Down On The Urban Farm

Hello Everyone:

It is a lovely Tuesday, almost fall, afternoon.  The British Parliament has been officially suspended until mid-October and American National Security Adviser John Bolton is out.  Otherwise, it has been a rather slow news day (sarcasm alert).  Onward.  Let us talk about urban farms.

harlemgrown.org

Harlem Grown (harlemgrown.org; date accessed Sept. 10, 2019) "is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and  hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition" (Ibid).  The organization was founded in 2011 and operates urban farms, increase access to and knowledge of healthy food in Harlem.  What makes this program unique is that it brings the farms to a historic urban community, like most low- to moderate-income communities, that has more fast food restaurants and delis than grocery stores.  This is problematic because, as convenient as a the corner deli maybe, it is not exactly the place to pick up the affordable ingredients for a fresh salad.  Let us find out more about this program.

Happy children in the countryside
freshairfund.publishpath.com

Since 1877, the Fresh Air Fund has provided opportunities for New York City children from underserved communities with life altering summer experiences (freshair.org; date accessed Sept. 10, 2019).  More recently, urban farming programs have offered similar experiences within city limits.  However, programs like Harlem Grown and Culinary Art and Agriculture Training, which began in July in four New York City Housing Authority buildings are taking the local experience  further by helping the campers explore the larger questions in their communities: "what the food choices are, and why healthy options are often hard to find or afford" (nytimes.com; Aug. 30, 2019; date accessed Sept. 10, 2019).  City Council member Rafael Espinal Jr. spoke to The New York Times, Food justice is an issue that primarily has affected communities of color (Ibid).

Harlem Grown volunteer
harlemgrown.org

Council member Espinal recently introduced legislation (legistar.council.nyc.gov; Aug. 14, 2019; date accessed Sept. 10, 2019) that would establish an Office of Urban Agriculture, similar Boston's Office of Food Access (boston.gov; date accessed Sept. 10, 2019) and an Urban Agriculture Advisory Board to "support existing urban farms, promote local produce and help expand farming and nutrition" (nytimes.com; Aug. 30, 2019).  Council member Espinal said,

Once you open up a child's mind up to that, it's easier to see other issues and how they're more prevalent in communities, or more affluent communities (Ibid).

In the South Bronx, the Culinary Arts program has home in the Patterson Houses, "only 4 percent of residents meet the federal recommendation of the five or more daily serving of fruit or vegetables, compared with 11 percent citywide" (nycfoodpolicy.org; date accessed Sept. 10, 2019).

Girls harvesting beets
nytimes.com

Each of the 200 campers across the city are allotted a weekly $100 stipend from the Summer Youth Employment Program.  In exchange for the stipend, the campers cook, tend gardens and grow plants in hydroponic gardens at home.  Yadira Garcia, one of the founders of Culinary Arts, told The Times, This is community guerrilla farming (nytimes.com; Aug. 30, 2019).  Ms. Garcia also founded Happy Healthy Latina (happyhealthylatina.com; date accessed Sept. 10, 2019), which fosters healthier eating in underserved communities.  Ms. Garcia added, We're using hydroponic to do an S.O.S. from our windows (nytimes.com; Aug. 30, 2019).  She hopes her campers can translate their newly acquired skills into green jobs that support their communities.  As she led a group of campers past a posh wine store and residential development on the way to La Finca del Sur Community Garden (cityroom.blog.nytimes.com; Oct. 7, 2011; date accessed Sept. 10, 2019), she continued, Gentrification is happening.  We're in a war for our land (Ibid).

La Finca del Sur Community Garden
citizensnyc.org

There is a grocery store across the street from the Patterson Houses, Western Beef, that has a produce section, and there are other grocery stores in community.  However, several campers admitted that their parents and grandparents travel to Manhattan, where they work, to shop for produce, or take buses to the Bronx, near Morris Park.  When asked why, they said "It's elsewhere,..., even if it takes more effort to get" (nytimes.com; Aug. 30, 2019).  Denise Rodriguez said,

I'd love to eat healthy, but it's hard,... It's so expensive, and it's not any good at the local supermarket.  We have to travel to get something good (Ibid).

Culinary Arts also focuses on the campers' physical and emotional wellness.  At the Patterson House, the camp starts with yoga.  As the campers tend to their gardens, Culinary Arts co-founder Adriano Espaillat Jr., urges them to talk to their plants.  It does help, not that Blogger has much experience in gardening, being a bit of a brown thumb.

A happy camper at Harlem Grown
greenprophet.com

Harlem is neither a food desert (cunyurbanfoodpolicy.org; June 30, 2016 date accessed Sept. 10, 2019) or a food swamp--where unhealthy foods prevail--there are super markets, including the ever present Whole Foods.  Be that as it may, community members are not always the beneficiaries of the what is available (nytimes.com; May 8, 2015; date accessed Sept. 10, 2019).  Despite city tax incentives intended to make healthier food available in underserved neighborhoods, some of the proposed projects have not materialized (Ibid: Apr. 17, 2015).  Tony Hillery, Harlem Grown's founder and executive director, told The New York Times,

We don't use the term food desert: We call it a food apartheid, because it's man-made (Ibid, Aug. 30, 2019).

At the end of each day, a large box of farm fresh food is available for the parents and guardians when they come to pick up the campers.  For some of the adults, it is the only way they get fresh produce.

We need more programs like Harlem Grown and Culinary Arts as a way to remedy the disparity in food justice in urban areas.  It is not enough to advocate healthier lifestyle choices, you have take the action.  Community programs are a step in this direction.