February 2020
Grainstand Market Schedule
GrowNYC  Union Square Greenmarket  every Wednesday and Saturday year-round

February 15: McCarren Park (Brooklyn)
February 16: Jackson Heights (Queens)
February 22: Fort Greene (Brooklyn)

March 1: Carroll Gardens (Brooklyn)
March 7: Inwood (Manhattan)
March 8: Columbia (Manhattan)
March 14: Grand Army Plaza (Brooklyn)
March 15: Jackson Heights (Queens)
March 21: McCarren Park (Brooklyn)
March 22: 79th street (Manhattan)
March 28: Fort Greene (Brooklyn)
April 4: Inwood (Manhattan)
April 5: Carroll Gardens (Brooklyn)
April 11: Grand Army Plaza (Brooklyn)
April 12: Columbia (Manhattan)
April 18: McCarren Park (Brooklyn)
April 19: Jackson Heights (Queens)
April 25: Fort Greene (Brooklyn)
April 26: 79th street (Manhattan)
Find the GrowNYC Grains & Guests schedule here to see which brewer, distiller, or oil producer will be joining us at market.

Pre-ordered bulk bags are available at GrowNYC's Union Square Greenmarket every Wednesday and Saturday, as well as at any of our pop-up locations upon request.  Check availability and pricing here.  
Home Bakers Unite!
The GrowNYC Grains annual fundraiser is here! Join us on February 24th, and visit our online auction below.
Some of the amazing auction items available include a Breville stand mixer, Sourdough Basics workshop, distillery tour at Standard Wormwood, and more!
Break bread with GrowNYC Grains and your fellow home bakers! Bakers of all experience levels are welcome to swap samples with fellow grain geeks and share secrets on how to get a really crusty crust. Some of New York City's best professional bakers will also be on hand to talk tips and techniques.
Bring a loaf of your favorite home baked bread, made with locally-grown grains and flours, and copies of your recipe and/or starter to trade with others. Each ticket includes event entry and one drink.
Professional bakers attending:
Austin Hall (She Wolf Bakery)
Alex Bois (Lost Bread Co.)
Martin Philip (King Arthur Flour)
Sharon Burns Leader (Bread Alone Bakery)
Dan Leader (Bread Alone Bakery)
Adam Leonti (Author of Flour Lab)
Johanna Kindvall (Author of Smörgåsbord)
Nora Allen (Mel the Bakery)
Savannah Turley
Reva Castillenti (Bread and Roses)
Sarah Magid (Knead Love Bakery)
Other special guests attending:
Thor Oechsner (Oechsner Farms, Farmer Ground Flour, Wide Awake Bakery)
Amber Lambke (Maine Grains)
Amy Halloran (Author of The New Bread Basket)
And a big thank you to our sponsors this year:
This month we are celebrating all the clever and talented home bakers we see week after week, rain or shine at the Grainstand. Constantly adapting to changing availability and fluctuating protein levels, our home bakers have always been ahead of the curve. We sat down with one of our devoted home bakers, Becky, a few weeks ago to discuss why she bakes with local grain.

GrowNYC: How did you first become involved in baking?
Becky:  I’ve always loved to bake. In high school and middle school, I baked as a form of stress release, and it’s always been a way for me to show people that I care. I baked a lot of homemade cupcakes and cookies. I had a chocolate truffle phase. 

GrowNYC: Lucky friends!
Becky : Because I baked so much in high school, I was known as a baker. I had this idea in my head that I wanted to open a bakery at some point. But…I had never baked bread. That seemed a little daunting to me. It wasn’t until this past summer that I started baking sourdough bread.

GrowNYC:  Did someone give you a starter?
Becky:  Well, sort of. I took a bread baking class with Sarah Owens. She’s a baking angel. But I will say this to anyone learning to bake bread for the first time – I don’t recommend starting with sourdough in a hot summer. What that’s what I did. I baked sourdough bread all summer long.

GrowNYC: Is there a particular flour you favor for your bread?
Becky:  I am in love with einkorn flour. When I first got my starter, it was fed with rye flour. But soon after I went to visit my family in Portland, Oregon. I brought the starter with me but I only had einkorn flour, so I used that to feed it. I feel like my starter is so much happier and bubblier with einkorn. I love einkorn for feeding my starter, but I also really love it for the flavor, which is so nice and almost sweet.

GrowNYC:  Do you have any advice for home bakers who are just starting to work with regional grains?
Becky:  Just know that there will be failures. The only benefit of industrial flour is that it’s pretty consistent. With local grains, you get more variations. That’s the fun part. I think I’m getting pretty good, but sometimes I still produce something weird, like a loaf that looks like a giant fat pita. The thing is, it’s always delicious. You can still eat that fat pita!

Events this month:
February 28- March 2
Philadelphia, PA
"Our ongoing goal is to strengthen the Philadelphia region value chain for all stakeholders. Please join us for an opportunity to collaborate, network, educate, and share products made with grain & malt. The program is open to all farmers, maltsters, millers, brewers, distillers, bakers, chefs, restaurateurs, and consumers who are interested in grain & malt. There is something for everyone!"

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