Urban Agriculture, Community Engagement, and Sustainability in Newark
We recently spoke with Tobias Fox, Founder and Managing Director of Newark Science and Sustainability (Newark SAS), about the organization’s journey of expanding its impact on the local community since its inception in 2013. Newark SAS was formed primarily to increase access to affordable, healthy food through urban agriculture and community gardening. While the foundation of the organization is based in agricultural programs, they have launched a range of related initiatives in clean energy, youth programs, wellness and nutrition education, eco-art, and ecological construction. The team at Newark SAS believes that sustainability is integral to the social systems that underlie a thriving community. The interconnected nature of the social, health, and environmental issues being faced by urban areas emphasizes the importance of prioritizing sustainability in all their work. 
Today, Newark SAS has a highly successful CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program in the form of their farm to table co-op. Through this program, local residents can purchase a membership and receive weekly produce packages from June to October. This business model is a shining example of the role urban agriculture can play in distributing fresh, locally grown food to a community where options are often scarce and expensive. The program also encourages supporters to sponsor produce boxes for families, which allows the organization to fulfill its mission of increasing access to healthy food.
Leveraging Local and State Level Funding to Scale Up Positive Impact
In the past few years, Newark SAS has experienced firsthand how public policy can enable their organization to be more effective and impactful. In 2019, they were selected to receive funding that was provided to the city through a penalty that a waste management company paid for illegal dumping. With these funds, the organization purchased city property which they are currently redeveloping into a year-round urban farm. Additionally, due to their consistency in providing access to healthy foods to community members through urban agriculture programs, the organization received a grant from the city of Newark to help minimize food insecurity. The Nourishing Newark grants program allowed Newark SAS to scale their farm to table co-op from serving 20 families for the outdoor growing season to serving 100 families in their most recent season.
The continued interest of policymakers at all levels of government is key to the long-term growth and success of the organization. Resources like grant funding or training programs can enhance their ability to reach people in the community and implement sustainable practices. In a city like Newark with insufficient access to nutritious options and high food costs, the services provided by urban agriculture and community gardens are invaluable. Ensuring that policymakers are aware of the wide range of benefits of urban agriculture and that they remain committed to providing funding for similar initiatives will help secure further growth for Newark SAS and other organizations looking to make an impact in this space. 
Future Directions for Newark Science and Sustainability: Creating a Hub for Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
Moving forward, Newark SAS aims to continue its “glocal” approach, glocal being a portmanteau of global and local that proceeds from a guiding principle for the organization: think global, act local. Newark SAS has already expanded outreach to the Dominican Republic by establishing a non-profit to create agricultural programs in Constanza. They have also supported initiatives in Guatemala and mentored agricultural professionals throughout Africa. Their hope is to continue to be an active member of a global community, have an open and broad view, and reach beyond the American perspective.
An additional goal for their future work is increasing the visibility of urban agriculture among policymakers. Policy discussions regarding green jobs are typically focused on EVs and renewable energy. Urban agriculture is often excluded, despite the fact that it not only contributes to wellness but also to the local economy and has immense potential to create more green jobs. Newark SAS considers its initiatives to be a form of “community green development”, which is an innovative concept that combines agriculture, green energy, and ecological infrastructure to address social and economic issues at the local level. By establishing their year-round community urban farm, which will also serve as a new headquarters for the organization, Newark SAS aims to create a hub for urban agriculture. This hub will be a billboard for what community green development projects can look like and encourage individuals, organizations, and institutions to engage with the city of Newark and learn more about sustainable urban farms. If they can spark interest on a policy level, it will lead to more opportunities to attract funding and help the many other organizations in their network looking to purchase and redevelop city property with infrastructure that contributes to long-term sustainability. 
Using Partnerships and Networks to Increase Capacity for Impact
Newark SAS prides itself in being a “serial collaborator”. The leadership team sees the value in working with like minds towards their goals. As a community centered organization, they also understand the importance of having boots on the ground in order to better understand local issues and provide actionable solutions. One important example of this is their role as the coordinator of the Newark Community Food System (NCFS), which is a collective of urban agriculture experts in Newark who work to educate farmers on sustainable practices and engage with the local community in order to increase access to healthy food. 
The PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies Green Teams Program is another important partnership that has helped both Newark SAS and NCFS as they sought to expand awareness and impact of their work. The program pairs student interns interested in climate action and sustainability with hosting organizations or companies that are looking to complete sustainability related projects. In the past few years, both NCFS and Newark SAS have hosted Green Teams to assist with a number of important initiatives. In 2021 NCFS hosted a Green Team which helped develop solutions to support community gardeners, including educational materials and a standardized tool-kit. Newark SAS previously had a Green Team in 2019 and in 2020 to assist with projects ranging from long-term strategy for the organization to social media campaigns. 
This summer, the Green Team for Newark SAS worked on updating their website and data tools along with event organization and planning. These partnerships, along with others that Newark SAS will continue to seek out, will ultimately increase awareness of urban agriculture and help increase the ability that the organization has to achieve its mission of increasing access to healthy, locally grown food.