Paula Lukats is the Program Manager of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program at Just Food. Her program helps people in NYC to get fresh food, like she had growing up in rural Ohio.

Q: What is Just Food?

A: It is a New York City-based non-profit organization that seeks to improve the food system in all five boroughs and the surrounding area. We work with NYC residents to help them receive fresh, organic produce directly from farms located within 150 miles of the city. We want people to have better access to good, healthy, fresh food as well as for farmers to stay in business.

Q: Can you explain more about Just Food's programs?

A: We have many programs that help people in NYC get fresh food directly from farmers, by growing it themselves, at emergency food centers, by learning how to cook it as well as through pushing for important policy changes:

• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in NYC allows its members buy fresh fruits and vegetables directly from farmers in the surrounding area.
• City Farms promotes urban farming and taking care of livestock. It teaches urban dwellers how to garden in healthy ways. Through this program New Yorkers can learn how to raise chickens for eggs in backyards and community gardens as well as how to do everything from composting to catching rainwater to start plants from seeds. They also have many educational programs on canning and preserving food.
• Fresh Food for All is our farm-to-food-pantry program. It links farmers around New York City with food pantries and soup kitchens to provide fresh vegetables to people who can't afford to get this type of food from farmers markets or CSAs. Food pantries in West Harlem include: Broadway Community Inc., Community Impact, Central Harlem Alcohol Center, St. Mary's Episcopal Church Food Pantry, and Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Service. You can find out what other food pantries and soup kitchens are participating in Fresh Food for All by visiting our website.
• Our Community Food Education Program trains community chefs to do cooking demonstrations in farmer's markets and community gardens so that a greater number of people can learn how to cook the fresh, healthy produce that Just Food makes available. This program also offers community-based workshops which teach people about traditional ways of cooking and preserving foods.
• Our Food Justice Program focuses on changing food policy through legislative change, as well as education. The program increases awareness and action around food and farm issues so communities can exercise their right to grow, sell, and eat healthy food. We have been very much involved in the development of FoodprintNYC for greater access to local, healthy, fresh food, especially in low-income communities and city-run institutions. In December 2024, we will host a Conference at New York University focusing on the connections between food and climate change.

Read more from Paula Lukats by clicking the links below:

• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
• CSA sites in Harlem
• 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.