Harvest Home Brings Local, Farm-Fresh Produce to Soundview

 Photo by Brian Nobili

                                                               

From left to right: NY State Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo, Harvest Home CEO Marita Owens, and NYC Council member Annabel Palma.

Soundview residents no longer have to travel outside the community for farm-fresh produce as the debut of The Soundview Farmers Market officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, June 20. New York State Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo and New York City Council member Annabel Palma along with many from the Soundview community in attendance. This new market, located at Morrison Avenue between Harrod Place and Westchester Avenue in the Bronx, will serve more than 60,000 residents, including approximately 10,000 SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/food stamp) recipients. The market will offer farm fresh fruits and vegetables from Alstede farms, a New Jersey grower.

To encourage residents to shop at the Soundview Farmers Market, Harvest Home has partnered with the Institute of Family Health through its Bronx Health REACH program to issue Fruit and Vegetable Rx to its patients at the Stevenson Health Center. Located at Morrison Avenue between Westchester Avenue and Harrod Place, the Market is open every Saturday through November 21, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. rain or shine. Bring your SNAP/EBT, WIC Farmer's Market and Senior Farmer Market coupons along with Health Bucks. News12 covered the event.

Having a farmers market in this area has been a long held dream of Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo (D- Bronx, 85th AD). And, he, in conjunction with other New York State and New York City Elected Officials from the Bronx heartily welcome Harvest Home Farmers market to the Soundview community. Assemblyman Crespo noted that, “Healthy eating habits promote overall healthy lifestyles, which is why I am excited about welcoming Harvest Home Farmers Market to Soundview.” He pointed out that “Bringing in an array of healthy and organic produce to our community, in an affordable way, enhances healthier choices for both adults and children.”

Council Member Annabel Palma (D-Bronx, 18th Council District), a big supporter of the market stated, “I am excited to have a new farmers market in the Soundview section of my district; now my community will have better access to healthy food. I firmly believe that, when given the opportunities, New Yorkers want to eat healthy – they simply need to be provided the option.”

Neil S. Calman, MD, President and CEO of The Institute for Family Health stated, “I am thrilled that there is a farmers market opening in Soundview. We, at the Institute for Family Health, are deeply invested in improving the health and well-being of the residents of the Bronx and bringing fresh fruits and vegetables is a major breakthrough.”

Saturday's events included cooking demonstrations and a Bronx based disc jockey playing music. The Soundview Farmers Market can be reached by taking the 6 train to the Morrison Ave-Soundview station or the Bx4, Bx4a, Bx27 buses. Harvest Home Farmers Market will operate every Saturday rain or shine from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through November 21st, 2015. WIC, FMNP Coupons, Senior FMNP Coupons, Health Bucks, SNAP (EBT) and Debit/Credit Cards  will all be accepted.

Connecting Bronx Communities to Local Farmers Markets

August 2nd through 8th marked the 16thannual USDA Farmers Market Week. Farmers Market Week is an official celebration of farmers markets across the country, connecting consumers to local fresh, seasonal, and healthy produce. In the New York tri-state area, August and September is peak harvest time. Regional bounty includes beets, broccoli, fresh herbs, tomatoes, peaches, plums and much more.

This month, with the bounty of farm produce available at local farmers markets Bronx Health REACH will launch a new campaign to promote Bronx-based farmers markets. This campaign, which is part of a city-wide collaboration of the Partnership for a Healthier NYC, seeks to increase access to farmers markets.

The campaign’s intent is to connect Bronx communities to local farmers markets. These markets are an important source for healthy eating, and improved health in general. The local farmers markets serve as hubs to supply and support increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are 29 farmers markets in the Bronx. To learn more, check out the Bronx Farmers’ Markets map. Next year we anticipate that that number will grow to 30, through collaborative efforts led by Harvest Home, Bronx Health REACH and the Melrose Community.

The campaign to promote farmers markets will focus on raising the awareness that farmers markets are accessible to all. As part of the campaign development process, community coalitions from the Bronx reviewed materials to determine their effectiveness in communicating that message of the accessibility of farmers markets.

In offering feedback, residents expressed that farmers markets accessibility pertains to their location as well as offering good value and prices for high quality produce. In New York, farmers’ markets accept a variety of payments including: WIC FMNP coupons, EBT, SNAP, Health Bucks, cash, debit and credit cards.

So, where is your nearest Farmer’s Market? To find out:

• Check the maponline
• Text “sogood” to 877877
• OR, call 311.