May 2013
8 posts
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Now Harvesting: Asparagus
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) Samascott Orchards
Harvested: Late April 2013
|Learn|
Asparagus was used in recipes dating as far back as third-century AD, and many societies identified ways of preserving it for consumption during colder seasons.
|Cultivate|
Asparagus is a perennial and one of the earliest producing spring vegetables. It can be easily grown from the crowns or roots and...
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Where you can find Plovgh producers
Here are some of the folks sourcing directly from producers who are organizing with Plovgh. If you’re looking for the first of the spring crops or eggs gathered within hours of reaching the city, stop in to find products from some of these farms.
Brooklyn Kitchen - Williamsburg, NY
Cleaver Co. - Chelsea, NY
Foragers City Grocer - DUMBO & Chelsea, NY
Greene Grape Provisions - Fort...
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Meet the producers
A growing coalition of producers are beginning to sign up around the country to participate in Plovgh routes. If you’re interested in finding out more about how to join up, get in touch with us and we can let you know about routes that are being activated near you.
Acorn Hill Farm - Walker Valley, NY
Adirondack Grazers Cooperative - New York/Vermont
Aqua Vita Farms - Sherrill, NY
Black...
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Now Harvesting: Rhubarb
Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) Good Fence Farm
Harvested: Early May 2013
When it comes to rhubarb it seems that people either love it or hate it. It struggles with its self-identity; vegetable or fruit? Sweet or savory? And though this spring has been slow to arrive, pushing the anticipated harvest time back a few weeks, we’re happy to say that time is here.
|Learn|
The Chinese have...
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Now Harvesting: Ramps
Ramps (Allium tricoccum)
Lucky Dog Farm
Harvested: May 2013
The ramp, also known as the wild leek, is the alliums’ herald of spring. It is a fleeting introduction to a new season and a foraged onion that has the ability to throw people into a frenzy.
|Learn|
Wild ramps have close ties with the folklore of the central Appalachian Mountains. In the region, they have long...
I feel like there is a great need for small distributors. There are plenty of small farms and artisan food makers creating high quality products, and a huge base of customers who want desperately to buy these products and support these people in their craft. From what I have seen, farmers are extremely stretched for time trying to grow their produce, then also pack, transport, market and...
April 2013
6 posts
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On Lucky Dog Farm, up in the Catskills, the crew has been waiting on the warm weather to begin planting in the fields. While some farms have gotten an early start growng a selection of crops indoors in preparation for this season, their normal schedule for transplanting them into the field had been postponed. This spring has been taking it’s time, unlike last year when the warm weather...
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Farm -> City in NYC
I’ll be darned if I get another plastic bin of anonymous spinach that’s a little sopped from its journeys. The more you think about it, the more you want greens that are full of life. And if you want lively greens, they’d better not spend very much time out of the field. So, go to Foragers Market, Greene Grape Provisions, and Rose Water this week to find crops that got to the...
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Transporter Spotlight: Clancy's Transportation...
Ah, the food system. It’s a mess, huh? Seems like farms, trucking companies, commodity brokers, even retailers that get to gargantuan scale really muck things up for everyone else. That’s why we’re excited to bring small businesses like Matthew Clancy’s into the Plovgh network. Have a look at this local transporter who got your crops into your neighborhood this week.
...
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WatchIn recognition of the transition of seasons, we thought it would be appropriate to get hands on with some of the crops that we think best establish the beginning of spring on both the east coast and the west coast. Learn more about some old and new favorites now being harvested, and cast your vote on which you can’t wait to try.
Buddha’s Hand Citron, also known as bushukan, is a...
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Transporter Spotlight: Mark Jaffe of The Fresh...
We’d like to extend a hearty welcome to Mark, who drives his first Plovgh route today, connecting farms’ harvest with New York City. We met Mark through Slow Food NYC and we’re excited to fuel the movement of harvest from source to city.
Transporter’s name: Mark Jaffe, The Fresh Connection
Homebase: New York City
Years in operation: 1
What do you do? The Fresh...
March 2013
2 posts
5 tags
Finding Food in the Desert
Last week the Plovgh team reconvened in Downtown Las Vegas. Aside from time spent brainstorming and strategizing, we had a chance to check out all of the projects and businesses that are beginning to grow and reshape the culture in the neighborhood. There is a unique energy there and the innovative community of folks who are taking part in the transformation are cultivating a more vibrant and...
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Connectivity
One reason we are building Plovgh is to re-connect people with the source of their food. Drawing on the relationships that once linked producers and consumers, we are leveraging technology to shift the current agricultural transaction and change how the supply chain operates.
The soil food web outlined above with the help of Dr. Elaine Ingham and the folks behind the Lexicon of...
February 2013
6 posts
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Wool from the source
The warmth of wool moves from one to another through a careful, methodical practice.
A few of us went up North and visited a sheep farm to watch and capture the shearing process. It was such an interesting and inspiring morning – being able to see where wool fibers come from and what’s involved in gathering it up. I now have a deeper appreciate for the yarn that I work with and feel more...
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“When food, in the minds of eaters, is no longer associated with farming and with...”
– The Pleasures of Eating, Wendell Berry 1989
Reblogged from pluralistfarmer
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We’re psyched to be part of a growing group of companies who are rethinking traditional systems and developing better ways of doing business. It’s encouraging to see the response we’ve gotten from people all over the country who are ready for change and want to participate. Dwolla is shifting perceptions of how money can be exchanged and we plan to do the same for how food moves...
January 2013
2 posts
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WatchDaniel Klein and Mirra Fine are the team behind an online documentary series known as The Perennial Plate. In their adventures to seek out real food - and the people who grow, produce and prepare it - Daniel and Mirra give a voice to those who are often not heard from in our food system today.
Their storytelling is “dedicated to socially responsible and adventurous eating”. It is more though than...
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December 2012
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A change for the better: Plovgh partners with...
There are two types of people in the world – those who wait for change to happen and those who make it happen. And as you might guess, we here at Plovgh aren’t in the business of waiting around.
We aren’t happy with the state of the food industry, and frankly, you shouldn’t be either: The sources are unknown, the producers are underpaid, and regenerative practices are too few. So we’re working...
November 2012
9 posts
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Talkin' Turkey
“With Thanksgiving fast approaching and stomachs growling for some homecookin’, we made a special trip upstate to talk turkey with Farmer Ryan of Fitzgerald Farms who provided Plovgh members with fresh birds this holiday season.
After the two-and-a-half hour drive, we arrived at High Falls Co-Op where Ryan works four days a week when not tending to his poultry. He greeted us downstairs...
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Tradition doesn't mean freezer aisle
We’re offering up a more lively tradition this Thanksgiving with turkeys from Fitzgerald Farms in Upstate New York. The turkeys, plucked just two days before delivery, are farm raised in an open-air environment and sustain a diet of all-natural and hormone-free feed from Connecticut Feed Co-Op. By the time of harvest, the birds will weigh a plump 15 pounds and can feed 10 to 12 hungry guests....
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A Collaborative Effort #sandyrelief
In the last two weeks there has been an incredible number of self-organized efforts that have emerged to bring support to some of the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy. Plovgh too felt the urgency to jump in and help in a way that we best know how - connecting farms and people.
We held our first Plovgh volunteer day last Sunday in the home kitchen of the Rose Water chefs, and...
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Vote to get food from farms
We’re once again mobilizing and soon we’ll be adding new distribution points in more neighborhoods. To make sure your neighborhood is on the ballot, nominate it below and get a Plovgh Pickup Point started near you. If you don’t see your neighborhood on the list simply add it and click “Ask”. The sooner a neighborhood gets to critical mass, the sooner they can...
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Sandy Relief Volunteer Opportunities
An enormous thank you to all the volunteers who came out to help cook and distribute meals to Coney Island and the Rockaways! We couldn’t have done it without you. Also, thank you to everyone who has signed up so far to lend a hand - your enthusiasm and support has been amazing. Below you will find a list of resources for food-related relief efforts.
If you would like to receive updates...
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Farms, Food and Sandy
It’s hard to comprehend how things could feel so normal in some parts of the city while just miles away our neighbors are hungry, cold, and generally not okay. We are relieved to say that upstate farms that bore the brunt of Irene last year fared well in Sandy from a damage perspective. However, the cruelty of the storm is such that many of those farms rely on downstate markets to sell...
October 2012
8 posts
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Currently Seeking: Operations Intern
Got a mind for operations? Like the idea of reconfiguring the flow of goods from producers to consumers? Have an opinion about the term “supply chain”? If so, send an email describing your qualifications to elizabeth@plovgh.com.
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Currently Seeking: Social Media Intern
At Plovgh we’re rethinking commerce. We’re building a platform for a community of people to produce, trade, and move crops from farms directly to individuals. As we grow and prepare for the next stage of Plovgh, we’re searching for people to help support the team in areas of social media, marketing and producer recruitment.
Intern responsibilities will include but are not limited...
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Get on the map
Below is a snapshot of where Plovgh members are beginning to organize. Do you see your neighborhood or city or borough on the map? No? Well, here’s where to get started.
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If not Plovgh, then...?
While we’ve been on hiatus we have been wondering where you’ve been seeking out your farm sourced goods? Are you nearing the end of your CSA share? Have you been waiting in long lines at Whole Foods? Maybe you’ve been spending your Saturday mornings at the farmer’s market or weeknights scouring through the vegetable choices (or lack thereof) at your local grocer. Let us...
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SXSW Eco: Startup Showcase
We’re stoked to be heading to Austin tomorrow for SXSW Eco. If you’ll be there for the conference you can check us out at the Startup Showcase. For those of you not able to make it you can follow us along on Instagram or Twitter. There will also be speakers and keynotes streaming live here or you can get updates via the Twitter hashtag #SXSWEco.
A Closer Look: Startup Showcase...
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Preserving herbs
Lemon Basil from Brooklyn Grange
Preserving doesn’t have to be just another coping mechanism for dealing with the end of summer produce. It’s not unusual to be guilty of buying too much parsly for a recipe and then finding it days later spoiled in your fridge. As this video tip from Chow demonstrates it can also be a good way to prevent waste.
Photo credit: The Kitchn
Freezing...
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September 2012
10 posts
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A Snapshot of SXSW Eco Sessions to Check Out
Next week Plovgh is headed to Austin for SXSW Eco. The conference, now in it’s second year, was started to help move the many conversations surrounding sustainability toward progressive solutions. We’ll be there to participate in the Startup Showcase, but there are plenty of panels and discussions that we are psyched to see. The following is just an overview of some of the talks we plan to check...
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The weekly question
We are starting fresh and bringing back our Urtak survey. Each week we’ll be asking a new question that will cover a variety of topics, from how you choose your produce to where you seek out your news. Conversation requires collaboration after all, so don’t hesitate to share what you’re thinking and submit questions yourself.
Q: Do you care about having a connection with the farm that produces...
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What's in a label?
Farm assurance can come in different forms with varying guidelines and fundamentals. What seems to remain constant among farms applying for certification is that they often do so because it indicates that the crops, livestock and other agricultural products they grow, raise or produce are done so in a manner that adheres to standards which imply a level of quality. In addition to quality...
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Farm level: NOFA-NY update on late blight in...
In a recent announcement from NOFA, there has been an increase in new locations reporting late blight in the Northeast this season.
In the past week there have been eight new reports of late blight in NY and the New England States, several in counties where late blight had not yet been reported this season. A common theme in these reports is that plants looked fine one day and were heavily...
