Knowing that fresh produce can be hard to find in many underserved neighborhoods, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, the acting public advocate, created an interactive Farm-To-City Food map of the five boroughs, highlighting the importance of access to fresh and healthy food for all New Yorkers.
In Queens, the map shows 17 Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), 20 farmers markets, 2 food boxes and 4 fresh pantry projects.
CSAs are partnerships between a farm and a community that allow neighbors to invest in the farm at the beginning of the growing season when farms need support the most, in exchange for weekly distribution of the farms’ produce from June to November. Food Box programs aggregate produce from participating farms and enable under-served communities to purchase a box of fresh, healthy, primarily regionally-grown produce.
Food pantries shown on the map are part of GrowNYC’s Fresh Pantry Project. These pantries accept donations of fresh local produce from New York area growers. Farmers’ markets are diverse and may be run by a large, centrally-managed network or by a single community organization, garden group, or impassioned neighbors running their own community-run market.
In Queens, the map shows 17 Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), 20 farmers markets, 2 food boxes and 4 fresh pantry projects.
“Access to fresh, healthy food should be a human right for everyone living in New York City,” Johnson said. “Many New Yorkers don’t know where to find fresh food options even if they are nearby, but the good news is that there are several community-based programs that make fresh food affordable. With this map, we are highlighting the work of amazing organizations like GrowNYC, Just Food, and Harvest Home, promoting healthy lifestyles for all New Yorkers, and highlighting the need to continue fighting until fresh, healthy food is affordable and accessible for everyone.”
The new interactive map allows viewers to find and learn more about all 307 locations, including payment programs that help make fruits and vegetables and other healthy options more affordable, making it a valuable resource for anyone in search of fresh, healthy food in New York City. The map is available on the acting public advocate’s website.
“The New York City Council’s Farm-to-City Food Map is an empowering tool that will help people throughout the City eat fresh, healthy, and local.” GrowNYC President, Marcel Van Ooyen said. “GrowNYC’s mission is to build linkages between local farms and New York City communities. This online tool will make it easier for New Yorkers to take full advantage of resources such as Greenmarket, Youthmarket, and Fresh Food Box that support regional farm economies, provide access to delicious and healthy foods, and fully utilize nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP and FMNP.”
