Queens County Farm Museum and Northwell Health Launch Farm Stand Education Program
Queens County Farm Museum and Northwell Health are excited to announce their second annual Farm to Table Wellness Program. The Farm to Table Wellness Program provides free culinary education and encourages the community to prepare and enjoy nutritious meals fresh from the field. The farmstand program will begin on Wednesday, June 19th from 11am-1pm and continue monthly through October (starting the 2023 event. Photo courtesy of Queens County Farm Museum)
FLORAL PARK, NY — Queens County Farm Museum and Northwell Health are excited to announce their second Farm to Table Wellness Program. The Farm to Table Wellness Program provides free culinary education and encourages the community to prepare and enjoy nutritious meals made with fresh ingredients from the field. The farmstand program will begin on Wednesday, June 19th from 11am-1pm and will run monthly through October. Each day will feature a new health and wellness theme.
• Wednesday, June 19: Pediatric Health
• Wednesday, July 10: Heart Health
• Wednesday, August 14: Diabetes
• Wednesday, September 11: Stress Management
• Wednesday, October 9: Women’s Health
Each program date will feature a Northwell Health pop-up teaching kitchen utilizing fresh produce from the Queens County Farm Museum, where visitors can learn about the role a nutritious diet plays in personal health. In addition to these cooking demonstrations, the programs will also feature free recipes, games, giveaways and health tips curated by Northwell Health’s Food and Nutrition Services team.
Free delicious, nutritious recipes created by Northwell Health’s team of professional chefs will showcase seasonal fruits and vegetables from the Queens County Farm Museum. Free nutrition coaching from Northwell’s team of registered dietitians will also be available in the rural setting of the historic farm. Produce highlights will showcase local, seasonal produce that participants can take home after learning how to best prepare late summer and early fall crops. By sharing fresh food and nutrition education, the collaborative program aims to promote health equity and empower New Yorkers to make informed choices about healthy eating.
On June 19 at 11 a.m., the Queens County Farm Museum will kick off its Farm-to-Table Wellness Program, sponsored by Northwell Health, with a full program.
• Long Island Jewish Medical Center Executive Chef Sonny Rios will host field-fresh produce cooking classes at 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. in the dynamic kitchen adjacent to the Farm Stand. Award-winning Chef Rios comes to the program with nearly 25 years of experience in the culinary field.
• Registered dietitians Marianne Glickbauer and Armin Kahn will offer tips and advice to help visitors learn how to transform fresh produce into memorable, healthy, home-cooked meals. Visitors will learn about the types of produce available and how to use fresh foods to foster a healthier lifestyle.
• Provide a fun opportunity for visitors to experience healthy, fresh, farm-grown foods through free recipes, giveaways, games and more.
Excited to be part of this year’s effort are team members from Northwell Health’s network of community health facilities.
• Manuel Rios III, Executive Chef, Sonny; Armin Kahn, Nutrition Manager; and Marian Glickbauer, Nutrition Manager, Long Island Jewish Medical Center
• William Doherty, Executive Chef; Ruth Musella, Director of Food and Dining Services; Pamela Bonney, Manager of Nutrition, Huntington Hospital
• Luz Elena Valencia Penagos, clinical nutrition program manager, North Shore University Hospital
• Russell Ficke, executive chef, Cleopatra Tzanis Tsirnikas, dietitian, Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital
• Ambika Chawla, vice president of nutrition services at Northwell, and Tara Taliercio, program manager for system food and nutrition services at Northwell.
Event begins in 2023. Photo courtesy of Queens County Farm Museum
The Queens County Farm Museum grows over 200 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and produces its own honey and eggs. Queens County Farm Museum produce is Certified Natural and grown using regenerative and sustainable agricultural practices without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. As the longest continuously operating farm in New York City, the site dates back to 1697 and continues agricultural and cultural traditions by providing fresh, locally grown produce to New Yorkers. The Queens County Farm Museum is a leader in hyper-local food in New York City, offering an abundance of produce straight from the fields at its on-site farm stand from spring through fall. The on-site farm stand will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm until November 17, 2024.
The Farm-to-Table Wellness Program is an initiative born out of a groundbreaking five-year partnership between Northwell Health and Queens County Farm Museum announced in October 2022. In this strategic alliance, Queens County Farm Museum will offer more than 325 years of agriculture plus robust educational programs, public events, local food initiatives and farm stand excellence. Northwell Health, New York State’s largest private employer and health care provider, will offer health and wellness expertise, including registered dietitians who are experts in using nutritious foods to promote community health and disease management. Northwell’s more than 20 food-as-health initiatives include food distribution events, supermarket tours, community gardens, healthy corner store programs, rigorous research and innovative interventions. The Farm-to-Table Wellness Program will provide the next generation of New Yorkers with the opportunity to learn from both historic institutions in an interactive and engaging historical environment.
This collaboration comes at a time when New York is growing into a greener, healthier place to live, work and raise children. Northwell Health continues its leadership in public health by participating in more than 13,000 community health programs and training 39,000 health professionals each year, committing more than $2.4 billion annually to benefit communities.
“Farm-fresh food is a vital resource for all New Yorkers, as communities with ample access to locally grown ingredients are better positioned to make healthier dietary choices,” said David Hughes, executive director of the Queens County Farm Museum. “We’re pleased to partner with Northwell in this effort to raise awareness about how food is grown and how it impacts health.”
“Northwell is pleased to continue our partnership with the Queens County Farm Museum,” said Debbie Salas-Lopez, MD, MPH, senior vice president of community and population health at Northwell Health. “This educational initiative highlights the importance and health benefits of preparing meals with fresh fruits and vegetables. The goal of this collaboration is to promote a blueprint for healthy eating in our community.”
“Now in our second year, this collaboration embodies our shared commitment to the health of our community,” said Sven Gearinger, Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer. “By combining fresh, locally grown produce with nutrition education and cooking demonstrations, we not only promote healthier lifestyles, but also support local agriculture. Together, we are sowing the seeds of a healthier future!”
For more information, visit queensfarm.org/farmstand and queensfarm.org/farm-to-table.
–Andrea Mineo, Northwell Health & Hayden Reece-Cubas, Queens County Farm Museum
