BY BILL PARRY
Knowing that fresh produce can be hard
to find in many underserved neighbor-hoods,
City Council Speaker Corey
Johnson, the acting public advocate,
created an interactive Farm-To-City
Food map of the five boroughs, high-lighting
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 com-munity
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 underserved 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 York-ers,
24 MARCH 2019 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
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 at council.nyc.gov/
public-advocate/fresh-food-access.
“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 Presi-dent,
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 nutri-tion
assistance programs such as SNAP and FMNP.”
Community News
LOOKING FOR SOME FARM-FRESH PRODUCE IN QUEENS?
A new city map shows you
how to find it
Courtesy of Speaker's office Council Speaker Corey Johnson creates and interactive map showing where
fresh produce can be found in underserved areas of the five boroughs
/www.qns.com
/www.qns.com
/council.nyc.gov
