Urban farms could be a key answer in the fight against climate change. Tony Hillery, founder and CEO of Harlem Grown, joined Cheddar News to discuss the necessity of urban farming and the severity of food insecurity. 

Urban farms could be a key answer in the fight against climate change. Tony Hillery, founder and CEO of Harlem Grown, joined Cheddar News to discuss the necessity of urban farming and the severity of food insecurity.&nbsp;

How Urban Farming Can Help in the Fight Against Climate Change

This next segment is brought to you by Con Edison committed to powering New York with 100% clean energy by 2040, as part of our ongoing coverage of new york's climate week today, we're looking at urban farms, which could be key for cities to combat the worsening effects of climate change. But one such farm in new york is focused on the next generation Harlem grown mentors and educates urban youth about farming, sustainability and nutrition, transforming lives and historic and vibrant neighborhood of upper Manhattan. The nonprofit now is more than 10 locations and big name backers such as three time Oscar nominee Edward Norton. So I'm joined now by Tony Hillary founder and Ceo of Harlem grown Tony. Thank you so much for coming on this show. Tell me more about your vision for the organization and how it's expanded over the years. Well, thanks for having me and you know, my vision, I always introduced myself as the accidental founder because this whole thing was an accident. I wish I could sit here and tell you that I had all these theory and research done in it. I wandered into a school to volunteer 11 years ago, that's how it happened. Um so you know, it's so much more than just food. Um there is so much weight if you want to really weight food, give just give random food to communities such as mind half of it will wind up in the trash. Um Children up there, don't even know what fresh vegetables are. We're surrounded by fast food restaurants and pharmacies and no affordable food options. and we just assume you give someone free food, they're gonna know what to do with it, right? So what I found 11 years ago that if a child planted they will eat it 100% 80% of the time. It's yeah, I want to talk more about some of the Children and the youth in the program Tony specifically about the education mentorship program. How have you seen? I love that component. How have you seen the Children respond? Well, it's no secret that we have 19 kids, first generation, four year university through our program. Um so you know, listen, poverty is multi leveled, I mean multilayered, I'm sorry. Um so it's not just one thing, it's a multitude of things and the number, the two things that are most prominent is lack of access and opportunity. So we use our farms as just that we build a bridge from downtown to uptown through our farm. Just today, we had a head fund, They're volunteering on our farm alongside of our Children. Um listen, these communities don't lack intelligence or creativity, they simply lack access and opportunity. So we use our farms just for that. Um I always say we plant fruit and vegetables, but we grow healthy Children and sustainable communities. I love that. So here's another question for you. Obviously urban farming is becoming more popular certainly with technology with the climate crisis as well. How are you finding that urban farming is helping combat climate change? Well, listen to be in Harlem and do what we do. We have to be very innovative. So we grow in a multitude of ways and one of our sites is 100% off grid. Actually, we have the second in the world, two story vertical hydroponic system that runs slowly on rain water and solar power and we crank out thousands of pounds of organic predators and our Children do all of this work every day. Um, we have a lot of, a lot of Children in the inner city and sometimes I feel like this conversation, the broader conversation of climate change and food justice kind of get hijacked and it's not in the community, such as the ones that we served and it's no secret, the majority of a population of this country resides in the city and I think we need to focus like the laser on these cities, target these young Children because those are the future advocates for their own communities, their own selves and all of our planet. So that's been holland groans um, D N A from the beginning. We start with Children because Children truly are our future and uh they can make it grow. That's for sure. We're showing such great images Tony of the farming of all of the greenery and what you're growing there with Harlem grown. I also want you to talk to me about how your company and your initiative is helping with food insecurity, especially here in the city. Oh, that's our bread and butter. Actually. We grow a little shy of £7,000 of organic produce a season. Everything is free of charge with nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, and simple recipe writing. And that goes back to my original opening statement that if a child plans that they will eat it, if they eat it, they like it. But then we're right back where we started in that community, you can't buy at affordable prices what we grow right there on these lots where we are. So that's where the whole process of food and security is most prominent because we look at it every day. Um the majority of our Children go to school, not only for their academics but for their nutrition as well, and during the pandemic, Oh my God, when, when they closed the schools, I mean it was that's when the whole bottom fell out. But it's not just my kids in this community, we saw as a nation how fragile the whole line of food was. I mean, we saw people never wanted food line before in their lives there for their for their sustenance, right? It wasn't just Harlem, it was everywhere. I know that's such a good point Tony. I wish we had more time. I love what you're doing. Thank you so much for coming on. Hopefully someday I can see some of these urban farms in person. That's Tony. Hillary sounds good, Tony is the founder and Ceo of Harlem grown. Thank you. This segment brought to you by Con Ed, learned more about new york's clean energy future by visiting Con Ed dot com slash clean energy.