Category Archives: Flushing Fantastic
Community to Launch Open Air Market at Bowne Playground (PS20)
GrowNYC Flushing Greenmarket Will Connect Residents with Fresh Fruit & Vegetables from Local Farms
GrowNYC and the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce are collaborating to launch the 2022 season of the Flushing Greenmarket at a new location in front of Bowne Playground and Public School 20 on Sanford Avenue, between Union Street and Bowne Street, in downtown Flushing, Queens.
Operated by GrowNYC, the Flushing Greenmarket will be open every Wednesday from 8am to 3pm, from July 27 to November 23, 2022. The Flushing Chamber partners with GrowNYC to promote the Greenmarket and coordinates programming with local businesses, cultural groups, and civic associations.
GrowNYC‘s Greenmarket works to preserve local farmland, while ensuring that New Yorkers have access to fresh, healthy food grown in our region. GrowNYC ensures product integrity: everything sold at its greenmarkets is 100 percent farmer grown, produced, caught, or foraged in the local region. Farmers interested in selling their products at the Flushing Greenmarket can get more information and apply at grownyc.org.
“As we fight the pandemic and get back on our feet, we’re happy to present another year of healthy food options and cultural programming at the Flushing Greenmarket,” said Alice Lee, Chairwoman of the Chamber’s Advisory Board. “We will be featuring the work of local artists to showcase their innovative work and to encourage more people to visit our business community.”
Participating farmers include R & G Produce Vegetables from Goshen, New York. Farmers accept cash, debit and credit cards, SNAP/EBT (food stamps), HealthFirst OTC cards (CC & LIP members only), WIC & Senior FMNP coupons as well as Health Bucks (Spend $2 in SNAP/EBT/P-EBT, get bonus $2 Health Buck, up to $10 per day). For updates throughout the season, visit the Flushing Greenmarket webpage or the Chamber’s Facebook page for up-to-date information on market activities throughout the season.
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Lunch & Learn: Tax Strategy for Entrepreneurs & Freelancers
The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce is launching a “Lunch & Learn” program starting on Wednesday, June 29, 12pm noon. The program will be conducted virtually via remote video conference and will feature industry experts presenting on a variety of topics important to small business owners and freelancers. The Lunch & Learn program is part of the Chamber’s continuing effort to support the Flushing community and help revive the local economy, which was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes and scapegoating.
“We’re proud to be partnering with the Lili Banking for Your Business to bring highly informative and educational webinars for our business community,” stated Taehoon Kim, President of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce.
The topic of the first Lunch & Learn webinar will be “Demystifying Taxes for Small Business with Lili” – a 1-hour session led by business expert Wendi Caplan-Carroll, who will walk participants through the core tools and information that make tackling taxes (and saving money) easier than ever.
“Lili Banking for Business’s commitment to solo business owners helps empower those building their businesses,” stated SMB expert (and solo business owner) Wendi Caplan-Carroll. “Taxes are one of the biggest challenges stressing out small business owners. This workshop helps alleviate some of that stress by simply breaking down what taxes one would be responsible for and how to make sure you account for all those business expenses that may help you reduce your tax burden and stay more organized.”
Attendees will learn about: Taxes 101: How self-employment and income taxes are calculated; Smart Tax Tools: Leverage Lili to ensure you only pay what you owe; and, Get Prepared: Avoid penalties and organize your finances before you file.
The Chamber’s “Lunch & Learn” program is free and open to the public, but registration is required at lunchlearnwebinar.eventbrite.com.
All registrants will receive a copy of “Your Small Business,” which includes everything you need to know about managing your business.
For more information, read the Queens Patch.
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Open Air Farmers Market Supports Access to Local Food during COVID-19 Pandemic
The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce and GrowNYC launched the fifth season of the Flushing Greenmarket located in front of Maple Playground at 136-50 Maple Ave, Flushing, NY 11355. The Flushing Greenmarket operated by GrowNYC will be open every Wednesday from 8am to 3pm, from July to November 2020. The last day will be November 24, 2020. The Chamber partners with GrowNYC to promote the Greenmarket and coordinates programming with local businesses, cultural groups, and civic associations.
“The Flushing Greenmarket comes at a critical time in our community, which has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic and is struggling to find healthy and reliable food supplies,” stated John Choe, executive director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce. “When you buy at the Flushing Greenmarket, you know exactly who planted and harvested the food you give to your family — that’s the type of reassurance consumers are demanding and will be the key to helping our local economy recover and get back on our feet.”
The Chamber curates programming at the greenmarket, promoting environmental education as well as activities that support community wellbeing and health. Alice Lee, Chair of the Chamber’s Advisory Board, will be coordinating monthly programming with local artists to showcase their talents and encourage more people to visit the market.
“As we fight the pandemic and get back on our feet, we’re happy to present another year of healthy food options and cultural programming at the Flushing Greenmarket,” said Alice Lee, Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce. “We will be featuring the work of local artists every month to showcase their innovative work and to encourage more people to visit our business community.”
The Flushing Greenmarket was launched at Maple Playground in the summer of 2016 with the support of the Chamber and is operated by GrowNYC, which seeks to improve New York City’s quality of life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations. Located at the popular Maple Playground, the Greenmarket provides neighborhood residents access to farm fresh food from a regional farm every Wednesday from July to the week of Thanksgiving.
“We are so happy to return to Maple Playground this season. Not only is this year GrowNYC’s 50th anniversary, it’s also the 5th anniversary of our open-air Flushing Greenmarket,” said GrowNYC‘s Communication Specialist Catherine Crawford. “We’ve implemented a number of new safety protocols at all of our food access sites to keep shoppers safe, and we’re pleased to bring fresh, regional fruits and vegetables directly to Flushing residents.”
GrowNYC’s Greenmarket Program works to preserve local farmland while ensuring local residents have access to fresh, healthy food grown in the New York metropolitan region. A central component of Greenmarket’s mission and operations is product integrity: everything sold at market is 100 percent farmer grown, produced, caught, or foraged.
“Green Earth Urban Gardens started a local honey business to fund educational horticultural therapy programs for special needs students in the area,” stated Maureen Regan, founder of Green Earth Urban Gardens. “We applied to be a vendor at the Flushing Greenmarket and look forward to participating as a resource for our community.”
The Flushing Greenmarket is located on Kissena Boulevard and Maple Avenue (in front of Maple Playground) and is open Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. until November 25, 2020. Participating farmers include R & G Produce Vegetables from Goshen, New York.
Farmers accept cash, debit and credit cards, SNAP/EBT (food stamps), WIC & Senior FMNP coupons as well as Health Bucks (for every $5 spent in EBT, customers receive a $2 Health Buck coupon to purchase additional fruits and vegetables). For updates throughout the season, visit the Flushing Greenmarket webpage or the Chamber’s Facebook page for up-to-date information on at-market activities throughout the season.
Photos from this year’s Flushing Greenmarket are available online.
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KissenaWay Black Friday Walking & Parks Tour
Looking to get outside and enjoy the outdoors on Black Friday?
Join Transportation Alternatives, Eastern Queens Greenway, Kissena Park Conservancy, Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, and more for a FREE family-safe walking tour of the extensive park network in Eastern Queens.
This is our second #OptOutside Black Friday Walking Tour of the future Kissena Way. Get ready to burn off the Thanksgiving stuffing and make some new friends along the way.
We will begin the tour at 12 p.m. from right ourtside the Main Street entrance of the Queens Botanical Gardens (43-50 Main St), meander through the wood chip paths of Kissena Corridor Park, and finish the tour at the eastern end of Kissena Park.
The total route is a little less than two miles long. We will pepper the walk with breaks to highlight the beautiful park amenities. Bring a camera to capture New York’s late autumn foliage!
Expect an easy walk, accessible to all. Just make sure to bring comfortable shoes and be aware of small puddles and mud along the route.
RSVP @ https://www.facebook.com/events/2762010967195468/
Find Yourself Here!
#FlushingFantastic
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認識不一樣的紐約法拉盛 訪問商會理事長
The executive director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, John Choe, was profiled by ET Today, a Chinese-language media company:
卓越法拉盛商會(Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce)成立於2014年，身為創辦人之一的商會理事長 John Choe 接受我的訪問，讓我重新了解法拉盛獨有的社區文化與商會過去到現在如何將法拉盛的飲食、古蹟、藝術與亞洲封街夜市重新整合包裝成為紐約一個新興的觀光地區。
有別於法拉盛許多商會都是由不同的族裔各自創立，Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce 是唯一不分族群開放給所有法拉盛商戶與中小企業入會的法拉盛商會組織。
John Choe 希望真的能幫助到中小企業，提供各種免費商業輔導甚至技術輔導，而且不限年齡、種族或是營業規模，只要是入駐法拉盛的個人商戶或是中小企業都可以參加。
John Choe 說大部分紐約市民都以為法拉盛只有小吃，但法拉盛有很多藝文活動，除了許多亞裔移民以外，法拉盛也很多藝術展覽與音樂表演，希望藉著 Flushing Night Out 的封街活動讓社區裡的居民與紐約其他地區搭地鐵過來的遊客見識到法拉盛的融合文化，這裡除了亞裔也有拉丁裔、非裔、印度裔等。
Passport to Flushing 是夢幻法拉盛(Flushing Fantastic)延伸出的活動，藉著發放法拉盛觀光護照活動讓前來的遊客能到處蓋章拍照。每一次辦活動都要消耗很多人力與資金，但希望能繼續舉辦下去讓法拉盛隱藏的文化與古蹟被看到。 法拉盛旅遊指南「夢幻法拉盛」Flushing Fantastic，將法拉盛的歷史、人文與吃喝玩樂做一個深入的導覽， 是本紐約市贊助的刊物，也有網站。
John Choe 希望在2020年找到一些閒置的戶外空間為社區居民提供更多公共休憩與休閒的場所，這個計畫由紐約市政府發起，希望讓社群居民有更多空間與家人朋友聚集。
文字與訪問：孫韶蓮
For more information, visit ET Today.
