The Albanese Organization launches farm-to-building delivery program

The Albanese Organization, Inc. (AOI) has launched a delivery program that brings organic and conventional products from an eighth-generation Westminster, Vt. farm directly to residents of its three Platinum, LEED-certified buildings in Battery Park City. Each weekend, owners at The Visionaire and renters at The Solaire and The Verdesian enjoy on-site access to Holton Farms and the family behind the farm. "Our organization is always looking for new ways to make it easier for residents to incorporate healthy and sustainable practices into their everyday lives," said Russell Albanese, president of AOI. "In this case, we recognized a need for new food options in Battery Park City, and our residents' particular interest in locally sourced meals. The program with Holton Farm's mobile farmer's market has been a great way to enhance our residential communities, while also benefiting the neighborhood." Each Saturday, Holton Farms' mobile farmer's market, "The Farm Truck," visits the buildings and delivers to residents who have become members of its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Select Program and have placed orders via the farm's online portal. In addition to enjoying delivery to their door steps, residents who are not available during the truck's drop-off hours at their building can have orders left with the concierge for proper storage and later pick-up. More than 50 families from the three buildings have joined the CSA Select Program this season, and dozens more from the surrounding neighborhood stop by the truck each week. Holton Farm's CSA Select Program differs from traditional CSA Programs in its flexibility and customization. By pre-paying for a season's worth of groceries (membership levels range from $250-$1,000), members of Holton Farm's CSA Select Program can customize their deliveries by order to ensure they receive the groceries they want, when they want them. Members who have portions of their balances remaining at the end of the season in late November will be allowed to carry that over as farm credit for the 2011 season. AOI residents and those who live in Battery Park City may also buy products truck-side. "As long-time admirers of The Albanese Organization, Inc. and their leadership in the field of sustainable real estate development, we're honored and excited to be working with them," explained Jurrien Swarts, co-owner of Holton Farms and director of its CSA Select Program. "We are inspired by the interest residents have shown in Holton Farms and look forward to bringing farm-fresh food to more residents of Battery Park City and New York." Holton Farm's fresh inventory changes depending on what is in season. However, their offerings generally include varieties of vegetables; herbs; fruits; grass-fed cows, pigs, lambs, chickens and turkeys; cage-free eggs; and hormone-free milk. They also offer other high-quality products such as maple syrup, honey, bread and cheese from a number of neighboring farms and local artisanal producers. For more information on Holton Farms, please visit www.holtonfarms.com. For more information on The Albanese Organization, please visit www.albaneseorg.com, or www.thevisionaire.com for information on its newest building and residential condominium. The Albanese Organization is a full-service real estate firm that pioneered green development in 2003 with the completion of the first green residential building in North America, The Solaire, followed by The Verdesian, which became the first residential high-rise in the United States to be awarded Platinum LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The developer's latest project, The Visionaire, is the greenest residential high-rise in the country. For nearly 60 years, the Long Island-based company has been dedicated to creating residential and commercial buildings of distinction, quality and architectural merit that optimize value and quality of life, introduce innovative concepts, are environmentally responsible and enhance the communities in which they are located.