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Where is the best place in the neighborhood to get fresh, local produce at the lowest prices?
A new program may be in the running for the unofficial “best of” Washington Heights and Inwood veggies.
The YUM (Your Upper Manhattan) Food Program at Isabella Geriatric Center sells local fruit and vegetables every Wednesday for just above wholesale prices. Bags come in three sizes: $10, $12 and $20. Customers have reported back that the large bag is more food than one person can eat in a week.
This past spring, about 20 seniors at Isabella began planning the program. Their goal? Provide healthy fruits and vegetables to a neighborhood lacking healthy food options at a cost most residents can afford. The pilot program began in June.
“There’s a little bit of a food desert in the neighborhood,” said Barbara Martino, the YUM Program Director at Isabella’s Audubon Avenue campus.
Isabella received one of nine grants given across the country by Atlantic Philanthropies. Judy Nunez, director of the Senior Resource Center at Isabella, said that the seniors could have chosen a different focus, but they chose food because it is a big issue here.
“People are loving it,” said Martino. “They’re eating stuff they never ate.”
“They’re cooking stuff they never cooked,” added Mary Anderson, a member of YUM’s Senior Leadership Committee.
YUM’s fruit and vegetable bags have an element of surprise: the produce is chosen the morning the bags are distributed, so there’s no telling what will be in them each week. YUM passes out corresponding recipes with the bags so that customers can make use of an unfamiliar vegetable or untried fruit. Some of the recipes are provided by the seniors; others Martino gets off of the Internet. Martino said many of the recipes have been provided by one of the seniors on the Senior Leadership Committee who is a former chef.
According to Martino, there are two main focuses to the program: empowering senior leadership and promoting healthier eating habits throughout the neighborhood.
As such, the Senior Leadership Committee of YUM makes all decisions and is responsible for assembly and distribution of produce. The program is volunteer-run. Wednesday mornings they busily unpack the produce crates, sort the fruits and veggies into cellophane bags then repack them for distribution.
YUM is based on a model tried in Toronto, but Isabella’s seniors have modified it for New Yorkers’ needs. For instance, they distribute the produce in cloth bags instead of wooden crates to make it easier to carry on public transportation.
Isabella partners with nonprofit GrowNYC, which runs the city’s Greenmarkets, to help YUM secure produce. Two GrowNYC staff members typically come to YUM’s distribution days to pitch in.
While the program has started with two distribution sites in Washington Heights (see below for details), the Senior Leadership Committee plans to expand distribution throughout the neighborhood. YUM is reaching out to schools, churches, and other organizations that may be interested in being a distribution site.
YUM’s current goal is to sell 100 bags every week, but according to Martino, the program can expand.
Many of the customers now are seniors or neighbors who heard about the program by word of mouth.
Anderson said she used to go to the greenmarket on W. 110th St. to get her produce. She has found that YUM is more affordable and is one of the best resources for buying good produce in Washington Heights.
The grant will fund the program for three years, year-round – produce will be brought from farther away during the winter months. Anderson said they hope to continue the program after the three years.
What impact is YUM having on healthy eating in the community? It’s difficult to definitively say, but individual customer testimonies suggest the program is making a difference.
Anderson said she has been eating healthier and cooking more since becoming involved.
“I’m here doing so much more cooking that my neighbors are calling me Susie Homemaker.”
To get your produce from YUM:
You must live or work in Washington Heights or be affiliated with Isabella. Orders must be placed a week in advance. Distribution is every Wednesday. Pick-up locations and times are at Isabella Geriatric Center, Coffee Shop, 515 Audubon Ave. (at W. 190th St.) from 2 to 6 p.m. and the Isabella Senior Resource Center, 4026 Broadway (at W. 169th St.) from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
For more information, or to place an order, call 212-342-9866.
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