The fig cuttings came from Nelson Ryland’s backyard, which he has renamed Flatbush Fig Farm.

“Flatbush Fig Farm is our attempt to involve our children in starting a business,” Nelson says. “The result is we spend time together getting messy, making stuff, and the kids earn their allowance.”

When they first sold fig trees last year, they donated $150 to the Flatbush CommUNITY Garden. “Our goal this year is to raise some money for a local organization we like…and for my boys to earn some Lego money.”

The cuttings are taken from fig trees in the family’s backyard and are propagated in a jar of water for six weeks.

“Sam, age 3, and Jack, age 5, climbed up a ladder and helped bring … Read the rest

Many people have been asking about the new awning and sign in the window that says “Ditmas Park Coffee” at Café Madeline. The cafe, which was opened in October 2010, was sold this past August and the new owners took over in October. New awning or no, official word on the street, straight from the barista’s mouth: “Café Madeline is keeping its name and same great food. The only change is that it will be getting a facelift over the next couple of months.” Oh, and they have plans to become a bar. No timeline on that development.

Who is the new owner, we asked? The same barista responded, “He is local. He owns a health food store—I think it’s on Cortelyou, but it could be somewhere else—but he owns a health food store.”

The owner of Natural Frontier, the health food store on Cortelyou, was not around when we tried to contact him, but the staff said it’s not him.

We caught up with the former owner, Alexander Hall–who also owns Milk Bar in Prospect Heights and Bluebird Coffee on the Lower East Side–to find out why he decided to give up on Cortelyou Road.

I have very

… Read the rest

Possibly the best chalk art we’ve seen out there yet? These are done by Justin at Market–be sure to stop in and let him know how much you like them.… Read the rest

• Cafe Madeline will be open regular hours Saturday, and until 2pm Sunday.

• The Castello Plan is open for brunch and dinner tomorrow, but is closed Sunday.

• The Farm on Adderley will be closed on Saturday and Sunday.

• Natural Frontier Market will be open at 8am on Saturday and Sunday.

• Purple Yam will be open and serving special holiday menus both days.

• Qathra will be open both days, but may close if it gets slow.

• Sycamore will be open for flowers tomorrow but closed for booze; and that’s the opposite on Sunday, when the bar will be grilling burgers.

• T.B. Ackerson will be open regular hours tomorrow, but will be closed on Sunday.

Of course, that’s only scratching the surface, and it’s just Cortelyou. If you know the hours of your favorite spot this weekend, please share in the comments.… Read the rest

Sycamore Flower Shop has all the bouquets, arrangements, and plants to make your holiday festive, and they’ll be open on Christmas Eve from 10am to 5pm (but closed on Christmas Day).

Open on Christmas Day (but closed Christmas Eve), the bar will be serving up burgers on the grill in the backyard for a new holiday tradition. I think that beats Chinese food!… Read the rest

Let’s hope all of the news coverage on Josh Rubin’s murder does some good toward solving it.… Read the rest

There’s still time to deck those halls, or bring something special to a holiday party, and Sycamore has a great option this week with mistletoe.

“We’ve got lots of it to cover everyone’s smooching needs,” says Justine, who adds that it’s actually a parasite that grows on other trees, but it has recently been noted as a keystone species very important to its ecosystems.

One large sprig with lots of mistletoe pearls is $5, complete with a bit of red string for you to hoist it up wherever you like.… Read the rest

My son reported a holiday shopping fact he learned at school. “The average household will spend $700 on Christmas,” he claimed. “Yet, spending just $64 of those dollars locally will create a lot of jobs.”

What is “a lot,” and how accurate are these numbers? I don’t know. But money spent here keeps money in the local economy, since business owners tend to invest in the community. Supporting local businesses can give them the ability to provide jobs in the neighborhood. And it’s very convenient for shoppers–no need to schlep all over the city!

So where can you buy interesting gifts locally? That, I know!

Photography
Freeze your kids’ and pets’ precious faces. Give your family a gift certificate for a photo session shot by a local photographer. We have talent that specializes in families, weddings, and pets.

• Pet Portraits by Lindsay Aikman
• Kristine Foley Photography
• Andy Techie Photography
• Mark Gilman

Books by Local Authors
Buy a book written by our inaugural Ditmas Reads Ditmas author, Gabriel Cohen. Or prepare for the next book in our series by reading Living Room by Rachel Sherman. In fact, if your loved one … Read the rest

The Flatbush Food Co-op is hosting a food drive for Sanctuary for Families through the end of the year. When you make a donation of non-perishable food purchased at the co-op, they will match it, and they will hand-deliver the food at the beginning of 2012. Stop by the store for more details.

And remember, there are lots of food drives going on in the area now, and year-round.… Read the rest

Another terrific chalk drawing at Market!… Read the rest