When in one of his many travels Paul Kletter saw his first pedicab, he immediately fell in love with the idea of bringing them to Pittsburgh.  Finally in 2009 Green Gears pedicabs became a reality to all Pittsburghers. Pedicabs, bikecabs, cyclos, becaks or trishaws, are human-powered vehicles, in which a bicycle is attached to a two-wheeled main cart which seats one or two passengers. Pedicabs have minimal impact on the environment by offering an emission-free solution to traditional vehicles and have proven to be extremely useful in highly populated areas.

Co-owned by Paul Kletter, Green Gears pedicabs is conveniently located in the Southside and usually caters to the areas around Carson Street and Station Square on the weekends.  But besides the Southside, you can also find these pollution-free vehicles in many other local hotspots like Lawrenceville, the Strip District, and downtown Pittsburgh.

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1919 Faire Acres, Pittsburgh PA 15216 | T: 412-343-Pedi (7334)
info@ggpedi.com | Paul@ggpedi.com

They have rapidly become extremely popular in high density urban areas because you don’t need to worry about parking and they can easily dodge traffic allowing you to always be on time - simply hop in and hop off :)

One thing that I really like about this is that if you are looking forward to be different and explore the unexpected, you can always use their services on your wedding, bachelorette party, birthdays, city tours, corporate functions or public festivals. How cool would it be to arrive on a rickshaw to a birthday party or purely to pick up groceries in the Strip! It is totally unpredicted and a fun ride.

What's more about the fantastic experience of the ride is that these untypical (for most of the US) forms of transportation have been revealing themselves as outstanding marketing machines and effortless advertisers. By taking advantage of its uniqueness and unexpectedness, customized banners can be added to the vehicles and help promote businesses, events and new products. This technique is very popular on taxi cabs and buses in major cities, however, most of us interpret a bus or a cab as a part of our daily lives; they are a part of our everyday scenery and something we are used to see. Instead, being surprised by a rickshaw in an unpredicted place automatically catches your attention. 

To sum up I think pedicabs are great additions to any city; they are a pollution free way of transportation, very sustainable and therefore eco-friendly. Surprisingly, they can be used for more than simply transporting passengers, but also as a successful alternative to traditional advertisement devices. They give western cities a touch of distinctiveness and eccentricity due to its remote origins and unforeseeness.  

Where: Farmers' Market Cooperative of East Liberty 
344 N. Sheridan Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Hours: 5 AM until 12 PM

Now that the summer is practically over and the fall has come, the Farmer's Market Coop of East Liberty is the place to be. Open all year round, this indoor market, located in a 100 year old building, can supply you with a wide variety of produce, meats and dairy.
Conveniently located across the street from Home Depot on Sheridan Ave., the Farmers' Market Cooperative of East Liberty is the oldest farmers' market in SW Pennsylvania. They have been here since July 5^th 1941!

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This Coop is owned by 4 farming families that work on their farms during the week, and sell their products at the market on Saturday. 
The Kennedy Family - John and Valerie Kennedy and their 3 children run the Kennedy Family Meat Stand, at which they sell steroid and antibiotic free (federally certified with the USDA) meats. Valerie told us all about their chemical free meat and their poultry that are raised with love and care. They supply meat to some of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh (e.g.: Legume Bistro) and their meats are definitely a wonderful contribution to our tables. In the summer, the Kennedys also sell a full range of local vegetables and fruits.

Kennedy Farm poultry is particularly popular around the holidays due to their turkeys’ capons, ducks and pheasants. If you Order ahead this year you might even get their smoked pheasants that are to die for!
Tim and Suzanne Hileman are the owners of Kistaco Farm, and besides their beautiful veggies, it was their apples and succulent peaches that caught our attention. Absolutely delicious!

owner of Kistaco Farm

We heard that Kistaco apple cider might just be the best in Pittsburgh and is available almost the entire year. Tim carefully blends different apple varieties to produce a perfectly balanced cider- a mix of sweet and tart.  

Kistaco apples

Another farm that owns the coop is Rick Zang- owner of Zang's Greenhouse. Rick typically carries locally grown potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, squash, onions, cabbage, and greens of all sorts.  Rick also carries a wide variety of Pennsylvania grown mushrooms.

Rick Zang- owner of Zang's Greenhouse

Ina and John Greenawalt and children Brian and Melanie are in charge of the Greenawalts farm. This farm has been in the family for generations and is best known for its delicious, locally raised eggs, which are laid by free roaming chickens.  Their chickensare fed a natural diet that consists of field corn, grains such as wheat, barley and oats, vitamins and minerals.  

Greenawalts Farm

Here you can actually find a lot more than you can imagine, because as well as selling what they produce, they also resell a wide variety of items from other local farmers. Amongst their seasonal fruits and vegetables, organic eggs, milk and cheeses, you can also find Amish jams, jellies, handmade brooms, Califonte foods (makers of Fontana pasta, tortellini, gnocchi and ravioli), hot banana pepper mustards from Backyard gardens LLC, Raw milk products, Pure honey products made by Ed's Honey Bee Products, Apple Butter made by Sam Beechie, and much more. 

Brian and Laura from the Greenawalts farm

Amish jams, jellies, hot banana pepper mustards from Backyard gardens LLC, Raw milk products, Pure honey products made by Ed's Honey Bee Products, Apple Butter made by Sam Beechie, and so much more.  

Amish handmade brooms and all natural Greenawalts eggs

The market also includes a number of other vendors that help bring a diversity of products to the market each week.

At the market we met David Lagnese, who is in charge of managing and  marketing the Farmers’ Market Cooperative. He also takes care of The Kew Park Coffee Bar and The California Olive Oil Connection. The Lagnese’s (Cristy and David Lagnese and their 2 children Marco and Maria) are promoting a concept known as "direct from the farm" for items that cannot be grown locally. It’s by eliminating the middle man and connecting the farms directly to the customer that the Lagnese’s ensures the freshness and the fair price of their products.

David Lagnese

The Lagnese's have partnered with Peter Williams and Gina Green who own and operate the Kew Park Coffee Farm, located in Westmoreland Jamaica. The exceptionally smooth coffee is shipped to Pittsburgh directly from the Jamaican farm.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080826-jamaica-coffee-birds-missions_2.html

Kew Park Coffee

In addition to the coffee that is actually also brewed and served on the spot, David told us about the freshly pressed olive oils that he brings directly to Pittsburgh from California. The California Olive Oil Connection – wherein all the oils are certified extra virgin by the California Olive Oil Council. Next time you come don’t forget to bring your own olive oil bottle, and save 2$! 

The California Olive Oil Connection

We met Mr. and Mrs. Jones! Mrs. Marlene is famous for her special sauce, which compliments a wide variety of foods and can be used on chicken, ribs, fish, pizza, potatoes, shrimp, steak and much more.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones

But what I really loved was Marlene’s potato salad, Yummmmy!

The Joneses also sell their fresh handmade donuts that really complimented my fresh Kew Park coffee.

At the Greek Gourmet we met Jack. He was selling homemade spreads and they were simply delicious! 

 Jack from the Greek Gourmet 

So don’t forget to stop by the Coop tomorrow and fill up your bag with some local goodies!

Hello everyone!!!!

About Krowder: Connecting farms to more homes

Here @Krowder we are currently identifying farms to run a pilot with. This pilot will advertise and sell local produce and/or animal products from each farm online. -Think of the Laptop Butchershop, except open to all products, all year round. In addition, a year-long delivery service is set up to deliver farmers' products from CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) drop-off points or Farmers' Markets directly to private homes. This will help farms reach out to more customers by making local produce more accessible to the public. This is free for the farmer, such that only interested customers would receive and therefore pay for this service.

We need your help :)!! In order to better understand local customers and local farmers, we created two surveys (one or the farmer and one for the customer) - This will just take a minute - I promise!!!!

Customer Survey: http://cmu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9NYqK2reXNrBCK0

Farmers' Survey: http://cmu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6zLKgg5P7NmX0pK

"You Pick" Subscription

We offer a monthly  /seasonal subscription that is paid in advance (This gives the farmers and assured income for the month/season and they can buy seeds and cover initial costs). Farmers would advertise their harvests on our website (weekly menu). You can order produce and/or animal products and have them delivered directly to your home. You can pick the products you want from a weekly menu at any point during the month/season you subscribed for. Each purchase is debited to your subscription, such that you can continue to make as many orders for the month/season until you used up the credit in your subscription.

"You Pick" Online Grocery Store

Farmers advertise their harvests on our website. You can order produce and/or animal products and have them delivered directly to your home. You can pick the products you want from a weekly menu at any point. There is no initial subscription fee required - just pay for whatever you buy, whenever the order is placed with a minimum of 25$ per purchase.

Comments and suggestions are very Welcome!!!!

From Mid-May until @Thanksgiving, every Tuesday 3:30-7:30 pm @ S 20th St. and Sidney St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203

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This week we decided to explore the Southside, and were very excited to find so many things to do - grabbed a bite at a local restaurant, shopped at a hip vintage store, watched a movie at the SouthSide Works cinema, simply enjoying the wonderful weather at the local town square - these are just some of all the things you can do in the Southside. But today our destination is the Southside Farmers' Market. When we got to Sidney St. and 18th, we could already see the top of the white tents. It was 3:33pm and the market was busy.  

One of Pittsburgh Citiparks' markets - in this producer-only farmers' market - you can find vendors that offer a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs, cut flowers, jams, honey, eggs, organic soaps, fresh baked goods, cheese, meat, fresh squeezed lemonade, homemade salsas and smiles. Please forgive me for listing all of the stuff you can find here, but it really is amazing the variety of goods available fresh and local. I felt I had to share:

We stopped by Beyond Organic Miller Farm stand, a farm located in Wilmington, PA. They had tomatoes, beans, herbs, lettuce, green onions, cucumbers, raspberries, potatoes, grass-fed lamb and all natural pastured pork. They also were displaying these wonderful jams and jellies that came in these traditional glass jars, the kind our grandmothers used to use - sigh...

Beyond Organic Miller Farm jams and organic soy candles

Mose J. Miller from Beyond Organic Miller Farm

At The Fine Family Apiary stand we met AL and besides providing a wide variety of organic fruit and vegetables, he was also selling two of my favorites - honey and raspberries!!!

The Fine Family Apiary 

Right across the lot we discovered the fresh baked bread and pastries stand, from Vibo's Italian Bakery - our mouths started to water :). Dino - the seller - was very friendly and explained all the different pastries and breads they were selling - sweet buns, sweet bread with raisins, pizelles, fried dough, paczki...etc. . I could not control myself and indulged in some sweet buns con raisins!

Jodikinos Farm is located in Clinton, PA and has been serving the Greater Western Pennsylvania area for more than 50 years. This family owned and operated farm is proud to offer the freshest fruits, vegetables, herbs, hanging baskets, vegetable plants and flowers at great prices. 

At Jodikinos Farm stand we found: fresh sweet corn, tomatoes, strawberries, peaches, fresh grown apples, watermelons, cantaloupes, eggplants, zucchinis, cauliflowers, broccoli, cucumbers, lettuces, pumpkins, squash, gourds, cabbages, potatoes, cherries, onions, peppers,..... and lots more! 

Ed from Jodikinos Farm

Joseph King Farm 

At Joseph King Farm we met Katee and Bekah. They were selling a variety of your most useful fruits and veggies: apples, cider, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, basil, beets, cauliflowers, beans, cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelons, eggplants, onions, garlic, potatoes, kale, mustard, spinach, turnips, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb, Indian corn, as well as baked goods, jellies, jams and gourds.  

Katee and Bekah from Joseph King Farm

We were about to take off when we made a last stop at Paul's Orchard and we couldn't help to notice how good the cherries and the blueberries looked!

Paul's Orchard - fresh fruits

Why go to the grocery store if you can get the best local, organic and farm-fresh fruits and vegetables at the local market :). Don't forget to visit this market in the heart of the Historic Southside, we had a great time. It was definitely worth the trip!! 

Where: 2216 Penn Ave., Strip District. 9 a.m-1 p.m. Saturdays (seasonal)

Known for being Pittsburgh's only mostly organic farmers’ market, the firehouse market is the result of a commitment from the farmers to deliver high quality seasonal organic produce, pastured beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish, goats milk products, home spun yarn, homemade soap, eggs, fresh bread, jams, syrups, coffee, charcuterie….you name it, they have it!!!

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Map - 216 Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh’s bustling Strip district, perfect for multi-tasking and lunch. Look for the market’s green awnings next to the historic No. 7 firehouse, now home to the Firehouse Lounge

Another great thing that I can tell you about this market is after you get the ingredients, they also teach you how to use them . They offer free cooking lessons on the spot! Last week Susan and Abby (slow food Pittsburgh) showed us how to cook Chicken Under a Brick, a well known dish in Italy by the name chicken al mattone (some say it has its roots in Russia).

Chicken under a brick - get the recipe @  http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/recipe-of-the-day-chicken-u...

At the market we met Pam a very friendly lady  and a long-time member of the firehouse market.

Pucker Brush Farm, Certified Naturally Grown
Shelocta, PA
Products: organic lamb, heirloom tomatoes, vegetables, herbs, planting herbs, flowers, artisan-dyed wool and knitwear. Contact: Pam Bryan - pjeanbryan@gmail.com

Donna from Crested Duck

Crested Duck Charcuterie, an Artisanal Meat Market
Natrona Heights, PA
Product: Pates, terrines, rillettes, confit, bresaola, air-cured and cooked sausage.
Contact: Kevin Costa

Najat’s Cuisine, conventional
East Pittsburgh, PA
Product: Quality authentic Lebanese prepared foods. Contact: Najat and Henry Nazarian - najats_cuisine@hotmail.com

At Najat's, you can find autentic Lebanese food - from humus to spinach pie - everything is made from scratch. 

The Farmer's Wife/Henry Family Farms, organic pasture, transitional crop ground
Bessemer, PA
Heirloom Breeds--raised on grass. Product:Pastured Eggs, Poultry - heritage and conventional turkeys, chicken, Berkshire pork, sweet corn, artisan soap. Contact: Dale and Maggie Henry  - maggie.henry@gmail.com

If you are looking for handmade and all natural soaps, body creams and sea bath salts,  http://www.soapalchemy.com/contact.htm

The BOOB :) - handmade nursing hat!!!

Lori from Silver Wheel Farm                         

The Silver Wheel Farm ,   Certified Naturally Grown
Harrisville, PA
They specialize in a large variety of lettuce and greens, a full range of other vegetables, herbs and berries. Contact: Lori Sands and Ben Shaevitz - tchfrch@hotmail.com

Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) www.naturallygrown.org

Kyle from Hillegas Sugar Camp

Mapple Syrup

Paradise Gardens and Farm, certified organic.
Paradise, PA
Product: Goat cheese, milk, yogurt, and ground meat. Contact: Lucinda Hart-Gonzales. info@ParadiseGardensandFarm@comcast.net.com

Blackberry Meadows Farm greenhouse

The Blackberry Meadows Farm obtained its Certified Organic status back in '92 as the first farm in the region to offer shares as a part of CSA. Blackberry Meadows accomplishments didn't end there, but rather just began and this spring a new project is emerging from its 85 acre Natrona Heights farm - The Heritage Seed Collective line of Heirloom Seedlings. 

Heritage Seed Collective

The project is designed to bring back the lost foods and flavors, which culturally and historically used to be a fundamental part of Western Pennsylvania, but are unfortunately dissappearing. Greg Boulos and his wife Jen Montgomery, boarded in the adventurous path of growing in their greenhouses, 32 varieties of the targeted plants listed by the Slow Foods Ark of Taste as endangered foods. These plants and seeds are at this moment being sold at several farmers markets, garden centers and food Co-Ops, and with everybody's help we can start preserving the past and revitalizing an almost forgotten component of Pittsburgh local heritage: 

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Map of the location where you can purchase the Heritage Seed Collective plants and seeds

Whole Foods MarketEast End Food Co-OpGarden Dreams Urban Farm & NurseryPhipps Farmers' Market Firehouse Farmers' Market

When you purchase one of these endangered plants, you will also get an empty seed packet and instructions on how to grow and save your seeds. In the Fall - if you send then them back a few seeds - the Pittsburgh Community Seed Bank will redistribute them in the following Spring of 2012. So, when you are purchasing a Heritage Seed Co. plant you are also buying the opportunity to learn how to save seeds and be a part of a wide network of seed savers and seed trading community. 

Greg Boulos

The Heritage Seed Collective project was awarded a grant from the Sprout Fund to help increase Pennsylvania's local biodiversity, to encourage the Pittsburgh community to learn how to grow its own food and to work towards a food secure future.

In order to educate the population and to allow this idea to flourish and branch throughout the community, the Heritage Seed Collective is now in need of a website. This website is being developed by Mr. Fireman from Fireman Creative - http://heritageseeds.org/ and funding is now being raised @ Kickstarter - a web platform that enables creative projects to get financial support. But this will ONLY be possible if by July 1st, they achieve the $10,000 mark.

This web based community is to be "built on an open source platform, in order to allow these community gardens to connect to each other, and all these seed savers to exchange information and be able to bring in information for people within the community, to use and exchange, and to have an online presence, so no matter where they are, across the country, anyone can start a group and start communicating about seed saving." Greg Boulos 

http://www.rhomania.com/

(download)

Click here to download:

Local_startup_rhomania_trains_.zip (1.09 MB)

Conveniently located in the lawn in from of Phipps Conservatory, every Wednesday from June through October you can stock up on a variety of Local, Certified Organic and Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) products from nearby farmers. The Market @ Phipps is the result of the collaboration between the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) and Phipps, and offers a variety of fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, eggs, honey, seedlings, cut flowers and other local products. 

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens map                                      

700 Frank Curto Dr., Schenley Park,Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3830 

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Clarion River Organics - http://www.clarionriverorganics.com

Sonshine Farm - Terry Seltzer - tseltzer@centurylink.net

Terry proudly carries pictures of her sustainably raised ducklings and of her "baby pigs" that now weight 250 pounds :)

Mott Family Farm - http://www.naturallygrown.org/

If you are looking for fresh fruits and veggies, this is the place :). Here you can find a wide variety of produce, from strawberries to collard greens, @ Mott's farm, everything is Certified Naturally Grown.

Green Circle Farm - http://www.greencirclefarmpa.com

Blackberry Meadows Farm - Greg Boulos- http://www.blackberrymeadows.com

Besides providing local and certified organic produce, Greg from Blackberry Meadows told us about their interesting process of cultivating different and unusual types of seedlings - Heritage seed collective line of special Heirloom seedlings - that can be added to any personal/private gardens increasing local biodiversity.

Also check out Friendship Farms - http://www.friendshipfarms.com

Check out all the ways you can support Pittsburgh's local economy and eat fresh too!

http://www.buylocalpa.org/map?zip=15232

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11131/1145733-34.stm