Teens for Food Justice Awarded $360,000 Grant from The New York Community Trust to Expand Hydroponic Farming and Food Justice Education in Far Rockaway
New York, NY (May 16th, 2025)—Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) is proud to announce that it is the recipient of a two-year, $360,000 grant from The New York Community Trust. This funding will strengthen TFFJ’s school-based hydroponic farming and youth development programs across four educational campuses in Far Rockaway, reaching more than 3,800 students.
On TFFJ farms, students lead the operation of indoor hydroponic farms that grow up to 10,000 pounds of fresh produce each year. That produce is served in school cafeterias and shared with families and food-insecure residents throughout the neighborhood. Through this work, students deepen their knowledge of STEM, nutrition, health, and food justice—and use that knowledge to drive meaningful change in their communities.
“This funding represents a powerful investment in youth leadership, equitable access to healthy food, and the long-term health of Far Rockaway,” said Kathy Soll, CEO and Co-Founder of TFFJ. “We’re grateful to The New York Community Trust for recognizing the urgent need for food justice education and sustainable, student-led solutions, particularly at this critical time.”
With support from The New York Community Trust, TFFJ will launch school-day and afterschool programming at a new farm at M.S. 053, engage more than 100 students annually in growing and learning, and train 25 teachers from across the eight Far Rockaway Farm Hub schools to bring food policy and advocacy into their classrooms—reaching an estimated 1,300 students. The grant will also fund a 12-week paid food justice internship for middle and high school students, support the distribution of an estimated 53,000 pounds of fresh produce through school cafeterias and community partner distributions, and enable ongoing evaluation of students’ social-emotional development.
“The Trust is proud to support Teens for Food Justice’s Far Rockaway hydroponic farms,” said Roderick Jenkins, Senior Program Director for Youth & Workforce Development at The New York Community Trust. “Teaching young people to grow food, lead, and become more self-sufficient is the most important thing we can do!”
The Far Rockaway Farm Hub is a network of school-based hydroponic farms, currently operating at three school campuses, with two scheduled for launch by year end 2026. However, Teens for Food Justice already delivers programming at all five campuses, serving eight schools – the Far Rockaway Educational Campus, The Scholars’ Academy, M.S. 053 Brian Piccolo, P.S. 183 Dr. Richard R. Green, and The Goldie Maple Academy. With this support—and with continued partnership from donors, local elected officials, and other community allies—TFFJ continues to build a food-secure future, led by students and rooted in community.
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About Teens for Food Justice
Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) operates high-capacity hydroponic farms on eight school campuses across New York City and Denver, Colorado. TFFJ students use real-world 21st-century science and technology to grow up to 10,000 pounds (per school) of hydroponic produce annually. Through the program, TFFJ’s farmers develop a meaningful solution to food insecurity, transform their relationship with the food they eat, and develop cutting-edge STEM skills needed in a new green-sector economy. TFFJ operates nine farms in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, serving 22 schools and 10,000 students and growing nearly 59,000 pounds of produce annually. Two more farms will be operational by Winter 2025, serving three additional schools and more than 1,000 additional students and bringing TFFJ’s total annual production to over 75,000 pounds of fresh produce. For more information, visit www.teensforfoodjustice.org
About The New York Community Trust
The New York Community Trust is New York’s largest community foundation, serving New York City, Long Island, and Westchester. For more than 100 years, The Trust has brought together the local knowledge and diverse expertise of its team and nonprofit and philanthropic partners to support thriving and equitable communities and help donors champion the causes they love. The Trust makes approximately $200 million in grants each year from its charitable funds set up by individuals, families, foundations, and corporations. For more information, visit thenytrust.org
