Paula Lukats, the CSA Program Manager at Just Food first became involved with CSAs by becoming a CSA member herself. Working with NYC community members, she has helped to create more than 80 Just Food CSAs so that New Yorkers can buy good, fresh food. If you live in Harlem, look into joining one of the many CSA located here!

Q: Are there any Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) sites in Harlem?

A: There are quite a few CSAs in Harlem. There is New Song CSA on Frederick Douglass, the Central Harlem CSA at Thurgood Marshall Academy, and Project Harmony CSA, which gets their delivery in a community garden. There are two at Columbia University, and more listed on our website. And, I've had some interest from community members in starting new ones in that area. I think it's a great neighborhood to get good food into, and to provide more healthy food options.

Q: How can someone start a new CSA site if there isn't one near where they live?

A: If there isn't a CSA in your community, early fall is the perfect time to think about starting a new one. Part of my job is to help that happen. Just Food offers "Starting a New CSA" workshops that are posted on our website. The workshops help people think about what you need, how many people are necessary, and whether a CSA makes sense in your community. We also try to connect people within communities who could work together. This past year we started 20 new CSAs, which is the most we've ever started in one year. It was really exciting to see that many new folks get involved and want CSAs in their communities.

Read more from Paula Lukats by clicking the links below:

• Just Food
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
• How to join a CSA
• CSA cooking classes
• Food justice movement

To listen to our interview with Paula Lukats, click here for our podcast page.

Harlem Word is a series of interviews with community health experts written by HHPC and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.