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Know Your Rights
Source: BushwickBK.com
Subject: Housing & Environmental Justice
Type: Media Coverage

CSAs: Bushwick-Supported Agriculture

This spring brings a host of
grassroots food projects to our fair neighborhood, including community gardens,
farmers markets, rooftop and backyard farms and even a fledgling food
cooperative. And on top of all this, Bushwick is home to not one but two CSA
groups. CSA stands for "Community-Supported Agriculture," and it
refers to a system in which people buy farm shares in exchange for a regular
delivery of food
.  

Most
CSAs involve weekly deliveries of fresh seasonal produce like vegetables or
eggs. This kind of farm share program is beneficial to farmers because it
provides them with income in the beginning of the springtime when money tends
to be tight. They’re good for consumers because the food in a CSA share is less
expensive than it would be in the store or at a farmers market
.  

For
the second year in a row,
Make the Road is hosting a CSA
out of its office on Grove Street,
hooking up Bushwick residents with fresh produce grown by Jersey-based farmer
Sergio Nolasco. It has been so popular that they ran out of memberships for
middle-income families, so another group is working to bring a second CSA to
the neighborhood
.  

This
new CSA will bring weekly deliveries of organic produce from Garden of Eve Farm
in Long Island to Bushwick’s very own Starr
Space. Garden of Eve
already delivers to CSAs in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, but don’t hold that against
them — they grow delicious, environmentally-friendly food that you’re sure to
enjoy even if you don’t ride a fixed gear
.  

Up
until now, Bushwick’s food landscape has been relatively barren when it comes
to local, sustainably-raised food. The arrival of CSAs and other food projects
brings hope that Bushwickers will soon have the same access to fresh, healthy,
and green food that previous generations did back in the 19th century when our
neighborhood was a New York City breadbasket. These food projects also promise
to foster bridge-building between the diverse yet somewhat segregated segments
of our community. Everyone eats — let’s all eat well together
.  

The
Garden of Eve CSA is still looking for members, so
if you’re interested in signing up, write to them at info@bushwickfoodcoop.org.
The cutoff date for new members is May 7th (next Wednesday!) so act fast if you
want some veggies
.  

And
if your household income is less than $30,000 a year, you may be eligible for a
low-income CSA membership through
Make the Road. Call them at
718-418-7690 x 232 for more info.