Home Grown Turns Into Nutritious Food

The yield from the harvest on the Plainsboro Library balcony continues to provide healthy ingredients for preparing nutritious food. As the crops mature and ripen, library staff and volunteers have programmed events to demonstrate how to turn ingredients into food. In June 58 participants saw how to prepare scallion pancakes with kinchee and Spanish gazpacho. In July, fifty attended the fattoush salad and healthy popsicles program, and in August, 32 turned out to see how to create a watermelon poke bowl.
Herbs have been doing very well. Bell peppers and tomatoes head the list of crops that have come into season. Unfortunately, now in its second year, the outside planter boxes have been discovered by the flock of neighborhood crows. A warning for all you aspiring balcony farmers. To fill the void in crop production, library staff have put on programs like Around the World in 30 Foods where samples are offered of various healthy dishes with information sheets to good with them that tout the health benefits of recipes. Herb infused oils and vinegars is also a program gaining in popularity
The bike sharing station at the library is one of twenty such facilities in the network surrounding the area around Plainsboro. Ridership numbers continue to grow and the bikes outside the library serves as a reminder that Plainsboro has a connected system of bike paths. A new sponsor for the station being sought after the current funding source expires.
About the Grantee
Plainsboro Township
Plainsboro Township is located in southwestern Middlesex County. The Township grew from its agricultural roots into a community of about 24,000 residents covering nearly twelve square miles, half of which is preserved open space. Plainsboro is home to Novo Nordisk’s North American headquarters and the headquarters of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Strategy: Healthy Eating Increase / Create Green Space / Parks
Cohort: Central 1
Funder: New Jersey Department of Health
Cities: Plainsboro