Park Slope Reader

Park Slope Life

We Are Going to Lose Entire Generations of New Yorkers

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life

By Lauren Hartley

Sen. Zellnor Myrie Speaks With Brooklyn Parents About Rising Child Care Costs


NEW YORK — The morning of Saturday, Sept. 21 Sen. Zellnor Myrie joined New Yorkers United for Child Care for a Town Hall with parents at a Park Slope playground. While kids stumbled across the fall-proof rubber playground surface, parents had the chance to share their experiences and concerns about raising kids in New York City, particularly the growing cost burden of childcare.

“There is no way for a middle-class family to be able to afford to stay here if child care is cost prohibitive, if housing is cost prohibitive, and if you don’t have the opportunity for economic success,” said Sen. Myrie. “We are going to lose entire generations of New Yorkers.”

For many New Yorkers, affording to raise a family in the city is becoming increasingly unattainable. In 2023, the Citizens’ Committee for Children found that more than 80% of families with children under five in New York City cannot afford childcare. Rising rent prices and stagnant wages have made the cost of living unsustainable for families. 

The Town Hall opened with remarks from Rebecca Bailin, Executive Director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, “The cost of raising kids in New York City is too expensive. So many of us feel like we have to leave New York when we have a child,” Bailin said, opening it up for parents to share.

The cost of childcare, which can exceed $20,000 annually per child, is a point of stress for many families, mentioned throughout the Town Hall. A father of two explained that he pays $2,500 a month per child for daycare, amounting to $60,000 a year. 

The median salary in Kings County is $76,912.

Parents also struggle to secure spots in 3-K, New York City’s free, full-day educational program for three-year-old children. Universal Pre-K, one of Mayor Bill De Blasio’s major initiatives, has been undercut by budget cuts to early education under Mayor Eric Adams. As a result, only half of the city’s school districts can guarantee a 3-K seat, leaving parents to navigate a lottery system which can be confusing and may favor those who are able to spend the hefty costs of 2K. 

Ilyssa Meyer, a mother of a five-month-old who lives in Prospect Heights, is paying $30,000 for child care this year, with help from her mother. 

“It was a big investment because luckily they have 3-K in Prospect Heights. So hopefully, if everything works out, we pay a whole bunch of money upfront but then get the free option, preferential spots – hopefully, if it all works out.” 

Meyer’s family, like many others, is banking on paying for earlier years of care to secure priority for a free 3-K spot. 

Sen. Myrie addressed these concerns, sharing his personal experience with child care.

“I am a born and raised New Yorker. I would not have been able to become a senator, a lawyer, if we didn’t have after-school programming which provided something for my mom,” he said to the circle of parents. “Like most New Yorkers, she didn’t get off at 3 p.m.”

Sen. Myrie also acknowledged the issues with 3-K and pointed to the lack of execution on the existing framework. He highlighted the lack of available seats in the program, which has left many families without options.

“A failure to match available seats with demand is purely administrative incompetence.”

Park Slope Cats

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life

An unprecedented number of unhoused animals are returning to shelters across Brooklyn. Avid animal rescuers like Maddy Samaddar-Johnson, are working to combat this issue through localized and collaborative groups within the Park Slope community.

Neighbors are joining forces through online networks to care for animals in our community

“Sometimes I wonder, how I do this, and why I do this, and am I a masochist?” Maddy Samaddar-Johnson, the founder and coordinator of the Facebook group Park Slope Cats, is one of Park Slope’s invisible animal rescuers. Since she was a young girl, Samaddar-Johnson has rescued cats, dogs, birds, squirrels, and other animals. She has lived in Canada, India, Italy, the U.K., and the U.S. and worked in several other countries during her career, joining rescue efforts in all of those locations. In addition to her full-time job as an architect and ecological urban planner, she volunteers for nonprofits in New York as well as independently fosters and rescues.  

Today’s surge of unhoused animals in need across the globe and in Park Slope is unprecedented, Samaddar-Johnson says. “The struggle has been compounded by massive, never before seen numbers of cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and other companion animals being dumped across the world following the 2020 increase in pandemic adoptions.”

Four years later, animals are returning to shelters in overwhelming numbers as many pet owners had to face the costs of owning a pet outside of quarantine. Rover, a gig-sourcing app for services like pet-sitting and dog-walking, reported $157.1 million in revenue in September 2021.

When people decide to give up their animals, they release them to shelters, agitating the overwhelmed system, or place them outdoors. Unneutered animals, whether located outdoors or in homes, reproduce. Unspayed female cats, Samaddar-Johnson mentioned, can become pregnant while still nursing a litter of kittens. Due to warmer weather from climate change, “kitten season” starts earlier in the spring and ends later in the fall, resulting in more litters and an overall higher cat overpopulation. “New York City currently has a cat crisis,” says Samaddar-Johnson.

Additionally, the veterinary business has changed. Venture capitalist firms absorbed smaller practices, increasing the cost of vet visits. Jean Bubley, a Park Slope Cats member and independent foster to too many cats for her to count, notices this trend playing out in Park Slope.

“What’s happening is that Wall Street investors and venture capitalists have honed in on vet practices as good money makers, as people are spending a lot of money on their animals,” Bubley said. 

Local veterinary clinics like Bond, VERG, and BluePearl, Bubley notes, offer emergency services, and some are open 24 hours. Pet owners may not realize how expensive the bill will be for an emergency service in the middle of the night until they are handed the bill for a completed treatment.

In Park Slope, many local rescuers practice trap-neuter-release, or TNR, to allow the more feral cats to stay outdoors without reproducing. Independent trappers pay for the neutering or spaying surgeries out of their own pockets.

“Despite having some individual kind souls and individual rescuers, there is no consolidated group just for the Park Slope people to focus on animal rescue and adoptions. They’re all scattered,” Samaddar-Johnson said.

Samaddar-Johnson started Park Slope Cats to connect the rescuers, cat lovers, potential fosters, and adopters who wanted to support their neighbors in solving the problem.

Samaddar-Johnson noticed an influx in cat posts among the 16,000 members of the now closed Park Slope Together group on Facebook. The group administrators suggested a separate group dedicated to cat-related content. This urgent need caused her to quickly roll out the group, though Samaddar-Johnson sees it expanding into an online collaboration and community for Park Slope residents.

When I started research for Park Slope animal rescues, I imagined visiting a brick-and-mortar animal shelter in the neighborhood and meeting animals stored in crates. The more I interviewed, the more I learned the difference between a foster-based network versus an animal shelter.

The mission of both the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) aim to prevent animal cruelty. However, they are kill shelters, though in the past several years the ACC has euthanized mainly cases with terminal medical issues. Their New Hope program connecting over 300 no-kill rescues in the tri-state region has been a good resource to pull out animals who are high up on the at-risk list due to medical or behavioral issues. But rescues even in the program are often overwhelmed and full.

“Euthanasia must be understood for what it is: a humane and responsible part of animal welfare that can spare animals from further hardship and suffering, and in some cases, ensures the safety of the community,” the ASPCA site reads.

Foster-based networks keep animals out of shelters and into vetted homes of volunteers. Foster volunteers offer the animals extra attention to promote their emotional and physical health, and support the animals through the process of future adoption.

An established nonprofit will often cover the cost of food, supplies, and medical expenses for volunteers. Since Park Slope doesn’t have a consolidated foster nonprofit, local rescuers and fosters volunteer their time and resources without a safety net.

Bubley moved to the neighborhood in 2001 and was helping cats on her own. In 2014, she participated in a now-closed local pet store’s adoption event and met other neighbors who fostered and cared about animals as much as she did.

Now, with the network she built with her twenty-plus years in the community, Bubley has accidentally become the local cat whisperer. If you need to trap a lost cat at 10 p.m., Jean Bubley will have the necessary trapping supplies. Bubley. If you find a cat at midnight needing urgent medical care, who will book a vet appointment and pay the charge at 1 a.m.? Jean Bubley.

She currently has well over a dozen cats in her home and pays nearly $1,000 out of pocket each month for food alone, on top of other costs such as litter, toys, and vet visits. Some cats require specific, prescribed food for medical conditions. 

“I don’t have any plans to retire soon, even though I’ll be turning 73 next year,” Bubley said. “A salary helps when you’re taking care of all these critters.”

Cindy and Loretta, two of her special-needs foster cats available for adoption, have feline leukemia virus (FELV). Bubley even has an enclosed catio attached to her window for the two cats since they have to stay away from other cats to avoid transmitting FELV from biting, sharing bowls or a litter box. During our interview, Cindy rubbed her head affectionately against Bubley’s cheeks. (FELV can’t be transmitted to humans, dogs, or other animals.)

If more neighbors join local groups like Park Slope Cats, they meet and support fosters like Bubley and others in the area.

“Every city needs more people who can get involved with TNR actually going out there and doing the rescuing,” Bubley said. “We need more people who can foster, who have some space where they can take in cats in need temporarily.”

TNR is a physically demanding and emotionally exhausting effort. It requires rescuers to adopt the nocturnal schedule of a cat colony, scout them, then pay for their neutering surgeries.

When I reached out to Park Slope cat and dog rescuer Patricia Honey, she responded, “Oh man. I was just up 90 feet high in the cemetery today.” She then sent me a video of her at a stomach-dropping height in a tree over rescuing a cat. (Her Instagram caption about the rescue read “dear universe…you can chill now.”)

After Park Slope residents find these communities online, how can they help?

Samaddar-Johnson says start local. “There are individual ladies here in Park Slope and surrounding neighborhoods running around and not even getting the funding that other rescue groups with a big volunteer network have been able to procure.”

Fostering and adopting are helpful in providing homes to homeless animals, but there are other immediate ways to help. Neighbors can stockpile and donate food, litter, and trapping supplies. They can register for a TNR registration class through sites like Neighborhood Cats. They can donate financial funds to cover medical costs. They can promote social media posts with their networks for adoption and awareness. They can provide transportation to vet visits or other locations.

The Park Slope Cats group aims to be both an education tool and a community builder specific to this neighborhood. Members can provide supplies or volunteer to house a rescued cat from members in the group.

“I don’t want this to be a top-down organization,” Samaddar-Johnson said. “I want it to be more of a collaboration where compassionate members of the community and individual rescuers come together.”

Whether you foster or volunteer with established nonprofits, or support individual rescuers and fosters, the most important thing is to have a community of other people who understand, empathize, and support the work.

Resources if you want to get involved:

Want to get TNR certified? 

Visit neighborhoodcats.org/tnr-in-nyc/workshops

I just spotted a stray cat outside. What do I do? 

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-help-stray-or-found-cat

I just found a tiny kitten/kittens outdoors. What should I do? 

http://www.kittenlady.org/casa

Help outdoor cats by building winter shelters for feral cats https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/how-to-tnr/colony-care/feral-cat-winter-shelter

https://www.alleycat.org/resources/feral-cat-shelter-options-gallery/#easy

Park Slope rescuers you can help:

Join the group @parkslopecats on facebook to connect with other rescuers like Maddy and fosters like Jean or follow them on FB and IG @parkslopecats.parkslopecats.com 

Foster/Adopt cats and dogs with Waggytail Rescue for Hoa Vu and Meg Sal who’ve been helping animals in Park Slope and beyond

Park Slope’s overwhelmed rescuer 

Patricia Honey @stormy_andthe_Cuddlers 

Foster/Adopt dogs through RescueCity

Busy Brooklyn Rescuer 

Vicki Devor@carrolgardenscatlady

A few other rescues in Brooklyn close to Park Slope:

Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition and Clinic: bbawc.org

Brooklyn Animal Action: brooklynanimalaction.org 

Sunset Park Cats: sunsetparkcats.org

Sean Casey Animal Rescue: nyanimalrescue.org

Everyone Makes Mistakes

By Filed Under: Dispatches From Babyville, Park Slope Life

Fields, courts, and stadiums swell with emotions from high-intensity moments, and athletes often crack under the pressure. What if we set our fear aside and embraced inevitable failures on our paths to success? We may be surprised by the opportunities that appear by removing perfection from the playbook of life.

As I write this, it is playoff time for many sports at professional, collegiate, high school and recreational levels across the country. The New York Knicks recently lost to the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The New York Rangers are playing in the NHL Eastern Conference Finals Series against the Florida Panthers. Park Slope’s own public high school sports team, the John Jay Jaguars, are representing in the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) playoff tournaments, as well. The Jaguars Girls fencing team took 1st place citywide in Fencing-Foil; Boys volleyball is in the semifinals; baseball and softball are starting their playoff bids. It is exciting to watch playoff games and hope your team succeeds. But so much of the energy around these contests seems to be defined by mistakes, both as they happen and then for stretches of time after. 

There is a lot of pressure on athletes, and the officials that judge them, to be perfect, but perfect is not possible. Any successful, or simply satisfied, sport-involved person understands that mistakes have to happen. Heck. Any successful, or simply satisfied, human being understands that mistakes have to happen.  Albert Einstein said: “[a]nyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”  Making mistakes is such an important part of the road to success that Billie Jean King told us: “[c]hampions keep playing until they get it right. Then they play more.” Mistakes are inevitable. So, if mistakes are clearly a matter of life, why do so many people act like mistakes are horrible? Maybe it’s because mistakes can be so devastatingly memorable.

I was only 11 years old on a fateful Saturday night for New York Mets fans in October 1986. I was awake, though bleary-eyed, watching the 10th inning action of Game 6 of the World Series between the Mets and Boston Red Sox. With two outs, the Mets battled back from a 3-5 deficit thanks to singles from Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchell and then Ray Knight. But it was the ball hit by Mookie Wilson that rolled right through Bill Buckner’s legs that is still talked about, and even academically studied, almost FORTY YEARS later. Buckner’s error allowed Ray Knight to score the Mets’s winning run. 

The lore is that the Mets won the World Series because of that error. But, that’s not even close to reality. There was still another game to play before the Mets would take the World Series in Boston.  The Mets won the World Series because of a combination of successes and errors. Buckner’s error actually only determined that one play. If he hadn’t made the error, and instead got Mookie out at first, the game would still have been tied at the end of the 10th. Ultimately, it would have been someone else’s fault when the Mets won. 

We are so hard on each other and ourselves when we make mistakes. Boston fans relegated Buckner to pariah status, and he never recovered professionally. In his death, his numerous obituaries highlighted this error over his many successes and achievements. It often seems like people enjoy hating others for their mistakes. All that negative energy is destructive internally, and externally. Over my many years in sport as a player, coach and sports official, I have seen plenty of coaches, players and spectators yell at players and officials of all ages after a mistake, saying things like: “what’s wrong with you?” or “why did you do that?” or “what were you thinking?” and  “are you stupid?” I’m never quite sure why these words are spoken aloud. I don’t see any way that these comments could help anyone process a mistake they just made.

Others take the opportunity to make light of mistakes, by laughing or imitating. These attempts are often intended, or received, as belittling to the one whose error is being highlighted. The one who made the mistake will often be the first to make fun of the error. My son often makes such humorous efforts on the volleyball court. If he misses a clear opportunity, he will roll on the floor unnecessarily and shake his head as if he doesn’t know what went wrong… then smile and laugh. I usually see these responses in my son and others as a coping mechanism, to shield themselves from the potential humiliation offered by others that often comes after their mistakes. These self-deprecating expressions are also easiest to offer when the stakes are low.

I can almost understand needing to groan and moan, or even laugh, when professionals in an athletic environment disappoint you by not being perfect. However, when you think it’s appropriate to similarly protest a kid who isn’t living up to your expectations, it’s time to reevaluate your expectations, and truly accept the reality of mistakes.

There are significant consequences when we make a big deal out of mistakes. One of the main reasons kids leave sports is because of how grown ups (and their friends) react to their mistakes, even at a young age. All the research tells us that children develop best in environments where they are not afraid to make mistakes. When kids are encouraged to try, and supported when they fail, they learn that mistakes are necessary for growth. The cool thing is, once a child gets the kind of support that acknowledges mistakes as part of the process, they actually make FEWER mistakes in the future because they don’t have the added stress on them to perform; they just do it.

Now, I’m not saying that it’s best to ignore mistakes. I think mistakes should be identified, acknowledged, and processed. If the goal of this interaction is to get correction in the future, I would recommend this process be done with kindness and grace. 

As I started my role as a baseball/softball umpire and volleyball referee, I was worried about making a mistake. I knew mistakes would come; I’ve seen enough sports officials make errors, and had no expectation that I would break the mold and be perfect. My fear about mistakes had to do with how others would respond to them. Would people still respect me? Would they argue with me? Would they consider hurting me? I processed these concerns with anyone who wanted to hear me. It was during one of these exchanges that someone told me of the experience of a professional sports official they knew. Early in this official’s professional career they acknowledged a mistake they made and had an eye opening interaction with the impacted professional athlete. As they told me this story, I expected the story-telling was designed to make me feel more confident. However, that was not at all the point. It was a warning.

When the professional sports official in question was new to their craft, a very famous player in their sport got upset at the new official for “missing a call”. The new official took this player’s comments to heart and reviewed the recording of that play numerous times over the next few days. The official determined the player was right; the new official HAD missed the call. The next time the official was set to work a game for that player, the official approached the player to make a mea culpa. The official expected the player to thank them for their thoughtfulness and appreciate their retrospection. Instead, the player simply said something to the effect of: “Don’t do it again.” Ouch. 

That professional athlete was being unreasonable. That official has and will continue to make mistakes.  Now, those mistakes are more likely to be reviewed and overturned through replay/challenge structures that are more prominent than ever. But, no matter how many times an official’s call is overturned, they will still make mistakes, because mistakes are inevitable. (Within the decade much of the ado related to the mistakes of sport officials will likely be moot as technology develops to provide ways to make these calls with scientific accuracy.)

Some players play it safe so that they don’t make mistakes, but they still suffer the wrath of others. Think about a baserunner ignoring the coach’s steal sign, a center driving with the ball down the lane passing the basketball back to the perimeter, or an outside hitter tipping a tightly set volleyball, to name a few. Some coaches challenge these players for not “playing it hard” on every play. In these moments, these players will tell you that they have made a calculated decision to not go hard because they believe going hard would lead to an error. They also believe that if they go hard and make that error, they will be further penalized by the coach, and/or the crowd. So, they make a calculated decision to avoid the error, but also potentially miss an opportunity. Having watched, and made, these kinds of decisions in real-time, these players are usually making the best decision they can. Coaches, fellow players and spectators should support players to make the decisions they are most comfortable with.

Other athletes seem to give it their all on every play, even when the chance of success from their effort is slim. In these moments, it looks like the player just wants to get the mistake out of the way. I see these kinds of kids all the time in baseball and softball games with the under 12 year olds in Prospect Park. These players get to the plate, settle in quickly, and then swing at the first 3 pitches they see. I observed one such player this past weekend. Before each pitch was thrown, the player uttered loud enough for me and the catcher to hear: “Hit me. Come on. Hit me.” When I first heard it, I wondered what the kid was thinking. But I quickly realized that as the player swung at each incoming pitch no matter where it was, the player wanted out of that pressure filled role as soon as possible. They welcomed a potentially painful hit-by-pitch to avoid the stress of the inevitable personal mistake.

If you’re like me, you are likely to watch a few hundred mistakes happen in real time in athletic contests in the next few days, weeks or months. Do everyone a favor: emotionally prepare for these mistakes and then accept their eventuality. Some mistakes will benefit the team you’re rooting for, others will sting as they relegate your team to the status of “loser.” Instead of focusing on the mistakes, save your energy to celebrate a success, however broadly you need to define it. 

Sterling Records: A New Hub of Music Culture & Community

By Filed Under: Music, Park Slope Life

Head to the newest record store to browse your favorite music, literature, and games, and even discover new favorites amidst the vast collection. With radio shows, backyard events, and other ideas on the horizon, Sterling Records is supplying a hub of culture for Park Slope Residents to explore.

A new hub of music culture and community

Park Slope is getting a new record store this summer with a big emphasis on community and inclusivity in the neighborhood – ages and music interests alike. Sterling Records is being opened by longtime friends and local bar owners Gary Giddens and Ray Gish with help from their friend and investor, Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode, Erasure, and Yazoo fame. 

Their vision for the store is much more than just records.

I had a chance to chat with Co-Owner, Gary Giddens, who describes Sterling Records as a cross between Annie’s Blue Ribbon and Beacon’s Closet, but all about music. Their vision for the store is a place where you may come in to browse or buy a new album, and end up finding other things you’re interested in, learning something new, or just finding a place to spend some time listening to music or chat. 

His hope is that there will always be something interesting going on for the neighborhood to join in on. Gary told me about a scene from last summer that helped inform his vision of Sterling Records.

Last summer I was walking along 7th avenue…it was drizzling a bit…and there were these kids sitting in Starbucks. I want those kids to say ‘Hey let’s go hangout at the record store.

Sterling Records will sell new and used records, CDs, turn tables, puzzles, and a collection of about a thousand books. Gary mentioned more than once that his goal is for everyone to feel welcome, and that’s clear through their inventory. 

He envisions that every music taste can be catered to at the store – no matter how new, old, trendy, or niche it may be. Their inventory will include new releases, vintage vinyl, and selections spanning nearly every genre.  

The record store has a great space in the back and a beautiful, spacious yard that they’re aiming to open by Spring of 2025. The back would serve coffee and the backyard could be used to sit and eat or perhaps even listen to a show (noise ordinances allowing). 

Speaking of noise – they’ll also be using their space to host radio shows through Maker Park Radio, a nonprofit community radio station based in Staten Island and owned by Gary’s friends Kristin Wallace and Tom Ferrie. Gary has been a part of Maker Park Radio since its start in 2017, and now the radio station will be setting up a small studio inside Sterling Records. 

The staff plans to host radio shows from the store on Mondays – likely DJed by the staff or anyone who wants to get involved. Tom from Maker Park Radio offers DJ lessons, some of which will be held at the record shop. You can listen to Maker Park Radio through their website (https://makerparkradio.nyc/) or their app (Maker Park Radio). 

If you’d like to support Sterling Records or get involved, you can do so through their GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/sterling-record-store), or just pop by for a chat. You could help with set up, stock records, join the staff, or maybe even become a regular DJ. 

Sterling Records plans to open in May, come out and support this new hub of music culture and community on 5th and Sterling. I’ll see you there! 

Groundcycle

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life

When Vivian Lin learned about the composting process and how food scraps and organic waste could be used as a resource to add nutrients to the soil, she instantly channeled her energy into learning ways to close the gaps of food waste in her community. Within weeks, she shifted her career as a professional architect to boldly create an operation that seeks to divert waste, promote sustainability, and respect the earth, one bin at a time.

Nearly 25 percent of the food purchased by Americans is wasted, according to the NYC Department of Environmental Conservation, and when Brooklyn native Vivian Lin learned about a way to divert that waste, it changed the trajectory of her life.   

In April 2020, she joined environmentally-focused Earth month virtual events that delved into a wide spectrum of topics, yet conversations on the cycle of food production and composting specifically piqued her interest. 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines composting as a “controlled, aerobic (oxygen-required) process that converts organic materials into nutrient-rich, biologically stable soil amendment or mulch through natural decomposition.” 

She was shocked by how the staggering amount of food scraps and organic waste we produce could be diverted from landfills and used as a valuable resource instead. “Up until that point I had no idea how food was grown or how much work it takes and this whole cycle of how food waste can become fertilizer, it just blew my mind,” Lin said. 

An architect by trade, Lin shifted her focus from physical structures to investigate the infrastructures that processed organic waste into compost throughout NYC and discovered a noticeable gap. Days after her deep dive of compost research, the New York City Department of Sanitation coincidentally announced a suspension of curbside composting pickups due to budget cuts as a result of the pandemic. 

Moreover, farms were losing partnerships and distribution opportunities leaving an alarming amount of farm-produced fresh produce to rot in fields. Options to divert waste were dwindling for New Yorkers and farmers alike, but rather than accepting a dead-end, Lin seized the opportunity to forge her own path forward. Thus, Groundcycle was born. 

She contacted a few local farms and pitched an idea to bring them food scraps to use for compost as well as deliver their harvested fresh food to city dwellers. Once Garden of Eve Farm in Long Island and McEnroe Organic Farm in Millerton expressed interest in piloting the program, Lin eagerly reached out to family and friends to join her in closing the gap between produce and compost through a bin swap service. 

With 13 inaugural members on board, Groundcycle launched the first official bin swap on May 10th, 2020. The bin swap service delivers farm-fresh produce straight to your door in a 5-gallon bin and swaps it with your organic waste and food scraps which are processed and converted to compost at local farms. 

Lin’s resourcefulness and determination was crucial to overcome challenges in the early stages of Groundcycle’s operations, including recruiting friends to drive the bin swap routes because she didn’t know how to drive at the time. News spread in the following months and bin swap membership began to grow, with Park Slope residents accounting for the majority of members. 

Four years later, Groundcycle’s bin swap program has expanded to service over 300 members all across Brooklyn and Manhattan, diverting over 600,000 pounds of organic waste to date. In fact, Lin says she’s discovered new areas of the city for the first time since starting the service. “It’s been really beautiful for me as a lifelong New Yorker to discover all of these different pockets of Brooklyn,” Lin said. 

Groundcycle also continues to grow and evolve to promote sustainable practices by collecting food scraps and organic waste from businesses, offices, and events including large-scale events such as House of Yes’ Earth Love Fest and Cherry Bombe’s Jubilee.  Lin and her team ensure all edible food is reallocated to people who need it by filling community fridges across the city and distributing food items through other avenues of assistance.  

Before founding Groundcycle, Lin didn’t know where her food came from and hopes that by playing an active role in composting, others can feel more connected to the cycle of food production and cultivation by seeing how their food scraps can ultimately nourish the soil of the fresh produce they receive. 

“That’s how nature works,” she said, “you respect it and it will return something beautiful.” 

Respecting nature extends beyond food waste diversion and spills into every area of consumption and Groundcycle now partners with local zero waste stores like Maison Jar and Precycle to offer 

household and pantry essentials to bin swap members, thus reducing unnecessary packaging waste. Lin also works closely with florists around the city to repurpose and compost floral arrangements that would otherwise be tossed in the trash at the conclusion of events. 

When reflecting on the last four years, Lin notes how grateful she is for the community of other sustainably-minded people who want to collaborate and amplify different missions to close gaps of access in all areas. She’s teamed up with a variety of organizations to host donation drives of hygiene items, winter coats, shoes, and other items to reallocate resources to people in need of assistance.  

Lin encourages people who are curious about living more sustainably to not be afraid to start, even if that means bringing a reusable bag to the grocery store or freezing your food scraps from dinner instead of throwing them away.  

“It really does start small,” she said. “As soon as you start making those little changes and you feel good about it, you’re really motivated to do more.” 

If you’re interested in getting involved with Groundcycle’s mission to close the gap of produce and compost in Park Slope and beyond, visit groundcycle.org and @_groundcycle on Instagram. 

“Because composting is so universal, everybody can play a part,” Lin said. 

The Bunny of Park Slope

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life

I see the bunny on a Tuesday morning just past the park’s entrance on 9th street and Prospect Park West. He’s heading toward the playground but takes a sharp left and continues on through the traffic of people and bicycles. I can’t keep up with him.

“Ma,” I’m screaming into the phone with the wind still blowing, Brooklyn never wants to loosen its grip on winter. But the wind wants to go. After all, there’s a bunny here! A sure sign of spring. 

“What’s wrong?” My mother is on the other side of the country, chomping a bagel out on her balcony. She’s in curlers and a nightgown. I know this because even though I’m in Park Slope and she’s in Palo Alto where it’s three hours earlier, my mother has eaten a bagel in her nightgown and curlers every morning for the past forty-three years. 

“Ma, you’re not gonna believe this! I’m chasing a bunny through Prospect Park!”

“You’re chasing a what?” I can hear the crumbs spray off my mother’s lips as she reaches for her mug of milky coffee.

“A bunny, ma, a bunny.”

“What the hell are you talking about? There are no bunnies in Brooklyn.” 

I don’t know why my mother isn’t sitting on the boardwalk in Brighton Beach right now. She’s not the California type. She’s the Mumu on the boardwalk judging people as they walk by type. I mean, she’s yelling, YELLING AT ME, about this bunny. Arguing, really. And you can tell my family is from Brooklyn because I’m arguing right back. 

“Ma, how the hell do you know that there are no bunnies in Brooklyn? Are you here right now? Also, did you know that Coney Island was full of bunnies before it became Coney Island? It was called Rabbit Island before it was called Coney Island!”

My mother takes a deep sip of coffee before she says, “Are you in Coney Island right now or Prospect Park?”

“Prospect Park, by Ninth Street,” the bunny crosses the bike path, but I follow.

“Well, you should be at freaking Bellevue in Manhattan because you’re crazy. That’s not a bunny.”

The argument with my mother has not slowed me down. In fact, the angrier she makes me – insisting that this is not a bunny when she is in California, and I am following a bunny – gives me speed. I stay on the phone to argue and simultaneously chase the bunny. I’m not sure what I’ll do if I reach the bunny. It’s not like I’ll pick it up. I think I’m wondering that if I follow it into its home there is a possibility there will be more bunnies. Then I can snap a picture, post it on Instagram and caption it “First signs of Spring in Brooklyn!” Maybe the photo will go viral. Maybe I’ll be on the news. Maybe I’ll make a YouTube channel called “Brooklyn Bunnies” where I discover a new part of this bunny world every day. Then I’ll have tons of followers and be able to pay my bills, and I won’t have to worry so much about the cost of food, if I should sell my soul for a celery juice, or if I can find a brand-new pair of sneakers at a discounted price for my smallest child who’s growing at the speed of light. All of this goes through my head as I yell at my mother who’s eating a bagel on her balcony, and I chase this little animal into the forest.

“Ma, when I finally snap a picture of this thing, you’re going to be in shock. I mean, real shock. Ugh, hang on, I have to climb this fence.”

“Have you seen the news? Terrible, just terrible.” My mother has always had a real knack for changing the subject right at the point when I might win the argument. I put the phone on speaker and hook it into one of my bra straps under my sweater as I climb a fence by the far end of the lawn. 

“I haven’t seen or heard the news and I’d like to keep it that way,” I scream this into my chest as I jump down into what looks like an ivy forest just off the path. “I’m done watching the news, it’s making me really crazy and anxious.”

“Well dear, yes, you’re chasing an imaginary bunny into the woods. Aren’t you supposed to be working today?”

I snatch the phone from my bra strap, scratching my neck as I violently pull it out of my sweater. “Ma,” I grit my teeth, “the bunny is NOT imaginary. It’s right here, I just can’t get a picture of it because it keeps moving, oh but when I do…” Before I can finish my sentence, the bunny stops. “Ma, shhhh, hold on, it stopped.” As it freezes, I edge closer. It ruffles the ivy and turns to face me.

“Well, what is it?” My mother has a piece of bagel in her cheek that she hasn’t chewed yet. I can hear it there collecting saliva. She, too, is quiet and unmoving on the phone waiting to see who’s right. Who won the argument this time?

“Oh, wow, well, ok, eeewwww,” I am turning around as fast as I can, running in the other direction, hands shaking, shoving my phone back into my bra, leaping over the fence, taking the phone out again, and bounding across the big lawn at ninth street.

“What, what? What was it?” My mother shouts through the phone.

“I’m not telling you,” I’m still running.

“Now you have to tell me. I told you it wasn’t a G-ddamn bunny! What are you, nuts? What was it a squirrel? A bird? Chipmunk?”

“No, Ma, no.” I really don’t want to tell my mother what I have been maniacally chasing for the past fifteen minutes, but I know that in a real Brooklyn argument, you can’t hide the facts. 

“Come on, out with it! What have you been chasing?”

“A rat, ma, a freaking, disgusting, dirty rat, ok?!?” I wait for the cackle of laughter to come, and when it does, I laugh a little too.

“Do me a favor,” my mother is howling now, “if you’re off from work today go get your freaking eyes checked so that you stop seeing Easter Bunnies running around Park Slope.”

“Yeah, ok, Ma.”

“Now have a great day, dear. I love you! I’ve got to finish reading the Times before my ZOOM dance class.”

“Alright, Ma.”

“I can’t believe you just chased a rat through the park. I can’t wait to tell my friends at lunch today!” My mother is still giggling when she hangs up. 

If I really examine this experience, it’s that my heart has been chasing spring before spring has been ready to bloom. The winter was hard this year, and I can’t wait for the daffodils to begin making their entrances around the neighborhood. When will the front stoops of brownstones start showing their pink and blue perennials, their yellow tulips, their purple and white hyacinths? And because I can’t wait for the first bursts of color, those initial signs of hope and life, and the natural progression of things, I force it. Spring in Brooklyn, spring in Park Slope, cannot be forced. Instead, it must unfold, and we must allow it to. The cafes and restaurants up and down Fifth Avenue must set up their outdoor dining when the weather tells them it’s time. Little children exchange their heavy coats for sweatshirts and lighter activewear as the robins begin to appear. The green markets replaces apples and squash for strawberries, rhubarb, and asparagus. Then, and only then, is it spring. Anything else would be like screaming on the phone with your mother while chasing a rat through Prospect Park because you thought it was a bunny. And that would be crazy, right? I mean, who does that? 

The Power of Huddles

By Filed Under: Dispatches From Babyville, Featured Story, Park Slope Life

When you watch or play team sports you will undoubtedly experience “the huddle”. These are the times when groups of athletes on the same team come together, with or without their coach, often during time outs or other breaks in the action. If you’ve never played a team sport you might have no idea what happens during these huddles. And, if you’ve played tons of sports you might take huddles for granted. Huddles are vital in sport, and in life.

Huddles serve multiple purposes, sometimes simultaneously. Huddles are used to plan and convey strategy, as well as provide encouragement. Teams “huddle up” to share information. Teams “huddle up” to comfort each other. Teams “huddle up” to energize each other. Teams “huddle up” to teach each other. No matter the specific reason at the given time, the huddle makes the team a team, for better or for worse. Huddles are vital for honesty and communication. 

I’ve been playing team sports since I was 9. I can still remember the feeling, if not the content, of some of the first team huddles I participated in. My local St. Savior’s softball coach, Jim Cohen, would bring together the group of girls into a huddle before games, in between innings and at the end of the game. He’d use the huddle to motivate us, while instructing us. He would give us corrective guidance, with a little bit of gruff. In those moments, we knew he was our leader, but he was also our biggest cheerleader. He brought a rag-tag group of girls together, who hadn’t won a single game the previous season, and made us a championship team the next year. That kind of transformation doesn’t just happen on the field, through play, but can be largely attributed to the power of huddles.

Since September 1997, I have played volleyball weekly with an amazing group of women. We huddle before the game starts, during time outs, and then sometimes after the game at a bar or restaurant. These huddles are largely “leaderless”. There is no coach in this group, but we turn to each other as leaders in many ways. Through these huddles we have made a family of sorts. We’ve gotten each other through births, illnesses and deaths. The huddle is powerful with this crew.

As a team sports player of 40 years (ouch…), coach of almost 20 years (omg…) and an official of just about a year (woo hoo…), I’ve seen my fair share of huddles, good and bad. Huddles can make or break a team. Huddles can propel singular and collective athletes to the greatest accomplishments of their lives, or they can fail miserably. 

Bad huddles are usually those where the coach just talks the whole time, oftentimes with mostly negative emotion. In bad huddles, you see athletes struggling to stay connected. They stare off, or down at the ground. If you’ve lost the athlete in the huddle, you can’t expect them to put it back together on the court, field, pitch, etc.  If there’s no significant engagement or positivity, the huddle hurts, instead of helping.

This past year, the huddle has been vital to me in life, even more than sport. Around this time last year I was given shocking news: I was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning of an artery in your brain; it suggests a weakening of the blood vessel. Aneurysms in any part of the body, but especially the brain, are dangerous, but do not always require treatment. It is estimated that about 1 in 50 people walking around have brain aneurysms, and 90% of them will never cause problems. But, when aneurysms burst, especially brain aneurysms, people often die. Each year, about 30,000 Americans have a ruptured brain aneurysm and about 500,000 people die from them around the world. Half the victims of brain aneurysms are under 50. I was 47 when they found my aneurysm.

I didn’t have symptoms. It was what they call an “incidental finding”. They found the aneurysm through a head MRI for another condition. That other condition is not life threatening, but requires medication management and regular imaging. You can imagine my shock when I was reading the lab report on my MRI less than a day after having the test, but before I heard from my doctor. The condition I was being treated for was continuing to improve (great news). And then… 

“Possible 1 to 2 mm aneurysm of the supraclinoid left internal carotid artery.” I was reading this report on my phone in the passenger seat of our car, my husband in the driver’s seat, while on the way to our son’s first high school volleyball game of the spring 2023 season. I started bemoaning how irresponsible the radiologist was who authored this report and erroneously suggested I had a brain aneurysm. I was in complete denial, complaining to my husband, and then my phone rang. It was my doctor. Recognition of reality clicked as I picked up her call. I didn’t say hello. Just: “I have an aneurysm?”. She told me that it looked like it. She had already shown the images to the best neurosurgeon at NYU. He said “don’t worry too much. Small aneurysms are common. Let’s get more imaging ASAP”.  We set up an appointment with him just days later. The most important huddling of my life, thus far, was about to get started.

As we entered the gym to watch the volleyball game, I was still on the phone with the doctor. When I got off the phone, my initial team huddle was already in place. My husband and sister were there. A few quick calls, and my mother and other sister were in place. The key to a good huddle when things aren’t looking good is to NOT freak out. Negative energy begets negative energy. My initial huddle acknowledged the stress and fear, but highlighted the words of the expert: “small aneurysms are common”, etc. Unfortunately, the subsequent images and multiple appointments with experts from the best hospitals in the world confirmed that I would need surgery. I was going to need a lot of huddling.

When you know you need a huddle, it also matters who is called into the huddle. Sometimes the whole team comes together; sometimes the coach pulls one player aside, while the rest of the team circles up. Sometimes, like in American football, the different “teams” (offense, defense, special, etc.) huddle separately. The choices around huddles should be deliberate. I made choices over the course of weeks and months about who to huddle with, and which huddles were for which purposes. 

I quickly summoned the local moms huddle. I let them all know what I was facing, and that I didn’t know what support I needed, but hoped they would be there to provide it when I figured it out. They helped me meet my needs, and ensured that my son’s needs were covered. They stepped up for me, and I am forever grateful. 

There is the daily huddle with college friends, thanks to the Marco Polo video messaging app. This crew is vital for the spontaneous huddle. Wherever I was, whatever time of day or night, they were there to listen, and respond. Through this huddle, I could privately cry, but not be alone in that moment. 

My mom is key to the doctor’s appointment huddle.  It’s important to have the right combination of experience for these particular kinds of huddles. Doctor’s appointment huddles don’t always feel like the patient is on the same team with the medical care providers. It can sometimes feel like us against them. That’s not the vibe you want for life threatening medical events. My mom was my co-captain in these huddles. She and I planned our questions for the doctors beforehand, executed them in the moment, and regrouped afterwards to process. While I ultimately made a decision that she struggled to support, delaying treatment when the doctor said it was ok, she did not leave the huddle. Huddles can be challenging. 

And then there is the family huddle, with unconditional group hugs and vital honest reflection with and from my husband and son. The morning after I read that life-changing report my husband asked me how I was doing. My response: “I’m alive, so I guess I’m good”. Our teenage son was always willing to give a hug when asked, but preferred to avoid too much huddling. For huddles to be most effective, participant preferences should be identified and respected. Then, when the huddles happen, they’re most meaningful.

Huddles are also important tools for identifying strengths and challenges for the various team members. Some people shine in the huddle; others fade away. My husband, for instance, really stepped up. He’s used to waiting in the wings in our family huddles, and unlikely to be called into service in a “major league” kinda way. Over the 4+ months from my diagnosis, through eventual surgery, and past my recovery, he was on pointe.  When all was said and done though, he needed some time to himself, to recuperate and recharge. Being on a team, especially in a high stress environment, can be exhausting.  

In August 2023 I had surgery to insert a pipeline embolization stent to support my left carotid artery just past the ophthalmic branch. The procedure was done through angiogram technology, which thankfully meant no need to open my skull. The stent was snaked into my wrist, through my chest, and up into my brain.  Recovery was minor, by comparison to other surgeries, but not without lingering effects. 

I’ve been on blood thinning medication since surgery. I can’t play volleyball while on this medication. There is considerable risk of minor head injury while playing volleyball. And while on blood thinners there is no such thing as ”minor” head injury. I hope that some test I’m having in the next few weeks will mean that I can stop the medication later this month. At that time, I’ll be cleared to play volleyball again.

It’s been just over 6 months since I’ve played volleyball. This limitation has caused me considerable sadness. You could say I’ve been “sidelined” but not completely been off the court. I’ve coached and officiated since the surgery, and watched plenty of my son’s games, but not yet played. Returning to the volleyball court to play will be a momentous occasion that I will be sure to celebrate. But it’s not just action on the court that I’ll be thankful for. I may have been part of thousands of team huddles over my 48 years on this planet, but I will never take another huddle for granted. They’re just too important to sport, and life.

Green Space & The City

By Filed Under: Featured Story, Park Slope Life

In a densely populated city like NYC, green spaces are a limited resource. Sera Rogue wants to change that by cultivating green spaces through her sustainable landscape design and holistic gardening studio, Red Fern Brooklyn. Rogue and her team create and install custom-designed gardens to fit your unique needs. By using an ecologically-conscious approach, Red Fern Brooklyn believes stewardship and sustainability can grow in tandem in and around your home.

Red Fern: A Garden Design Studio Turning NYC Green 

The turn of a new season can spur excitement for a multitude of reasons for New Yorkers, especially during the transition into spring when the eagerness to be outside is palpably felt throughout the community. Many fantasize about being surrounded by nature, yet such spaces are a limited resource in our urban city. What if we could cultivate those spaces a bit closer to home and simultaneously use them to steward our own ecology? 

Sera Rogue couldn’t ignore this seed of a conundrum and her curiosities grew into the creation Red Fern Brooklyn, a sustainable landscape design and holistic gardening studio. As the owner and designer, Rogue seeks to connect her clients to our ecological system by offering design expertise, classes, and a variety of initiatives. 

Serving numerous locations throughout Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey, Red Fern Brooklyn offers garden design, installation, and maintenance along with other services to create and cultivate green spaces. Rogue brings her client’s visions to life alongside assistant designer, Finn Bellanger. Another team member, Shahrayer Shahamet, assists with gardening and manages Red Fern Brooklyn’s social media platforms while Kate Douglass helps with administrative work. 

After working in the area for over nine years, Rogue notes she’s leading the Red Fern Brooklyn team through a period of transition by focusing on initiatives to deal with climate change and increased sustainability. “Our first and foremost goal is to help people green their own properties and green their homes,” Rogue said, “to make usable spaces that are ecologically sound is what we’re all about.” 

The Red Fern Brooklyn team works to ensure each project is not only custom-designed to fit each client’s needs, but that their work will encourage each person to become a better steward of our ecology. It can often be easy to lose a connection to nature while navigating through the flurry of an urban city. Rogue believes awareness of our ecology is crucial to understand how we can better steward the earth we inhabit. 

As we grow in awareness and knowledge of the current state of the earth, feelings of hopelessness to alter the situation can definitely arise. However, Rogue doesn’t dismiss the daunting reality of climate change, rather, she wants to lean into how we can make choices that are less harmful and more nourishing for the earth.

“We can use our green spaces as a way for us, individually, to work with native plants to support our local fauna or develop a way to use our own waste through compost to make our gardens healthier,” Rogue said. 

Designing spaces with native plants is central to Red Fern Brooklyn’s initiatives to mitigate environmental problems and seek natural solutions. Native plants, as opposed to imported ones, use less water, thus conserving the resource. Additionally, the benefits of native plants extend to other species by feeding local pollinators like bees and butterflies while also providing seed and food for bird populations.  

Red Fern Brooklyn understands the constant upkeep of an ever-growing green project can be overwhelming to maintain. Thus, they offer a variety of services to support you and your project after installation. A few of the services include maintenance programs, care guides, and ongoing consultation. 

By blending her experience in the creative field of filmmaking with her love of nature, Rogue tells a story with each green space she creates. When she visits a site for the first time, her approach to assessing the space is twofold. Rogue checks the physical space for any potential issues such as problems with drainage or privacy concerns and turns urban idiosyncrasies we often perceive as negative into beneficial aspects of the design. 

Next, Rogue gets to know her clients on a personal level to ensure the space can match their lifestyle and uniquely fit their needs. She is able to envision the design by considering a variety of factors including the family profile of each client. Perhaps there are children in the household and a design feature could cater to specific activities they enjoy. Additionally, she considers the schedules of the family members and how they want to use the space. 

Furthermore, Rogue takes note of the client’s individual style and personality as inspiration for the green space design. Whether installing an edible garden, or a backyard oasis, Rogue says she wants to make a space more habitable, local, and functional. 

“As much as I love the outdoors and nature, I absolutely love meeting new people and living in such a vibrant, diverse city like New York, and getting to hear different people’s stories is very compelling to me,” Rogue said.

Over time, Rogue has shifted Red Fern Brooklyn’s focus to expand beyond simply creating beautiful spaces, to more of an ecological-centered approach. She seeks to combine the dynamism of our urban culture with a consciousness of our natural world in her work. “It has become not just about the aesthetic, the style, or the design aspect of things,” Rogue said, “but how can I use those things to help my community on a bigger level.” 

According to Rogue, cultivating green spaces is not only good for each person’s individual mental health, but also for our community at large. She dispels the notion that people are either born with or without a green thumb and instead believes that gardening is for everyone. For Rogue, connecting to nature is all about acknowledgement, regardless of our experience or location.

“…acknowledging where we can do better and also acknowledging our innate connection to the natural world,” Rogue said. “We’re not separate from it. We’re bonded inextricably to nature.” 

For more information on Red Fern Brooklyn’s upcoming classes and initiatives, visit their website at redfernbrooklyn.com or find them on instagram @red_fern_brooklyn. 

The Heart of Brooklyn: Park Slope Farmers Market

By Filed Under: Park Slope Eater, Park Slope Life

Open all weekends in all weather, the Grand Army farmer’s market is a neighborhood institution. GrowNYC Greenmarket Director and Park Slope resident Liz Carollo talks about why the Grand Army location is “the heart of Brooklyn” and offers advice for new customers and regulars.

“The actual space itself, bordering Prospect Park, across the street from the library, the museum, the Botanic Garden, the zoo, is truly the heart of Brooklyn,” Liz Carollo, GrowNYC’s Greenmarket Director, said. 

Carollo started her 18-year career with GrowNYC’s publicity team in Grand Army Plaza. Her first two seasons, she watched runners jog to pick up milk and eggs in the morning and come back in the afternoon with their families. There were strawberry shortcake eating contests, planting demonstrations, and harvest festival celebrations. One Park Slope resident volunteered his 40-year-old tractor for kids to climb in the middle of the plaza. 

“I spent those first two years getting to know Grand Army, the producers, the customers. It is such a special place,” Carollo said. Even though GrowNYC organizes 45 farmer’s markets across New York’s five boroughs, Carollo moved across the street from Grand Army and considers it her “home market.”

GrowNYC is an independent environmental nonprofit that has operated for over five decades. Six years in, starting in 1976, the founders recognized a missing link between farmers who had trouble finding buyers and New York residents with limited access to good produce in the city. 

GrowNYC’s mission is to make fresh food accessible year-round to New York City residents. The greenmarkets operate year-round, and the markets stay open every weekend through heat, rain, and snow. 

The greenmarkets also stayed open through the pandemic. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the greenmarkets received essential worker status from the city. Due in part to the large outdoor location, the Grand Army farmer’s market established three entrance lines and socially distant stands for customers to access with proper safety protocols. 

Bradley Farm

“We had customers show up in tears because they didn’t want to go inside to shop anywhere. They were scared,” Carollo said. 

In a city-wide quarantine, the Grand Army Plaza Market offered a place for people to see their neighbors or other people outside their household in asafe,  outdoor, socially distant setting. 

“It was an incredible experience I hope to not repeat,” Carollo said.

Today, the Grand Army greenmarket follows its founders’ mission to bring high quality produce, meats, and other foods to the city’s neighborhoods. Each weekend is planned up to a year in advance. GrowNYC assigns spaces to vendors, or producers, who grow, raise, or bake their own products. Producer applications for the next season open around Thanksgiving, and GrowNYC assigns producers their farmer’s market spaces for the following year at the end of February. 

Producers resubmit their crop plans annually, even if they have come to Grand Army for years. The application asks what, when, and how much producers plan to make as well as when they plan to harvest it. These producers live within 250 miles north, 120 miles south, and 170 miles east and west of New York City.

“You have farmers who are coming in from South Jersey, so you get those early spring crops right away, and then you have farmers who are coming in from upstate New York, so it’s an extensive season on the other side. When you have a market like that, where you have producers that come from within the Green Market region, which is about a 200-mile radius around Poughkeepsie, you get a very wide range of products, and you take advantage of the seasonality of the region,” Carollo said. 

There’s also an inspections and compliance team who review the items to make sure they are up to the quality GrowNYC expects. There are regional managers and on-site supervisors who ensure smooth day-of operations to make the farmer’s market a “calm, lovely morning for customers who arrive as we open at eight.” 

“If we’re doing our job well,  people show up and think it’s a spontaneous pop-up,” Carollo said.  

Whether you’re new to the Grand Army farmer’s market or consider yourself a regular, here are the best tips to spending your weekends in “the heart of Brooklyn”: 

Dress for the weather. Again, the farmer’s market will be open in all weather conditions. Make sure you’re also prepared. 

Fresh Radish Farm

Bring a reusable bag. The farmer’s market is BYOB: bring your own bags. As part of its sustainability mission, GrowNYC doesn’t allow vendors to distribute plastic handled bags. 

Take a lap. Before you buy anything, browse all the stands. Are there any that stand out to you from a distance that you would like to check out? Any unexpected items you’re curious about? What is available today? 

Another tip? GrowNYC doesn’t regulate the prices of the stands, so two stands might have different prices for similar produce. Compare quality and prices between stands. 

Be open-minded and flexible with your expectations. You won’t know what is available until you arrive. If you want to make a tomato recipe in February, you’ll have to pivot when you realize no famers will have tomatoes until the summer. 

Farmer’s market regulars may know cucumbers and eggplants grow in the summer and apples come in autumn, but they should also stay open-minded as the seasons change. “As it gets warm, there was an expectation that the summer produce has arrived, or even the spring produce…For the farmers, they’re just going in the ground, the farm just thawed,” Carollo said. 

(Carollo’s produce recommendation for this spring transition? “You get these really, really tasty greens that have been in the ground all winter. You could either get bitter greens, or they get an added sweetness to them.”) 

Ask questions. This may seem intimidating if you’ve never been to a farmer’s market before, but interacting directly with the person who grew, raised, or baked the item you purchased is an asset. 

The most common questions people ask farmers, the information desk, or other shoppers is “What is the best way to cook this?” Producers eat whatever they produce, so they will have recommendations for how to best prepare and serve whatever you might buy. 

Customers can also ask producers what is happening on the farm, what they expect to grow in the coming weeks, and what other products they are excited about. Producers may try new things on their farms. A long-running tomato farmer might also sell a new homemade tomato sauce. “The producers are trying to innovate and serve the customer better,” Carollo said. Asking questions leads to new recommendations, new products, and new techniques to carry home with your tote full of produce. 

Talk to other shoppers. Start a conversation with a person that’s looking at the same honey jar as you. What else did they buy today that you should check out? And where did they get that cider donut? Be open to sharing what you discovered and what recipes you might have, too!

Go to the information tent. The information tent has all the answers and is present at every GrowNYC greenmarket. They can assist in questions from how to best prepare fennel, what local restaurants they recommend, or what vendors and produce might come in the next few weeks. A bonus? They may do a cooking demonstration or events at the information tent, making it worth your while to stop by each week. 

Use your nutrition benefits. Cost can be a barrier to fresh food for people with limited financial resources. GrowNYC provides a space where people of all income levels can purchase fresh food. They accept nutrition benefits from SNAP, WIC, FMNP, Health Bucks, HealthFirst, and Humana OTC. SNAP customers who shop at a farmer’s market receive $2 in HealthBucks for every $2 spent on their EBT card, up to $10 a day. 

Customers enrolled in these programs can approach the information tent to receive paper or wooden tokens to use directly at vendor stands. In 2023, customers across New York City accessed $4.3 million to use at greenmarkets, and Grand Army did 5,000 SNAP EBT transactions, equaling $155,000 in sales, and accessed $54,000 in HealthBucks. 

“Grand Army is a location that is perfect for food access and for customers who are shopping on all income levels to be able to purchase fresh local foods,” Carollo said. 

Support your local farmer’s market through GrowNYC. Though these farmer’s markets feel integral to their neighborhoods, GrowNYC is not a government-affiliated program. It is an independent nonprofit. If you love the farmer’s market, consider supporting their operations through a donation of your time or other resources. For more information about how you can get involved, please visit their website at https://www.grownyc.org/ 

A New Joint in Town for the Creative Soul

By Filed Under: Park Slope Life

The ShapeShifter Lab is open in their new location, and that means music, yoga, art and much more.

The 1970s music scene in the lofts of SoHo has been replaced by high end apartments and retail, but the energy of that era is still thumping at ShapeShifter Lab in Park Slope. Business partners Matt Garrison and Fortuna Sung have made a career of supporting artists and creating experimental, collaborative spaces.  

Matt grew up in the Soho loft scene in the early 1970s. His parents were artists; his mother, Roberta Escamilla Garrison, a modern dancer/choreographer and his father, Jimmy Garrison, a bass player most notable for his work with the classic John Coltrane Quartet. His mother bought a loft, for pennies on the dollar at the time, and put on shows and performances inside their home.  

Matt and Fortuna opened ShapeShifter Lab in 2010, but their friendship dates back much farther. They met at high school in Rome, Italy where both of their families, each with their own fascinating stories, relocated for a time.  

Business partners Matt Garrison (left) and Fortuna Sung (right). Photography by Michael Torres

Years passed; they lost touch. Fortuna became an interior designer and Matt followed his father’s footsteps and became a bass player, himself. They reconnected in Japan while Matt was on tour, and Fortuna learned he had relocated to New York City. She was ready for a change and decided to visit. Her trip was supposed to be 4 days long, but upon arrival she unpacked and moved in.  

This wasn’t an unfamiliar motif in their lives. When Matt’s family went to Rome, it was for a 3-month stay that turned into 10 years for him. His mother still resides in Rome, today. 

Fortuna and Matt began hunting down different spaces and nontraditional buildings to house their vision. They wanted to build a creative laboratory.  

They found this in their Gowanus space, where they operated for 10 years. They started out as a music venue, but began hosting events such as recitals, mitzvahs, workshops, music lessons, and even weddings. Hosting these private events helped them make enough money to support their initial goal of supporting artists who lacked the following and profitability of sold-out  shows.  

 Saying “YES!” to all artists has come with its misfires, but none they can’t laugh about now.  When they first opened their doors, their initial booking agreement was 2 pages long. Now it’s 15.  

Their AC has been busted by fog machines, their space has been spray-painted mid-show, and  their stage has even been set on fire.  

One artist took to the stage completely naked aside from the food they arranged on their body, which they invited the audience to eat off of them. This performance was not a favorite of the NYC Health Department. 

ShapeShifter Lab now occupies the former location of the Tea Lounge, a Park Slope landmark that has significant meaning to the pair. Matt used to bring his kids to the Tea Lounge to hang out and listen to music. It’s also where Matt and Fortuna met regularly with their liquor license attorney to prepare for their original Gowanus location.  

They kept the Tea Lounge in mind as they created their new space, which houses The ShapeShifter Café. It’s a huge, open, inviting space with plenty of room to work, relax, and even sit in on rehearsals if you’re there at the right time. They’ve got homemade chai, a stocked bar, and plenty of spaces to gather and get creative.

 The ShapeShifter Café is open from 8AM – 3PM weekdays, and 9AM – 4PM on the weekends. 

The building at 837 Union Street itself is black-owned, and their lease was as meaningful to  ShapeShifter Lab as it was to the building owners.

They’ve continued to grow their business in their new space with yoga and dance offerings. The dance program will be overseen by Matt’s sister, professional dancer and choreographer, Maia Claire Garrison.  

Their new location comes complete with a beautiful studio upstairs for yoga and dance classes.

 Everyone that works at ShapeShifter Lab is an artist or musician – baristas, bartenders, interns and all.  

ShapeShifter Lab offers internships and training in recording, production, performance, event planning, and more. This summer, they had 18 interns on rotation. Many graduate from their internships to work for part or full-time for them. 

Among their many internship offerings is their audio engineer training program.
Photography by Matt Garrison

If you’re interested in internships, reach out on their website.  

They’re passionate exploring technology in the music industry. They even developed an app that ultimately caught the eye of Apple CEO, Tim Cook. They’ve worked closely with Apple in developing and marketing their software. Their app, TuneBend™, allows musicians to play, collaborate, and even record tracks together from different locations. 

In 2014, Matt and Fortuna launched ShapeShifter Plus, their non-profit 501(c)(3) that supports art of all disciplines. This allowed them to accept charitable donations while continuing to support young artists looking for spaces to perform or present their crafts.  

In October 2022, ShapeShifter+ partnered with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) to put on an outdoor festival in Fort Greene Park honoring Grammy-winner Jack DeJohnette.  

Matt’s network within the music industry has helped secure big names for fundraising events.  He even plays bass alongside the headliners, many of which he has performed with throughout his career. While recovering from the pandemic, they put on sold-put shows with the likes of Dave Holland, Jason Moran, Jon Batiste, John DeJohnette, Savion Glover, Living Colour, Carlos Santana, Cindy Blackman, Roy Wood Jr and many others. 

You can find Matt playing bass at ShapeShifter Lab’s free weekly workshops and jam sessions. Musicians of all ages and skill levels are invited to come play and learn.  

Check out all upcoming events on their ShapeShifter Plus website, such as live music, yoga &  dance classes, film screenings, fundraising events, volunteer opportunities, and artistic  performances of all kinds.