February 2025
Sustainable Warwick Minutes
February 19, 2025
Meeting chair: Michael Helme
Presentation: Morganne Frazier of Goodmaker Acres spoke about the growth of her family’s farm, which was established in 2019. They have 7 acres and focus on herbs, flowers, alpaca, chickens and ducks. Products from all these sources are being sold at their store in Edenville and at the Warwick Valley Farmers Market. Her partner, Jason, also runs More Good, which provides syrups for the healthy sodas they sell across from the SW booth at the Farmers Market. Goodmaker Acres is our new partner for year-round composting. Visit them at 246 Pine Island Turnpike, Warwick, Fridays thru Mondays, from 9 AM to 2 PM to drop off food scraps for composting.
In the spring, Morganne will hold volunteer flower planting days. Watch the Green Calendar for dates and times.
Green Calendar: Melissa Shaw Smith introduced the Earth To Warwick! 2025 Green Calendar. This year it will not just be posted on the Sustainable Warwick website, but will also appear on the websites of Wickham Works and Hello Warwick Valley. Sponsors of green events from March to June should submit event information to the Green Calendar. Many thanks to Christy for helping make this happen.
Treecycle 2025: Melissa also spoke about Treecycle, an Earth Festival developed around the theme of turning waste into art. This year there will be a puppet show sponsored by the library and tables from many of the local groups concerned about the environment, sustainability and volunteering in our community. This will be held at Stanley-Deming Park on April 26th, from 1 to 5 PM (the rain date is April 27th). Sustainable Warwick will host a table at Treecycle. If you would like to host a table at the event for your committee or group, please reach out to Melissa ASAP.
Committee Updates
SW Pollinator Pathway: Sally Greco updated us on the native plant garden that they are installing at Mountain Lake Park. They held a very successful seed sowing workshop at the Main Lodge attended by about 25 participants. The team is using milk jugs and seed trays to give seeds the exposure to cold they require for germination.
The committee is collaborating with other Warwick groups to host the Plant Natives Fair at Wisner Library on Saturday, March 15th, from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Each organization at the fair will explain what projects they are working on this summer. Here’s where you can register in advance for the fair.
Volunteers wanted! The Pollinator Pathway Committee meets the second Tuesday of every month at Mountain Lake Park to tend new plants and remove invasive species. New volunteers are always welcome. Pollinators@sustainablewarwick.org
Climate and Energy Committee: Bill Makofske talked about the Climate & Energy Committee’s successful seminar on heat pumps at Wisner Library. More than 55 people attended and many questions were answered. Watch the SW website for a new web page about heat pumps.
This was the first event in our Neighborly Seminar series, which aims to share local experiences with sustainable initiatives. The next event will be entitled “Is an EV Right For You” and will be held the evening of April 29th at Wisner Library. cleanenergy@sustainablewarwick.org
Sustainable World Book Club: Bill and Mary Mafoske talked about our most recent read, The Deluge, by Stephen Markley, because they were the only members who managed to finish the 800+ page book. This novel is about climate change issues from now to 15 years in the future, with a wide range of subplots related to all different actors in the climate movement, politics and business as usual. The next title for Book Club is “A River Runs Through it” by Norman Maclean. BookClub@sustainablewarwick.org
The Coolest Recycling Drive: The CRD is expanding! The Town of Warwick has agreed to be a central collection hub for all of Orange County during the month of April, and similar drives will also be held in Ulster County and Dutchess County this year.
Volunteers wanted! We can always use extra hands (and strong backs) at our drop-off events. Contact CleanEnergy@sustainablewarwick.org if you are interested in helping out.
Helpsy: Kate Debold shared that the Village of Florida recently approved a Helpsy bin for placement behind the Village Hall. This is now the second bin in the Town of Warwick; the first was placed adjacent to the Police Department in 2024, and to date has collected more than 3 tons of textiles. She plans to approach the Village of Warwick to gauge their interest in another bin. Kate noted that municipalities earn funds based on the total pounds collected. The larger benefit is that 95% of fabrics/textiles collected can be recycled, repurposed or resold and are kept out of our landfills.
New Initiatives Discussed
Farm workers: Mary Makofske told us about the challenging times facing farm workers. Representatives of Sustainable Warwick will join a meeting next week to discuss fundraising.
Transformation Trails: Michael Helme confirmed that all 10 acres between the two fences have been cleared by DPW. There are immediate plans for a wildflower meadow and an arboretum, but also long-term plans for paths, sculptures and other gardens. SW is considering another fundraiser to support acquiring more trees.
Community Gatherings: We discussed having more community gatherings, something like what We The People held in January. There was lots of interest in holding group hikes, and Sona Mason agreed to help lead one. Watch the Green Calendar for hiking dates, most likely starting in late April.
Green Burials: Christy raised the topic of Green Burials, and a new committee will explore this topic. If this is of interest to you or you would like to know more, please get in touch. SteeringCommittee@sustainablewarwick.org
NYS Updates
NYS Budget: At this time of year, the state legislature is focused on putting together the budget, including allocations for environmental/sustainability expenditures. We touched briefly on NYCI (New York Cap & Invest) and the New Yorkers for Clean Air Coalition and also on the New York Power Authority and the Build Public Renewables Act.
Fire Forum: Recently Sustainable Hudson Valley and Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress held a webinar entitled Fire Forum. The recording is available here.
Please keep in touch and keep up your efforts to live sustainably.