Tuesday, July 21, 2026

GrowNYC Education: Seasonal Eating, New Team Member, and more!


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July

Seasonal Food and Seasonal Eating

Seasonal eating in New York is an annual reminder that good food is worth waiting for. The farms surrounding the city are hitting their stride. After months of root vegetables, storage crops, and hardy greens, summer brings a remarkable shift: sweet strawberries, tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes, fragrant basil, crisp lettuces, zucchini, peaches, and sweet corn. Choosing seasonal, local produce also has an impact beyond your plate.

  • Foods aren't just more enjoyable when they're in season—they're often fresher, more flavorful, and more nutritious.

  • Whether you are growing in your own backyard, in a community or school garden, or sourcing from a local farmer, locally grown produce travels shorter distances and is harvested closer to peak ripeness.

  • Purchasing directly from regional farmers helps preserve farmland, strengthens local economies, and supports the people growing our food.

  • At a farmers market, you can ask how a crop was grown, what varieties are at their peak, or even the best way to prepare something unfamiliar. Understanding where your food comes from is one of the simplest ways to build a more sustainable and informed relationship with what you eat.

Fortunately, summer makes eating seasonally easy. GrowNYC's forty-five Greenmarkets are overflowing with the Northeast's best harvests, and the freshest ingredients require very little intervention. A bowl of berries with cream, grilled summer squash with olive oil and lemon, thick slices of watermelon, or a perfectly ripe tomato with flaky salt are reminders that when produce is at its peak, simple preparations are often the most satisfying.

Find more information and check out recipes in the links below:

New Assistant Director of GrowNYC Education


Meet our new Assistant Director of GrowNYC Education, Emma Taliaferro! In this role, Emma will provide senior-level leadership and oversight of our education portfolio ensuring the successful execution of our program goals and objectives; she will also help strengthen cross-functional collaboration and enhance our partnerships with external stakeholders.

Emma comes to us with a wealth of experience managing urban agriculture and environmental education programs. She has a scientific research background and transitioned to environmental education more than seven years ago, drawn to work that connects people with the natural world and empowers communities to take meaningful action. She is a Certified Master Beekeeper, and although she does not currently manage honeybee hives, she enjoys growing native flowers for pollinators and exploring green spaces both in and out of New York City with a coffee in hand. Please join us in welcoming Emma to the GrowNYC Education team!

Program Update: GrowNYC School Gardens


Students and educators are taking their summer break but some school gardens are hitting their peak! Keep up with maintenance, harvest the fruits of your labor, and don’t forget to water. If you need guidance on what else to tackle in the garden until school begins in September, look through our A Year In The Life of A School Garden for additional tasks and tips. Enjoy the bounty the summer brings to your garden!

Planning ahead for the school year and are interested in creating a school garden? Our team of School Garden Coordinators are here to help you brainstorm and plan for a garden program —all free of charge! Now is a perfect time to discuss options for next school year.

Email schoolgardens@grownyc.org to be connected with a School Gardens Coordinator. We excited to help you dream and plan for the next school year!

Program Update: GrowNYC Youth Workforce Development


This week, we welcomed 15 interns into our GrowNYC Youth Workforce Development Internship! We wasted no time and jumped right into it taking field trips to Sky Farm LIC and Newtown Creek Alliance. Interns got their hands dirty at the GrowNYC Teaching Garden and became more familiar with the Greenmarket team, community members, and vendors at the Dag Hammarskjöld Greenmarket.

This summer, we also welcomed back a member of our alumi, Emma Jewel, as our Program Assistant! Emma Jewel was a part of our 2024 cohort and was hired on this summer to help mentor new interns.

  • From the this summer’s cohort, “We can't wait to learn more from each other and engage more deeply with a variety of agricultural and environmental organizations across the city throughout the next six weeks!”

  • Learn more about our Youth Workforce Development Internship here.

Program Update: GrowNYC Teaching Garden


  • Visit the GrowNYC Teaching Garden during the summer! The garden is open to the public on weekends May through October from 12pm to 4pm.

  • Weekend public programming includes self-guided tours, a donation-based farm stand, family friendly activities, workshops, wellness events, arts and crafts, and so much more.

  • Find more information here.

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