Allan Appel Photo
Farmers’ market fresh broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, peppers, and melons, may arrive this spring in the Hill, a part of town where they’re least often consumed.
That’ll happen if plans go trough for CitySeed to open its newest farmers market in the parking lot of the Connecticut Mental Health Center.
Word of CitySeed’s intentions came at a community meeting at the Wilson Branch Library Wednesday night.
Some 25 people gathered to hear the results for Hill North of a citywide door-to-door survey of six city neighborhoods conducted last year by Yale’s Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) in collaboration with area grassroots organizations.
Click here for a previous story on the CARE survey results about diet, exercise, and nicotine addiction to see what an unhealthful fellow New Haven as a whole turns out to be: overweight, under-exercised, a little depressed, and smoking too much. The surveys also tracked area restaurants, markets, convenience stores, and parks and recreation outlets.
Hill North’s reported incidence of diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and obesity were similar to the city’s averages — which far exceed national averages.
Where Hill North received dubious distinction was in poor nutrition and “food insecurity.” Which is why a new famers’ market would be such welcome news.
The newest CitySeed farmers market would open in collaboration with the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) at Park and Frontage streets.
Hill leaders have sought a farmers market for at least six years, according to current Alderman Jacqueline James-Evans and former Alderman Anthony Dawson who currently serves as head of the Hill North Management Team. Both were in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting at the library.
However,the new market, is by no means yet a done deal.
In a formal statement issued to The Independent Thursday morning, CitySeed’ Executive Director Erin Wirpsa Eisenberg and CMHC’s Senior Program Director Kyle Pedersen said: “CitySeed and CMHC are currently in discussions about the possibility of locating a farmers market in the Hill neighborhood. We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to work together to support efforts aimed at increasing access to fresh healthy food. We hope to have more details to share in the coming months.”
In the CARE survey, 213 Hill North respondents (of a total of 1,205 citywide) reported that only 16 percent considered themselves in excellent health. A third reported feeling down, depressed, or hopeless.
That was comparable to citywide figures for the five other middle to low-income neighborhoods surveyed: Fair Haven, West River, Dixwell, Newhallville, and West Rock.
Only 40 percent of Hill Northers said they eat vegetables every day; 36 percent eat fruit. Whereas the average consumption among all neighborhoods was four daily servings of fruit and vegetables, Hill North folks had only three; the federally recommended number of daily servings is five.
Which is why Alderwoman James-Evans declared called the possibility of a CitySeed market “It’s the best news I’ve heard all year.”
Ward Three Democratic Party Co-Chair Tanya Smith (pictured), who happened to be one of the randomly selected people who answered the 30-minute survey last year, could actually be the poster person for the CARE effort.
She lost 65 pounds over the last year, she said. She did it through early morning walks, which she organized with neighbors, at the John C. Daniels School track, and improved eating choices.
Her three kids have slimmed down too. “Everybody in my house has lost weight,” she said as she dived into a portion of pineapple, red peppers, broccoli, and honeydew.
On the brightly laid out table in the Wilson Library’s community room, there wasn’t a chocolate chip cookie or a chip in sight. The beverages featured water, and more water; no sugary juices or soda allowed.
One of the most troubling figures revealed in the survey was Hill North’s “food insecurity.” When people were asked if the family did not have enough food or money to buy food in the past 30 days, fully 27 percent said yes. That was much higher than the other surveyed neighborhoods (18 percent) and over twice the national average of 11 percent
“This is definitely a major issue,” said CARE’s Alycia Santilli. “If people have no money for food, they’re not going to eat healthy.”
Even with a new green market possibly coming soon.
James said the market would be a boon particularly for the elderly, many of whom she has transported to other CitySeed green markets around town. “The elderly love it. I’m going to tell my parents right now.”
Hill North did score fairly well on parks and facilities for exercise in the neighborhood. To keep that weight down and get the word out, Tanya Smith said, she will augment her 6 a.m. walking group with an after-work walk with her neighbors, at the John C. Daniels track so more people can participate.
Invoking the nostrum that knowledge is power, CARE Director Jeannette Ickovics said. “The numbers are a starting point, not an ending,” Interventions, based on the research and the community input, are to be the next phase, followed by another survey in a year and a half to measure effectiveness.”
Santilli reported that neighbors in Fair Haven’s Chatham Square had expressed interest in working with local merchants to stock more healthful food and starting a community garden to grow vegetables for the Fair Haven Food Pantry. And West River would like to remove a traffic impediment to exercise by enabling the whole community to have regular access to the bridge that spans Ella Grasso Boulevard from the Barnard School to the park by the West River.