New York City has always been know for its unique style and creativity. Well this has continued in the grass-roots and innovative non-profits found throughout the city. Added Value is a non-profit organization promoting the sustainable development of Red Hook by nurturing a new generation of young leaders. They create opportunities for the youth of South Brooklyn to expand their knowledge base, develop new skills and positively engage with their community through the operation of a socially responsible urban farming enterprise.

This cool program allows youth to learn, interact with adults and other community members and create something out of nothing. Check out their site and head to their farmers market if you live near Brooklyn (Or send friends!).

Youth Empowerment

• Summer Youth Intensives: During an intensive eight-week training period new participants develop a strong sense of self and community while learning the skills necessary to grow food from seed to sale.
• Academic Year Program: Beginning in the fall with the Added Value Institute teens strengthen their core skills while taking over operation of the Farmers’ Market, and building a strong foundation of knowledge related to the critical issues, such as under employment and obesity, that effect our community and develop their capacity to be agents for change.AV Leadership Institute Youth begin the spring honing their abilities to educate and motivate their peers and our community. Working together in groups and on individual projects they sharpen their skills while selecting a core program are to specialize in;
  • Digital Horizons: Our Media Literacy and Multimedia Laboratory
  • Herban Solutions: a Sustainable Business Development project
  • Project Real Improvement: Community Education and Organizing

  As active participants in the growing Food Justice Movement Participants attend local, national or even international conferences on youth empowerment, urban agriculture, food security and sustainability. Added Value youth make key contributions at these conferences, by planning events and activities, delivering trainings, and documenting the events. By attending these events our teens are educating others about our local efforts and harvesting knowledge from colleagues that will be shared through trainings they develop for their peers or through their reporting on our website.

  Teens who complete the Institute have gained the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve their educational and employment goals and are prepared to lead their peers and community towards a more just and sustainable future. Those wishing to continue their work with Added Value may apply for a Youth Leadership position and work with staff and Interns to run our summer programs.

Urban Agriculture
Red Hook Community Farm working with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Added Value is transforming a once dilapidated playground into vibrant community resource where young and old work, study and grow together as they sow, nurture and harvest plants on a 2.75 acre urban farm. Operated by our staff, youth leadership team and a dedicated core of volunteers and interns the Farm is a vibrant intergenerational space and experiential educational environment for all. Food grown on the Farm is sold at our Farmers’ Markets, to local restaurants and donated to those in need. Today the Farm provides sustenance to residents, creates meaningful work for neighborhood teens, generates economic activity and improves the health and well-being of our community.

Farm to School
Added Value hosts a variety of educational programs during the school year. Teachers may choose to come for a half-day or day-long service learning project in which they explore the Farm while learning about the social, economic, and environmental issues related to urban agriculture. A school may also choose to develop a long-term relationship with the Farm in which Students use exploratory learning to support standards-based educational opportunities. Some activities include growing produce in dedicated planting beds and undertake agricultural and food-related educational and arts activities.

Growing A Just Food System
The Red Hook Farmers’ Market and CSA
Through our Farmers’ Markets and CSA we are creating new opportunities for regional farmers and producers to market the highest quality meats, dairy, vegetables and value added products to urban consumers. By working with project partners we are ensuring that all can have access to locally grown, healthy, safe and affordable food. Profits from the sale of produce are cycled back into the program to support stipends for our youth participants.
Restaurant Partnerships
In addition to our Farmers’ Market and CSA we a pleased to have worked with food providers who have committee have committed themselves to providing the highest quality food to their customers. Currently we work intensively with two locally owned business Restaurant 360 and Restaurant Ici. Throughout the year 360 and ICI work with our staff and youth leaders to make sure that their customers can enjoy the freshest produce available in America and that a portion of the dollars you spend on an excellent meal goes to support the growth of a new generation youth leaders.

Support the local food movement by visiting these establishments

The Red Hook Farmers’ Market
Currently Added Value operates two Farmers’ Markets. Between the last weekend in June and the Saturday before Thanksgiving On Wednesday we open up outside the Red Hook Seniors Center at 6 Wolcott Street, while on Saturday the Market is located at Red Hook Community Farm (590 Columbia Street).

Our market features our famous salad greens and other produce grown on Red Hook Community Farm by our youth leadership team as well as products from other regional farmers including fresh milk, yogurt and ice cream, a full selection of fruit and pasture raised meats.

Our Market
Unlike other Farmers’ Markets, our farm-stand and the CSA are run by Added Value’s youth participants and are supervised by staff and volunteers. By working in the Market, participants are attending to a critical need in the community while honing the transferable skills acquired during training, which they will draw on for the rest of their lives.

Since its inception in June 2001, the RHFM has accomplished the following:

• Effectively advocated for the participation of the Red Hook Senior Center in the New York States Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), leveraging more than $20,000 in benefits.
• Enabled 1,000 new and expectant, low-income mothers to receive similar vouchers through the local WIC office, resulting in $60,000 of food benefits for the community.
• Donated an additional $15,000 worth of vegetables to individuals in need.
• Helped found the Friends of Coffey Park and revitalize this community asset.
• Provided meaningful work for Red Hook teenagers.
• Annually hosted 10 educational workshops for residents and CSA participants.

Why a Farmers’ Market in Red Hook?
Twice in the past three years Red Hook’s only full-service grocery store closed, forcing residents to walk three miles and cross an eight lane road or take a $10 cab if they want to shop there. If you are have limited resources or are physically unable, as much of our population is, the only options are corner stores and delis which stock few fresh fruits and vegetables, carry meat and dairy products of questionable quality and charge inflated prices. With few healthy choices available, our neighbors eat many meals at fast food restaurants; and the preferred diet among teens is chips, honey buns, and a “fruit drink”.

Limited access to healthy safe and affordable food and limited understanding of proper dietary practices has contributed to a neighborhood health crisis. Red Hook residents suffer disproportionately from asthma, hypertension, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Child hospitalization rates for diabetes are over twice that of NYC; for adults, the ratio is roughly three to two.

For years, Red Hook was a textbook example of a broken food system and its effects on a community. Now, we are becoming a model of how residents, businesses, social service agencies and religious institutions can come together with City, State, and Federal government agencies and begin to rebuild a food system that promotes social interaction and economic activity while nurturing our health and improving the environment.

History
The Red Hook Farmers Market was established in June 2001. Opened in historic Coffey Park in the heart of Red Hook, Brooklyn, Today it has grown to become a hub of neighborhood activity serves as the sole provider of fresh produce for neighborhood residents.

In May of 2001, Red Hook’s only supermarket closed its doors, leaving a vacuum in the community and a serious need for safe produce. Added Value seized upon this opportunity and decided to create the Red Hook Farmers Market. The market was an immediate success; within two weeks the market served approximately 200 weekly customers, our three farmers were averaging $1000 in weekly sales, and most importantly, the market was embraced by community residents as both a much needed resource, as well a fun place to interact with neighbors and to sit and enjoy the afternoon. The Market consisted of one conventional grower, an organic farmer who also brokered organic dairy products, one orchard, and the Added Value farm stand. The 2001 season concluded on the third Saturday in November and immediate planning began to expand the diversity of the Market and to attract more vendors for the coming year.

In June 2002 the RHFM opened with new energy and offering new products to customers. This past season the Market expanded to provide pasture-raised poultry and lamb, locally caught fish, and local baked goods. In September 2002 the RHFM became one of three New York City Farmers Markets to pilot a cellular device allowing customers to use Visa, Mastercard, Debit, and EBT cards at all participating farm stands. Similar to most New York City Farmers Markets, the 2002 RHFM experienced a drop in weekly attendance; approximately 150 customers, reducing average sales to roughly $700. Added Value attributes this reduction to current economic conditions, rather than to the RHFM’s popularity. To promote the RHFM our youth flier the three connecting neighborhoods twice each week, we coordinate special events with community partners, offer various weekly specials and the Market also attracts local media attention.

In April 2003, the Red Hook Farmers Market Advisory Committee met to discuss the relocation of the Market to make it more accessible to the majority of Red Hook residents, as well as for the rest of South Brooklyn. The Markets’ new location at the intersection of Clinton Street and Centre Mall, the entrance to the Red Hook Houses East, is directly across the street from the Red Hook Post Office and is three blocks from the F Train. This new home continues to serve as a hub of neighborhood activity and now functions as a Community Supported Agriculture pick-up site. Added Value youth will soon offer community-wide trainings on vermicomposting at the Market, and chefs from throughout New York City will begin conducting cooking demonstrations in September.