Yes, We Have No Bananas: More Fruit Stands for Brooklyn
The city wants Brooklyn to eat its veggies, and it’s pushing legislation that would result in 500 permits for fruit and vegetable carts in Kings County over the next two years. Operation Green Cart is aimed at neighborhoods (mostly low-income) where Health Department surveys show more than 10 percent of adults aren’t eating fruits or…
The city wants Brooklyn to eat its veggies, and it’s pushing legislation that would result in 500 permits for fruit and vegetable carts in Kings County over the next two years. Operation Green Cart is aimed at neighborhoods (mostly low-income) where Health Department surveys show more than 10 percent of adults aren’t eating fruits or vegetables on a daily basis. For example, one city study found that Bedford Stuyvesant and Bushwick have low supplies of fresh produce and low-fat milk. “Access to healthy foods varies widely throughout New York City, and in many lower-income neighborhoods, supermarkets are few and far between. There is demand for fruits and vegetables in these neighborhoods, and this regulatory change will enable the market to meet that demand,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The Green Cart legislation will also provide opportunities for vendors to make a living selling fresh fruits and vegetables in communities where healthy food can be difficult to find.” Sound like a plan?
City Program Brings Produce to Outer Boroughs [Crain’s]
NYC Proposes More Fruit, Vegetable Carts [AP]
Press Release [nyc.gov]
Photo by cameron.
Retail rents are increasing therefore making it more difficult for low-profit margin businesses like grocers to stay in business.
With fruit and vegetable stands, the high rents aren’t applicable so this is a good idea.
They now need to diversify their offerings and not have only the same basics.
where do these vendors go to the bathroom?
How about a guy on the street with a cow and a butcher knife. Rare, yum.
“They should not only have just the fresh fruit and veg, but some of those smoothie and shake carts that make fresh fruit and veg smoothies. Lots of kid (and may adults too) don’t really like to eat the whole fruit or veg, but would drink it juiced.”
How about coffee carts, too? And sidewalk salmon carts! What about a steak restaurant cart? And…..
Bring on the Carts! The mere presence of easily available fruit encourages and increases it’s consuption. Let them eat fruit!
Where can residents of Myrtle Ave near Flatbush shop? We walk very far to get to supermarkets with our push carts.
I think this is a good idea, especially for communities that are not well served by good produce markets, like Crown Heights and Bed Stuy. I find the local green grocers are getting better, their quality is sporadic, however. Most of them do ok with veggies like collard greens, carrots, yams, and imported Caribbean fruits and vegetables, but they never seem to be able to get good basic leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and local fruits, like apples, pears, even grapes and citrus. I always had the feeling they ended up buying the picked over goods for our communities. The exotic imports are not desired by more upscale communities, so those tend to be first rate, and not picked over.
I find the produce at Super Foodtown to be the all around best in the neighborhood, and I get my fresh tomatoes, lettuces and other salad greens at green markets, or stands wherever I happen to be. Sadly, even the greengrocers in both BS and CH are dwindling. We have about half the amount we had when I moved into the area twenty years ago. Our community definitely needs more fresh and healthy produce.
They should not only have just the fresh fruit and veg, but some of those smoothie and shake carts that make fresh fruit and veg smoothies. Lots of kid (and may adults too) don’t really like to eat the whole fruit or veg, but would drink it juiced.
I picked up a smoothie for breakfast from a cart after I got off subway in Manhattan. Have a cold and felt the need for a mega vitiam C blast.
Ironic that fruit carts were at one time ASSOCIATED with low-income neighborhods. A very good idea.