SJC's Good Food Now! initiative began as a Jersey City food systems networking and education project to help improve access to healthy, local foods across ALL Wards of Jersey City through community gardening projects, farmers markets, CSAs, and healthy retail establishments.

Our focus includes education initiatives and community projects that inspire local economic development opportunities associated with OUR FOOD and creating new models for collaboration that further our values, e.g., SJC inspired the Culinary Conference Center food services operation to purchase 4 shares from the Journal Square CSA. This breaks new ground in Jersey City, where institutional purchases from a CSA had not happened before.

SJC supports the SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT, the Buy Fresh Buy Local initiative and emerging opportunities for landing Community and Incubator Kitchens here in Jersey City. We also have a regional Food Hub focus in bringing best practices to our food planning, producing, distribution and healthy eating network through regional partners that many of us are already working with, e.g., the Grace Communications Foundation's Sustainable Table program and regional NGO Red Tomato.

Jersey City Farmers Markets

Farmers Markets offer one of the best sources of fresh, healthy food grown locally. They are also places to socialize and learn about healthy eating options, AND a way to get to know OUR FARMERS. Here's the List in Jersey City !

Food Rescue

In 2020, SJC relaunched this project with a focus on food rescue and the goal of identifying ways to feed Jersey City’s food insecure population with food recovered from restaurants, corporate cafeterias, and catering companies that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

We’re coordinating with the lead at St. Peter’s University Campus Kitchen to understand the mechanics of a program that takes food donations, both prepared food and raw ingredients, and distributes it to those in need. We are also in communication with the organization Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC) who is launching their food rescue operation in Jersey City.

One deliverable of this project will be a Community Health Assessment that highlights food insecurity in Jersey City.

Taking a holistic view of Jersey City’s food system, this project is closely aligned with SJC’s Community Composting Initiative, which is committed to closing the loop on food waste by growing the number of food scrappers in Jersey City! LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT PROJECT HERE.

Partnerships

Going further, we are working with our partner St. Paul's Center of Caring on many sustainability fronts, including exploring ways their food pantry operation, The Sharing Place, can expand healthy food access for their clients. Already the P.E.A.C.E. Garden provides in-season garden food to Sharing Place clients and is a great example of food growers working in partnership with orgs that provide services to those in need. However, more support is needed for the food pantry network in Jersey City and we're very interested to connect with Chefs who would be interested to work with us on this outreach effort.

We've been bringing school district champions and food activities together in Jersey City for the last few years. October is National Farm to School Month and this was one of our favorite events - we need to do it again! Lunch Lady Boot Camp Event With NJ Farm To School

Since 2015 SJC has partnered with the Jersey City Gardening Coalition to help bring Permaculture Principles to garden sites across Jersey City.

Eat Well Guide

SJC's EAT WELL GUIDE (EWG) FOR JERSEY CITY is supported by the GRACE Communications Foundation and the Eat Well Guide organization. We hope this will inspire more Sustainable Table organizations that support Farmers to land in Jersey City and more healthy and affordable eating establishments to emerge in every neighborhood across the city.

We've even included the Jersey City Community Garden Network in SJC's Eat Well Guide (EWG) for Jersey City as a local food and foraging resource.

Please suggest listings here ! Listings are updated daily after they are researched and approved by the GRACE Communications Foundation Team. Criteria for listings are here.

Here Are 2 Sustainable Table Restaurants We Want You To Know About - More Fun Videos To Come !

RAZZA

Union Republic (UR)

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TEDx

TEDx Manhattan "Changing the Way We Eat" has ended in 2015 - this FIVE YEAR LONG Event achieved its awareness goals and the amazing team behind that program migrated to a new platform to build this community - CHANGEFOOD.org

SJC is long standing supporter of TEDxManhattan network of food advocates and practioners - THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE TO HELP CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM FOR THE NORTHEAST !!
- Local / Regional Champions who spoke at SJC's TEDx Manhattan 'Changing the Way We Eat' 2014 VIEWING PARTY at The Barrow Mansion March 3rd 2014 - Bios Here