Building a Just and Sustainable Food System for NYC!

City Chickens in the Bronx under the watchful eye of senior gardener Abu Talib

Who We Are

Just Food has been the leader in connecting local farms to NYC neighborhoods and communities since 1995.  Our mission is to unite local farms and city residents of all economic backgrounds with fresh, seasonal, sustainably grown food.

What We Do   

In the city, Just Food tackles deficiencies in food access and security by increasing the production, marketing and distribution of fresh food from community gardens and urban agriculture sites, on the one hand, and promoting Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives (food-buying clubs), on the other.  Our aim is to turn “food deserts” (i.e., neighborhoods underserved by supermarkets and other food retailers) into “islands of sustainability.”  
In the countryside, we are addressing the rapid decline of family farms and the loss of agricultural land by linking small and medium-scale producers to new markets in New York City.  

In both town and country, Just Food fosters new marketing and food-growing opportunities that address the needs of small and medium family farms, urban gardeners, and NYC neighborhoods.  Through training, leadership development and organizing efforts, we build diverse partnerships to advance dialogue and action on farming, hunger and nutrition.

Our Programs

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in NYC
A CSA gives consumers the opportunity to buy a share of the harvest from a local farmer.  For a payment of around $475 per season, families receive a weekly delivery of fresh food direct from a local farm.  By purchasing direct from the farmer, a CSA cuts out the middleman and is the least expensive way for consumers to purchase fresh, local, organic food.   Since 1996, Just Food has helped to start over 80 CSA programs in NYC.  This number continues to grow as we work with new groups and new farmers to start additional sites every year.  If you want to know your very own farmer – call us; we’ll help you bring CSA to your NYC neighborhood.

The City Farms
While our CSA program focuses on rural farming, the City Farms program works with people growing food here in New York City.  We develop and coordinate workshops to assist people in growing, marketing and distributing more garden-grown food.   The United States Victory Gardens program of the 1940's provided 40 percent of our nation's food during times of food shortages; we have the capability to achieve similar successes to combat hunger and malnutrition right here in NYC today.  About 30 urban farms and community gardens are members of the City Farms, and our network of Trainers grows and strengthens every year.  To date, we’ve helped to start eleven urban farmers markets – all of which provide both urban-grown and local produce, for communities that need them most – with more on the way.

Community Food Education
Even with affordable CSAs and farmers markets nearby, people don’t truly have access to food unless they know how to use it.  Proper storage and preparation methods are key components to true food access.  Just Food encourages New Yorkers to cook with more fresh, local ingredients by training Community Chefs to provide cooking demonstrations at CSA distributions, farmers markets, food pantries and soup kitchens.

Fresh Food For All
Since 2001, we’ve been assisting soup kitchens and other institutions to acquire locally-grown food.  Through this innovative program, Just Food is working to connect more than 30 food pantries and soup kitchens with farm fresh, locally grown food, getting some 124,200 lbs. of fresh fruit and vegetables to needy New Yorkers this year alone.  In addition to ensuring that our City’s most vulnerable residents have access to fresh, nutritious food, the program supports a network of 7 family farms and fosters connections between the farmers and the communities they serve through educational programming and farm visits.  This vital programming is made possible through a grant from the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program of the NY State Department of Health and a partnership with the United Way of New York City.

Food Justice
An important part of our work includes working on policy and advocacy.  One of our main aims is to encourage NYC residents to be more aware of and engaged in food, farming and nutritional issues.  Our Food Justice Program is carried out through Just Food newsletters, workshops, Advocacy training programs, and conferences, as well as hands-on demonstrations and trainings in local community centers, schools and farmers’ markets.

VISTA Leadership Training
Just Food and AmeriCorps VISTA share the common goal of combating poverty by building community self-reliance.  This is Just Food's sixth year training a group of highly talented and energetic VISTA volunteers.  With this training, our VISTAs are prepared to help us strengthen our CSA in NYC and City Farms programs.