The mayor wants residents in some of the city's poorest neighborhoods to have more access to healthy foods and activities. A new program aimed to do just that, with urban farms in public housing developments. NY1's Roger Clark filed the following report.

Young workers with the Green City Force, who are part of the federal Americorps program, harvesting kale and basil from an urban farm in Carnarsie, then bagging it up for delivery to a food pantry. 

"A lot of people love what we did here, and they always come in here with a smile on their face,"  said Angel Gonzalez of the Green City Force Corps.  

The farm at the Bay View Houses is one of three up and running at NYCHA housing developments, with two more on the way. It's part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Building Healthy Communities Initiative. The public-private partnership seeks to improve health and safety in 12 of the city's neediest neighborhoods.  

"By increasing opportunities for physical activity, increasing access to healthy foods and prmoting public safety," said Gabrielle Fialkoff, senior adviser to the mayor.

Other aspects of the plan include constructing 50 new soccer fields, announced this summer, and expanding the Shape Up NYC fitness program, with newly trained Spanish-language instructors.  

"We'll be rolling that out through our 12 neighborhoods that want it," Fialkoff said. "And that's a key component. We're working with each neighborhood to determine what they want." 

At Bay View Farm, two acres of largely unused, fenced-off space was transformed into a bounty of fresh produce, distributed free to residents who bring compost items or volunteer working here. NYCHA Community leader Sherly Boyce says at first it was a tough sell to residents, but no longer. 

"When they started to do this one and see how how big it is and the benefits that it's bringing to the residents here, then I was like, 'Yep, this program is a great program,'" Boyce said.

"It was amazing, the progress from when we started to where we are now," said Shontanyce Bailey of Green City Force Corps. 

The Green City Force Corps Members are also NYCHA residents, and they say they wouldn't mind seeing something like this in their community.

"I'm planning on planting my own garden after this and trying to grow different things," said Ayanna Bynum of the Green City Force Corps.

And after just about a month in operation, the farm has already distributed 775 pounds of produce to residents, with more to come during the current harvest.