New Haven Independent

CitySeed, which runs markets in Wooster Square, downtown, and Westville, is shuttling deeply discounted packages of fruits and vegetables each week to Abraham Ribicoff apartments on the outskirts of West Rock and the Casa Otonal senior complex in the Hill.

On Thursday CitySeeders packed up their Kelly green truck from the Fair Haven market on the banks of the Quinnipiac and made the deliveries — marked down from $15 to $3 — to grateful seniors. The two-vehicle caravan also made full-priced deliveries to institutional customers along the way, bringing the farm to the office.

Nicole Berube, the CitySeed program manager, is pictured here on the phone with the point-person from the Yale School of Forestry as she grabbed for a bag to carry there. The forestry school and Higher One sign up for regular seasonal deliveries.

This past Thursday, the vehicles contained 143 bags for distribution.

New Haveners 62 and older receive coupon books each summer with five vouchers for CitySeed. The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupon books are worth $15, one voucher equivalent to a hefty bag of food.

“Today, we’ve got four peaches, four plums, one cucumber, a head of garlic, [a few ears of corn], a pound of bell peppers and one gigantic eggplant,” indicated Berube. In a thick pile on display lay the contents of each resident’s shares. Usually, there’s the standard fare of mostly fruits, some vegetables. But this week, a thick eggplant sat in the spread as it shined, nearly black with ripeness.

“I ask them what they’re going to bring, and next week they bring it,” said Justina Cajigas, pictured on the right with CitySeed volunteer Becky Elias. Cajigas has been living in Casa Otonal for 12 years. (Click here for coverage on CSM involvement with Casa Otonal one year ago.)

“Do you have any eggplant this time?”asked Jose M. Goitie, a 16-year resident asked from the line that had established itself in the first 10 minutes in the Casa Otonal cafeteria. Yes, a volunteer nodded. “God bless you!”

The Explorer shifted over the pocked pavement on the road to Ribicoff — the last stop — where dozens of seniors living in the project’s 100 apartments flocked to the truck’s opening.

“I’m first in line!” announced April Rogers, and scooted to the mouth of the truck just a few minutes before 5. She had good reason, too. There were a finite 20 bags available, which sat in ranks behind Berube as residents took advantage of the first come, first serve law of the land. Keys is pictured with Berube and CitySeed intern Kristiane Huber as she surveyed the produce on display.

Rogers had to be reminded to sign her name to the bottom line of the voucher, and Martin Licks was offered help carrying his bags back to his home. Back in 2007, Berube read an article on the relative isolation of Ribicoff, its only thread a bus line back to the main city. (Click here for a look at the recent improvements to the Ribicoff grounds.) For seniors like Licks, venturing out for anything— much less the City Farmers’ Market — was unlikely. Now, their produce drives to them.

Betty Williams and Rogers, pictured, set up shop on a rock wall to trade their takings. Williams testified that corn on the cob gets stuck in her teeth, and handed it off to Rogers.”The stuff in this bag is about a $15 value,” said Williams. “And we get it for three.”