Fighting hunger in Newburgh. That is what Newburgh Urban Farm and Food Initiative is designed to do, and a new $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be used to develop a master plan on how to attack this problem.
The group will hire local people to conduct research over the next two years that will guide their future efforts, said Virginia Kasinki, executive director of the Newburgh group known as NUFFI, a partnership between a number of local organizations and people in the city of Newburgh. "We know that there is a lot of activity around food insecurity and we know there is probably a lot of food that is coming into the city," said Kasinki. "What we don't know is how effectively we are addressing the food needs of people in the city who are food insecure."
The group is known for its productive two-acre farm connected to Downing Park, located on the north side of the city, that is used to feed residents. It is managed by NUFFI with help from educational groups, a handful of paid staff, and many volunteers.
The group recently acquired a 24-foot-wide, 72-foot-long high tunnel, which is essentially a large hoop house, for the Downing Park Urban Farm. The tunnel will allow the farmers to extend their growing season and expand capacity.
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