City of Rochester
News Release
(Tuesday, June 18, 2013) – Mayor Thomas S. Richards announces a new program at the Arnett Branch Library offering fresh produce in the city’s Westside. The Good Food Collective-- a multi-farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project offering membership programs that connect people to local, sustainable foods from local farms--will now make deliveries to the Arnett Branch Library, 310 Arnett Blvd., starting Tuesday, June 18, through September 27.
“It’s wonderful to have an abundance of fresh produce being offered in this area of the city,” said Mayor Richards. “Having access to nutritious food is vital to the health of the community and the Good Food Collective is a convenient means of doing this.”
The Good Food Collective (GFC) is run by Headwater Foods, a Community Food Enterprise that provides a year-round supply chain of local produce for the greater Rochester area. The Arnett Branch is the first City library to participate in the GFC, which will make weekly stops to distribute food to pre-registered families. Participants have the option to purchase a share, or a half-share’s worth of seasonal produce, with subsidies available. Offerings this summer will include beets, broccoli, cabbage, peas and garlic -- to name a few. The initiative was started as a pilot program at the library, in continuation of the Library’s and the Friends of the Arnett Branch Library’s Healthy Eating Series, classes and demonstrations.
Registration for the Good Food Collective summer share is closed for the season, but residents are encouraged to use the Westside Farmers Market, located in the parking lot of St. Monica Church, 831 Genesee St. The Westside Farmers Market was started by local residents and is now in its sixth year of serving Westside neighborhoods, offering a variety of fresh produce from farmers within 100 miles of Rochester. Baked goods, wine, plants and flowers are also available for sale, along with handmade goods. The market has grown in vendors and shoppers and also provides access to information about cooking and nutrition, health screenings and entertainment. Children’s games and activities are provided weekly by the Barton St. Block Club. The Westside Farmer’s Market is open Tuesday nights from 4 to 7:30 p.m., through October 15.
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News Media: For more information, contact Library Director Patricia Uttaro at 428-8045.