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Foodlink’s community farm receives state funding for education center
Foodlink’s community farm receives state funding for education center
Foodlink Inc. has received $150,000 from New York State to help with construction of an education center at the Lexington Avenue Community Farm.
Located at 617 Lexington Ave., between the Edgerton and Lyell-Otis neighborhoods, the farm is a 1.33-acre urban agriculture campus featuring a community garden, commercial growing operations and public pocket park.
The funding was secured through the New York State Assembly’s State and Municipal Facilities Program grants.
“Urban farms and community gardens are a critical way of addressing food deserts and accessibility issues for our city families, while simultaneously building community in our neighborhoods,” Assemblymember Sarah Clark (D-Irondequoit) said in a news release. “As one of the largest urban agricultural sites in the region, Foodlink’s Lexington Avenue Community Farm is a NW neighborhood treasure, and I am proud to provide support from the state for its expansion.
“What better way to ensure growth and engagement for generations to come than by building an education center to provide learning opportunities and training programs for everyone.”
The Lexington Avenue Community Farm was founded in 2011 and provides space for 65 families to grow approximately 6,000 pounds of food for their households each year, Foodlink says. Another 2,000 pounds of food grown at the farm supports Foodlink’s Curbside Market, Community Kitchen and Nutrition Education programs each year.
“This funding marks a critical step forward for our Foodlink Community Farm as we increase our footprint on Lexington Avenue and bolster our commitment to urban agriculture and community health education,” said Julia Tedesco, president & CEO of Foodlink. “Purchasing and renovating the building adjacent to our farm provides us with much-needed infrastructure improvements to expand programming, and we’re eager to work alongside community members to help design and define this new space.”
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