Rob Jaroszuk

In late October, I had the pleasure of hosting an event with Farmigo, a Farm-to-Neighborhood company with communities all over the New York/New Jersey area. They’re also in California, for any of my west coast readers.

One way to describe Farmigo is that it’s like a CSA, except that you pick what and how much you want each week. Farmigo sources from over 40 local farms within a day’s drive of NYC in order to make this possible. Here’s how it works:

• Member orders are placed online by midnight on Sunday night.
• Monday, items for the orders are harvested.
• Tuesday, orders are processed in the Brooklyn warehouse.
• Wednesday, the orders are delivered for pick-up.

Also at the event was Rob Jaroszuk, the owner of Rise Fitness, a gym in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ, who recently started a Farmigo community, with Rise as the designated pick-up spot. Rob was kind enough to share a few words about how food and fitness influence our whole lives.

Jess: Thanks again for agreeing to a little Q & A, Rob. How about telling us a little more about your gym, Rise?

Rob: Rise is about strengthening the whole being.  The classes were designed based on research done on aging and what is best to do to maintain vitality for as long as possible.

Jess: That’s great! I feel like we’re starting to see more of a “whole body” approach to wellness in both nutrition and fitness. What role do you think food plays in wellness?

Rob: Food plays a huge role—it’s the raw material that our body used to rebuild and repair, to energize. It heals us or hurts us and it’s up to us what we put into our mouths. It affects how we feel which affects the quality of our day. When we eat better, we feel better. Yet, so many people have been conditioned for so long, they don’t even realize they feel bad and that they can feel so much better.

Jess: How did you first get involved with Farmigo?

Rob: I got involved in Farmigo through Caren Kay, who started Fresh From the Farm.  I loved the idea of eating local food from the start.  To me, it’s a no-brainer, and when the opportunity came up to take over and be the community leader, I jumped right in.  We are supporting our community and supporting local small businesses with which we can have great relationships and trust…knowing that our food is cultivated in an honest, humane way.  It really goes hand in hand what I am all about.  Eating better, locally just makes sense in every way.  I have a lot of members who are super-busy and want to be as healthy as they can. This is a great way to provide them with an amazing option.

Jess: What are some of your favorite products available on Farmigo right now?

Rob: My three favorites right now are the apples, kale and the sausages.  Everything has been super-delicious and fresh.

Those have been some of my favorite things too so far! To learn more or to find or start a community near you, visit Farmigo online.