Farm School NYC, Inc.

Through its Healthy Neighborhoods Fund initiative, NYHealth is supporting six communities across New York State to become healthier, more active places.

Although all the communities are working toward the common goal of improving the health of their residents, each community may face particular challenges. By offering responsive and time-sensitive technical assistance funding to grantees and their partners, NYHealth can help them meet their goals. In 2021, NYHealth awarded the Farm School NYC a grant to support communities of color in establishing an urban farm cooperative in East New York, Brooklyn.

Under this grant, the Farm School NYC will partner with residents and community partners in Central Brooklyn and East New York to initiate a worker-owned cooperative farm. It will connect farming and gardening organizations and leaders from East New York to co-create a plan for this project. Farm School NYC will conduct a feasibility study to better understand residents’ needs and assess the urban farm’s financial viability. It will then share recommendations and business models for the community, including alternative ideas for urban farm development and operation, if needed.