Promoting a Healthier Brooklyn
By Rasheda Jolly
Mark Davis a 27 year old sales representative for Kellogg’s recently moved to Flatbush, Brooklyn from Woodbridge, N.J.
One thing he misses most about his old home is the food and produce he used to find in New Jersey.
In his new neighborhood, Davis finds it difficult to shop for fruits and vegetables. He often has to go out of town to shop for healthy foods.
“The farmer’s markets in New Jersey, their products were produced locally in New Jersey by farmers who did not use pesticides,” Davis said. “I don’t think there is a good source of healthy foods in the low-income communities. “
Residents in lower income New York City neighborhoods say the cost of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables that are sold at local shops is too high for the poor quality of the produce.
A grocery store manager in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, who would not give his name, said he felt differently than the people in the community. “Local grocery stores do provide different variety of fruits and vegetables, especially from different islands,” he said. “Some products may cost more than others, but the people in the community need to think about the products being imported and the different seasons that fruits and vegetables grow.”
Now trying to adapt to new working environments in different areas in Brooklyn, Davis, he said sees the difference in food quality from when he worked in Woodbridge.
“I do not think there is a good source of healthy foods in the low income communities,” he said. “The main reason why I say that is because you go around in the lower income communities, whether its on the East or West coast, you will see a pattern of McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Chinese, and chicken shops.”
There is an article from 2008 in the Daily News confirming that families in Brooklyn can be on a budget and eat healthy. “There are things you can do to compensate,” said Arlene Spark. “Frozen orange juice is a less expensive alternative than fresh orange juice – it’s just a fraction of the price,” she said.
People are dying from obesity and diabetes, now young children are being affected from these diseases. Low income families are not able to afford a healthier lifestyle.
In an effort to bring better produce to low-income neighborhoods, Mayor Michael Bloomberg implemented a FRESH program. In 2008, the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health program was supposed to facilitate the development of stores selling a full range of food products with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and other perished goods, in the low and moderate income communities. Bloomberg announced the strategies to encourage the opening of grocery stores and help existing operators upgrade stores in neighborhoods that need more healthy food and stores.
Part of the City’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan, FRESH, was to suppose to help create an estimated 15 new grocery stores and upgrade 10 existing stores, creating 1,100 new jobs and retain 400 others over the next 10 years.
Trisha Williams, a single mother of three from Flatbush, Brooklyn find it easier and cheaper to cook fried chicken and macaroni and cheese for dinner after along day of work. “I work two jobs and when I come home, I don’t have the time or the money to shop for healthy food for my family,” Williams said. “When I do go to the grocery store and go to the fruits and vegetables section, they are charging 78 cents a pound for apples or something. I think that’s a rip off, so I buy what can feed my family.”
Some families feel the need to travel to different communities or even a different borough to go grocery shopping. Commuting from Manhattan to Brooklyn on the daily basis, there are dozens of people with Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods grocery bags getting off the train in the Flatbush/Crow Heights area. Even though, it is overwhelming to commute with heavy shopping bags but people feel its worth buying good quality and healthy food at a decent cost.
In Park Slope, Brooklyn, a high class community coordinates weekly weekend farmer’s market to promote healthy eating. Emily Bittinger, a volunteer at the market feels it worth travel to Park Slope to buy fresh organic fruits and vegetables. “If anyone lives in Brooklyn, they should definitely take the trip down here to buy their fruits and vegetable – it’s worth it,” said Bittinger.
“The farmer’s market come in the low income communities and can barely survive because they have to charge so much for their products being that they don’t get subsidies for the market, and the people in the community can’t afford it and the markets have to shut down,” said Davis.