City Seed Inc

TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN GROWING AN EQUITABLE, LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURES.

FARMERS MARKETCITYSEED'S YEAR-ROUND NETWORK OF FARMERS MARKETS BRINGS LOCAL FOOD DIRECTLY TO NEW HAVEN NEIGHBORHOODS WHILE SUPPORTING CONNECTICUT FARM VIABILITY. SINCE LAUNCHING IN 2004, CITYSEED'S NETWORK OF FARMERS MARKETS HAS CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF LOCAL FOOD ACCESS IN NEW HAVEN. FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS, CITYSEED HAS SUPPORTED LOCAL CONNECTICUT FARMERS THROUGH A NETWORK OF FARMERS MARKETS, WHICH DIRECTLY CONNECT MORE THAN 60 LOCAL FARMERS AND PRODUCERS TO 55,000 CUSTOMERS YEAR-ROUND. OUR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FARMERS MARKETS BRING LOCAL FOOD TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST WHILE SUPPORTING FARMERS WHO SELL WHAT THEY GROW. WE WORK TO REACH ALL INCOME LEVELS THROUGH OUR FARMERS MARKETS BY REDEEMING AND DOUBLING THE VALUE OF SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) BENEFITS, AND SENIOR FARMERS MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM (FMNP) COUPONS. WE ALSO REDEEM WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN (WIC) FMNP COUPONS ACROSS OUR MARKETS. THIS YEAR WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE LAUNCHING A NEW FARMERS MARKET IN JUNE AT THE Q HOUSE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEAP.

CITYSEED INCUBATESCITYSEED INCUBATES FOOD BUSINESS INCUBATION SERVICES REMOVE BARRIERS TO FOOD ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LINK NEW BUSINESSES TO LOCAL FARMERS. AT CITYSEED, WE VIEW FOOD AS A TOOL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. CITYSEED INCUBATE'S SERVICES REMOVE BARRIERS TO FOOD ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LINK NEW BUSINESSES TO LOCAL FARMERS. CURRENTLY, IN ITS FIFTH YEAR OF PROGRAMMING, CITYSEED INCUBATES WORKS WITH EARLY-STAGE FOOD ENTREPRENEURS IN NEW HAVEN TO ACCESS THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO DEVELOP AND LAUNCH THEIR FOOD BUSINESSES. THROUGH OUR CITYSEED INCUBATES PROGRAMS, WE AIM TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR LOCAL FOOD ENTREPRENEURS IN ORDER TO ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO BUILD A VIBRANT BUSINESS. MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE WORK WITH INCLUDE NEW REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS (25%), WOMEN (68%), PEOPLE OF COLOR (83%), AND LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS (72%). WE NOW HAVE OVER 400 FOOD VENTURES IN OUR NETWORK THAT HAVE ATTENDED WORKSHOPS, PARTICIPATED IN THE FOOD BUSINESS ACCELERATOR, ACCESSED LOCAL FOODS FOR THEIR BUSINESS FROM OUR FARMER NETWORK, GREW THEIR BUSINESS THROUGH ACCESSING OUR SHARED COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SPACES, OR HAVE HAD ONE-ON-ONE COACHING FOR THEIR BUSINESS.

SANCTUARY KITCHENSANCTUARY KITCHEN SUPPORTS REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT CHEFS AND FOOD ENTREPRENEURS WHILE BUILDING INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING IN OUR COMMUNITY. SANCTUARY KITCHEN PARTNERS WITH IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE GREATER NEW HAVEN AREA WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH OR AN INTEREST IN CULINARY ARTS. SANCTUARY KITCHEN'S WORK INCLUDES COMMUNITY-BASED CULINARY PROGRAMMING LED BY REFUGEE/IMMIGRANT CHEFS AND A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE THAT PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL CULINARY DEVELOPMENT AND STEADY EMPLOYMENT AT A LIVING WAGE. SINCE LAUNCHING, SANCTUARY KITCHEN HAS PUT NEARLY $450,000 DIRECTLY INTO THE POCKETS OF REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT PARTICIPANTS - PRIMARILY WOMEN. TO DATE, SANCTUARY KITCHEN HAS 43 CHEFS IN OUR NETWORK FROM 11 COUNTRIES. OF THESE, 90% ARE WOMEN, AND FOR THE MAJORITY, SANCTUARY KITCHEN REPRESENTS THEIR FIRST FORM OF PROFESSIONAL/FORMAL WORK IN THE UNITED STATES.