Free food distribution expected to resume at CPC

Yulin L.

Free food distribution expected to resume at CPC
Community members receive food through CPC’s City Harvest distribution program outside its Sunset Park office at 4101 Eighth Ave. Photo by Yulin L.

GrowNYC’s Farmstand retail program will not return to the 7th Ave Sunset Park Greenmarket this winter as the organization expands its free-food distribution work.

GrowNYC, which operates two greenmarkets in Sunset Park, announced the closure of its Farmstand program in July. In a program update, the organization said it is transitioning from the Farmstand retail model to an expanded free-food distribution initiative, Food For Families.

In Sunset Park, GrowNYC plans to continue its partnership with the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) to provide free fresh produce, grains and canned goods to community members.

Benjamin Eng, program coordinator for Brooklyn Community Services at CPC, said GrowNYC contacted him last week to renew the program. The new funding will last through June 2027, and distribution is expected to resume soon.

CPC began its partnership with GrowNYC in 2024. Eng said the program provides 350 to 400 bags each week. CPC uses a preregistration system that allows community members to sign up for a bag before the distribution day.

Before CPC introduced the signup system, distribution operated on a first-come, first-served basis. Eng recalled seeing people arrive as early as 6 a.m. for a distribution that began at noon.

“We noticed that people at 6am tried to be in the line early enough to guarantee a bag,” Eng said.

Food prices rose 3% over the last year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. City Council data show that 21.7% of Sunset Park residents experienced food insecurity in 2025, an increase of 4% since 2023.

“Food is definitely a need in our community. Food security is very tough. Because of the cut of SNAP benefits, and potentially being cut further in the future, it's even a bigger need now,” Eng said. “Especially for our older adults, it's definitely a need. It’s getting harder to give everyone food.”

Two GrowNYC greenmarkets operate in Sunset Park. The 7th Ave Sunset Park Greenmarket is open year-round, while the 4th Ave Sunset Park Greenmarket operates from July through November.

GrowNYC said customers who previously used SNAP, Health Bucks, WIC/Senior FMNP and other nutrition incentives at Farmstand locations can continue to use those benefits at its greenmarkets to purchase fresh food. However, with the closure of Farmstand, only two produce vendors will remain at the Seventh Avenue market during the winter, down from six between May and November.

GrowNYC communications manager Andrina Sanchez said the organization is actively exploring ways to bring a new vegetable producer to the market for the winter.

Apart from Food For Families, CPC operates a separate free-food distribution program with City Harvest at its Sunset Park office. The program provides 350 to 400 bags of food every other week. Community members can sign up for the distribution at CPC’s office at 4101 Eighth Ave.