Welcoming the Spring Equinox

Hello Community, it’s been a while!

This weekend we welcomed in the Spring Equinox — celebrating longer days, warmer weather, and signs of reawakening after winter. As you will see below, a lot is beginning to come alive in our community life as well. Before the busier summer energy begins, we are taking a moment to appreciate this Spring Season:

• Plant Walks with the always inspiring Hannah from Foliage Botanics

• Tapping Maple Trees for sap on days that are over 40 degrees and nights that are below freezing.

• Amphibian Crossings : Helping the Lil Guys cross the road

• Ordering Seeds and planning out summer gardens

Happy Spring Friends!

COMMUNITY COMPOST UPDATE!

Germantown’s Climate Smart Communities Committee (CSC) is excited to announce that Columbia County has recently launched a food scraps pilot program which will soon provide the Germantown Convenience Station ("the dump") on Palatine Park Rd with 55-gallon containers for food scraps collection. Community members can drop off their plant-based food scraps during open hours. The county will then haul those food scraps to a local farm for compost. More info coming soon!

• If you are a local farmer and would be interested in being the drop-off location for these food scraps, please complete the application HERE by March 31st.

Update on Compost Drop-off at Otto’s:

Once the Community Compost Pilot begins at the Germantown Dump, we ask that everyone who has been dropping off their compost at Otto’s — switch to that location. It’s important to show the County that there is interest in this pilot program by getting as many people as possible to drop off their food scraps.

Additionally, the amazing partner we use for Otto’s Compost Pick-up — The O Zone — has been asked by UCRRA (where everything is processed) to only accept food scraps moving forward. Sadly, we are no longer able to include compostable food packaging as we have been doing in the past. A full list of the new rules are below. Please help us in following them so we are not contaminating our bins!

* The O Zone also offers residential compost pick-up services — learn more here!

We are once again partnering with the wonderful folks at The Sylvia Center to bring FREE meal kits to Germantown families as part of a 6-week virtual cooking course! The theme this year is the RICE PASSPORT and we couldn’t be more excited to learn about rice dishes from all over the globe.

The Sylvia Center is a non-profit organization teaching the connection between food and health through nutrition-focused, culinary-based programming. Founded in 2007 to address diet-related diseases in under-resourced communities. Since inception, more than 35,000 participants have been served.

There are still slots open for families to join and classes start this week! Meal kit pick-ups are on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30pm at the Library, with classes held on Thursday evenings at 5pm.

Email kate.snider@sylviacenter.org if interested in joining!

Interested in Donating to support these free meals? Please head over to this link or donate any amount at Otto’s register when checking out!

• At Otto’s: On and off since Fall 2010

• You will see me: Behind the Deli Case usually

• Favorite Otto’s Products: Nancy’s Shortbread & Chocolate Brownies… YUM!!! Also, Bobby’s delicious Pizza!

• Local Gem that I frequent often: Athabold learning about plants and flowers

• When I’m not at Otto’s, you can find me: Outside taking long walks along the country roads in Gtown!

GERMANTOWN WRITING + ARTS COMPETITION

Submit entries through April 1st for the 2022 Germantown Writing & Arts Competition in partnership with Sustainable Germantown and GEDAC!

Students grades K-12 and seniors (ages 65+) are invited to submit climate adaptation-inspired writing and artwork for the chance to win over $2,000 in cash and prizes.

Multiple prizes will be awarded for each age group. Head over to @aroundgermantown and click on the link in their bio for more information! Or scan the QR code on posters around town.

All entries will be on display during our town Earth Day Event -Location TBD.

EARTH DAY EVENT

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 23rd from 10-2pm for Earth Day celebrations happening all around Germantown! Activities include : Bike Repairs, Invasive Species Talk, Trash Clean-up, Rain Barrel Sign-up, Lion’s Club Can Drive, Solar Campaign Table, Library Earth-themed Story Hour, Unveiling of Artist Painted Recycling Bins for the Parks + MORE!

CSA FAIR

The 8th annual CSA Fair presented by Hudson Valley CSA Coalition + Hudson River Exchange will be Thursday, April 7th from 6-7:30pm.

Register HERE to learn more about all different CSA options in our region! Some of our favorites: Letterbox Farm, Hearty Roots Farm, MX Morningstar Farm, Schooner Apollonia Boat Boxes and Foxtrot Farm Flower CSA!

Otto’s will once again be a pick-up location for another favorite CSA from Common Hands Farm on Saturdays. Enter the raffle at our Market for a chance to win a summer share (July 1st - November 5th)!

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Germantown High School is collaborating with GEDAC on an Internship Program. The hope being that they can match Seniors who are interested in either shadowing or interning with a local Business / Industry. Likewise, if a Business is looking for an Intern (paid or unpaid), GEDAC will work with the School to try and find a Senior.

If you are an interested student or business, click HERE to fill out a request form and send to : aroundgermantown@gmail.com

hello@ottosmarket.com | 518.537.7200

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