Program areas at GrowNYC
Wholesale, which purchases fresh produce and other farm products from northeast regional farms and distributes to food pantries, senior centers, daycares, hospitals, and other institutional buyers. Under this not-for-profit model, farmers get a fair price for their product and program beneficiaries gain reliable access to affordable, nutrient-dense foods. More than 60% of the food distributed goes to nutritionally at-risk populations, the equivalent of 2.6 million pounds of food in 2021.
Zero waste, which operates more than 50 food scrap drop-off sites throughout the city, coordinates textile collections, organizes stop 'n' swap community reuse events and provides outreach and education to all new yorkers to increase participation in the city's zero waste programs and help conserve natural resources. Zero waste drop-off sites collected 2.3 million pounds of food scraps in 2021.
Food access & agriculture, which operates 80 retail food access locations including greenmarkets, farmstands, and fresh food box sites. These locations provide more than 200 small, regional producers with the opportunity to sell their fruits, vegetables, and other farm products to new yorkers. the farmer assistance program provides technical and material assistance and training to experienced and beginning farmers to increase long-term viability. Annually, a class of young adults engages in workforce development by receiving career development education and hands-on work experience at farmstands.
Education, which connects k-12 public school students to the natural world with an eye towards environmental justice. Students learn sustainable behaviors that last a lifetime through the school gardens program, zero waste schools program, experimental field trips to the teaching garden at governors island, greenmarket tours, and in-class curriculum. Additionally, professional development for teachers and easily accessible digital resources provide education for all ages.
Green space, which creates, rejuvenates, and provides substantial material and technical assistance to several new community gardens each year in addition to helping more than 100 gardens created in prior years; builds rainwater harvesting systems and promotes best practices in green infrastructure through workshops and collaborative installations; and operates a substantial teaching garden on governors island.
Project farmhouse, which allows all new yorkers to explore environmental issues through the lens of food, horticulture, arts, recycling, cooking, and community education. Located at 76 east 13th street in manhattan, project farmhouse is a state-of-the-art sustainability and education center, and a home
Grownyc partners, which provides professional consulting services to bring food, farming, gardening, green infrastructure, recycling, and waste prevention projects to fruition on behalf of a diverse list of clients including businesses, individuals, foundations, and government agencies.
New york state regional food hub, which will establish a wholesale food distribution hub to serve small- to mid-sized farms in new york state through the construction of a warehouse facility in the hunts point section of the bronx. the facility will include approx. 60,000 square feet of refrigerated/freezer and food processing space and will serve as a new home for the organization's extant wholesale distribution program in addition to other tenants. the total estimated project cost is $40 million including pre-construction soft costs, which commenced during fiscal year 2017. Formal ground-breaking occurred in march 2021. the facility is expected to begin operations in 2024.