Garlic scapes, lion’s mane mushroom, brightly colored raspberries and a variety of lettuce are just a few of the items sold at the brand-new Fordham Farmer’s Market founded by Bronx Eats, a program founded in 2019 with a focus on providing food access and food education to the people of the borough.
Every Friday through Oct. 25, Fordham Plaza will be activated with vendors offering fresh local produce and answering questions of their offerings.
“That is gorgeous,” said Stephanie Martinez of the lush basil plants for sale. “You can smell the difference from the supermarket, even the tomatoes, everything is gorgeous.”
Martinez lives in the Fordham Heights neighborhood and was walking by on a recent, hot Friday afternoon when the farmer’s market stopped her in her tracks.
“What’s that?” she asked the woman behind the long table of the colorful harvest.
“Patty pan squash,” replied Michelle Fino, matriarch of Fino Farms, which serves as the main vendor of the Fordham Farmer’s Market.
Family-owned since 1942 and 90 miles north of the city, not only does Fino Farms provide freshly picked fruits and vegetables, but they also offer local honey and apple cider donuts made by Fino herself. Martinez walked off with a smile and a bag of goodies, including the squash and donuts.
“We are addressing food access and food insecurity and healthy eating,” said Gail Schorsch, founder and director of Bronx Eats. “We know that healthy eating can prevent and reverse dietary diseases and we actually know most diseases caused by dietary issues.”
In 2020, Mayor Eric Adams claimed to have reversed his diabetes and published the book, “Healthy At Last: A Plant-Based Approach to Preventing and Reversing Diabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses,” a book the people of the Bronx may benefit from. According to data from Montefiore Hospital, the Bronx has the highest rate of diabetics and diabetes-related deaths in all of NYC. Additionally, nearly a third of the Bronx population is enrolled in government assistance, that’s where HealthBucks comes in.
HealthBucks, provided to people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or Electron Benefit Transfers (EBT), are accepted at all farmer’s markets and double buyer’s purchasing power.
“If somebody comes with EBT and is planning to buy $10 worth produce or food that is EBT approved, they get an additional $10 of HealthBucks coupons,” said Schorsch.
Jonny Moallem, founder of Ecobay Farms in Brooklyn, is also a vendor at the Fordham Farmer’s Market, selling hard-to-get mushrooms and microgreens. The environmental engineer, who built his urban farm after seeing a dire need for local food during the COVID-19 pandemic, has also seen a lot of interest from locals.
“A lot of people are like, ‘What is that? Can I try it? How do you cook it?’” said Moallem. And because the farm is indoors, Ecobay is able to harvest every week of the year.
The Fordham Farmer’s Market is still open to vendors and working through its programming to allow for cooking demonstrations in the future. While off to a slow start, they are depending on local politicians and passersby to spread the word.
“Addressing food insecurity in the Bronx is really important and I’d love to have more attention put on this issue,” said Schorsch. “I think having a farmer’s market in [one of] the most commercial hubs of the Bronx is one of the most exciting things that could be happening in this borough.”
Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
