VINES will use a $200,000 funding boost to expand its existing programs and address a food desert created by the 2024 closure of a local Weis grocery store.
The Binghamton-based organization was selected by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amada Lefton as one of 32 to receive a portion of about $6 million in Environmental Justice Community Impact Grants in honor of Earth Week.
The grants will support community projects that address environmental issues, health hazards, education, improving outreach efforts, and the construction of a community consensus.
Lefton said the DEC has provided “real outcomes” through their grant programs to provide a “healthier, more sustainable future” for New Yorkers.
“The awards we are announcing today, through Governor Hochul’s leadership, support organizations that are working tirelessly to lift up their communities and advance an enviromental justice,” Lefton said in an April 21 statement.
Southern Tier Environmental Justice Community Impact Grant recipients
How will VINES use the funding?
The three-year DEC grant awarded to VINES will be used to maintain the 23 existing community gardens and the creation of two new gardens, according to Community Garden Program Manager Johan Jelsma.
One of the new community gardens is planned to target the South Side East section in the City of Binghamton, which has become a food desert after residents lost the only grocery store in 2024.
Jelsma shared a non-textbook definition of a food desert as an area that does not have direct access to a supermarket or fresh produce within a specific mile radius of a residential area. “I don’t know if those distances really matter if the people in any given municipality and here in our city specifically don’t have the ability or access, whether that’s just having a grocery store in their neighborhood even more so — having access to transportation as well.”
VINES is in the process of scouting potential locations for the new gardens that will serve “moderate to low-income neighborhoods,” he said.
Once a location has been selected and meets the VINES criteria, including area demographics and income, VINES will start the groundwork of introducing itself to the community and holding information sessions to get a feel for what the residents want to see.
In most urban areas, “the soil is not safe to grow in directly,” which is why raised beds are the go-to setup for community gardens.
The green thumb workshops are educational courses offered through VINES, which have grown significantly since they submitted the grant application to the DEC. What started out with over 45 workshops has now jumped to over 60 workshops a year— a portion of the funds will be used to continue those services.
Jelsma described free soil testing provided by VINES as a public service that allows community members to test their property soil for heavy metals and lead. The procedure is also conducted on every VINES site.
As part of the grant, VINES is also looking to fill a part-time community garden assistant position for the Community Gardens Program.
Kalyn Grant reports on public service issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin, focusing on schools and community impact. Have a story to share? Follow her on Instagram @KalynCarmen and on Facebook under Kalyn Kearney. Get in touch at KCGrant@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: VINES using $200K to help resolve food desert created by Weis closure
Reporting by Kalyn Grant, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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