In response to the state-mandated closing of restaurants and the “social distancing” recommended by the CDC to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Second Chances Farm (SCF), Delaware’s first indoor vertical farm located in The Opportunity Center at 3030 Bowers Street in the Riverside neighborhood of Northeast Wilmington, is now offering area residents two ways to acquire fresh, locally grown, chemical-free greens and herbs without having to leave the house.
Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Family Sponsorship Program
Second Chances Farm’s CSA program directly connects the healthy produce we grow with our community’s schools, churches and businesses. People and organizations sign up to “sponsor” portions of SCF’s harvest in advance and then designated individuals receive a portion of the crops in regular increments, usually weekly, via delivery or pickup. According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, 100 percent of the families in the Riverside area, where Second Chances Farm is located, live below the poverty level.
“We are in a food desert, an urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food,” said Ajit Mathew George, founder of SCF. “Most food purchases in the neighborhood are from corner stores or bodegas, and none of those are healthy options, even in the best of times.” SCF’s CSA program offers fresh, locally grown, chemical-free produce and herbs to students and their families at schools such as EastSide Charter, which is across the street from Second Chances Farm, and other schools that are nearby.
Each package contains no less than six different items with a retail value of between $21 and $24. Over a 4-week period, SCF rotates the varieties of produce and herbs based on what is harvested. The types of greens that will be provided in the packages include genovese basil, bok choy, bright lights rainbow swiss chard, cilantro, dill, parsley, sorrel, leaf broccoli, red russian kale, toscano kale, green salad bowl lettuce, red salad bowl lettuce, dark red lollo rossa lettuce, microgreens, and three different varieties of arugula.
Farm-to-Table Program
When restaurants and other public venues shut down in response to the CDC’s strategy to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 virus, SCF made the decision to offer its bountiful harvests to the community at large with home delivery of fresh, locally grown produce. For a limited time, a Farm-to-Table package of freshly harvested, locally grown, chemical-free produce and herbs will be delivered to homes (in some cases, offices) for the next four weeks for less than $25 per week, or $99.95 per month
This offer is only good for residents of New Castle County (above the C&D Canal) and just across the Pennsylvania state line. This offer is good for the first 200 people who sign up. Similar to its CSA packages, each Farm-to-Table package contains no less than six different items and simple recipes. Over a 4-week period that begins March 20, SCF will rotate the produce and herbs based on what it harvests. The types of greens included in packages include varieties of kale, lettuce, and arugula; basil, bok choy, Swiss chard, cilantro, dill, parsley, sorrel, and leaf broccoli. All these items are perfect for juicing, salads, smoothies, side dishes, and more.
For more information:
Second Chances Farm
www.secondchancesfarm.com