We’re just six weeks out from the 10th Annual Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride, and have signed up some EXTRAORDINARY community members to ride with us as Red Beet Riders this year. These riders mean the world to us, and so are being showcased on our blog as we approach April 28th – Rock to Rock 2018!
First up in the spotlight is Josh Weinstein. Josh moved to New Haven in spring 2017 and started volunteering with New Haven Farms right off the bat. He’s since become an integral part of the New Haven Farms community, as has his friendly flat-coated retriever, Yogurt. An engineer and cyclist, Josh has been a relentless recruiter for our Rock to Rock team and is a key player in our team’s burgeoning success.
We asked Josh a few questions about why he joined the Red Beet Riders this year:
Why do you support New Haven Farms?
It is important to me that helping others starts in my community. One of the highest forms of giving is providing resources that empower those in need to help themselves. As a local non-profit that is literally healing the sick through its immersive Farm-Based Wellness Program, New Haven Farms meets both of these criteria by providing low-income patients and struggling families in our backyard with tools for improving and recovering from major diet-related health conditions. New Haven Farms also models my values of food consciousness and recognizes that the food choices we make are fundamental to who we are as humans and to our long term health. New Haven Farms provides this gift and awareness to everyone who participates in their programs.
What are you most looking forward to for Rock to Rock 2018?
I am looking forward to sharing New Haven Farms’ work with co-workers, neighbors, friends and family. I am also excited to meet dozens of other organizations working to serve the local community in New Haven that are often the unseen instruments of change throughout the city. And honestly, what could be a better way to do all of this than on a bike ride.
What do you want to see in a green future for New Haven?
To me, a green future looks like more people being aware and getting involved with what’s happening on the ground by many small and influential organizations, like New Haven Farms and the other organizations participating in the Rock to Rock ride. I would simultaneously love to see continued efforts to conserve and maintain local parks and nature. One of my favorite parts of living in New Haven is taking my dog, Yogurt, to New Haven’s various parks, watching the birds and exploring the many trails. I also enjoy walking the streets and seeing community gardens and the occasional information signs about the local ecosystem and how it benefits people. A green future will be when more people intuit that an environmentally-conscious city creates a more resilient and desirable city to live in.
If you want to be like Josh and join the New Haven Farms team, there’s still time! Register to ride with New Haven Farms today, or support Josh’s fundraising by going to his rider page. See you at Rock to Rock!
