in Newark a firstofits-kind initiative is being rolled out to help address food insecurity RWJ Barnabas Health is opening a distribution hub filled with Jersey fresh produce brought in straight from the farm to be handed out at local pantries and soup kitchens to make sure healthy foods are getting into the hands and on the tables of those who need it most Ted Goldberg has more Show your back Show your back Show your back Folks handed out bags of fresh fruits and vegetables to celebrate harvest An upcoming farm to community center in Newark to address food insecurity It's a proud step forward and just the beginning of what's to come Farm to community center is a firstofind food hub rooted in the belief that everyone deserves access to fresh nutritious food This initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration Mark Manigan leads RWJ Barnabas Health the host of this event and an underwriter for NJ Spotlight News He says Harvest will serve as a distribution center for food pantries and soup kitchens And won't stop there Harvest offers a demonstration comm uh kitchen for healthy cooking classes space for nutrition and wellness counseling and an industrial commit kitchen that can support local food entrepreneurs Food insecurity has gotten worse over the last few years And the folks at RWJ Barnabas say more healthy food will help people live healthier lives and possibly cut down on doctor's visits Health does not begin in a hospital or a doctor's office It begins in our neighborhoods It begins in our kitchens at home Too often we focus on fighting food insecurity rather than creating food security And true food security exists when all people at all times have physical social and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food This kind of relationship around uh medical care and food distribution and healthy food is important Mayor Ros Baraka stopped by the central ward to praise the project I also think it's great because not all the time you're going to get healthcare institutions that are interested in not letting you go to the hospital since they make their money off us being in the hospital The produce will come from farms across the state thanks to Urban Agriculture Co-op Demand is constantly growing We function uh 52 weeks of year Uh even in the winter we're getting uh farm uh storage items uh root crops greenhouse grown uh goods Urban A co-founder Alio Panashi says Harvest which is scheduled to open in December is sorely needed This uh new hub gives us a new platform to expand uh and to meet some of the increased demand that we're facing now at uh our smaller warehouse uh that's kind of busting at the seams Harvest will also have community health workers and nutrition classes A multifaceted approach to keep people healthy and wellfed in Newark I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight News Support for the medical report is provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey an independent lency of the Bluec Cross Blue Shield Association [Music]