Master Gardeners Give Advice at Hudson Valley Hospital Center Farmer’s Market Series

Thanks to the Hudson Valley Hospital Center for submitting this information.

  Cortlandt Manor, NY - (July 26, 2012) – Are your tomatoes cracking? Are your zinnias mildewed? Get some advice from the experts on July 31 when master gardeners volunteers from the Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Westchester will be at first in a series of farmer’s markets. 

Volunteer master gardeners David Liddie, Barbara Morton, Kelly Fischetti and Bill Peron will be on hand with advice, informational materials and soil pH test kits to help gardeners as part of Ask the Master Gardeners. Ask the Master Gardeners is one of the many community outreach services offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener Program, whose mission is to dispense research based information from Cornell to the gardening public. They also perform homeowner site visits, have a Speaker's Bureau, work in demonstration gardens and run a yearly Home Gardening lecture series from Jan.-June. You can visit www.cornell.edu/westchester for more info. 

Hudson Valley Hospital Center is continuing its healthy eating initiative by hosting the monthly market series. The first market will be held on July 31st from 11 AM to 4 PM.  The HVHC Farmer’s Market will be held once a month on Tuesdays, 7/31, 8/28, 9/25, 10/30, 11/20 from 11 AM – 4 PM in the parking lot fronting on Crompond Road/Route 202, near the Main Entrance to the hospital.  Free parking is available.

The farmer’s market series is an expansion of Hudson Valley Hospital Center’s Seeds for Health, an educational and therapeutic program for cancer patients and their families.  Seeds for Health launched in April 2012 with the opening of the Organic Garden for Healing, serving as the classroom for the program which stresses the importance of nutrition in healing and the therapeutic value of gardening in managing stress and reducing anxiety. HVHC’s Organic Garden for Healing is maintained by patients, employees, and members of the community.

The farmer’s market will feature produce grown by local farms, including Bracco Farms, W. Rogowski Farm, Continental Organics, Glynwood Farm, Hemlock Hill Farm, and farm-raised meats from Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center, and other gourmet items.  Staff from HVHC’s Nutrition and Education departments will also be on-hand with information to help integrate healthy eating practices into everyday life. 

“By offering this monthly series of farmer’s markets at our hospital we hope to encourage everyone to buy local, fresh produce and educate the community on how to maintain a nutritious, healthy diet” said John C. Federspiel, President of Hudson Valley Hospital Center.