Mission:
FRESH New London builds momentum for food system change by connecting communities, with an focus on youth of New London. We work to create the conditions for everyone to access food with dignity and have real control over their food access. We grow food as a way to reclaim land, highlight cultural relevance, inspire leadership, and incite change.
Vision:
We envision a robust, productive, equitable, healthful, and sustainable local food system in New London, that was created with broad and diverse engagement.
- Healthy food is common and accessible!
- Resources and opportunities to participate are equally available
- People of color, low income families, and youth are leaders
- Everyone is able to exercise self determination and power over their food choices
- Food is growing all over and for everyone!
History:
In 2004, FRESH began reclaiming space to grow food with young people for their families and neighbors. The organization soon expanded to grow more food on a 1.5 acre farm just outside of town. In 2014, under new executive leadership, FRESH gave up this plot of land to focus on rehabilitating blighted lots in New London. We organized residents in two different majority renter neighborhoods to decide where we should be growing and what to grow. Through the process, it became clear that while growing our own food is an act of liberation, that alone is not enough to build dignity in our food system and true control over our food access. We began working with partners in 2017 to lift the issues that impact our members, some food related, but we also started exploring the intersections of land control and food access, of schools and youth wellness, and the City budget and community wellbeing.
Fiscal Sponsorship: FRESH is fiscally sponsored by Third Sector New England (TSNE). TSNE operates under the comprehensive model of fiscal sponsorship, in which they assume full responsibility as the parent 501(c)(3) and provide all financial (accounting, bookkeeping, banking, reporting and auditing) and human resource (benefit administration, legal compliance and employee relations) services for their
nonprofit projects.
Through fiscal sponsorship, TSNE offers a home for unincorporated groups,
projects and grassroots coalitions that are building stronger communities and providing leadership in the nonprofit field. TSNE has provided fiscal sponsorship services to nonprofit projects since its founding in 1959 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
If you would like to learn more, please let us know!
Mailing Address:
PO Box 285
New London, CT 06320
Email Us:
info@freshnewlondon.org
Office located at:
26 Broad Street
New London, CT 06320
Find Us:
Mercer Street Community Garden & Education Center at the corner Mercer and Williams (GPS: 55 Mercer Street)
The McDonald Park Community Garden at the intersection of Connecticut and McDonald (GPS: 1-9 McDonald Street)
Ledyard Street Community Garden at the intersection of Ledyard and Vauxhall (GPS: 198 Ledyard Street)
Cottage Street Urban Farm
17-19 Cottage Street between Broad and Franklin
Ledge Light Snack Beds
216 Broad Street (next to the fire station and Bartlett Park!)
FRESH New London
Call us: 860-574-9006
Write to us: PO Box 285, New London, CT 06320
FRESH New London 