Queens Farm Launches Produce Market At Jamaica Hospital

JAMAICA, QUEENS — The Queens County Farm Museum will start selling local produce at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center starting in June.

The new farmers' market opens June 13 at 134-20 Jamaica Ave. and will offer seasonal produce grown at the Floral Park farm, live cooking demonstrations and free recipes and health screenings.

The Jamaica Hospital market will be similar to the Queens County Farm Museum's own seasonal farm stand, which opened on May 15.

The 47-acre farm grows more than 80 types of fruits and vegetables and harvests 6,000 pounds of tomatoes, 4,000 pounds of zucchini and 2,500 pounds of eggplant each year.

"Our commitment to the health of the community isn’t limited just to treating people when they get sick, but it also includes offering prevention and wellness initiatives to keep them healthy," Ann Corrigan, the hospital's director of planning, said in a statement.

Fresh, local produce has historically been in short supply in Jamaica, research shows.

A South Jamaica farmers' market at 114-02 Guy R Brewer Blvd. is the lone source of fresh and local produce for much of southeastern Queens, according to a map compiled in February by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

Jamaica is one of three documented "food swamps" in Queens, according to a Public Health Solutions report in 2018, meaning fast food and junk food options outnumber healthy alternatives.

"We plan to expand upon this work to support other food insecure communities and communities that are defined as food swamps," Jennifer Walden Weprin, executive director of the Queens County Farm Museum, said.

The market will accept the following nutrition assistance benefits: SNAP/EBT, Farmers Market Nutrition Program, WIC Vegetable and Fruit Checks, Health Bucks and FreshConnect Checks.

The Jamaica Hospital farm stand will be open on Thursdays from June 13 through November 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.