BY PAOLA SACERDOTE
Bronxworks Produce Market, a community non-profit, continues to keep the food farm stand affordable as the worldwide prices of goods rise.
This will be the farm stand’s eighth season in the Bronx. The stand, located on the Grand Concourse near Yankee Stadium, is open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m from July to Thanksgiving.
The Bronxworks provides seasonal fresh regional produce, including yams, spinach, pumpkin, beets, apples, and more. The market keeps a price range between one to three dollars for each item of produce or by pound. The produce market accepts cash, EBT cash or food cards; they also provide health incentive coupons from four to ten dollars to customers who participate in their nutrition education workshops.
“The food market produce is more fresh than the produce at the supermarket, and is cheaper as well,” said local shopper Maria Soto. “I’m always here to buy what I can while it lasts.”
As farm stands attempt to maintain a low price on their produce, experts estimated that the overall imported food prices could rise by around 2.6% to 3.4% after President Trump’s tariffs rise. About 40,000 products in the supermarkets will be affected, whether it is the produce or ingredients that contain produce, according to Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit.
“Tariffs affect imported products. Our produce is regional, tariffs do not affect local farm stands so we keep the prices as affordable as we can,” said program specialist Raymond Schwabacher.
The price of an imported apple in chain supermarkets such as Walmart is a dollar to two dollars each, compared to the farm stand, where you can get two apples for three dollars. Also, a bag of organic carrots costs three dollars in Walmart, whereas the market sells them for two dollars a bunch.
“The farm stand focuses on health, with how the prices of food are going up people might forget the importance of eating healthy, keeping the prices low on fresh food, we help the community stay healthy,” said worker Micheal Williams.
The Bronxworks Produce Market does not throw away its unsold produce. “If the produce doesn’t sell, we give it to the kitchen or if it’s good for another week we resell it,” said worker Davis.