Seasonal Greenmarkets and Farmstands Opening!

May 5, 2023
Posted in Greenmarket

It's farmers market season in New York City!

GrowNYC Greenmarkets 
GrowNYC's year-round Greenmarket farmers markets are growing as farmers bring additional delicious fruits and vegetables to market every day, and our seasonal Greenmarkets have begun opening. New Yorkers (and visitors!) can find a bounty of fresh, local products at Greenmarkets throughout the city. 

Check out individual market webpages for daily farmer attendance and information about upcoming activities such as cooking demonstrations and family-friendly programming.

GrowNYC Farmstands
GrowNYC Farmstands are part of a network of food access retail sites operated by GrowNYC, along with Greenmarkets and Fresh Food Box sites. Through Farmstands, GrowNYC sells fresh, affordable food in underserved and under resourced neighborhoods across NYC. The food sold at Farmstands is grown by farmers in the Northeast and transparently sourced through GrowNYC Wholesale. This vital food access program also offers important job opportunities for New Yorkers, ensures healthy, fresh food access across the city, and provides vital revenue for family farms in the Northeast.

All GrowNYC Greenmarkets and Farmstands accept SNAP/EBT, Debit/Credit, Healthfirst OTC cards (LIP and CC members only), WIC & Senior FMNP coupons, and Greenmarket Bucks accepted.
Spend $2 in SNAP/EBT/P-EBT, get bonus $2 Health Buck, up to $10 per day.

GrowNYC Fresh Food Box 
GrowNYC Fresh Food Box sites are also part of a network of food access retail sites operated by GrowNYC. Through Fresh Food Box, customers pay one week in advance for a pre-assembled box of healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables grown primarily by regional farmers and sourced through GrowNYC Wholesale. The program allows customers to take advantage of the cost benefit of buying in a group and enjoy the flexibility of a weekly commitment while supporting farmers. All Fresh Food Box sites currently operate year-round. 

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OPENING DATE   SEASONAL GREENMARKETS & FARMSTANDS
May 6   Bay Ridge Greenmarket Saturdays
May 7   Bartel-Pritchard Square Greenmarket Sundays (also open on Wednesdays)
May 14   Stuyvesant Town Greenmarket Sundays 
May 28   Bensonhurst Greenmarket Sundays
June 3   57th Street Greenmarket Saturdays 
June 4   Domino Park Greenmarket Sundays
June 6   Astor Place Greenmarket Tuesdays
June 6   Fort Washington Greenmarket Tuesdays
June 6   Bronx Borough Hall Greenmarket Tuesdays
June 6   Greenmarket at the Oculus Tuesdays 
June 10   Staten Island Mall Greenmarket Saturdays 
June 13   Elmhurst Greenmarket Tuesdays
June 14   Mount Sinai Hospital Greenmarket Wednesdays
June 16   Parkchester Greenmarket Fridays
June 16   Corona Greenmarket Fridays
June 18   94th Street Greenmarket Sundays
June 22   PS 57 Farmstand Thursdays 
June 23   Lincoln Hospital Greenmarket Fridays (open Tuesdays June 27)
June 24   Eastchester Farmstand Saturdays
June 27   Poe Park Greenmarket Tuesdays
June 29   175th St Greenmarket Thursdays 
June 29   Lower East Side Farmstand Thursdays 
July 1   4th Avenue Sunset Park Greenmarket Saturdays
July 1   Forest Park Farmstand Saturdays 
July 1   Ridgewood Farmstand Saturdays 
July 5   Flushing Greenmarket Wednesdays 
July 5   Morrisania Farmstand Wednesdays
July 5   Woodhull Hospital Farmstand Wednesdays
July 6   Myrtle-Wyckoff Plaza Greenmarket Thursdays
July 6   Boro Park Greenmarket Thursdays
July 6   NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur Health Farmstand Thursdays 
July 7   Cypress Hills Farmstand Fridays
July 8    Brownsville Pitkin Farmstand Saturdays 

2022 Holiday Schedule - Greenmarkets, Farmstands, Fresh Food Box, Food Scrap and Clothing Collections

November 7, 2022
Posted in Greenmarket

Christmas and New Years are right around the corner and markets are abundant with all of the ingredients you need for delicious meals and celebrations. Some scheduling changes will take place due to the holidays, see below for full schedule. 

Please note, food scrap and clothing collections remain the same for regularly scheduled market days, unless otherwise noted. 

**For farmer/producer attendance, scroll to the bottom of each individual market webpage, updated the morning of each market day.

Wednesday 12/28:  
Bartel-Pritchard Greenmarket, BK, open 8am-2pm 
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-3pm (Food Scrap Collection Cancelled)
Tribeca Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-2pm (last day of the season)
Union Square Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-6pm 
CLOSED Morris Heights Farmstand
CLOSED Uptown Grand Central Fresh Food Box (Food Scrap Collection Cancelled) 
CLOSED Chinese-American Planning Council Fresh Food Box
CLOSED Madison Square Park Food Scrap Drop-off, MN
CLOSED Mott Haven Food Scrap Drop-off, BX
CLOSED Morrisania Food Scrap Drop-off, BX
CLOSED Office of Assemblymember Anderson Food Scrap Drop-Off, QNS

Thursday 12/29:  
Columbia University Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-4pm
Tucker Square Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-3pm (Food Scrap Collection Cancelled)
CLOSED East Harlem Health Action Center Fresh Food Box
CLOSED Norwood Farmstand (Also Food Scrap Collection Cancelled) 
CLOSED 145th Street Food Scrap Drop-off, MN
CLOSED 181st Street Food Scrap Drop-off, MN
CLOSED Crown Heights Franklin Ave Food Scrap Drop-off, BK
CLOSED Prospect Heights Food Scrap Drop-off, BK
CLOSED Wilson Ave Food Scrap Drop-off, BK
CLOSED Kew Gardens Food Scrap Drop-off, QNS
CLOSED Community Access - Davidson Ave Food Scrap Drop-off, BX
CLOSED BronxWorks Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center Food Scrap Drop-Off, BX

Friday 12/30:
97th Street Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-2pm (Food Scrap Collection Cancelled)
Union Square Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-6pm 
CLOSED Crown Heights Farmstand (Food Scrap Collection Cancelled) 
CLOSED East 96th Street Food Scrap Drop-off, MHTN
CLOSED St. Mary’s Harlem Food Scrap Drop-off, MHTN
CLOSED Fordham Plaza Food Scrap Drop-off, BX
CLOSED New Roots Community Farm Food Scrap Drop-off, BX
CLOSED Parkchester Food Scrap Drop-off, BX
CLOSED Montefiore Bronx Health Collective Food Scrap Drop-off, BX
CLOSED Cypress Hills Food Scrap Drop-off, BK
CLOSED Flatbush Junction Food Scrap Drop-off, BK
CLOSED Corona Food Scrap Drop-off, QNS
CLOSED College Point Food Scrap Drop-off, QNS

Saturday 12/31: 
Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket, BK, open 8am-3pm
Ft Greene Greenmarket, BK, open 8am-3pm (Clothing Collection Cancelled) 
Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, BK, open 8am-3pm (Clothing Collection Cancelled) 
McCarren Park Greenmarket, BK, open 8am-2pm (Clothing Collection Cancelled) 
St. George Greenmarket, SI, open 8am-1pm (Food Scrap Collection Cancelled) 
82nd Street Greenmarket, MHTN, open 9am-2:30pm
Inwood Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-3pm
Tribeca Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-2pm
Abingdon Square Greenmarket, MHTN, 8am-2pm
Tucker Square Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-4pm
Union Square Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-6pm
CLOSED Sunnyside Greenmarket, QNS, open 8am-2pm (Food Scrap Drop-off OPEN; Clothing Collection Cancelled) 
CLOSED 7th Avenue Sunset Park Greenmarket & FarmstandFood Scrap Drop-off
CLOSED Mixteca Fresh Food Box
CLOSED Bed-Stuy Fresh Food Box (Food Scrap Collection open 11am-3pm)
CLOSED Bay Ridge Food Scrap Drop-off
CLOSED Kensington Food Scrap Drop-off
CLOSED Ridgewood Food Scrap Drop-off

Sunday 1/1: 
All Greenmarkets, Farmstands, and Fresh Food Box locations closed. No clothing or food scrap collections.

Thanksgiving Week Schedule - Greenmarkets, Farmstands, Fresh Food Box, Compost

October 28, 2022
Posted in Greenmarket

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and markets are abundant with all of the ingredients you need for a delicious meal. We will have some schedule changes to accommodate shopping schedules, see below.

And don't forget the turkey! 

*Market days with an asterisk mean it's a special market, rescheduled to Tuesday or Wednesday, normally held on a Thursday or Friday, so that customers have an opportunity to shop for Thanksgiving ingredients. 

Food scrap and clothing collections are the same for regularly scheduled markets, there is no food scrap or clothing collections on rescheduled market days (those with an asterisk) other than Union Square Tuesday.

Monday, 11/21:
Union Square, MHTN, open 8am-6pm 

Tuesday, 11/22: 
All Compost sites are open.
Bronx Borough Hall Greenmarket, BX, open 8am-4pm Last day for the season
Poe Park Greenmarket, BX, open 8am-3pm Last day for the season
Lincoln Hospital Greenmarket, BX, open 8am-3pm Last day for the season
*Union Sq Greenmarket (Friday producers), MHTN, open 8am-6pm (LESEC will be collecting food scraps)
Astor Place Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-5pm Last day for the season
Bowling Green Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-5pm
*Columbia University Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-4pm 
Fort Washington Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-4pm Last day for the season
Elmhurst Hospital Greenmarket, QNS, open 8am-3pm Last day for the season
Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket, BK, open 8am-3pm  
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Fresh Food Box, MHTN, open 2:30pm-6:30pm (must order and pay for box on 11/15)

Wednesday 11/23:  
All Compost sites are open.
Morrisania Farmstand, BX, open 10am-2pm Last day for the season 
Bartel-Pritchard Greenmarket, BK, open 8am-2pm 
Flushing Greenmarket, QNS, open 8am-3pm Last day for the season 
*97th Street Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-2pm (NO FOOD SCRAP COLLECTION)
57th Street Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-4pm Last day for the season
*Bowling Green Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-5pm 
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-3pm 
Morris Heights Farmstand, BX, open 11am-3pm
Mount Sinai Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-3pm Last day for the season 
*Parkchester Greenmarket, BX, open 8am-3pm Last day for the season  (NO FOOD SCRAP COLLECTION)
PS 57 Farmstand, MHTN, open 9:30am-3pm Last day for the season
Tribeca Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-3pm 
*Tucker Square Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-3pm (NO FOOD SCRAP COLLECTION)
Union Square Greenmarket, MHTN, open 8am-6pm 
Uptown Grand Central Fresh Food Box, MHTN, open 3pm-7pm (must order and pay for box on 11/16)
Chinese-American Planning Council Fresh Food Box, BK, open 12pm-3pm (must order and pay for box on 11/16)

Thursday 11/24 & Friday 11/25:
All Greenmarkets, Farmstands, and Fresh Food Box locations closed. No clothing or food scrap collections.
**The Union Square Friday Greenmarket is closed, but Lower East Side Ecology Center will be collecting food scraps at Park and 17th Street. 

Saturday 11/26 & Sunday 11/27
Regular Greenmarket schedule Please check individual market webpages for farmer attendance.
All Compost sites are open.
Fresh Food Box sites (Mixteca and Bed-Stuy) CLOSED
Farmstand sites TBD (check back here as dates get closer)

 

Greenmarket 2022 Turkey Guide

October 24, 2022
Posted in Greenmarket

Thanksgiving is just around the corner—November 24th, to be exact—and turkey orders are already filling fast! Find out below what local farms are bringing pasture-raised Thanksgiving turkeys to your neighborhood Greenmarket.

You can also find the freshest side dish ingredients such as Brussels sprouts, carrots, fennel, winter squash, potatoes, apples, pears, herbs, honey, maple syrup, pre-made pies, butter, and cream. In addition to those items, don't forget we have spirits and hard cider made from 100% locally-grown ingredients. As well as pickles and condiments for your leftover turkey sandwiches, and much more. 

Dipaola Turkey
Breed: Broad Breasted White (parts and sausage also available)
Where to order: Online at www.dipaolaturkeyfarm.com/thanks-giving/ 
Where to pick up: 

79th Street Sunday, 11/20
97th Street Friday, 11/23 
Brooklyn Borough Hall Saturday, 11/19
Carroll Gardens Sunday, 11/20
Columbia Sunday, 11/20
Cortelyou Sunday, 11/20
Forest Hills, 11/20
Fort Greene Saturday, 11/19

Grand Army Plaza Saturday, 11/19 
Greenpoint Saturday, 11/19
Inwood Saturday, 11/19
Jackson Heights Sunday, 11/20
Tribeca Saturday, 11/19
Union Square Wednesday, 11/23

 

† Market open Wednesday before Thanksgiving for pick-ups.

Fiesty Acres Farm
Breeds: Broad Breasted White
Also available -- whole roasting chickens and quail
Where and how to order: Limited availability of turkeys available for purchase at Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, 11/19
Where and when to pick up: Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket on Saturday, 11/19
feistyacres.com

Halal Pastures Farm
Breeds: Broad Breasted White
Where and how to order: Available for purchase at 92nd Street Greenmarket Sundays or 57th Street Greenmarket Wednesdays, Staten Island Mall Saturdays, or order online at www.halalpastures.com/turkey/
Where and when to pick up: Staten Island Mall Greenmarket on Saturday, November 19, 92nd Street Greenmarket on Sunday, November 20, or 57th Street Greenmarket on Wednesday, 11/23
halalpastures.com/turkey/

Ramble Creek Farm
Breeds: Broad Breasted White 
Where and how to order: Union Square Greenmarket Fridays; 97th Street Greenmarket Fridays, or Call Josh to order at 518-769-0897 or order online at www.ramblecreekfarm.com  
Where and when to pick up: Union Square Greenmarket on Tuesday, 11/22, or 97th Street Greenmarket Wednesday, 11/23
ramblecreekfarm.com

Quattros Game Farm
Breeds: New Holland White, Bourbon Red, Wild 
Where and how to order: Union Square Greenmarket Saturdays, or call the farm store at 845.635.2018
Where and when to pick up: Union Square Greenmarket on Saturday, 11/19 or Wednesday, 11/23
facebook.com/QuattrosFarm/

Violet Hill Farm
Breed: Broad Breasted White
Where and how to order: Union Square Greenmarket SaturdaysMcCarren Park/Greenpoint Saturdays or order online at https://curbsidefarmer.square.site/
Where and when to pick up: Union Square Greenmarket or McCarren Park/Greenpoint Greenmarket on Saturday, 11/19, or Union Square Greenmarket Wednesday, 11/23 
https://curbsidefarmer.square.site/

Donate a Bag this November

October 23, 2022
Posted in Greenmarket

Greenmarket is partnering with City Harvest, Food Bank of New York City, Community Fridges in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, and other local food rescue organizations to help feed New York City's hungry men, women, and children this Thanksgiving. 

At the markets listed below, buy an extra bag of fresh produce while you shop and donate it at the Market Information tent. 

Wednesday, November 9
City Harvest
Union Square Greenmarket

Saturday, November 12
City Harvest
Union Square Greenmarket

Saturday, November 12
Iglesia Alianza Cristiana Misionera Ebenezer Food Pantry
Sunnyside Greenmarket

Saturday, November 12
Stapleton U.A.M.E. Church Food Pantry
St George Greenmarket

Sunday, November 13
City Harvest
77th Street Greenmarket

Wednesday, November 16
Food Bank of New York City
Dag Hammarskjold Greenmarket

Saturday, November 19
Children of the Light Food Pantry
Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket

Monday, November 21
Food Bank of New York City
Union Square Greenmarket

Celebrate New York Cider Week at Union Square Greenmarket Cider Village 

October 5, 2022
Posted in Greenmarket

Celebrate New York Cider Week at Union Square Greenmarket Cider Village 

Union Square Greenmarket Cider Village 
Union Square West & 15th Street     
Friday, October 7, 2022
10AM-5PM

Save the date for one of our most beloved annual events, the Union Square Greenmarket Cider Village! For one day only, New York cidermakers from far and wide will join our Friday market lineup on October 8th to sling their sippable fall flavors! From fruity to funky, sweet to dry, crisp and complex, to bubbly and tart, there’s a cider for everyone.

Along the way, you’ll meet (and taste!) some rare apples varieties and learn more about the cider-pressing process as well as the history of the craft that takes one of our state’s most venerated and prolific crops and turns it into liquid gold. Guest cidermakers will have their bottles on offer, along with some lovingly culled informational displays, pairings and recipes all about apples and cider. Pick up a bottle you’ve never tried before, grab another bottle for a holiday gift, and maybe learn something new!                                                             

White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health

September 20, 2022
Posted in Greenmarket

On September 28th, the Biden-Harris Administration will host the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, with the goal of ending hunger and increasing healthy eating and physical activity by 2030, so that fewer Americans experience diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.

Conference Details and Agenda

From www.health.gov --

"Millions of Americans are afflicted with food insecurity and diet-related diseases—including heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes—which are some of the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. The toll of hunger and these diseases is not distributed equally, disproportionately impacting underserved communities, including many Black, Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and Native American communities. And hunger and diet-related diseases affect many more communities, including rural communities, people with disabilities, older adults, LGBTQI+ people, military families, and military veterans.

Lack of access to healthy, safe, and affordable food, and to safe outdoor spaces, contributes to impacting hunger, diet-related diseases, and health disparities. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these challenges further.

On September 28, 2022, for the first time in over 50 years, the Biden-Harris Administration will host a White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The First White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health had a significant influence on the country’s food policy agenda for half a century. Now, again, we have the collective opportunity to chart a course for the future.

The Administration has set a goal of ending hunger and reducing dietrelated disease by increasing healthy eating and physical activity in the U.S. by 2030. This ambitious goal would mean that no Americans go hungry and fewer Americans experience diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. At the Conference, the Administration will announce a bold national strategy that outlines steps the federal government and other stakeholders will take to achieve this goal."

To end hunger and increase healthy eating and physical activity to reduce diet-related diseases and disparities, the Biden-Harris Administration has specified areas of action in five pillars:

1. Improve food access and affordability: End hunger by making it easier for everyone — including urban, suburban, rural, and Tribal communities — to access and afford food. For example, expand eligibility for and increase participation in food assistance programs and improve transportation to places where food is available.

2. Integrate nutrition and health: Prioritize the role of nutrition and food security in overall health, including disease prevention and management, and ensure that our health care system addresses the nutrition needs of all people.

3. Empower all consumers to make and have access to healthy choices: Foster environments that enable all people to easily make informed healthy choices, increase access to healthy food, encourage healthy workplace and school policies, and invest in public messaging and education campaigns that are culturally appropriate and resonate with specific communities.

4. Support physical activity for all: Make it easier for people to be more physically active (in part by ensuring that everyone has access to safe places to be active), increase awareness of the benefits of physical activity, and conduct research on and measure physical activity.

5. Enhance nutrition and food security research: Improve nutrition metrics, data collection, and research to inform nutrition and food security policy, particularly on issues of equity, access, and disparities.

The White House wants to hear your stories and experiences with hunger and/or diet-related diseases. Share Your Story here.

 

Food for the Spirit Media Advisory: Buffalo Food Justice Advocates and Partners Call for End to White Supremacy and Anti-Blackness

May 19, 2022
Posted in Greenmarket

Media Advisory
May 17, 2022
For more information, contact:
Rebekah Williams|
Rebekah@foodforthespirit.org

BUFFALO FOOD JUSTICE ADVOCATES AND PARTNERS CALL FOR END TO WHITE SUPREMACY AND ANTI-BLACKNESS

Intentional and systemic racism and historic disinvestment in Black communities has led to the circumstances of the tragic white-supremacist terrorist attack that left ten people dead and three wounded at a neighborhood grocery store on Saturday

BUFFALO, NY - No one should lose their lives while shopping for food.

The recent mass shooting in Buffalo happened in a grocery store in East Buffalo. Because of the history of redlining and ongoing disinvestment in East Buffalo, there are very few grocery stores, leading many Black residents to rely on one neighborhood grocery store for their day-to-day needs. Reliance on the neighborhood grocery stores is especially critical for individuals without cars and the elderly. In a recent household food survey of East Buffalo by a coalition of BFEN partners, 42% of respondents reported food insecurity, and 45% of those who are food insecure do not own any vehicles. Yesterday’s terrorist attack at that one grocery store most certainly highlights the importance of the work that many Buffalo residents and Buffalo Food Equity Networks members have been doing to fight food apartheid.

The root problem in Buffalo – and Buffalo’s food system – is white supremacy. We are calling on policy makers and society at large to retain focus on the institutional conditions that enabled the perpetrator to kill people in a Black neighborhood.

The Buffalo Food Equity Network (BFEN) is made up of over 100 people of color, predominantly Black folks who are East Buffalo residents, committed to addressing systemic racism in the food system in Buffalo and Western New York. BFEN members are growing food on urban farms and gardens; they are teaching people how to grow their own food at home; they are educating the public about the existence of racism in the food system; they are educating people on how racism in the food system impacts communities of color; they are advocating for more grocery stores in their communities; and they are advocating for increased investment in all these community-led activities and initiatives. We understand better than most the need for a healthier and equitable food environment in Buffalo. That said, Black neighborhoods need to be protected from acute violence toward Black people – and from chronic violence resulting from food apartheid. We need both things, and we need them now.

We are calling on policy makers to implement policies that will end acute and chronic violence against Black people. We are calling on policy makers and everyone to invest in Black communities and Black-led initiatives (see list in Buffalo). We are calling on people to exert pressure on elected officials and everyone in their sphere of influence to demand an end to extreme and chronic violence toward Black people.

The following quotes from Buffalo Food Equity Network founders, members, and partners are in alphabetical order by last name:

Ras Jomo Akono, CEO, ProJect Access to AFreeKa Radio and Arts, said “I am deeply saddened by the terrorist attack on our community. Our families, friends, and neighbors have been traumatized from 1619 in this land. Our human rights have been abridged and we are pursuing Justice for our Ancestors - our past , present, and future. Our local, national, and international community is sending love and support. We demand Justice and Repair for the continued Maafa - or Great Tragedy - that this modern attack has augmented.”

Dennice Barr, Buffalo Food Equity Network member and President, Fruit Belt Advisory Council, said “After having to take time to just breathe and regroup I can respond and offer tribute first to the elders and loved ones who were senselessly slaughtered for no reason other than being Black people in public. The lovelies who had lived with honor and dignity were targeted by a ruthless racist with murder as his only intention for living. The shock and outrage of this community that has lived through every demeaning, systemic plan to make the lives of respectable Black people as difficult as can be, this community that has endured long term from redlining, to denying basic human services such as adequate stores to spend our dollars in, has been the barriers that we have climbed over and around and to witness this young white male be walked out and placed into a police vehicle is in itself a showing of the systemic pieces working as every Person of Color recognizes without doubt that my son, their son wouldn’t have made it out of that parking lot alive. Too much pain from too much history that can’t even be honored by too many people who keep those barriers in place daily, but we will continue to climb over and around the barriers and carry the truth within us regardless, because we know who and what we truly are.”

Dr. Gwendolyn Baxley, Buffalo Food Equity Network member, said "Unfortunately, the tragic massacre on Saturday is not an isolated, singular incident. It is important to contextualize what happened Saturday as part of broader implicit and explicit AntiBlackness in our society historically and currently. In all of our interconnected systems -- education, housing, health,  employment, food access, etc. --  there have always been attacks on Black life and disdain for Blackness. Reckoning with this reality is crucial for considering any path forward."

Allison DeHonney, Executive Director, Buffalo Go Green Inc., said “We must end band-aid type solutions to systemic problems. We must understand that access to healthy food options and equity in our health care system are basic human rights. If we do not have healthy food we will not live healthy people. Investment must be made in organizations and businesses that have a vested interest in seeing disenfranchised people have equality in all the systems that continue to thrive on the oppression of black and brown people. Resolutions to these systemic problems directed by Black and Brown leadership is imperative. We need a strong sustainable local food system and that means folks working in these spaces need access to land, buildings, resources and a say in where economic investment is directed in order to put in place solutions that the system has failed to implement.”

Rita Hubbard-Robinson, JD, CEO, NeuWater, LLC, said “We have been fighting for so long and not heard. The systemic racism that was finally seen by the nation during the COVID pandemic are laid bare at this moment. In a horrific moment defined by a heinous racist act of violence and death, lives were lost, and a lifeline for medicine, bill paying, groceries, and personal and household needs was stolen. We will never make sense of this loss, but if we can finally address the systemic issues around food that our community continues to face, this loss can be a catalyst for new hope. We need our supermarket back with a renewed focus on improving health. With the population health of the Black community, we need additional stores on the east side beyond the one store closed as a present crime scene. We need the voices of our community to be heard and respected. And we need to be believed that racism exists in our daily lives, both in institutions and interactions.”

Pamela James, Buffalo Food Equity Network member and Co-Founder, West Valley Farm and Camp Sites, said "Although racial hatred has been rooted within the United States of America since its conception, love and truth can drive hatred out."

Della Miller, Community First, said “The health of a community is determined by the health of its people. Therefore we need a bigger and better supermarket to include community residents' participation. The store must include a wider selection of fresh quality produce, health food section, a community kitchen or demo kitchen, better hours, brighter lights in the parking lot, wider access in and out of store entrance, space for community room, and the store must invest in the surrounding community. These are some of the recommendations to bring a quality supermarket and justice to this community.”

Stephanie Morningstar, Mohawk, Turtle Clan, Executive Director, Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust & Network, said "This is not a singular issue that's disconnected from other mass acts of racialized hatred. This tragedy is the symptom of an interlocking system of oppressions that was built to systematically exclude and oppress Black folks and people of color from health and well-being, community wealth, and joy. Self-determination and dismantling systemic oppression are the only cures to ending the epidemic of White Supremacy in the systems that control access to food, justice, education, and healthcare."

Leah Penniman, Co-Founder of Soul Fire Farm and Author of Farming While Black, said “It is a moral outrage that the single most sacred and fundamental human duty - to feed our families - was exploited in this act of white supremacist terrorism. The colonial settler state has weaponized our access to food for over 400 years through land theft, chattel slavery, discriminatory lending, food apartheid, commodity rations, and corporate industrial food subsidies, among other acts of violence. Enough is enough. To free ourselves we must be able to feed ourselves.”

Dr. Samina Raja, Buffalo Food Equity Network member and Founder, UB Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, said "Structural racism and violence toward Black communities perpetuates acute and chronic harm. The routine act of shopping ought not to be hazardous to life.”

Pamela Reese Smith, President of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) Rochester and Steering Committee Member, Black Farmers United NYS, said "After 400 years of repression there are still those who believe African Americans should not have citizenship in this country, even though our ancestors built it.”

Dr. Jared Strohl, Facilitator, Food for the Spirit, said "To stand in solidarity against white supremacy, we must support ongoing grassroots efforts happening in communities of color, particularly on the eastside of Buffalo where this tragedy occurred. Rather than white supremacy, it is time for white accountability--accountability to Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color in the ongoing fight against food apartheid and other forms of racial inequality."

Jaime Swygert, Community Activist and Founder, The Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion, said "The fact that this disgusting, terroristic, evil act of violence took place in a grocery store is no coincidence. Access to food has been weaponized throughout history. From early crop burning and well poisoning, to present day food apartheid. Black people have been vocalizing the fact that we are targets of white supremacists who view us as sub-humans, only to be told, racism no longer exists and we need to stop making color an issue. Yes, donations and food distributions are a helpful immediate response, but it is time to get to the root of the problem. We will continue our work to empower and educate folks in our community on food related issues as a vehicle to liberation. As the community begins the healing process, it is important to honor this loss of precious lives and not lose momentum. Racism exists. This must be acknowledged as fact and the indoctrination of hate must be eradicated."

Gail V Wells, Founder, Founder, Buffalo Freedom Gardens, Member, Buffalo Food Equity Network and Member, Black Farmers United NYS, said: “The time has come for a serious conversation regarding reparations. My ancestors were stolen and kidnapped and forced to labor for over 400 years. After building America we were promised 40 acres and a mule, yet that debt has never been paid! As a result of white nationalism and supremacy our communities have been burned, our lives have been violently taken, our wealth has been stymied, and our humanity has been denied. How long do we have to wait for justice? The time for reparations is now!”

Rebekah Williams, Co-Founder, Food for the Spirit and the Buffalo Food Equity Network, said “There is not just one solution to the issues of racism and food apartheid in Buffalo. There needs to be policies created to address issues of historic disinvestment and racism in the food system. There needs to be increased investment in food organizations and initiatives led by people of color across the board, and there needs to be more education about systemic anti-Black racism throughout the United States and in our local communities.”

Alexander Wright, Founder, African Heritage Food Co-op and Blegacy Farms, said: "The attack was a physical manifestation of a problematic system. We have to take a hard look at everything and be honest about the racial bias inherent in the system, from funding, to licensing, to lending. And we, the community, must lead these efforts supported by allies and funding sources."

“The truth is that movements are comprised of many organizations and individuals taking risks, demonstrating leadership, and contributing ideas and work. The media has a role in telling this truth,” from Soul Fire Farm’s Beyond Heroes Media Guide: A Guide for the Media A Soul Fire Farm Guide to Accurate Reporting on Social Justice Work.

EVERYONE ACT NOW!

Publicly accessible photos can be found in this shared drive.

For more information about the Buffalo Food Equity Network, visit bit.ly/bflofoodequity-faqs or contact Rebekah@foodforthespirit.org.

###

Founded in 2018, Food for the Spirit is the convener of the Buffalo Food Equity Network, a movement for Western New York’s new food economy led by communities of color, for communities of color. Anyone can join the network if they identify as a person of color. Serving people and communities in Buffalo, Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and beyond, Food for the Spirit’s mission is to use the arts and creative facilitation to bring about racial healing, ecological justice, and equitable food systems.

www.foodforthespirit.org 

 

Jazz Foundation at GrowNYC Greenmarkets

May 18, 2022
Posted in Greenmarket

Come out and hear Jazz Foundation musicians playing at GrowNYC Greenmarkets!

The Jazz Foundation of America, a non-profit organization based in Manhattan, provides retired professional jazz musicians with the opportunity to continue performing.

Through their "Gig Fund," the Jazz Foundation produces free, “pop-up” performances for underserved audiences. The shows take place in public spaces as opposed to traditional and costly venues, and engage new audiences who would not otherwise have the chance to hear these accomplished players. We are thrilled to announce the schedule of performers coming out to GrowNYC Greenmarkets. 

2022 SCHEDULE JAZZ FOUNDATION
AT GROWNYC GREENMARKETS 

May 21

    St George Saturday Greenmarket (SI)

George Braith

 May 24

    Brooklyn Borough Hall Tuesday Greenmarket (BK)  

Will Terrill

 June 4

    Sunnyside Saturday Greenmarket (QNS)

David Colding

 June 4

    7th Avenue Sunset Park Saturday Greenmarket (BK) 

Jerry Griffin
     
June 5     Domino Park Saturday Greenmarket (BK)   Band TBD
June 7     Astor Place Tuesday Greenmarket (MHTN) Band TBD
June 14     Oculus Plaza Tuesday Greenmarket (MHTN) Craig Haynes
June 14     Bronx Borough Hall Tuesday Greenmarket (BX) Band TBD
     
July 7     Myrtle-Wyckoff Plaza Thursday Greenmarket (QNS) Band TBD
July 9     57th Street Saturday Greenmarket (MHTN) Band TBD
July 12     Elmhurst Hospital Tuesday Greenmarket (QNS) Band TBD
July 15     Corona Plaza Friday Greenmarket (QNS) Band TBD


Presented in partnership with the Jazz Foundation of America, with partial support from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Seasonal Greenmarkets Opening!

May 3, 2022
Posted in Greenmarket

It's farmers market season in New York City!

GrowNYC's year-round Greenmarkets are fanning out as farmers bring additional delicious fruits and vegetables to market every day. And our seasonal Greenmarkets have begun opening. New Yorkers (and visitors!) can find a bounty of fresh, local products at our food access sites throughout the city. 

Check out individual market webpages for information about upcoming activities such as guest chefs, kids programming, and book signings. Every market has free recipes and cooking demonstrations!

All GrowNYC Greenmarkets accept SNAP/EBT, Debit/Credit, Healthfirst OTC cards (LIP and CC members only), WIC & Senior FMNP coupons, and Greenmarket Bucks accepted. Spend $2 in SNAP/EBT/P-EBT, get bonus $2 Health Buck, up to $10 per day.

We’re on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Follow us for up-to-date market news.
 

OPENING DATE   SEASONAL GREENMARKET
May 7   Bay Ridge Saturdays
May 8   Bartel-Pritchard Square Sundays (also open on Wednesdays)
May 15   Stuyvesant Town Sundays 
May 29   Bensonhurst Sundays
June 4   57th Street Saturdays (opens Wednesdays June 8)
June 5   Domino Park Sundays
June 7   Astor Place Tuesdays
June 7   Fort Washington Tuesdays
June 7   Bronx Borough Hall Tuesdays
June 10   Parkchester Fridays
June 11   Staten Island Mall Saturdays 
June 14   Elmhurst Tuesdays
June 14   Oculus Tuesdays 
June 15   Mount Sinai Hospital Wednesdays
June 19   92nd Street Sundays
June 24    Lincoln Hospital Fridays (open Tuesdays June 28)
June 24   Corona Fridays
June 28   Poe Park Tuesdays
June 30   175th St Thursdays 
July 7   Myrtle-Wyckoff Plaza Thursdays
July 7   Boro Park Thursdays
July 9   4th Avenue Sunset Park Saturdays
July 27   Flushing Wednesdays 

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