State Grants Boost Farm-Fresh Food Availability

A women picks out apples at the tent of Orchards of Concklin in a farmers market located near Battery Park in lower Manhattan on March 6, 2012. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—A program to get farm-fresh food to those in need throughout the state has been allocated $260,000 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The FreshConnect program is targeted to underserved communities.

The mini-grants were awarded by the state of New York to 23 projects that requested funding.

Among the programs that will be getting funding through FreshConnect are 14 traditional farmers markets, five youth projects, and four food box programs. The food boxes are going to projects that bring fresh, local fruits and vegetables to underserved, low-income communities in pre-packed boxes.

The FreshConnect program was launched by Gov. Cuomo in 2011. Its purpose is to foster new farmers markets, and support existing markets. The whole aim of the program is to serve high need areas, both urban and rural, that are lacking access to grocery stores and places to buy fresh food.

Food box programs use food that has been locally grown in New York state, supporting local jobs.