Information sessions for CUNY CareerPATH’s Food & Beverage program (at Kingsborough Community College) and Direct Care Counselor program (at Borough of Manhattan Community College) have just been posted. Check out our Information Session page for dates/times.
To get more information about these programs, visit CUNY CareerPATH on the web.
KCC Urban Farm is engaged with so many different parts of the Kingsborough community. We provide soil samples used by students and instructors in Physical Science labs, supplement work in Community Health and other classes, offer cooking demonstrations throughout campus, provide produce used in the Culinary Arts kitchens and deliver produce that is donated to students through KCC’s Single Stop, just to name a few. Take a look at some of our hard work in action:
Cooking demonstrations at KCC’s Single Stop and other events on campus.
On April 2, 2014 Kingsborough Community College held its 2nd annual Sugar Whiz Competition where select Culinary Arts students were invited to present their own take on a macaron and plated dish combination to attendees. Attendees voted on best dishes and out of three available winning slots, two were CUNY CareerPATH graduates!
Daw’ud Lee and Giacomo Boncimino both came to CUNY CareerPATH looking to expand their knowledge in the Culinary Field. Though their experiences differed, both men shared the same passion. Upon successful completion of CCP, both immediately expressed interest in continuing their education in KCC’s culinary department and, facilitated by their CUNY CareerPATH educational adviser, they were able to enroll. With two semesters under their belts, Daw’ud and Giacomo are each making great strides in the culinary department and playing an active role in student life. Winning the Sugar Whiz competition is only one step in the many goals both Daw’ud and Giacomo will accomplish. CUNY CareerPath is very proud to have them as graduates and brand ambassadors, We are sure this is not the last we will hear of them.
Kitchen Ventures Incubator Program (KVIP) at Kingsborough, a collaboration through The Office of Continuing Education, CEWD, the Culinary Arts Program and the Department of Tourism and Hospitality offers rental of our commercial kitchen space to help early-stage catering, retail and wholesale food entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. KVIP at KBCC offers supplemental education to help teach entrepreneurs how to strengthen their business plans, navigate the intricacies of distribution and comply with regulatory procedures. Thus, after completion of the incubation period, food companies can spin off to create their own, stable businesses in the community with greater success.
Take a look at our attached brochure to get more information about this new program.
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Have you heard of My City Gardens? This yardsharing site (think freeshare, couchsurfing and car sharing groups) that connects landowners who don’t have the time or energy to roll up their sleeves and get dirty, with neighbors who are eager to get into gardens and grow things. Participants share land and skill, but also the fruits (sometimes actual fruits!) of their labor. My City Gardens is a Boston-based venture, but I feel like it’s only time until we see something similar in New York.
Looking at the map, some of the requests are really wonderful:
Have you heard about Rooftop Reds? They’re taking urban agriculture to such a wonderful niche! Check out an interview they just did with Gothamist.com, talking about things that come with rooftop farming in NYC including the process of securing permits, licensing for running a rooftop vineyard, and working with the climate of NYC to grow grapes. As for me? I’m super excited to try my first bit of true, Brooklyn wine. You can watch the video here.
Eating real food sounds simple enough, right? Mark Bittman with the New York Times pulled me in with his cleverly titled “Butter is Back” op-ed. Following a recent study that questions the link between saturated fat and heart disease, Bittman targets ultra-processed foods, hitting on the use of unhealthy unsaturated fats, antibiotic-laden processed foods and environmentally unsustainable farming practices. Basically, we’re losing our connection to food:
“Many things have gone awry with the way we produce food. And it isn’t just the existence of junk food but the transformation of ingredients we could once take for granted or thought of as “healthy.””
tomatillos, KCC Urban Farm, Brooklyn, NY
While we don’t have animals (this article focuses on the consumption of meat), the KCC Urban Farm uses hands-on, experiential learning to teach students about local and global food systems and to re-engage students with healthy, environmentally conscious eating. We hope to soon have an online resource for environmentally sustainable, healthy eating, so stay tuned! In the meantime, please feel free to email (KCCurbanfarm@kbcc.cuny.edu) or call us (718.368.6578) to get more information.
KCC Urban Farm students, Brooklyn
A great article from the NY Times about the growth of “Agritopia” in the US. Farm-to-Table Living Takes Root talks about the growth of residential neighborhoods that, instead of being built around golf clubs, swimming pools or tennis courts, have a central focus on farming. While this movement is still in its infancy (and with many bugs to work out), the idea of communities coming together through shared interest of farming is wonderful…especially for us at KCC Urban Farm!
The KCC Urban Farm host tastings, events, courses and supports class visits. Find out more information by visiting our home on this blog or finding us on facebook.
Celebrate International Women’s Day with Women’s Initiative! A message from Antonia Bowring, Executive Director, Women’s Initiative New York:
“From 11am-2pm [on Saturday, March 8th], Dylan’s Candy Bar Manhattan flagship store (@ 3rd Ave and 60th St) will host a trunkshow featuring Women’s Initiative graduates and their businesses, and a percentage of sales will be donated to support Women’s Initiative programs in New York City. It will be a wonderful chance to learn more about Women’s Initiative, support our graduate’s businesses, as well as buy candy from Dylan’s Candy Bar in support of an outstanding cause!”
If you’re a long-time reader, you know we’re big fans of Women’s Initiative New York. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than with an organization that has provided so much inspiration and independence for so many women.
The Northeast Resiliency Consortium at Kingsborough Community College is offering a Culinary Arts Certificate Training program to begin in April 2014. Don’t wait, sign up for an Information Session today!
