General

Beginning in September experts at Rutgers Cooperative Extension will present a weekly series of live, interactive webinars about various environmental and sustainability topics. “Our Earth Day, Every Day webinar series (lovingly called #E2D2) focuses on steps everyone can take to protect the environment. We can all do our part to take actions that make our homes more sustainable, from environmentally-friendly lawn care, to recycling, to conducting a home energy audit.” For a complete list of seminar topics and registration information, follow this link: https://envirostewards.rutgers.edu/Earth-Day.html

Registration is open for the 4th annual cleanup organized by the Delaware River Greenways Partnership. They have “joined forces with NJ Clean Communities programs in Hunterdon and Mercer County and the NJ Park Service to help tackle the litter along the shore of our Wild and Scenic Delaware River.” In the Hopewell Valley area there is a cleanup location at Scudders Falls, Washington Crossing Picnic Area, Trenton Battle Monument, and several in Lambertville/Stockton. Read more about the event here.

Until further notice the Green Team is not accepting #5 plastics at the Pennington Farmers Market. When we tried to deliver our first load of to Whole Foods in late June we learned that they had stopped accepting #5’s just a week earlier. It seems that this step was taken because Preserve has stopped taking #5’s for their Gimme 5 Program (at least for the next several months).

This turn of events came as quite a shock to us. We had inquired in the spring to make sure the program was continuing, and even dropped off a test bag at the loading dock several weeks prior. If we knew the program was ending we wouldn’t have accepted #5’s at the Farmers Market on June 26. But we did collect them and in fact received a new record amount: 711 pounds. (At our June collection last year we received 335 pounds.)

To responsibly dispose of what was collected the Green Team did find an alternative: by special arrangement we planned a one-time delivery to Bayshore Recycling Corporation of all the plastics collected in June. However, this alternative is not something we can sustain so we are asking everyone to stop bringing their #5s to us this summer.

If this situation frustrates you as much as it does us, please take action by (1) contacting the Mercer County Improvement Authority to implore them to include #5 plastics in the collection stream when the contract for county recycling pickup is renegotiated; (2) seek alternatives to products that come in #5 containers – for example, make yogurt from scratch!

Saturday, August 28 (9 am – 1 pm) will be our next monthly upcycling/recycling collection event at the PFM in 2021. Once again we will be accepting: clean ♷ (number 5) plastic containers and lids; dental care products (toothpaste tubes with cap, toothbrushes, floss containers); stick deodorant containers; wine bottle corks (not plastic); Brita and Pur water filters; button cell batteries; and, CDs/DVDs.

New: collection box for cell phones, MP3 players, chargers, digital cameras, tablets, and Bluetooth devices. Once filled, the box will go to The Wireless Alliance and the value of the devices will benefit the Pennington Farmers Market.

Click here for more information. Note: we will not be collecting alkaline batteries, athletic balls or pens/pencils/markers this summer.

Hopewell Valley area farmers markets are reopening for the new season. They are an excellent way to buy locally-raised and produced goods directly from our neighbors, reducing the carbon footprint of food consumption and strengthening the local economy.

Sundays 9 am to 2 pm: Hopewell Borough Farmers Market kicked off the season on May 9th. Located at 62 East Broad Street, in the courtyard between PNC Bank and Michael’s Deli, the vendors at the market include Fairgrown Farm, Beechtree Farms, Sprouts Flowers, Queen Mab’s CSM, Bearded Goat Fine Foods, Milk & Cookies, Hopewell Valley Vineyards, and Our World of Choices.

Saturdays 9 am to 1 pm: Pennington Farmers Market opening day is May 29th. Located at 101 Route 31 north of Pennington, on the lawn in front of Rosedale Mills, the vendors include Chickadee Creek Farm, Nine Acre Farm, Beechtree Farms, Bubbly Jen’s, Louis Organics, The Shepherd’s Pasture, Queen Mab’s CSM, Bearded Goat Fine Foods, Cafe du Pain Bakery, Hopewell Valley Vineyards, and Sourland Spirits. The Hopewell Valley Green Team will start collecting recyclables on June 26.

Additional farmers markets in the areas around Hopewell are listed here.