Business & Tech

Flooding From Irene Expected to Have a Big Impact on Greenmarkets

With many upstate New York farms hard hit by storm, city food shoppers may see less of certain kinds of produce come fall.

Shoppers at Greenmarkets throughout the city will likely find a less bountiful harvest in the coming weeks and months due to severe flooding from Tropical Storm Irene, according to the New York League of Conservation Voters' Eco-Politics Daily blog.

The flooding that came after affected many upstate New York and New England farms that supply fresh fruit, vegetables and other produce for the 66 Greenmarkets across the five boroughs.

Of particular worry is the region's pumpkin crop, with the deluge coming at a bad time in the harvest season for the autumn staple.

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A spokesperson for GrowNYC, which oversees the city's Greenmarkets, told Patch that executive director Michael Hurwitz traveled upstate on Friday to inspect damage to crops.

GrowNYC estimates 80 percent of Greenmarket farms have been impacted by flooding, with 10 percent reporting severe losses.

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Greenmarket customers can make a donation to help upstate farmers recover from Tropical Storm Irene.


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