Greetings, JH Lifers. Just in case you missed it, this website will be closing down on December 31st. It's been a great journey, but it is time for this site to walk off into the sunset (or whatever lies on the other side of the BQE). Please see our recent announcement for more information.
Hopefully this is just the beginning of a new chapter in efforts to build community online and in real life. Come join your neighbors at r/jacksonheights or r/queens on Reddit, Jackson Heights 11372 on Facebook, and the venerable JHfamilies group on Google.
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I think it sounds like a good idea and would be involved.
This isn't exactly an under-served community in terms of fresh produce.
Call me naive, but I don't understand how this works financially. What you're saying is that this is the same produce as the Farmer's Market and CSA, but massively less expensive and with no commitment. That ... doesn't make a huge amount of sense? CSA has the commitment because the farmers demand reliability in exchange for the lower prices vis a vis selling their stuff at the farmer's market, and so they don't have to pay farmer's market rent. Why would a farmer participate in this low-cost option, or is this just a place they dump their really unwanted produce? Help me understand here.
I was wondering that too. I thought it must be subsidized by the city, but it doesn't appear to be. This is from Edible Manhattan: "The traditional CSA model involves a relationship between one farm and a member community, hence the up-front payments. Fresh Food Box is able to be flexible and inexpensive because its produce is sourced at wholesale prices from several mid-sized farms within a 350-mile radius of New York City."
Also, another thing to note, which I guess I must have missed in the explanation above, is that you do have the commitment of having to pay for your share the week before picking it up -- kind of like placing the order and paying in advance. So there's no seasonal commitment, but you can't just show up the day of and expect to get a box.
How Fresh Food Box works:
Visit a Fresh Food Box site near you
Pay $14 (or $15 at workplace sites) in cash, credit/debit, EBT/SNAP, or Health Bucks for next week’s share
Return the following week to pick up your share containing 10-15 pounds of fresh, high-quality produce
I personally am a committed fan of the farmers market. Have you checked it out? No commitment, variety, and no need to participate in the logistics.
Yup, I love the farmer's market! In my previous neighborhoods, I used both. But FFB is substantially less expensive, still supports local farms, and is less time-consuming than the farmer's market.
FFB gives you a big bag of assorted goodies each week you participate, no complicated logistics, you just decide week-to-week whether you'll be participating. Plus it gave me options (if I wasn't around on farmer's market day one week, I had FFB day to the rescue, and vice versa). On weeks I was around for both, I loved getting my FFB loot, then supplementing with the farmer's market, so they're in no way mutually exclusive.
Call me naive, but I don't understand how this works financially. What you're saying is that this is the same produce as the Farmer's Market and CSA, but massively less expensive and with no commitment. That ... doesn't make a huge amount of sense? CSA has the commitment because the farmers demand reliability in exchange for the lower prices vis a vis selling their stuff at the farmer's market, and so they don't have to pay farmer's market rent. Why would a farmer participate in this low-cost option, or is this just a place they dump their really unwanted produce? Help me understand here.
Sounds like gentrification to me. Nah, just kidding, it's the good kind.
So yeah the farmers market is the best in Queens and it's on a Sunday so that is a big boon for the neighborhood. We also have supermarkets for every demographic, and that's great. That being said, I think we can handle another option. Possible location might be the new Diversity Plaza. We can probably find you space to put your stuff around there. It might be a little difficult getting committed people on here but I think it could gain speed.
I personally am a committed fan of the farmers market. Have you checked it out? No commitment, variety, and no need to participate in the logistics.
Have you considering joining FarmSpot at St Marks Church? It already in season for 2018 but sometimes plans
change and shares become available. The community vibe is great and they have a terrific baker now and a
mushroom seller and other organic needs available too. Thursday nights 5:30-8.