Food as opportunity: Breaking the cycle of poverty through urban farming

20-Minute Health Talk · Jul 20, 2023 · 21m

Within a three-block radius of P.S. 175 in Harlem, there are 55 fast-food restaurants, 29 pharmacies and not one affordable food option, something Tony Hillery noticed while volunteering at the school more than a decade ago. He also saw an opportunity to help, which is why he launched Harlem Grown. Starting with one abandoned lot across the street from the school, Tony and the kids have built it into a network of 13 urban farms that harvest 6 tons (that's 3,000 lbs) of fresh, organically grown produce per year. The best part, the kids of P.S. 175, along with eight other Harlem schools, are…