Queens County Farm Museum and Queens Community House (QCH) have partnered to bring locally grown produce directly to Pomonok residents through a weekly community food access market at QCH’s Pomonok Community Center.

Queens County Farm Museum and Queens Community House (QCH) have partnered to bring locally grown produce directly to Pomonok residents through a weekly community food access market at QCH’s Pomonok Community Center.

Photo by Iris Li

Queens County Farm Museum and Queens Community House (QCH) have partnered to bring locally grown produce directly to Pomonok residents through a weekly community food access market at QCH’s Pomonok Community Center on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Nov. 20.

The market has been open since May this year and is open to anyone with no prior registration required. Residents can purchase produce using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other food incentive programs, making organic produce affordable and accessible. David Hughes, executive director of Queens County Farm said that this initiative helps families eat well while “strengthening the connection between people, food and the land,” in a press release statement.

Queens County Farm Museum and Queens Community House (QCH) have partnered to bring locally grown produce directly to Pomonok residents through a weekly community food access market at QCH’s Pomonok Community Center. Queens County Farm Museum and Queens Community House (QCH) have partnered to bring locally grown produce directly to Pomonok residents through a weekly community food access market at QCH’s Pomonok Community Center.Photo by Iris Li

The market also creates opportunities for conversations about seasonal produce, food incentive programs, including educational demonstrations about nutrition and cooking. The demonstrations start at 3 p.m. and include ingredients accessible to residents through QCH’s food pantry.

“It is about building greater food security, encouraging healthier lifestyles and ensuring that residents have reliable access to nutritious options within their own community, said Zani Simmons, director of community engagement at QCH Pomonok in the press release statement. “The conversations, smiles and expressions of gratitude remind us that access to fresh food can make a real difference in people’s daily lives.”

Queens County Farm Museum and Queens Community House (QCH) have partnered to bring locally grown produce directly to Pomonok residents through a weekly community food access market at QCH’s Pomonok Community Center. Queens County Farm Museum and Queens Community House (QCH) have partnered to bring locally grown produce directly to Pomonok residents through a weekly community food access market at QCH’s Pomonok Community Center.Photo by Iris Li

The weekly market along with the other Pomonok Community Center’s existing programs and services, will provide food education, recreation and community for residents. The Friday market operates alongside social activities for the community.

This partnership between the two organizations is the first one of its kind in this scale according to Sinduri Soundararajan, development and community engagement coordinator at Queens Farm. Soundararajan said that the support from the Amazin’ Mets Foundation played a significant role in the launching of the market.

Queens County Farm Museum and Queens Community House (QCH) have partnered to bring locally grown produce directly to Pomonok residents through a weekly community food access market at QCH’s Pomonok Community Center. Queens County Farm Museum and Queens Community House (QCH) have partnered to bring locally grown produce directly to Pomonok residents through a weekly community food access market at QCH’s Pomonok Community Center.Photo by Iris Li

The Queens County Farm Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and is dedicated to agriculture and food access. The farm operates programs throughout Queens and grows nearly 40,000 pounds of produce annually. Its partnership with the Pomonok Community Market, operated by QCH, expands on their food access programs for the residents of Pomonok.

“We are in the rhythm of Pomonok Center, because I think both of our organizations Queen’s Farm and Queens Community House Community House have shared missions of serving the community, bringing community new programming, fun programming, and food,” said Soundararajan.