Community Development
Warehousing & FoodHub Operations
UAC and RWJBH are co-creating the first Farm to City and Wellness Center for Newark. This 9000 square foot facility will host dietician services, classes, counseling, culinary and lifestyle educational events, entrepreneurship and small-batch product development, warehousing and distribution.
Pilot phase 2024-2025: 4000 sq ft in Irvington, NJ
Soft launch Fall 2025: 9000 sq ft facility downtown Newark, NJ
Full open Winter 2026
Land Design and Development
UAC and partners, primarily Trust for Public Land, help to create physical projects and infrastructure for a wide range of ecological uses including hydroponic and soil-based food growing, greenhouses, gardens and landscaping.
Notable recent projects include Price Institute Rutgers Newark Healing Garden, West Side High School Rider Farm, Hydroponics Lab at Lincoln Elementary, Pharos Charter School in Bronx, NY, Community Medical Center Garden in CMC Toms River.
Participation in state-wide policy and rules setting conservation and ag equity efforts including: Food Democracy Collaborative, Foodshed Alliance, Garden State Preservation Trust, Newark Community Food System, Essex Food and Health Equity County, etc.
Food Sysytems Workforce
Along with our core team of full and part time specialists in the local food value-chain, UAC’s operations support an additional economic impact that has steadily grown since 2020. Second-level economic development impact includes:
Steady part-time fair wage employment for 6 part-time warehouse associates
Creating markets for 3 third-party delivery drivers, 3 local chefs, 2 farmer’s market workers
Retaining 5 development, engineering, teaching and business consultants
Purchasing from over 30 growers and makers, extending their ‘season’
New paid apprentice programs serving 10 high schoolers (in partnership with Newark Public Schools and Essex County Vo Tech)
Teaching
Mr. Panasci regularly guest lectures on food system topics for college and graduate courses, high school groups, webinars, and partners as a community collaborator to university research projects. Additionally, the UAC team shares information via tabling, engagements, and requests on topics including markets, composting, marketing, design, and other related small ag business topics.