For years, the Bloomberg administration has tried to increase access to fresh produce in low-income neighborhoods across NYC. In 2007, the city promised 1,500 new permits to vendors who commit to selling fresh fruits and vegetables from carts in low-income neighborhoods, but results were somewhat disappointing. To make matters worse, community farmers markets—not to be confused with larger operations like the Union Square Market, which are run by the non-profit Greenmarket—face a tangle of red tape that has kept fresh produce out of under-served neighborhoods. With supermarkets steadily disappearing in low-income areas, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer wants the city to make it easier for farmers markets to thrive.
“At a time when the City faces a food and health crisis—with more than three million people obese or overweight and 700,000 suffering from diabetes—we simply can’t afford to put obstacles in the way of markets that bring healthy food to New Yorkers who need it the most, in communities that are not well-served by large grocery stores,” the Stringer said in a statement, noting that 58 such markets now operate in the five boroughs. According to a new study (below), the main problems hindering farmers markets are:
- A maze of differing location-based permit requirements—including one permit that a market operator must apply for by December 31 of the preceding year, potentially seven months before the start of market season.
- Fees that, combined with insurance, swell the cost of operating a six-month market to $1,200—an upfront cost which can be prohibitive for a small community organization.
- The lack of a clear and reliable process for reserving parking spaces for farmers, a problem that results in costly parking tickets for vehicles that are authorized to park on market days.
Stringer wants, among other things, the city to get rid of permitting fees for markets in low-income communities, simplify the application procedures, create a standardized process for reserving parking for out-of-town farmers, and implement an information and outreach campaign to increase use of government nutrition coupons at farmers markets. Between 2009 and 2010, low-income residents redeemed almost half a million dollars in government nutrition coupons at these markets.
