Astoria Houses Celebrates New Farm with Christmas Tree Lighting
Christmas came early at NYCHA’s Astoria Houses for residents and staff who came together on December 21 to decorate a Christmas tree for the community. The gathering was the first seasonal event for a new urban farm being built by Green City Force.
Children as young as 4 years old, as well as seniors and NYCHA staff, created holiday decorations and art for the tree, which is planted at the farm site.
NYCHA, Green City Force, and Astoria Houses resident leadership have been planning the farm for about a year. It will be the eighth urban farm under the Farms at NYCHA program and the sixth site to be built and operated by lead community partner, Green City Force, which operates farms as Eco-Hubs that promote sustainability and health in NYCHA developments.
“This Eco-Hub will provide fresh and healthy produce to the residents of Astoria Houses and opportunities for our young people to gain valuable skills that can benefit them as they prepare for their career paths,” said Astoria Houses Resident Association President Vanessa Jones-Hall. “On behalf of Astoria Houses residents, we want to say, ‘Thank you!’”
The first phase of the farm, which is about a quarter of an acre, is almost complete. There are six raised planting beds, with a few more expected, that are being prepared for the spring planting season.
Qiana Mickie, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture, congratulated NYCHA and Green City Force for the initiative and its ability to educate residents about food production.
“Working with stellar young partners like Green City Force alum Domingo Morales of Compost Power, the Astoria Houses Eco-Hub will facilitate critical learning about food production, creating healthy soil, and the important life cycle of food,” said Ms. Mickie. “We applaud Mayor Adams’ strong commitment to the Farms at NYCHA program, recognizing its importance in bringing learning and food justice to our public housing neighbors.”
Green City Force’s AmeriCorps program is a service corps that is involved in various projects such as building green infrastructure and urban farming. Working with NYCHA’s Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES) department, they recruit NYCHA residents between the ages of 18 to 24 for training in areas such as composting techniques, energy efficiency, urban agriculture, community engagement, and recycling.
Considering that there are about 12,000 public housing residents close to Astoria Houses, Green City Force Executive Director, Tonya Gayle noted, “Our goal is to prioritize recruiting young adult Green City Force candidates from the surrounding community, including Astoria, Queensbridge, Ravenswood, and Woodside Houses.”
The newest farm is part of Farms at NYCHA’s expansion thanks to support from the Mayor’s Office. Over the next three years, Farms at NYCHA will add additional sites and enhanced programming to further expand healthy food access, provide youth workforce and leadership development, and create more sustainable and connected public housing communities.
NYCHA residents 18 to 24 years old who are interested in learning more about Green City Force’s training program may contact REES at 718-289-8100 or RSVP for an information session online.