Exclusive | Mamdani admin to turn felons into gourmet-food producers for farm-to-table dining at NYC jails
The Mamdani administration is launching a new program to turn felons into gourmet-food producers and offer “farm-to-table’’ dining for inmates.The New York City Correction Department has awarded a nearly $230,000 annual contract to a Colorado-based firm, FarmBox Foods, to teach inmates — or “persons in custody” — at Rikers Island and other municipal jails how to “vertical” farm in an urban setting.“The purpose of this agreement is to procure a Vertical Hydroponic Farm for Persons-inCustody (PICs) to develop a skill that can be utilized when being released from custody,” the Correction Department said in a public notice announcing the award.“The Department of Correction seeks to revitalize its Workforce Development Unit to include new and innovative trades and skill building classes that directly relate to re-entry and reduced recidivism.“Based on an evaluation of potential trades and skills that are felony friendly, DOC believes that there is a gap in services as it pertains to urban agriculture, community gardening, local and small business entrepreneurship, local and small business perspectives, and culinary arts,” the agency’s notice said.The food grown on the farm will be used to provide healthy, “farm-to-table” food options for inmate meals.FarmBox Foods previously launched a vertical farm at the Coleman Low Federal Correctional Institution in Florida.“The farm produces high volumes of nutritious food and readies the adults in custody for release, equipping them with a skill set that can contribute to their community while reducing the likelihood of recidivism,” the firm says on its website.Vertical hydroponic farming is a method where crops grow in stacked, vertical layers without soil.Plant roots receive minerals and water through a circulating nutrient-rich water solution, and LED grow lights ensure plants receive adequate light when produced indoors.FarmBox Foods’ controlled-climate Vertical Hydroponic Farm can simul...