Founded: 2013

Farm Location: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens

Farm Details: Hydroponics

Example of Crops Grown: Salad greens, microgreens, herbs

Mission: Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) strives to eradicate food insecurity through youth-led community-based solutions and to end the cycle of diet-related disease and poor health outcomes that dramatically and disproportionately impact our low income communities, particularly those of color.

TFFJ works in Title 1 schools to train youth to become urban farmers who build and maintain indoor hydroponic farms that yield more than 10,000 lbs. of fresh produce annually at each location. Our young urban farmers experience the rewards of building a meaningful, working solution to food insecurity in their communities. In the process, they transform their relationship to the food they eat, while developing the science and technology skills needed in a new green sector economy.

Sustainability Backstory: TFFJ is a nonprofit organization that works in Title 1 schools around New York City. The Department of Education has classified Title 1 schools that serve children from primarily low-income families (40% of student population). TFFJ works to provide these underserved school communities with tools, resources, and education about hydroponic and urban agriculture. Students work with TFFJ staff in the farms where produce is distributed to the cafeteria then to the community. “This begins in the school cafeteria, where many children receive their most nutritious, and sometimes only, meal of the day. Our youth-run farms provide fresh produce daily for their schools’ cafeterias; the remainder is distributed affordably to the local community. Students also serve as health and wellness ambassadors to others. They become confident, proud leaders in a grassroots food justice movement in their own communities and trailblazers for a healthy, sustainable future for all” (TFFJ, n.d.)

Fresh Food Box

The farms that TFFJ operates go beyond the classroom, they feed the communities they work in as well. Their Fresh Food Box Program is distributed to communities that face food insecurity, with each box able to provide a week’s worth of fresh fruits and vegetables for an affordable price. 

Program Findings

Working directly with students in the schools has had an astounding impact on their lives. In TFFJ’s 2019 Program Evaluation Report, they found that there was a 25% increase in motivation and knowledge to eat healthier foods after students participated in their urban farming apprenticeship. There was also a 17% increase pertaining to understanding how nutritious food makes a positive difference in their health. It also showed that a whopping 96% of students acknowledged the farm helps them to understand environmental sustainability. (Spinner & Hyre, 2019)