REMARKS
FRESH program and potential expansion to cooperatives and farm hubs
0:39:36
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153 sec
Rachel Atcheson and Qiana Mickie discuss the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program and potential expansions to include cooperatives and farm hubs.
- FRESH supports the development and retention of groceries in low-income communities with limited access to grocery stores
- Currently, there are 42 FRESH supermarkets open and 17 in development
- Approximately 1.5 million New Yorkers live within a half-mile radius of open FRESH supermarkets
- Discussions are underway with the Department of City Planning to explore expanding the FRESH program to include:
- Cooperatives
- Food cooperatives
- Regional cooperatives
- Farm hubs
- These expansions could support the regional food supply system and provide communities with access to locally grown and regional produce
Rachel Atcheson
0:39:36
And just to add on, as, as we share the interest with, MOUA on, growing food, there's also, the retail component.
0:39:46
So just bringing your attention to fresh, which you are aware of, but for those who are live streaming, the food retail expansion program to support, to support health called Fresh, supports the development and retention of groceries in low income communities where there's both a high need for access to fresh food and limited access to grocery stores.
0:40:06
This is achieved through both financial incentives through EDC and zoning initiatives through DCP given to participating groceries who must fall within the eligible land area and be leased by a full service grocery operator after construction or renovation is completed.
0:40:22
There are currently 42 fresh supermarkets and 17 in development.
0:40:26
There are approximately 1,500,000 New Yorkers within a half mile radius of the 42 open fresh supermarkets.
0:40:33
This is an uptick, and we're excited to see this expand.
Qiana Mickie
0:40:36
Yeah.
0:40:36
Can I add a little bit about fresh?
0:40:38
This is in its early stages, but we've been talking to DCP to just to circle back on what are the opportunities that might be being missed in, fresh the fresh program.
0:40:49
One of the avenues we've heard and seen and we wanna continue explore with them is the opportunity for this incentive to go towards, cooperatives, food cooperatives, regional cooperatives, even farm hubs.
0:41:02
And if folks aren't familiar with farm hubs, sometimes, communities or neighborhoods, maybe grocery retail is not the best fit for their scale of product.
0:41:12
And again, we're continuing to try to find ways to support our regional hyper local farmers.
0:41:17
Farm hubs or cooperatives give the opportunity for community to access in a retail capacity, locally grown in regional produce as well as other value added products.
0:41:30
So one of the things that we're continuing to explore with them is this this is an incentive that could actually support our regional, food supply system.
Rachel Atcheson
0:41:39
And I would be remiss, if I didn't mention our food access and affordability working group, that, a colleague Lauren Drumgold runs.
0:41:47
And they're coming out with a research agenda, before the end of the year.
0:41:51
We're really excited about it and, we'll be circulating it, for sure.
Amanda FarÃas
0:41:55
Thank you both for that thorough response.
0:41:58
I appreciate it.
0:41:59
I have a lot of thoughts running through my head, but I'm gonna reserve my time for now and go to council member questions.
0:42:05
I'd like to recognize council member Nurse followed by Verna Koff then Bodger.
