veggie isand

Last Login 04/25/12

• Far Rockaway, NY
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In early summer 2009 Shaun Kessler was visiting his friend Elizabeth Gilchrist who was working on an organic farm in the Hudson Valley. They decided to start a produce stand out at the beach in Rockaway, where he was living, because there was no local or organic produce in the neighborhood, it has been classified a food desert. Most things available to eat on the peninsula were packaged or prepared in factories with few exceptions. The two asked the owners of Rockaway Taco if they could set up shop on the sidewalk adjacent to their restaurant. The next week they started a table and umbrella provincial style Sunday farmstand vending local and organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers to the surfers, Rockaway residents, and weekend beach goers.
In the spring of 2010 Veggie Island was born. Gilchrist and Kessler along with Taka Imamura and the help of friends and family renovated a dilapidated storefront that was once a vibrant soda counter in 1950’s . Veggie Island is an organic market and goods purveyor located on the corner of 96th street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard that currently operates seasonally, with the goal of being open year round.
We offer fresh made juices, smoothies, teas and coffee as well as a daily menu of sandwiches, soups, and a variety of baked goods. We are a health and environmentally conscious retailer whose mission is to provide access to organic foods and products all of which have been prepared on site, on nearby farms, or brought to us from other individual entrepreneurs and small organizations sharing our ideals. None of the products include harmful chemicals or are derived from gross industry practice. Some of the vendors we work with include Blooming Hill Farms, Goldie's topical products, Roberta's bread, Boomtown vegan baked goods, and more
In addition to helping revitalize the Rockaway Beach community, Veggie Island incorporates outreach initiatives emphasizing youth education, environmental stewardship and teen internships.
With your help we will be able to expand upon the services we offer, repair and do basic maintenance to our shop, get the refrigeration and kitchen supplies needed, expand upon our gardening program, and offer a wider variety of produce and goods to our community.