City Panel Pushes Linking Urban Tables, Family Farms

The future of family farms and the ability to get farm-fresh food onto New Yorkers' dinner tables is critical to the city's future, local farming advocates say.

At a forum scheduled to be held today at the New School, local and state elected officials and family farm supporters will discuss ways bolster farmers and ensure their products make their way to New York City markets.

There is an important connection "between a stable, healthy farm economy surrounding our cities and the health of residents in our cities," one that many people overlook, an urban studies professor at the New School's Eugene Lang College, Nevin Cohen, said.

The City Council speaker, Christine Quinn, who is attending the forum and is considered a likely mayoral candidate, said in a statement that all New Yorkers should have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

"Some neighborhoods simply don't have the resources at their disposal to maintain a healthy lifestyle," Ms. Quinn said. "When we increase access to green markets, we not only provide another outlet for family farms to sell their product, we also get locally grown produce on the tables of the people that need them the most."

Supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis, who is planning to run for mayor, said his grocery store chain, Gristedes, likes to support local farmers whenever possible, but added that it's not in the city's interest to focus on farming.

"I think the state should be doing it," he said. "There are no farms in New York City and there is no benefit to New York City."

Mayor Bloomberg is not scheduled to attend the forum, but the parks commissioner, Adrian Benepe, is planning to talk about the history of green markets in the city. Mr. Benepe's father, Barry Benepe, founded the city's Greenmarket program in 1975.

On Sunday, the Farm Aid 2007 concert, which will include performances by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews, will take place on Randall's Island.

When Mr. Bloomberg announced that the city would host the show some suggested it was an indication he is trying to appeal to a national audience in preparation for a possible presidential campaign.

Mr. Bloomberg said at the time that the concert would generate nearly $13 million in economic activity and boost area farmers.

Tickets to the festival, which can accommodate 25,000 people, are still available. An associate director of Farm Aid, Glenda Yoder, said she could not immediately say how many tickets are left.