When I first heard that there was going to be an opportunity to buy fresh vegetables through The New York City Coalition Against Hunger, I simply thought that it would be a great way to have access to local produce. In the Bronx, finding fresh fruits and vegetables is not as easy as it is in other boroughs. In the years since I first signed up for the Bronx CSA, it has become about more than just fruits and vegetables. It has become an opportunity for people with shared values to come together, to support one another in making the Bronx a healthier place. We share stories, we share recipes, we work together with the belief that by working together we can bring about some kind of positive change in the Bronx.I also think differently about food, about where it comes from, and how it is more than just something one picks up at the store. Knowing our farmer, and knowing where our vegetables come from connects us to our food in a way that doesn't happen when you are buying a head of lettuce at the Bravo Supermarket. We have a relationship with our farmer, and he with us. We know that when there has been too little or too much rain, that is going to affect him, and us. We also have the opportunity to share with him what kinds of vegetables we would like him to grow.I wonder if, and I hope, that in some small way, this Bronx CSA is changing things for the better in the Bronx, by giving people more options about the food they bring into their home, and to make us realize that we do not have to be trapped in the "food desert" that some have described the Bronx as being. As a teacher, I see the food choices my students make every day, and for many of them, the easy and affordable choice, is always fast food: processed foods, high in sugars and fats. They are conditioned early on that this is all that is available to them. In their opinion, vegetables are "weird", and usually only eaten by wealthy people in Manhattan. With the work that is being done here, I think we are part of a solution to helping people reclaim their right to eating healthy and affordable food. An important part of participation in this CSA is the opportunity to advocate for better food programs in the city and state, and we realize that together we have a voice to speak up about how we can make nutritious food available for all people.I look forward to seeing this CSA, and others like it, grow in popularity throughout our borough. Brother Robert ChiulliNovember 3, 2015Food Action Board Members From Left to Right: Brother Robert Chiulli,Yrma Molina, Cheryl Taylor, Ann Jenkins and Louis Vavrina. In the middle is our Senior Policy, Advocacy, and Organizing Associate Filomena Acevedo
