KIPS BAY — Local residents and those who work in the neighborhood have a new option for fresh, local produce with the expansion of a farm-share program to the area.
Local Roots, a community-supported agriculture (CSA) group, is bringing fresh fruits, vegetables and other bounties of nature to a new distribution center at NYU’s Alexandria Center for Life Science, located at 450 E. 29th St.
Shareholders pay a flat rate up front — for example, a vegetable share for the rest of the fall currently costs $206 and will drop in price each week — and for the next three months will get to pick up about two grocery bags worth of goods per week at the distribution center.
What’s in a given week’s load varies week to week, with about five different types of food in each share, according to Ariel Looser, an operations associate at Local Roots.
Local Roots sources all its produce from farms within 100 miles of New York City, with most of it coming from the lower Hudson Valley and New Jersey, making it easy for city slickers to support nearby independent farms, Looser said.
“It’s an easy way to tap into supporting local agriculture without going too far out of your way,” she said. “You know where your money is going, and we only work with people who are worth supporting.”
The group, which was formed in 2011 and has recently begun expanding into Manhattan from its Brooklyn stronghold, operates year-round, with four different seasonal shares that change based on what is currently available.
Local Roots offers a variety of share options, including a vegetable share, a fruit share and options for meat, poultry, and other locally raised and produced goods. For a full list of options, visit the group’s website.
Shareholders who sign up to collect from the Alexandria Center will be able to pick up their shares on Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. For more pickup sites, visit the Local Roots website.
