New models for growing and accessing fresh produce for emergency food programs in efforts to increase access to fresh, nutritious produce, to improve community wellness.

1. Making the Local
Produce Connection

2. New models for growing and accessing fresh produce,
including hydroponic gardens, urban farms, and CSAs
Produce to the People

3. Storing Fresh Produce
Before 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?

4. Store that Produce!
Question: Which of the following fruits and vegetables require
refrigeration?
• Apricots
o 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
• Cherries
o Refrigerate upon receiving! Refrigerate cherries for up to 10 days
• Beets
o Refrigerate! Remove leaves, leaving about an inch of the stems, store roots
in a plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks

5. Store that Produce!
Question: Which of the following fruits and vegetables require
refrigeration?
• Tomatoes
o 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
• Oranges
o 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

6. Fresh Produce
• There is no such thing as 100% good product in terms
of produce
o 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 skin
o A shriveled appearance
o Signs of insect damage
o A bad smell

7. 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 distribution
o income support
o nutrition education

8. 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 consequences
o Diet-related diseases (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers) 
increased health care costs
o Challenge to community wellness and dignity

9. 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 kitchens
o Senior centers, low-income daycare centers, after-school and summer
programs
o Open Market BackPack Programs
o 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 hunger
o the majority of whom are women, children, seniors, the working poor, and
people with disabilities.

10. 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)

11. Modes of Urban Agriculture
• Outdoor
o Lot or yard, rooftop, or vertical
• In-ground
• Raised beds
• Containers
• Indoor
o Hydroponic
• Soilless, water based growing solution
• Requires artificial light source

12. Considerations for
Urban Farming in NYC
• Find some space – be creative & flexible
o Land use permissions – vacant land, open lots, community
gardens, parks
o Design projects as intensive growing  high yield
o Start small, grow as you learn!
• Know your soil
o Soil test for lead, toxic metals, etc.

13. 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 growtolearn@grownyc.org or (212)788-7916 or
(212)788-3297

14. 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 Greenthumbinfo@parks.nyc.gov 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 Oasisnyc@gc.cuny.edu or (212)817-2033

15. Resources for Urban Farming in NYC

16. Brooklyn Rescue Mission
brooklynrescuemission.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 poverty
o 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
Devanie@brooklynrescuemission.org or (718)363-3085

17. Brooklyn Rescue Mission
brooklynrescuemission.org

18. Urban Farming
Beyond Produce
• Multiple, interrelated benefits
o Improved nutrition
o Personal & community awareness of source of food
o Environmental awareness
o Potential to pair nutrition education with growing food
o Programming for children & seniors
o Fundraising – diversified and attractive programming
o Volunteer engagement
o 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.

19. Child Development Support Corporation
cdscnyc.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 society
o CDSC Programs:
• Hydroponic garden
• Client-choice food pantry
• Child-care, art and Head Start & Pre-K programs

20. Child Development Support Corporation
cdscnyc.org
• CDSC is the first non-profit organization in Central
Brooklyn to host a hydroponic farm in their
warehouse
o 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 mmassac@cdscnyc.org for tours
of the hydroponic farm

21. Child Development Support Corporation
cdscnyc.org

22. Just Food
justfood.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 CSAs
o Education in basic culinary and urban agriculture skills for
their neighbors
o Advocacy to make New York City a healthier place to
live and eat

23. Community Supported Agriculture
justfood.org
• The Just Food website provides
directions on how to find and
join CSAs within New York City
o 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
Paula@justfood.com or
(212)645-9880 ext. 233

24. City Farms Program
justfood.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 neighborhoods
o People grow what they eat, and eat what
they grow
o 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 money
o http://www.meetup.com/City-Farming-
NYC/
o Contact Greg Anderson
at Greg@justfood.org or (212)645-9880 ext.
229

25. Farm School NYC
justfood.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
education
o 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 Farmschoolnyc@justfood.org or
(212)645-9880 ext. 221

26. Fresh Food For All
justfood.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 need
o 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.

27. Fresh Food For All
justfood.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 Purchasing
Just 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 Sonya@justfood.org or (212)645-
9880 ext. 227

28. Local Produce Link Sites in NYC 2012

29. 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.

30. Questions?