Board of Directors
| Ruth
Negron-Gaines- President
Kevin McDonald
- Vice
President
The Nature
Conservancy
Charlotte
Biblow, Esq. - Secretary
Farrell Fritz, P.C. Albanese
Organization Inc.
Lennard
Axinn
Island Estates
Peter
Bogan
Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III SUNY College at Old
Westbury State University at Farmingdale Long Island Housing Partnership Citibank IBEW, Local 25 Amy Hagedorn Hagedorn Foundation North Shore - LIJ Health System
George O'Neill
Mitchell
H. Pally
Weber Law Group, LLP
Dr. Robert A. Scott Adelphi UniversityRon
Shiffman Pratt Institute
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Farmers' Market Project Partners
| Long Island Farm Bureau
Roosevelt Community Revitalization Group
NuHealth (Nassau Health Care Corporation)
The Greater Bellport Coalition
Suffolk County United Veterans
The Boys and Girls Club of the Bellport Area
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Food Equity Advisory Committee
| Community Partners
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Department of Family Medicine at Stony Brook University
Health and Welfare Council of Long Island
Hobbs Community Farm
Island Harvest
Long Island Cares
Long Island Farm Bureau
Slow Food Huntington
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Food Equity Supporters
| Angela and Scott Jaggar
Greater Bellport Coalition
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
Levitt Foundation
Long Island Community Foundation
Nassau County
Rauch Foundation
Senator Gillibrand
Suffolk County
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Greetings!
Despite the heat wave that has hit Long Island lately, we at Sustainable Long Island have felt as fresh as ever. Maybe it's because our two community-based youth-run farmers' markets have finally opened, providing fresh, healthy food to the communities of North Bellport, Roosevelt, and Long Island as a whole. In this month's newsletter we detail these projects and much more - so check it out! |
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Youth-Run Farmers' Markets United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joins Sustainable Long Island and The Long Island Farm Bureau for announcement of youth-run farmers' markets
Two Youth-Run Farmers' Markets Will Create Seasonal Jobs For
Local High School Students While Making More Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Available In Underserved Communities U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and
Congressman Tim Bishop joined Sustainable Long Island and the Long
Island Farm Bureau to launch a new seasonal jobs program for local
students in Roosevelt and North Bellport. The Community Youth Farmers'
Market program has created two youth-run farmers' markets, which provides seasonal jobs for local high school students while making more
fresh fruits and vegetables available in underserved communities. Senator Gillibrand is the first New
Yorker to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years,
and is helping lead the fight in the Senate to combat child obesity and
promote good health. "Obesity and diabetes rates are
reaching crisis proportions in our country and it is time to take
aggressive action," said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
"By improving access to fresh produce to communities across Long Island,
we can give people the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives,
save billions in health care costs, and create good-paying jobs." "These farmers' markets will provide
much-needed summer work for local youth and help underserved communities
enjoy the many benefits of fresh produce," said Congressman Tim
Bishop. "This program will be a model for improving access to
healthy fruits and vegetables throughout Long Island."
The USDA has found that 23.5 million
people in America lack access to a supermarket within a mile of their
home. Customers patronizing corner stores
often find retail prices as much as 49% higher for a selection of food
long on canned goods and short on fresh meat and produce. Many
communities on Long Island lack access to healthy and affordable food
for a number of reasons, including: limited availability of grocery
stores, inaccessibility of existing stores, high cost of healthy food
options, neighborhood safety and limited individual resources such as
time, income and transportation. Lack of access to healthy food can
lead to high rates of hunger or food insecurity, or conversely and more
prevalently, high incidence of diet-related diseases including obesity
and diabetes. To begin to address these problems
with tangible solutions, Sustainable Long Island has partnered with the
Long Island Farm Bureau and local partners to establish this program that
will bring fresh, nutritious foods to those communities that are
currently underserved by food retailers and markets. The markets will
provide jobs to local youth, give community members greater choice of
fresh produce and healthy food options, promote nutrition and education,
contribute to a sense of place, and boost the local and regional
economy. Simultaneously these markets will allow farmers to devote more
time to tending their farms rather than traveling back and forth,
spending time at the markets, making participating in community farmers
markets more appealing and financially sound for farmers.
"Access to health foods that are
affordable is essential to ensuring our residents are able to choose a
healthy lifestyle," said State Senator Brian X. Foley.
"The lack of supermarkets in some areas leads to a lack of healthy,
budget-friendly food options. I commend Sustainable Long Island and the
Long Island Farm Bureau for taking the initiative to create a program
that addresses this concern. But this program will do more than simply
feed our residents. It will employ local high school students, teaching
them business skills that they will be able to carry with them through
life."
"Improving the quality of life for
the residents in North Bellport is a top priority of my administration,"
stated Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko. "Our
support of Sustainable Long Island's Farmer's Market will be another
positive step toward change by providing healthier food alternatives for
families, and jobs for our young people. This program will make a
significant impact on a community that has been traditionally under
served by large supermarkets and food retailers." "I regret not being able to attend
today's event, but I do want to send the message that I will continue to
work with the Greater Bellport community to fully realize their vision
of which this Farmers Market is a part," said Brookhaven
Councilwoman Connie Kepert. "It has been my great pleasure to
work closely with the community every step of way, from the inception of
the visioning back in the Spring of 2006 to late last year when the
community came to me with a plan for the Farmers Market for which I was
able to secure $10,000 for their start up costs. I am always energized
by the community's dedication in revitalizing this area and am thrilled
about the well deserved attention their efforts are receiving today
with Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Bishop, Senator Foley and
Supervisor Lesko visiting this market."
The Pilot Project is a
youth-supported (and supportive) community farm stand and has two main
objectives: 1) establish two weekly markets which make locally grown
produce available to currently underserved communities and educates them
about the benefits of healthy eating, and 2) establishing young adult
entrepreneurial program in which high school students run market stalls
under the supervision of a market manager, learning basics of business,
customer service, nutrition and local agriculture. The goals of the pilot project are
to: - Expand the availability of fresh,
healthy food options in a underserved Long Island communities
- Provide jobs for local youth and
increase economic opportunity both for regional farmers and local young
adults
- Improve health and nutrition of
community members by providing an opportunity and incentive to purchase
fresh, healthy foods
- Educate the community about health,
nutrition, agriculture and about the food available in local retail
markets (delis, bodegas, supermarkets, etc.)
- Bring diverse people together -
Create a space in which community members can gather, socialize, get to
know one another - in essence build community capital
- Establish a creative semi-permanent
or seasonal re-use of an underutilized property within an underserved
community, bringing that space to life
- Teach young adults important
business skills, money handling, etc.
"The launch of these two markets
brings hope to these communities, along with countless others on Long
Island, that fresh, healthy, affordable food alternatives are
available," said Sarah Lansdale, Executive Director, Sustainable
Long Island. "No more will they have to settle for high fat,
sugar filled, greasy snacks and meals; they will now have what every
community and every person deserves: an option." "The best farmland preservation
program we know, is for farming to be profitable," stated Bob
Nolan. "We welcome marketing opportunities that allow the
public to access our produce and products and at the same time allows
our economic viability the market project with Sustainable LI is a win
win win for all Long Island." In addition, through these pilot
project markets, the Health and Welfare Council and NuHealth will be
able provide information on healthy eating, nutrition, supplemental
nutrition program information (SNAP and WIC), and other vital resources
to underserved communities. The Roosevelt and North Bellport
community farmers' markets will open on Sunday, July 11th Joining them were the Greater
Bellport Coalition, Suffolk County United Veterans, Boys and Girls Club
of the Bellport Area, Roosevelt Community Revitalization Group, Health
and Welfare Council, and the student participants. |
Turn a Value-Meal into a Meal-of-Value Long Islanders spread the word on the exciting project
Newsday - July 7, 2010:
Teen-staffed farm stands aim to boost healthy eating
Standing in
scorching temperatures nearly
hot enough to cook the vegetables in front of them, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and a host of local officials launched teenager-staffed
farm stands they hope will boost local agriculture and encourage healthy
eating. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said Wednesday she will seek $100,000 in
federal funding for the project, which will have teenagers from Bellport and Roosevelt selling produce on Sundays starting this weekend through the end of
October. The stands - on Montauk Highway
in North Bellport
and on Nassau Road in Roosevelt
- are expected to sell 300 pounds of corn, squash, cabbage, beets,
lettuce and other produce each Sunday, according to Sarah Lansdale,
executive director of Sustainable Long Island,
which is coordinating the program. Gillibrand said the program will also help fight the region's growing teenage
obesity rates. "They've all promised me they're going
to try every vegetable that is sold on the farm stand," she said. "So
they're going to learn a lot about nutritious foods as well." Brandon Jackson, 16, of Roosevelt,
said he's excited to be able to learn about eating healthier. He said
he's looking forward to trying the zucchini and radishes he'll be
selling. "I'm overweight," he said. "This is a
great opportunity for me to learn about new ways to eat. It'll be a
great skill and one I can pass along to others." Kiana Scipp, 16, of Bellport, said the
North Bellport farm stand will mean her family won't have to go to Patchogue for
fresh vegetables. "We don't have a lot of stores with fresh food near
here," she said. Other politicians on hand included
state Sen. Brian X. Foley (D-Blue-Point)
who said he enjoys cooking fresh beets al dente, lightly salted with "a
little pepper," and Rep, Tim Bishop (D-Southampton),
who said he takes his corn with "a little butter" but no salt. Gillibrand said she
enjoys all vegetables but is a beet novice. "I've never cooked a fresh
beet," she said. "That's my challenge this summer." Bishop admitted he
prefers pizza when in Washington, D.C., but said he eats locally grown
corn, squash and zucchini when on Long Island.
He did break with Foley and Gillibrand on one matter. "I don't eat beets," Bishop said. "Just
so you know." Newsday: Editorial - July 8, 2010
Farm-fresh produce coming to North Bellport and Roosevelt
Farmers' markets opening this Sunday in North Bellport and Roosevelt
are an elegant solution to some daunting problems: unavailability of
fresh food in economically distressed areas and lack of youth
employment. And they give local farmers an expanded market. In planning the Sunday markets,
Sustainable Long Island and the Long Island Farm Bureau have
worked closely with community groups. The need to do something about
"food deserts" arose during the community planning processes that
Sustainable has been facilitating. That led to an examination of food
marketing programs run by young people in the City of New York. Those
city programs will help train the teens chosen by the Long Island
communities to staff the markets. For the teens, the benefits are clear:
income, and training in both marketing and community building. For the
farmers, the stands provide a new outlet for their fresh produce,
without tying them down and draining time they could be spending on the
land, growing more food. Farmers' markets are
springing up all over the Island, even in communities such as Hicksville,
where there's a lot more food access than there is in North Bellport or
Roosevelt. Whether the markets are based on food equity, convenience,
nostalgia or just fun, they're a welcome turn of events. And they're a
salutary reminder that local fresh food makes for better health - for
farming, farmers and the rest of us.
Click Below to View Newsday's Video:
Long Island Press - July 8, 2010
Farmers' Markets to Open in Roosevelt and Bellport
Long Island has more fast food restaurants than
grocery stores on record, and for those with low incomes, access to
locally grown, fresh, affordable produce is severely limited. Inspired
by the notion of food equity-the idea that access to fresh, healthy food
is not universal and that some communities are at a disadvantage in the
regional food system-Sustainable Long Island has established two
farmers' markets, one in Bellport and one in Roosevelt, to close that
gap.
"It's baffling to think about," said Sen.
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) from a North Bellport parking lot and
future home of the Bellport Community Farmers' Market. "Since we are
such an agricultural community, that some parts of our community do not
have easy access to affordable, good, nutritious food, is really
unacceptable." Long Island has a 22 percent childhood obesity
rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But
in under-served communities that rate goes much higher. There is a 50
percent obesity rate among the children in the Roosevelt community,
according to the Roosevelt NuHealth clinic. The town only has one
supermarket. But in two days, residents will have locally grown fruits
and vegetables within walking distance of their homes.
"No more will they have to settle for high fat,
sugar-filled snacks and meals," said Sarah Lansdale, executive director
of Sustainable Long Island. "They will now have what most every
community on Long Island has, which is an option-an option for healthy,
fresh food." The new farmers' markets will be manned by
local students from both communities and they will supplied by Long
Island farms. Veterans groups will bring the produce from the farms to
market. "There's no downside to this-everyone wins," said Rep. Tim Bishop
(D-New York). Even the farmers. Since the turn of the century, Bob Nolan's farm has
been a family-owned and operated business. "This gives us another opportunity
to sell our product," said Bob Nolan, former president of the Long
Island Farm Bureau. "We are very happy to participate in this and I wish
the market all the best. I think it's going to work out." Suffolk county farmers, including Nolan, donate
more food to Island Harvest and other food banks than any other county,
not only in New York State, but in the entire country. "We all know how important it is
to preserve open space here," said Bishop. "And the best way to do that
is to see to it that farmers can make a living doing something they love
doing." The Bellport Farmers' Market is located at the corner of
Montauk Highway and Michigan Avenue and is open every Sunday, July
11-October 31 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Cash, WIC, Senior Checks and EBT Cards
accepted. The Roosevelt Farmers' Market is located at 380 Nassau Road
in the parking lot of the Roosevelt-Freeport Health Clinic and is open
every Sunday, July 11-October 31 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Cash, WIC, Senior
Checks and EBT Cards accepted.
WSHU Public Radio (Click to Listen): Teens to run farmers market
Coverage also featured on News 12 Long Island, FiOs 1 News, TV Channel 10/55 News, and more.
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Long Island Farms Participating farms providing produce for markets
Anderson Farms
Anderson Farms, a 3rd generation farm, is located in
Riverhead, New York. They farm approximately 200 acres growing a wide variety
of vegetables, including tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, beans, broccoli,
cauliflower and much more. Their sales primarily focus on wholesale to other
farmstands as well as local restaurants and small food distributors. The
Anderson Farmstand can be found on Route 58 in Riverhead which serves as a
small retail location for local residents and visitors.
Deer Run Farms (Bob Nolan)
At the turn of the 20th century,
Cord Lohmann began farming in Middle Village in Queens, New York. The farm
gradually moved its way east on Long Island stopping in Bethpage and Valley
Stream. Throughout its lifetime, the farm has been a family owned and operated
business. Today, Janet, Robert's wife, runs the farmstand along with their
daughter Valerie, while Robert and his son, Samuel, run the planting and
harvesting, specializing in many types of lettuce.
Phil Schmitt & Sons Farms
Phil Schmitt & Sons is a family run
multi-generational farm business on the East End of Long Island. The business
began in Farmingdale and Melville before the operation was moved to Riverhead
in 1979 where Phil, his father, and brother in law operate the 140 acre farm.
Everyone in the Schmitt Family has a part to play. They grow about 20 different
varieties of vegetables, including specialty vegetables. The main crops are
spinach, twelve varieties of lettuce, cabbage and corn. Phil lives on the farm
with his wife Debbie and three children. All three children are involved with
the farm.
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What to Buy and What to Eat Available produce at each market
The
markets opened to great success the first two weekends, with multiple items selling out before the end of
each day.
Customers came out in large numbers from each of these historically
underserved
areas to help support their community and purchase fresh, healthy,
affordable
food." Thank
you for bringing a wish into reality, we have officially started the Roosevelt
Community Farmers Market. Sunday we came together as a community to make
a positive impact towards the revitalization of (our community). We had so many
positive responses from the community to make the farmers market a reality," said Jessica Kim, the Roosevelt Market Manager.
"This was our first two weekends of opening these markets and
already the feedback and community participation has been incredible," said
Sarah Lansdale, Executive Director of Sustainable Long Island. "In the coming
weeks as the word begins to spread, and more fruit and vegetables are offered
to the residents of North Bellport and Roosevelt, the success we have already
obtained can only grow."
Come down every Sunday to enjoy the freshest local produce* including: - Beans
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Cauliflower
- Chicory
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Escarole
- Herbs
- Boston, Green Leaf, Red Boston, Red Leaf, and Romaine Lettuce
- Peppers - Green and Red
- Pumpkins
- Spinach
- Sprouts
- Squash - Green and Winter
- String Beans
- Tomato - Red, Grape, and Plum
- Watermelon - Red and Yellow
- Zucchini - Green and Yellow
And much more as the season progresses!*
*Produce offered at each market is contingent on harvest, product demand, and farmers availability.
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In
the News A look at a few press clippings
Cablesvision Editorials: Right Side of the Tracks: Huntington
Many opponents to (the AvalonBay Proposal in Huntington) have let out a cry of "Not in my
Backyard," but if housing units can be developed within the next few
years and bring numerous benefits to this community, then why all the
commotion? Young people looking to settle down won't have to pack up and
leave, and older couples looking to retire won't have to search high
and low for a place to live. Instead all different kinds of residents
will have an affordable option to call home.
Newsday's The Future of Long Island: Environment Long Island faces tough environmental balancing act
Others
want to retrofit the region. One idea: Instead of building residential
developments on virgin ground, recycle old industrial sites near the
railroad or underused commercial properties such as Long Island's
shuttered auto dealerships located along bus lines. "It's an opportunity
to reimagine a place," said Sarah Lansdale of Sustainable Long Island.Networking Magazine: Two Page Feature: Sustainable Long Island 4th Annual Sustainability Conference
LIPA Celebrates Major Milestone for its Refrigerator Recycling Program:: Authority announces 1,000th customer to participate in LIPA's version of "Cash for Clunkers""This unique Refrigerator Recycling Program has turned
what use to be a chore to many residential consumers, into a
hassle-free way to replace one of their old machines. The
program provides numerous benefits, as customers receive
rebates and save money by partaking in this initiative,
while also helping out the environment by recycling and
replacing their old refrigerator with a low-cost,
energy-efficient appliance," said Sarah Lansdale, Executive
Director, Sustainable Long Island.
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Followers Feature A glimpse into Sustainable Long Island's online community
We have over 1500 followers, fans, and friends that are apart of our online community. Many are engaged and active, not only online, but in their local community as well. Every day they share their thoughts, express their opinions, and show us exactly what Long Island is made of. They have often praised the work of Sustainable Long Island, but today we would like to praise them; we couldn't do it with out all of you. Here is just a few examples of what our friends have to say:
In regards to a Green Economy:
- Explore ways to keep our kids on Long Island. There's no green economy without Generation Next!
- A public, private, community partnership is essential to advance sustainability initiatives. The will and way must be ours!
- Long
Islanders need to be made aware of what green jobs will do for our
economy. The public needs to be informed and then call, write and
email there local, state and federal representatives asking for
incentives to be created to attract green jobs to Long Island.
In regards to the Environment:
- Keeping LI's water, from aquifers to beaches, sound to shore, clean and pristine. GREEN. Not a passive word. A movement.
- The biggest challenge everywhere is over population.Tearing down
wilderness for housing...Long Island is a finite space. If we keep
doing that, eventually you run out of space, open space, negative
space. Negative space is very important in design & art
& quality of life.Tearing down wilderness for housing; It
seems odd to do that. Many houses remain empty & still new ones
are built.Rebuilding, reusing, existing spaces in already developed
areas may help this situation.Having lived through the entire
history of environmental concerns,we are very aware of GREEN
LIVING.We are still recovering plastic we had saved from many
years ago, because it wasn't being recycled at the time. Boxes of
old paper mail.Things are recycled now-a-days. Our refuse is mostly
of a recyclable nature or it is organic.We believe if
products are designed in "closed loop" manufacturing production, it
would help everyone be able to be GREEN pain free.
- just what I was going to say - the biggest threat to LI's environment -
or "challenge" as you so pc call it - is humans. obviously.so do
you mean that, as we are already here in detrimental numbers, what can
we do to slow the damage? also obvious. stop overconsuming energy,
material goods, food, etc. Not gonna happen, is it? but it's
nice to talk about.as for me, I actually make an effort, for what
it's worth. I eat local and organic whenever possible. I support small,
local shops and never shop in big chains (except King Kullen). I take my
kids on hikes and teach them to appreciate nature.And frankly, I
would never, ever live in or near those endless strip malls that pass
for civilization "up" island.The fact that many, if not most, Long
Islanders live as they do - and don't seem to be aware of anything wrong
with themselves - is proof enough that the outlook is not good.
- I
think our biggest challenge is our Egos. Everyone has to stop trying
to be "The Man" and put more emphasis on the Movement rather than the
Man. We have to put our Egos aside and all work together and realize we
are all For Long Island. Unless we do that, we will never accomplish
all our goals.....
In regards to Food Equity and Farmers Markets:
- I'll be finishing my organic garden w/ 25+ veggies & herbs using companion planting! YumYum http://twitpic.com/1r8yg4
- I am so happy to be promoting the Bellport
Farmers Market with the Long Island Food Challenge! I am glad we can
work together to help people eat locally.
- This is a great project. Congratulations!
- I love this! Keep up the great work!
- Just left the new market in Roosevelt and I'm really impressed with the
kids, quality of the produce and variety- congratulatons to everyone
who worked to make it happen!
In regards to Walkable Communities:
- We need more walkable communities!
- Excellent
study! With family connections to Babylon, I have to say how much I
LOVE walking around the village. It's beautiful, Argyle Lake is a treat
to walk around, the homes on various streets are nice to see, and the
main streets have lots of interesting shops and restaurants. I also
enjoy walking in Huntington very much. Long Island has many superlative
places to walk, and people may not always know that since large portions
of it was also developed in car-centric ways.
In regards to the Nassau Coliseum Site (Lighthouse, Casino, etc.): In regards to Downtowns:
- If
we can break down the issues into categories. Look at the big picture
& what is best for ALL. We can do this. Truth is, we have
more in common, than we are different. Downtowns play a different
role than they used to, but, many residents still do not want to travel
outside their living areas. Revitalizing business or downtown
areas should include creative spaces. Business in the street level
studio/living space above. We need a transit system to travel
NORTH & SOUTH - Monorail run on conduction power. Maybe supplied
by solar means. "How to run a household", needs to be taught in
schools. If the youth is to take power, they need to know how NOT TO
WASTE money. This would include meals at home.
- Downtowns
can work if there is something to draw people in. Rockville Centre is a
great case study. The downtown is adjacent to the train station, there
is a movie theatre and dozens of restaurants and bars, which generate
street life. Also, because it is laid out in a grid rather than
linearly along one thoroughfare - think Long Beach Road in Oceanside or
Hempstead Turnpike - everything is within walking distance. You can
park your car and do all your business without having to move it to
another location.
- I
grew up on Long Island moved away and then came back recently. There is
a housing issue that needs to be thought out and not just one sided. 1)
Affordable housing planning. As I looked for a house to purchase I
was stunned to find a good 50%+ of the houses I saw have illegal
apartments attached and carved out of the houses. What does this mean?a)
We have many people who can not afford to purchase and they compensate
by getting rent from illegal apartments.b) This causes over use of
our systems; schools, trash, police, etc. Which causes taxes to rise.c)
We have many people who desire to live on Long Island and can not
afford it.* How to we balance the 2 sides of of this???1) We
need to see how we can build affordable places people can rent &
live.2) We need to regulate and enforce the regulations on illegal
apartments.3) We may have to be honest and say, not everyone can
afford to purchase a home. Some people may need to wait, save, and get
into a better financial situation before buying a house. The recent
financial meltdown is a denial of this truth!4) We may need to
partner with NYC to resolve some housing needs. 5) Perhaps if people
can not afford Long island it might be necessary for some people to
move to another area that is less expensive? We may need to accept this
and help/assist people when this is a reality.6) How can we assist
familes/people who choose to stay on Long Island when they can not
afford to live here? Build affordable apartment complexes? Social
Services? Education? Preparation for better paying jobs, like in
healthcare promoted by the county?
Check out all of this and much more today! On our and pages!
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Build a Better Burb
The time for cautious thinking is over
What would you do on these acres of opportunity? Build a
car-free community for thousands? Plant an oasis of urban agriculture?
Produce renewable energy and provide well-paying green jobs? Use
landscape systems to repair ruptures in regional ecologies? Introduce
armatures to enhance public space and the civic realm? Building
suburbia in the old way is no longer working. Statistical
indicators show that Long Island is facing several pressing challenges:
to build affordable housing and greater housing choice, especially for
rentals; to reduce car dependency and congestion; to bring Long Island's
diverse communities together in a shared public realm; to improve
equity and access to opportunity for all; to meet the needs of retiring
baby boomers who wish to age in place; and to fight the "brain drain" of
younger residents who don't see a future here and leave.
The Build a Better Burb jury met on June
28th in Garden City and, after a lively, wide-ranging discussion, selected their top proposals from a
field of 212 submissions.
Now it's time for you to cast your vote for the Long Island
Index People's Choice Award! Select one project from among these 23 finalists to
vote for. Only one vote can be recorded per computer, so visit the Build a Better Burb homepage and VOTE! And remember, check back on October
4th to see which ideas are the winners!
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Donate to Sustainable Long Island Today
Sustainable Long Island thanks the individuals and organizations who
continue to support our work. They have shown commitment to revitalizing
our communities and improving the lives of all Long Islanders.
By Donating you are helping promote: - Equity for All Long Islanders
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This summer - stay cool, enjoy Long Island's beaches and parks, stop by a local farmers market, and join our online community... Because as you know... Sustainability is only a click away!
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Sarah Lansdale, Executive Director Sustainable Long Island
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