What grows in East New York: ‘East New York Farms!’ and expectations of urban agriculture

East New York grows East New York Farms! East New York is a culturally rich, ethnically diverse and economically disadvantaged community located in eastern Brooklyn. Our 183,971 residents are predominantly Black (52 percent) and Hispanic (37 percent), with approximately 35 percent immigrant households. Our community faces problems that are symptoms of historical discrimination: high levels of violence, high poverty rates (32 percent), high unemployment (14 percent), and one of the highest rates of incarceration in the city. Many residents struggle to find and afford fresh healthy food, and this is reflected in high rates of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease (King et al. 2015).