CSA in NYC
Donating Your CSA's Extra Food
Facilitators: Andrew Barret, NYC Coalition Against Hunger; Carrette Perkins, NYC Coalition Against Hunger; Terri White, Crown Heights North/South CSAs; Chef Michael Ennes, Broadway Community Cares; Tonice Sgrignoli, Astoria CSA
Challenges
• Transportation-many EFPs need the food donations to be delivered.
• Scheduling- many EFPs have erratic hours
• Timing- many EFPs don’t have refrigeration, which requires timely dispersion and coordination
• CSA logistics- when donating becomes a bigger hassle than it’s worth
• EFPs need volume. If there is not enough food for all, they can not serve to just some.
Solutions/Logistics
• Put CSA pick up sites at EFP sites to address transportation and timing concerns
• Have pick up day the same day or day before the EFP delivery will be made to address timing
• Develop relationship with EFP site and coordinate more than just food donations ie: Terri White gave example of George’s Place in Crown
Heights doing composting and roof gardening in coordination with CSA.
• Think outside the box! Not just EFPs need/use food donations. Try senior centers, adult care facilities, culinary programs, charter schools,
Montessori schools, day care centers, Adult Ed, group homes etc.
• Use CSA member connections to reach out to donation sites.
• Use donations as a way of outreach to try to bring people from donation sites into CSAs through sliding scales etc.
• Be patient. Keep communication lines open and strong. Find the right ‘marriage’ between CSA and donation site.
• Use CSA volunteer hours for jobs like delivery to donation sites, relationship cultivation with donation sites, outreach.
• JustFood could initiate/organize/create database partnering CSAs with donation sites
Resources Etc.
www.nyccah.org (hunger maps)
www.ampleharvest.org (connecting growers with donation sites)
See work being done by:
Broadway Community Cares and CSAs
George’s Place with Crown Heights CSA
Astoria CSA with Astoria Food Bank
