New initiative brings more gardens, urban agriculture to Jersey City

By Rebecca Panico | The Jersey Journal The Jersey Journal
on April 17, 2015 at  2:32 PM

More gardens will be sprouting up around Jersey City this spring thanks to a new initiative that will expand urban agriculture and also make healthier foods from farmers' markets more accessible.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and the Department of Health and Human Services are joining up with the Partnership for a Healthier JC to increase resources for "Earth Box" gardens at several sites around the city and Adopt-A-Lot programs, which allows residents to transform unused city-owned lots into gardens by leasing out the site for a dollar.

"As we enter the spring gardening and farmers' market season, we have implemented several programs that will support local urban agriculture and increase access to healthy food for residents," said Fulop in a statement. "We are committed to expanding our Adopt-A-Lot and gardening programs further, and are grateful for the volunteers who are working with the city to accomplish these goals."

Jersey City has collaborated with farmers' market managers to streamline the permitting process for markets over the past year. New legislation was passed by the City Council that requires all Jersey City farmers' markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP).

Read more:  http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... mers_markets_and_gar.html