Interview with Heather Forest and Larry Foglia, founders of the Long Island Community Agriculture Network – 10.08.15

Heather Forest and Larry Foglia are two of the founders of The Long Island Community Agriculture Network and were instrumental in building the Gateway Community Garden in Huntington Station. They are co-owners of Fox Hollow Farm, a small family farm in Huntington Station where they managed a CSA for 100 families, conduct agricultural education programs, and have been engaged in vegetable farming for over 35 years.

Heather Forest, Ph.D., is a storyteller, author, musician, and organic vegetable farmer. Since 1975, she has been Executive Director of Story Arts Inc., a Huntington NY based, not-for-profit cultural arts organization that is dedicated to the art of storytelling and to its educational applications. She is one of the founders of LICAN, the Long Island Community Agricultural Network and co-owner of Fox Hollow Farm Inc. of Huntington Station, NY, an agricultural enterprise that includes a CSA serving 100 families and which offers educational programs focused on food equity, organic gardening, and farming skills.  Heather holds a master’s degree in storytelling from East Tennessee State University and a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University.

Lawrence P. Foglia, M.S., is a farmer, natural resource consultant and environmental educator who, for the past 35 years, has worked to nurture, preserve and protect the natural world.  As a Natural Resource Consultant he has been a project manager affiliated with both the Peconic and Nassau Land Trusts working to preserve and protect farms, farming and natural open space on Long Island. A founding member of LICAN, the Long Island Agriculture Network, he has been instrumental in helping to establish and build the Gateway Community Garden in Huntington Station, NY. He is founder and co-owner of Fox Hollow Farm Inc., a Huntington Station enterprise that provides land preservation consulting, has a CSA that serves 100 families, and offers educational programs on gardening and farming skills. He holds a master’s degree in Natural Resources from the Ohio State University.

Miso Vegetable Chowder

8 cups water

Olive oil

5 cloves garlic

1- 2”-3” piece of ginger

1 Tbs. Bonito Flakes

½ cake of tofu (soft or firm, whichever you prefer)

1 organic onions, chopped

1 Burdock root

1 organic carrot, washed and chopped 

1 organic celery, washed and chopped 

1 organic broccoli, cut into florets

2 Tbs wakame- soak in 1 cup of boiling water to reconstitute

6 Tbs white or red miso

1- 8 oz package soba or udon noodles, cooked according to directions

In large pot, sauté onions, carrots and burdock root in olive oil for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, place 1 Tbs bonito flakes in tea ball or cheesecloth tied with string. Add the water to pot, along with tea ball with bonito flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and tofu. Drain wakame and add to soup. Cook for another 10 minutes. Remove 1 cup of broth only, and in a separate bowl, dilute the 6 Tbs of miso in the cup of broth. Add the miso mixture back into the soup pot. Add more miso if desired for taste preferences. DO NOT BOIL THE SOUP ONCE THE MISO IS ADDED!

Keep the noodles separate and add individually to each bowl, to prevent the noodles from getting over cooked.