Food News

New York City is a food town, perhaps THE food town in the United States. Our health, economy, and environment are inextricably tied to our food system. During the past decade, undeniable progress has been made to raise awareness of, and improve, the City’s food system. But much work still remains. Climate change, the loss of regional farmland, and the lack of new farmers threaten our food system. Hunger stubbornly persists in our midst. And, our economy, still struggling back from the Great Recession, presents food system challenges and opportunities.

What better way to call for a better New York City food future than in the context of a recipe?  And so, Food Systems Network NYC (FSNYC) presents the Recipe for the Future of Food in New York City as a vision for food systems change. The Recipe offers our city’s food communities—anti-hunger, health, agriculture, distribution, labor, and eaters— the opportunity to engage in cooking up a better food system through conversation, collaboration, and advocacy that will inspire our city’s leaders to act, beginning with mayoral candidates.  FSNYC believes that a mayor and elected officials who understand the importance of food is critical to achieving a fairer and more sustainable, resilient, and economically stronger food system that will benefit every New Yorker.

In a series of Op-Eds, FSNYC is providing multiple perspectives on the proposed Farmworker Fair Labor Practices (FFLP) Bill. The collection of Op-Eds can be found here.

April 16, 2013

by Elizabeth Henderson

This essay is my personal view.  It does not represent the position of any organization.

First a few words of introduction.  I have been growing organic vegetables and herbs for sale to the fresh market for over 30 years.  My farm is certified organic. Our main market is through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), which we have been doing for 25 years, making our CSA one of the country’s oldest. Our CSA is a cooperative with our members who provide much   of the labor for harvesting their shares.  Most of the work at Peacework Farm has been done by me and my partners who have varied in number from one to three.  We also usually train two interns, people who want to learn the craft of organic farming and how to run a highly participatory CSA. Making money has never been our highest priority: we see ourselves as part of a worldwide movement to create local food systems controlled by the people who do the work together with   their neighbors and customers. I have been a member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) since the late ‘70s and I am co-chair of the NOFA Policy Committee which is surveying our farmer members so that we can shape proposals for the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices (FFLP) Bill that truly represent them. Additionally, I represent NOFA on the Management Committee of the Agricultural Justice Project.

by Rick Luftglass & Pamela Koch

The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund has committed $15 million to the Healthy Food and Community Change initiative over the next five years. To celebrate and announce this initiative, Teachers College and the Illumination Fund hosted a conference, Bringing Policy to the Table: New Strategies for a Healthier Society at Teachers College on February 14.  Elected officials, academics, philanthropists, and other leaders engaged in lively discussions about food system issues, including obesity, diet-related diseases, jobs, urban agriculture, and community development.  To watch videos and learn more about the conference, go to http://www.tc.edu/news.htm?articleID=8865.

*The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not constitute the opinions of Food Systems Network NYC*

by Abbey Augus & Kendal Nystedt

In New York, farming is a $4 billion industry, making the state one of our nation’s agricultural leaders. In the last five years, dairy production alone has risen nearly 60 percent due to a surge in the popularity of Greek yogurt. New York’s farmers are benefiting from this surge, as well as from growing consumer demand for locally grown produce and substantial government support.  Lost amidst this boon, however, are New York’s farmworkers who lack even the most basic labor protections. The Justice for Farmworkers Campaign seeks to end this injustice by passing the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act – legislation that would finally grant New York’s farmworkers the labor protections that are given to other workers.