farm / EcoStation:NY
Joe Chavez, Educator, Solar One
Sean-Michael Fleming, Co-Founder, EcoStation:NY
Kendall Morrison, Co-Founder, EcoStation:NY
Travis Tench, C-Founder, EcoStation:NY
Cristhian Mora Lopez, Outreach Coordinator, EcoStation:NY.
Chloe Bass, Communications and Outreach Specialist, Boswyck Farms
Chrissy's Cooking Club
Lastly, thanks to our local Bushwick restaurants for their ongoing support through produce purchases and food donations. Thank you to: Momo Sushi Shack, Café Ghia, Northeast Kingdom, Roberta’s Pizza, Verde Coal Oven, The Hurricane Club, and Tandem Bar!
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
261
Backers
$16,548
pledged of $15,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on December 30.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
Receive an invitation to the first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), and a student-designed Postcard printed at our own home print studio.
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MARKET GIFT BAG! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a student-designed Postcard printed at our own home print studio, and... a small gift bag of produce and goodies from Bushwick Farmers' Market.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
BOOK! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... Frances Moore Lappe's "Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity & Courage in a World Gone Mad". It is a little book with a big message. Frances Moore Lappe--author of fifteen books, including three-million-copy bestseller "Diet for a Small Planet"--distills her world-spanning experience and wisdom in a conversational yet hard-hitting style to create a rare "aha" book.
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CANNING GUIDE! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... the "Yes We Can! Home Canning Guide" from one of New York City's leading food justice organizations, Just Food. This informative booklet includes canning and preservation history, safety information, how-tos, and great recipes.
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COOKBOOK! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a Bushwick Campus Cooking Club Cookbook, written by students from one of Bushwick Campus’s schools (Academy of Urban Planning), through Youth Service America. Each book is signed and includes a handwritten thank-you from one of the students.
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SEED LIBRARY ART PACK! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a Hudson Valley Seed Library Art Pack, "heirloom seeds and contemporary art, all in one pack," each designed by a different artist from the greater New York region. The Hudson Valley Seed Library strives to create an accessible and affordable source of regionally-adapted seeds, maintained by a community of caring farmers and gardeners.
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GREENHOUSE SALAD! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a fresh Greenhouse Salad for two, harvested from the Bushwick Campus Greenhouse!
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TapIt REUSABLE BOTTLE! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a 20 oz Earthlust water bottle with a TapIt Logo. Reduce waste from plastic bottles when you are on the go! Support the incredible work done by TapIt. www.TapItWater.com Perfect for most car, cycle and stroller cup holders. Food grade stainless steel, BPA free, and recyclable.
Pledge $75 or more Pledge $75 or more
BREAD and BUTTER PICKLES! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a jar of Shaker Mountain Canning Company's Bread and Butter Pickles! Shaker Mountain Canning Co. buys fresh produce from local farms in upstate NY and lightly preserves it for sale when the produce is unavailable locally.
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KITCHEN COOKBOOK! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... The Angelica Home Kitchen Cook Book! Recipes and rabble rousings from NYC's famed organic vegan restaurant.
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CATCH OF THE DAY! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... be one of the first to eat a fish harvested from our aquaponics system. (Sorry, vegans and vegetarians, this one is not for you!)
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COFFEE! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... one pound of Peru La Merced Coffee, courtesy of Kendall Morrison. Brewklyn Grind Coffee & Tea Co. is roasting and donating 12 bags of this rich, organic, ethically-produced coffee. Kendall, one of EcoStation:NY's founders, now lives in Perú, where he works with farmers to help them grow organic coffee, creating a fairer profit dynamic by building ties with those who buy and ultimately drink their coffee.
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NAME THAT CHICK! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... one of BKFarmyard’s chicken coop chicks is yours to name!
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TOTE BAG! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a Bushwick Farmers' Market tote bag!
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URBAN FARMING WORKSHOP! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... an Urban Farming Workshop! Maggie Cheney, Farm Manager for the Bushwick Campus Farm, and Bee Ayer, Farm Manager for BKFarmyards, will co-teach a half-day workshop on urban farming. Workshop will include community resourcing, site evaluation, composting, vermiculture, crop planning, crop care, city chicken husbandry, and more!
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GREENHOUSE WORKSHOP! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a Greenhouse 101 Workshop! Maggie Cheney, Farm Manager and Educator for the Bushwick Campus Farm, will lead a workshop on greenhouse construction, maintanance, propagation (starting baby plants), and seed selection. Where? At our full and bountiful Campus Greenhouse!
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WORMS! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... we will commemorate your donation with a personalized worm bin (with your name on it) in the Bushwick Campus Greenhouse! Includes an open invitation to visit your bin, feed the worms, harvest worm castings - even take a photo with them that we will personally frame and give to you as a gift!
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PICKLES! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... an Uncle Al’s Pickle Pack! After refining his recipes in his tiny Germantown, Kentucky kitchen for over two years, Uncle Al is now proud to share the fruits of his labor with the rest of the world! These artisanal pickles are all-natural, preservative-free, hand-culled, hand-cut, and hand-packed. Uncle Al's Pickle Pack contains one jar each of: Spicy Garlic Dill Green Beans, Zesty Garlic Dill Spears, and Kickin' Bread-n-Butter Slices.
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HYDROPONICS WORKSHOP! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... an Hydroponics Workshop from Boswyck Farms! Learn about the basics of hydroponics from Boswyck Farms founder, Lee Mandell: the rich history of hydroponic growing, different methods that are used today, and the benefits of soil-less agriculture. Plus, make your own 5-gallon bucket system to take home!
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PICKLING WORKSHOP! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... an Afternoon of Pickling! Michaela Hayes, owner of Crock & Jar (www.crockandjar.com), will be teaching the basics of lacto-fermentation. Each participant will create their own jar of sauerkraut, as well as a traditional kimchi - and there will be samples of Crock & Jar products to sample! The workshop will take place at a Bushwick community kitchen on Saturday February 4, 2012.
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COOKING WORKSHOP! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a Private Cooking Workshop with Chrissy of Chrissy's Cooking Club! Chrissy's Cooking Club is a community partner and local not-for-profit whose mission it is to facilitate learning, sharing, and experiencing firsthand the art of all-natural, from-scratch cooking. Private workshop on a topic of your choice for you and five of your friends.
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IPOD! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... an 8GB iPod Touch, valued at $199.
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HYDROPONICS CONSULTATION! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a Boswyck Farms Hydroponics Consultation! Interested in starting your own hydroponic farm but don't know where to start? Boswyck Farms founder Lee Mandell will give you a personal consultation, based on what you want to grow, how much of it you want to produce, and the ins-and-outs of the space you have available.
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GARDEN CONSULTATION! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a Garden Design Consultation! Maggie Cheney, Farm Manager and Educator for Bushwick Campus Farm, will conduct a personalized site evaluation and consultation for your home, business, or school garden. Rooftop, alleyway, backyard, windowsill – the possibilities are endless! Together you will create a design, growing schedule, and plan for the year. Also included is one follow-up visit to assist in project development and troubleshooting.
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BIKE TOUR! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... an Urban Garden Bike Tour! Brooklyn is home to some of the most inspiring food justice and garden programs in the country. Join us on a Spring day tour and picnic, featuring food cooked by local chefs!
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DELUXE GIFT BASKET!! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a Super-Deluxe Bushwick Farmers' Market Gift Basket! This package includes: a selection of produce from local farms (including Bushwick Campus Farm), two personalized Eco-Jot notebooks from JournalsAndBooks.com, a cookbook, one jar of Crock and Jar sauerkraut, 1lb of Peru La Merced Coffee, Hudson Valley Seed Library seeds, 1lb organic honey, Christy Cedeño’s incredible cupcake mix (with recipe), and a hand-made thank-you card from our students, all in a Bushwick Farmers' market tote bag!
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DINNER PARTY! Receive an invitation to our first Bushwick Campus Farm Party (to be held in February), a Postcard and... a Gourmet Family-Style Dinner! Prepared by Bushwick Campus Farm’s local resturaunt chefs (they buy our farm's produce) and special guest chef Deanna from Woodstock Hidden Kitchen! More info on her at www.woodstockhiddenkitchen.com
Project By
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The Bushwick Campus Greenhouse is not about one person. It's a community project made possible through collaboration. Below are bios of the core team members.
Ecostation:NY
EcoStation:NY is working on the interrelated issues of food and environmental justice in the area of Bushwick, Brooklyn, by founding an organic teaching farm (Bushwick Campus Farm), where students, volunteers, and visitors are exposed to sustainable agriculture, and by operating Bushwick Farmers' Market, which connects local farmers to neighborhoods in need of better access to fresh food. EcoStation also produces cross-cultural community events, such as ¡CALABAZAFEST!, that educate and entertain, combining cultural expression and environmental awareness.
Maggie Cheney, Farm Manager & Educator, EcoStation:NY
Maggie grew up growing food, loving food, and wanting to share her knowledge with others. She is the daughter of Ward Cheney, an organic farmer and founder of The Food Project, in Boston, MA. Maggie founded a school garden program in Oakland, California, where she taught elementary and pre-schoolers for three years. She then went on to teach at University of California Santa Cruz' Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture for two years. It is there that she taught and learned from over one hundred farmers and activists from around the world. She co-managed Four Winds Farm, a "no-till" organic farm in the Hudson Valley rooted in environmental stewardship, animal care, and intensive food production. She currently works with teachers, students, parents, and community members in Bushwick to collectively form a joyful, viable and sustainable farm operation. Maggie is also collaborating with other growers, activists and students from across New York City in the city’s first Youth Food Council.
Boswyck Farms
Boswyck Farms is a hydroponic research, development, and education company based in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Our goal is to feed the brain, the body, and the workforce through community empowerment to grow fresh produce. Learn more at www.boswyckfarms.org.
Lee Mandell, founder and Chief Hydroponicist, Boswyck Farms
Lee Mandell is an urban farmer, specializing in hydroponics. He brings to this enterprise over 20 years experience in developing systems matched to programmatic goals and available resources, applied across the fields of computer programming, visual arts, theater production, community organizing, and urban gardening. He is also a practicing visual artist, working within various media to create sculptures, public installations and theater.
Academy for Urban Planning
The mission of the Academy of Urban Planning (AUP) is to help students use their leadership abilities to achieve academic success with the support from educators, parents and guardians working together across racial, ethnic and cultural divides to forge a lasting spirit of community. They strive to be the school where students and parents are welcome; where teachers and staff work collaboratively for the benefit of students and parents are engaged as partners with the school to provide an exemplary education for our students. AUP also strives to allow students to acquire the academic and social tools they need in order to pursue their goals by stimulating their interests in learning, discovery and self-expression.
Academy for Environmental Leadership
The Academy for Environmental Leadership (AEL) is a college preparatory high school. They are a small innovative learning community currently serving grades 9 through 12 with a highly collaborative approach to teaching and learning. AEL is focused on preparing students for both college and career, even as they endeavor to make them part of a global response to preserving and sustaining our environment. Grounded in the humanities and sciences, students are exposed to a curriculum that provides a comprehensive academic education as well as opportunities to see the relevance of that education to their own lives as members of global society.
Bushwick School for Social Justice
The Bushwick School for Social Justice (BSSJ) is committed to providing a rigorous college curriculum that empowers students to succeed in future academic and professional endeavors and to be informed and active citizens. BSSJ is a school that does not contain education merely within its walls. Rather, the school fully participates in community life and works for improvement in the community. BSSJ is a meeting place for disparate voices, interests, and concerns relevant to the community. Furthermore, the school is working towards the goal of being a center of community activities, from after-school and weekend tutoring, to arts programming and adult education classes. BSSJ’s partnerships with Brooklyn College, Make the Road New York, and The Institute for Student Achievement provide the school and community with guidance and resources to advance the Bushwick community’s struggle for justice.
Brooklyn School for Math and Research
The Brooklyn School for Math and Research uses Math to develop a framework for understanding the world around us. They use research to validate our theories about how the world works. The Brooklyn School for Math and Research wants each of its graduates to make significant contributions to the world. Every graduate of the school will develop competence, confidence and critical thinking skills– tools that will drive their success in both college and in their careers.
Chrissy’s Cooking Club
Chrissy’s Cooking Club is a not-for-profit organization facilitating the community to learn, share, and experience the art of all-natural, from-scratch cooking. Their goal is to create spaces in the neighborhood for people of all races, genders, and socio-economic statuses to come together and break bread over a shared meal. Established around the Bushwick, Brooklyn area, they bring experiences and examples of yummy food to our members and the community.
