Hi Everyone,

Well… It is official! I was voted in this weekend as one of the newest members on the Board of Directors of NOFA-NY! I am thrilled to be joining this organization, and working to support the integrity of our organics, and to support the farmers and producers who are upholding the standards of organics in their care of the soil and in their kitchens. NOFA-NY is looking to grow their membership, and we are all looking to grow the organic movement in New York and beyond, so if you are not yet a member of NOFA, please consider joining!!

As many of you know, I had been chairing Slow Food North Shore for many years, and had stepped aside last year to pursue some other endeavors. However, I missed the community that Slow Food was building, and the community missed the great events and connections of Slow Food, so after much consideration, I have returned with a revived board, new energy and many great ideas! If you want to get involved, we will be having our monthly meetings at the Cinema Arts Centre on the second Tuesday of each month at 7pm. The next meeting will be February 12th at 7pm. To get us started, iEat Green, along with Slow Food North Shore and the Cinema Arts Centre, will be bringing back our Long Island Food and Film Feast on March 3rd, at 6:30pm, at the Cinema Arts Centre. This is an event you don’t want to miss! Mark your calendars, and keep your eyes open for when the tickets go on sale. In the past, this event has always sold out!

My guest this week on The Progressive Radio Network is Wen-Jay Ying, the Founder and director of Local Roots NYC. Local Roots NYC is an alternative to the typical CSA model, in that they go a step further by offering more local food products, as well as the usual vegetable share. They have also come up with creative ways for people to join, so that a person with limited resources doesn’t have to come up with all of the money up front. In 2013, Ying was awarded, Entrepreneur of the Year, by Mayor Bloomberg for neighborhood development through her work at Local Roots NYC. She is an alumni of The Good Work Institute, speaks at the International Culinary Center Farm to Table Program, and is a contributing editor to Pot Luck Journal. Quoted in the NY Times and Huffington Post on food topics, Wen-Jay also has a weekly radio show called Food Stripped Naked where she converses with chefs, farmers, and others involved in the food system. Please join me on Thursday to learn more about Local Roots NYC and for a great conversation!