State Dept Image/Jun 20, 2013/South Bronx, New York

6/20; South Bronx,  New York
Contact: New York Foreign Press Center Media Relations Officer Ariel Howard
Telephone: 646-282-2832; email: howardan2@state.gov

On June 20, the NYFPC collaborated with Stephen Ritz and the "Green Bronx Machine" to show foreign journalists how urban farming in the Bronx is changing landscapes and mindsets in the poorest congressional district in America. The journalists toured a garden center located under a busy overpass in Harlem, two public schools where students are learning how to grow healthy food inside their classrooms, and six blocks of converted city and community gardens that help feed the neediest populations in the Bronx. The group saw first-hand how urban agriculture initiatives in the area are transforming abandoned and underutilized spaces into green gardens, improving local school attendance and student performance, inspiring young people to become environmental stewards, creating jobs, and promoting community health and wellness.