FreshConnect Grants to Provide Low-Income Communities with NY Farm Products

34 Projects Feature Creative, Local Solutions to Improve Access to Fresh, Healthy Food

Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced FreshConnect grants to 34 projects around the state that will increase access to New York farm products for residents in low-income and underserved areas.

"This is really a win-win situation for farmers and for families across the state as we try to provide more access and easier access to locally grown, fresh farm products," Governor Cuomo said.

"These FreshConnect grants will support creative solutions to get New York farm products to underserved areas of the state, creating new economic opportunities for our farmers while, at the same time, providing healthy options for more New Yorkers."

Almost 1.5 million New Yorkers live in areas with limited supermarket access. Expanding access to fresh food in underserved communities has been shown to both improve nutrition and lower costs related to obesity and diet-related disease, while also fostering community and economic development.

Governor Cuomo launched the FreshConnect program last year to create new farmers' markets and support existing markets that provided fresh produce to high-need areas.

With this round of funding, the program will have helped a total of 48 projects throughout the state bring New York farm products to communities in need. 

The governor expanded the FreshConnect Program this year to support not only farmers’ markets, but other creative solutions to improve access to fresh, locally produced food by low-income or underserved communities.

As a result, the program received over 121 proposals and is providing funding to the top projects that exhibit local innovative solutions to connect communities in need with New York farm products.

Examples of funded projects include: Farmers’ markets and youth-operated farm stands that will be created or expanded to better serve low-income residents in food deserts; subsidized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares or low-income CSA programs that will introduce over 100 new families to weekly deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables; the introduction of EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) services for the first time at 13 farmers’ markets to allow these farmers markets to accept food stamps, along with plans to increase Food Stamp purchases through promotion and incentives; free transportation services to help increase traffic at existing markets and allow those with limited resources an opportunity to attend and shop at a farmers’ market; and improving distribution of locally grown, fresh food to food pantries and congregate feeding programs

Applicants received extra points in the competitive ranking process for including a food donation program in their proposed project. As a result, nearly all recipients of FreshConnect funding will be coordinating a local food donation program to connect food pantries or food banks with New York farm products, as part of their funded project. All FreshConnect projects will accept Food Stamps, if applicable, and are encouraged to accept Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Fruit & Vegetable Checks, Farmers' Market Nutrition Program coupons, and Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition coupons, to ensure that all citizens have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, regardless of income.

The FreshConnect program will also support the continuation of its flagship market, the 125th Street FreshConnect Farmers’ Market, located at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. New York State Office Building in Central Harlem.

Slated to open in mid-June and to be managed by the Harlem Memorial Community Development Corporation, the market will feature a wide assortment of New York farm products, as well as family activities and community outreach that will support the FreshConnect program’s mission to increase access to fresh food in low-income and underserved neighborhoods. 

The FreshConnect program will also again offer FreshConnect Checks, a nutrition incentive to encourage food stamp recipients to use their benefits at participating farmers’ markets by providing $2 rebate checks for every $5 in Food Stamps spent at participating markets.

“Like the crops we harvest, the FreshConnect projects Governor Cuomo is awarding today are born from the ground up and are a true reflection of the need and interest at the local level to help better connect fresh and healthy food from New York farmers with those in rural and urban areas that lack access," said New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, noted, "This is great news for so many families across New York. Millions of New Yorkers do not have access to fresh, healthy food. This program will help ensure that more families are able to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which gives people the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives, saves billions in health care costs, and creates good-paying jobs right here at home."

"The projects promoted by the FreshConnect program represent one giant leap towards a healthier New York. I applaud Gov. Cuomo for continuing to find new and exciting ways to provide access to fresh food to underserved New Yorkers while giving a much needed boost to the State's agriculture. I am confident that the program will be a huge success and look forward to visiting the 125th Street FreshConnect Farmers’ Market, located right by my district office," added U.S. Representative Charles B. Rangel.

U.S. Representative Nydia Velázquez stated, "Making nutritious food available to underserved areas can help New Yorkers lead longer and healthier lives."

The FreshConnect program is administered through a partnership between the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Empire State Development, and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

You can review additional comments and the list of the 2012 FreshConnect grant recipients by visiting  www.governor.ny.gov.