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Making the Local Produce
Connection
New models for growing and accessing fresh produce,
including hydroponic gardens, urban farms, and CSAs
Produce to
the People
Storing Fresh ProduceBefore discussing access, lets discuss storage!• When you receive produce, you must store it properly, but
not all produce require refrigeration!• Cold-sensitive fruits and veggies lose flavor and moisture at
low temperatures• Store them on the counter, not in the fridge.• Once they're fully ripe, you can refrigerate them to help
them last, but for best flavor, return them to room temp
Question: Which of the following fruits and vegetables require refrigeration?
Store that Produce!Question: Which of the following fruits and vegetables require refrigeration?
• Apricotso Don’t refrigerate until ripe! Store apricots at room temperature until
ripe, then refrigerate • Bananas
o Don’t refrigerate until ripe! Store unripe bananas at room temperature and store ripe bananas in the refrigerator
• Cherrieso Refrigerate upon receiving! Refrigerate cherries for up to 10 days
• Beetso Refrigerate! Remove leaves, leaving about an inch of the stems, store
roots in a plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks
Store that Produce!Question: Which of the following fruits and vegetables require refrigeration?
• Tomatoeso Don’t refrigerate! Store are room temperature away from direct
sunlight, use within 1 week after ripe• Bell Peppers
o Refrigerate upon receiving! Refrigerate bell peppers in plastic bag for use within 5 days
• Orangeso It’s a toss up! Store oranges at room temperature for 1-2 days or
refrigerate for 1-2 weeks• Cut Vegetables
o Cut vegetables must be stored in the refrigerator for continued use in order to extend shelf life
Fresh Produce• There is no such thing as 100% good product
in terms of produceo Even when it arrives at the market, there has already
been some decay• If an item has any of the following toss it
immediately:o Mold and/or slime o Severely damaged or broken skino A shriveled appearanceo Signs of insect damageo A bad smell
Food Bank Mission• As one of the country's largest food banks,
our mission is to end hunger in New York City by organizing food, information and support for community survival and dignity through…
o food distributiono income supporto nutrition education
Lack of Access to Fresh Produce
• Limited availability + limited affordability = lack of access
• Results in nutrition deficiencies and reduced quality of life o Personal, family and community health consequenceso Diet-related diseases (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers)
increased health care costso Challenge to community wellness and dignity
How We Provide for Clients• Food Bank procures and distributes food to
a network of more than 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, helping to provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need
o Food pantries and soup kitchenso Senior centers, low-income daycare centers, after-school and
summer programso Open Market BackPack Programso Rehabilitation centers, shelters and youth services
• Our member programs work in partnership with Food Bank to help provide nutritious and balanced meals and groceries to New Yorkers at risk of hungero the majority of whom are women, children, seniors, the working poor,
and people with disabilities.
Increase Access to Fresh Produce• How can Emergency Food Programs increase
access to fresh, nutritious produce, to improve community wellness?
o Grow it!• Outdoor – Urban Farms• Indoor – Hydroponic Garden
o Connect with Growers & Producers• Farmer’s Markets• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Modes of Urban Agriculture
• Outdooro Lot or yard, rooftop, or vertical
• In-ground• Raised beds• Containers
• Indooro Hydroponic
• Soilless, water based growing solution• Requires artificial light source
Considerations for Urban Farming in NYC
• Find some space – be creative & flexibleo Land use permissions – vacant land, open lots,
community gardens, parkso Design projects as intensive growing high yieldo Start small, grow as you learn!
• Know your soilo Soil test for lead, toxic metals, etc.
Resources for Urban Farming in NYC
• GrowNYC (http://www.grownyc.org)o Open Space Greening works with schools, public housing associations,
and neighborhood groups to transform vacant land into community gardens, school gardens, and rainwater harvesting systems across New York City.
o Contact GrowNYC’s Open Space Greening at 212-788-7935
• Grow to Learn (http://www.growtolearn.org)o The Citywide School Garden Initiative is a public-private partnership
between the Mayor’s Fund, GrowNYC, and several government agency partners, providing a centralized location for coordinating fundraising, management, training and promotion of the Citywide School Garden Initiative's efforts throughout New York City.
o Contact Grow to Learn at [email protected] or (212)788-7916 or (212)788-3297
Resources for Urban Farming in NYC
• Greenthumb (http://www.greenthumbnyc.org)o Provides programming and material support to over 600 community
gardens in New York City. Workshops, which are the access point for supplies, are held every month of the year, covering gardening basics to more advanced farming and community organizing topics.
o Contact Greenthumb at [email protected] or (212)788-8070
• OasisNYC (http://www.oasisnyc.net)o Open Accessible Space Information System (OASIS) helps
nonprofits, community groups, educators, students, public agencies, and local businesses develop a better understanding of their environment with interactive maps of open spaces, property information, transportation networks, and more.
o Contact OasisNYC at [email protected] or (212)817-2033
Resources for Urban Farming in NYC
Brooklyn Rescue Missionbrooklynrescuemission.org
• Brooklyn Rescue Mission Urban Harvest Center Inc. promotes healthy living for Brooklyn residents through, an innovative sustainable food system, while organizing families and youth to gain self-sufficiency and overcome povertyo BRM Programs:
• Bed-Stuy Farm • Malcom X Blvd. Community Farmers’ Market• Growing Power Regional Outreach Training Center • Food Pantry
o Contact Brooklyn Rescue Mission at [email protected] or (718)363-3085
Brooklyn Rescue Missionbrooklynrescuemission.org
Urban Farming Beyond Produce• Multiple, interrelated benefits
o Improved nutritiono Personal & community awareness of source of food o Environmental awarenesso Potential to pair nutrition education with growing
foodo Programming for children & seniorso Fundraising – diversified and attractive programmingo Volunteer engagemento Physical activity – exercise!o Community safety and crime reduction**Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine announced last year that they had found a net reduction in crime in areas around more than 4,000 vacant lots that had been "greened" compared with others that were left alone over 10 years.
Child Development Support Corporationcdscnyc.org
• The mission of CDSC is to provide programs that empower families by helping them to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for successful living in today's societyo CDSC Programs:
• Hydroponic garden• Client-choice food pantry• Child-care, art and Head Start & Pre-K programs
Child Development Support Corporationcdscnyc.org
• CDSC is the first non-profit organization in Central Brooklyn to host a hydroponic farm in their warehouseo Hydroponics uses mineral nutrients and water, without soil
• hydroponic farming is more sustainable than soil-based growing methods because it actually uses 70-90% less water
o Contact Mireille Massac at [email protected] for tours of the hydroponic farm
Child Development Support Corporationcdscnyc.org
Just Foodjustfood.org
• Just Food empowers and supports community-led efforts to increase access to locally grown food by providing training and education to community members to help them launch projects like…
o Farmers' markets and CSAso Education in basic culinary and urban agriculture skills
for their neighborso Advocacy to make New York City a healthier place to
live and eat
Community Supported Agriculturejustfood.org
• The Just Food website provides directions on how to find and join CSAs within New York Cityo Lists associations, locations,
contact information, and links to the farms involved
o Offers workshops and tips on how to start a CSA in your neighborhood
o Contact Paula Lukats at [email protected] or (212)645-9880 ext. 233
City Farms Programjustfood.org
• The City Farms Program trains, connects, and empowers New York City community gardeners to spread knowledge about growing, selling, and giving more food in their neighborhoodso People grow what they eat, and eat what
they growo Communities learn where food comes
from and take control of where their food comes from
o NYC residents connect to farmers outside the city
o Creates jobs and saves moneyo http://www.meetup.com/City-Farming-NYC/o Contact Greg Anderson at
[email protected] or (212)645-9880 ext. 229
Farm School NYCjustfood.org
• Farm School NYC trains NYC residents in urban agriculture, growing techniques, business planning and marketing skills, community organizing and leadership skills; and food based educationo Offers a two year comprehensive professional training in all
aspects of Urban Agriculture, as well as individual course enrollment
o Contact Farm School NYC at [email protected] or (212)645-9880 ext. 221
Fresh Food For Alljustfood.org
• Just Food's Fresh Food for All program helps food pantries and other emergency food programs make fresh, nutritious, locally grown food available to families and individuals in needo Just Food works with 48 food pantries and soup kitchens
in all five boroughs, connecting them with farmers, providing cooking demonstrations, and arranging farm visits to acquaint the staff and clients with their farmers and the local food system
o Partners include the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) of New York, United Way of NYC, NYC emergency food programs, and rural family farmers.
Fresh Food For Alljustfood.org
• Fresh Food for All has two models to connect local farms and organizations serving low-income communities:o Local Produce Link
Local Produce Link is a program is a partnership between United Way of NYC and Just Food. United Way pays farmers directly for the vegetables with funding from the New York State Department of Health, and food pantries receive the produce free of cost.
o Direct PurchasingJust Food's Direct Purchasing program provides assistance to organizations serving low-income communities that are interested in purchasing locally grown food to serve in congregate meal programs or to distribute to clients in food pantry bags.
o Contact Sonya Kharas at [email protected] or (212)645-9880 ext. 227
Local Produce Link Sites in NYC 2012
Tips for Requesting Donations
• CSA: Contact the CSA closest to you to see if they are able to donate at the end of their distribution
• City Harvest: City Harvest can provide deliveries of fresh produce as well as bread and other food items.
• Ample Harvest: AmpleHarvest.org is a website that connect gardeners with an overabundance of vegetables with their local food pantries.
• Greenmarkets: Find Greenmarkets in your neighborhood and ask farmers if they can donate fresh vegetables to you at the end of the market day.
• City Farms Markets: Find a Just Food City Farms Market in your area and contact the market to find out whether they can donate fresh vegetables to you at the end of the market day.
Questions?
