BY Eileen Z. Fuentes
On Tuesday July 6, 2010, Columbia University Medical Center demonstrated its commitment to our community’s health and well being by collaborating with Greenmarket to bring fresh locally grown produce right to our neighborhood. The Fort Washington Greenmarket will take place every Tuesday through November from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and will be located on Fort Washington Avenue between 168th and 169th streets. I was there mostly to shop for my own SOUL (Seasonal Organic Unprocessed and Local) food items, but also to personally thank the actual farmers for their efforts and for supporting the health of our residents. When it comes to these fruits and vegetables, a little definitely goes a long way as these items were dirt-cheap and I got the prettiest, most colorful and tastiest varieties available! I not only witnessed some very easy to prepare food demonstrations, I also sampled many of the items for sale and grabbed giveaways and informative handouts in both English and Spanish loaded with simple tips to improve diet and lifestyle habits. So let’s unite and do what Michael Pollan, author/food expert said and “let’s vote with our forks” because ultimately you will be supporting yourself, our local farmers and the environment as a whole by taking part in this very-exciting labor of love.
