Weekly Deliveries From Local Farms
Fresh fruits and vegetables will be brought to parents and students at a Woodside preschool as part of a city Health Department program launched last week.
Child Center of New York, located at 60-02 Roosevelt Ave., is among 11 locations—and the only one in Queens—enrolled in the “Farm to Preschool” initiative, which the Health Department formed in partnership with GrowNYC and the Corbin Hill Food Project.
Aimed at promoting healthy eating, the program allows families and local residents to visit the schools weekly and purchase a box of locally-grown produce. Each box, which costs between $10 to $12, contains between seven and 10 fresh fruits and vegetables.
“Eating habits are developed early in life, and the Farm to Preschool program helps children learn about healthy eating and where their food comes from at an early age,” said Dr. Mary Bassett, the city’s Health Commissioner. “By partnering with child care centers in neighborhoods with little access to affordable food that is healthy, Farm to Preschool offers a unique way for busy parents to purchase healthy food for their young families in a way tat is both affordable and convenient.”
During the box sales, Health Department workers will also be at the preschool to provide nutritional information and education to visitors, including cooking demonstrations involving recipes using farmfresh ingredients.
There is no obligation required to purchase a box of fresh produce, and HealthBucks and EBT benefits are accepted.
The produce will be available at Child Center of New York’s Woodside location each Tuesday from 3 to 7 p.m. For additional information, visit the Corbin Hill Food Project’s website, https://www.farmigo.com/join/cor binhillfoodproject/summer2014, or the city Health Department’s website, www.nyc.gov/health.
