ALLENTOWN, PA — Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and Crooked Row Farm today announced an exciting new partnership intended to encourage healthy eating as part of Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center’s LGBT diabetes prevention program.

The 2015 Lehigh Valley LGBT Community Health Needs Assessment demonstrated that diabetes prevention is a critical community health need for the local LGBT community. According to the data, 80% of the Lehigh Valley LGBT Community does not meet the CDC-recommended exercise guidelines of 150 hours of exercise each week and 65.4% of the local LGBT community does not consume the recommended 2.5 servings of vegetables each day. However 63.7% of the local LGBT community say they are interested in healthy eating strategies.

In September 2016, Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center aired Spanish-language radio ads on La Ola radio and launched a postcard campaign to promote exercise in the LGBT community. With this partnership with Crooked Row Farm, there is now a push to encourage LGBT people to eat healthy, fresh, and locally farmed vegetables.

Crooked Row Farm grows more than 40 different vegetables at their Lehigh County farm. Community members can sign up for a full or half share in their CSA (community-supported agriculture) and then pick up their vegetables each week at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center. For the 22 week farm season, a half share costs $325 and a full share costs $500. In addition, this partnership will include healthy eating workshops at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center led by Crooked Row Farm.

Liz Wagner, farmer and owner of Crooked Row Farm, commented, “Our farm is excited to continue to grow the local food community in the Lehigh Valley. Our new partnership with Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center expands our ability to promote local farms and healthy eating in our community.”

Adrian Shanker, Executive Director of Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, stated, “This partnership with Crooked Row Farm is a great way for the local LGBT community to find access to locally farmed, healthy vegetables — we are excited to partner with a woman-run, LGBT-friendly farm to promote healthy eating and diabetes prevention for our community. Our diabetes prevention work in the LGBT community is unique, and we believe it is a strong model for other communities as well.”

Community members who want to sign up may visit www.farmerliz.com/2017-csa-agreement and select Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center as their pick up location.

 
Information Provided By:
Adrian Shanker
Executive Director