We Grow Vegetables… and Students!
One student at a time, one classroom at a time, one school at a time.
Mission
Green Bronx Machine builds healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st Century workforce development.
Dedicated to cultivating minds and harvesting hope, our school-based model using urban agriculture aligned to key school performance indicators grows healthy students and healthy schools to transform communities that are fragmented and marginalized into neighborhoods that are inclusive and thriving.
Vision
We believe that healthy students help drive healthy schools, and that healthy schools are at the heart of healthy communities.
We envision growing healthy communities where those who are “apart from” will become “part of” new solutions that benefit 100% of society; a world where people do not have to leave their community to live, learn and earn in a better one.
Together, we can grow something greater! Ready, set, GROW!
Impact

Looking ahead this year, we’re doubling down on our commitment to serve the most fragile populations, including incarcerated youth, second opportunity adults, and special needs students. We are set to release updated versions of our Classroom Curriculum, including: ADA accessibility, alignments to Florida and Texas, a new home school curriculum for all subject areas, and a specialized Canadian curriculum. Ours will be the first nutrition education and school gardening program available for students with special needs. We are ready and hard at work, each and every day. All of this happens because of support from people like you!
Your Donations at Work

History
Green Bronx Machine is an impact driven, for-purpose organization with 501(c)(3) status rooted in the belief that we are all Amer-I-Cans! Green Bronx Machine was born via collaboration between life-long educator Stephen Ritz and his students who observed that as waistlines expanded, engagement and opportunities in school decreased, school performance suffered, and hope and ambition became minimized. Originally an after-school, alternative program for high school students, Green Bronx Machine has evolved into K-12+ model fully integrated into core curriculum. Our students grow, eat and love their vegetables en route to spectacular academic performance. Over 165,000 pounds of vegetables later, our favorite crops include healthy students, high performing schools, graduates, registered voters, living wage jobs and members of the middle class. Our work, vision and mission are as organic and locally grown as it gets – straight from our classroom to our community.
2023-2024 School Year
2024 was a year of resilience and community for Green Bronx Machine and our students and teachers! We brought our programming to more than 120 new schools across the United States, we expanded partnerships with Babylon Micro-Farms, Southwest Foodservice for Excellence, and We Are Teachers, and we brought the first Babylon Micro-Farms STEM Garden in New York City and New York State to our classroom! In the Bronx, we hosted school districts and corporations from around the world at our National Health, Wellness and Learning Center and at our Yankee Stadium Farm. We brought our film, Generation Growth, to corporations, live-screenings, schools, and community centers around the world… and are approaching 1 MILLION views! We launched our Healthy Student Pledge, which has garnered more than 50,000 commitments! We debuted our third season of Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz, including animated episodes for younger grades. We began a major update of our Classroom Curriculum to make it accessible to all students, furthering our work with students with disabilities. We debuted our fan favorite menu item, the Green Bronx Machine Bowl at Le Botaniste – a vegan eatery – along with a signature training and employment program for special needs students. Our work was featured at the inaugural World School Summit in Dubai. Our founder, Stephen Ritz, visited 15 schools across the UAE and created this amazing video.
2022-2023 School Year
2023 was a year of RELENTLESS GROWTH for Green Bronx Machine. We brought our programming to more than 100 new schools across the US while expanding partnerships with Affinity, Bayer, ConEdison, and the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation. In the Bronx, we hosted school districts and corporations from around the world at our National Health, Wellness and Learning Center and at our Yankee Stadium Farm. And, with the help of Google, Restaurant Associates, and Compass Group, we held our sold-out inaugural Grow Something Greater Gala, featuring Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks. Overseas, we provided 1,000 gardens to schools in Italy and launched signature programs throughout Europe. We debuted our second season of Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz, and shared videos of our celebrations with more than 1M viewers. Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks included Green Bronx Machine in their heralded Food Education Roadmap. Our students and teachers were named NYC Food Heroes by Mayor Adams, who declared Oct 9, 2023, as Green Bronx Machine Day across NYC. Our work was featured at COP 28 and Dubai International Food Safety Conference. Our students and founder received a standing ovation at the World Business Forum at Lincoln Center.
MoreCONTACT
We love to hear from friends. Odds are we are with our students at this very moment, but would love to start a conversation when we are able. We look forward to hearing from you and promise to get back to you just as soon as we get our heads out of the lettuce.
Fill out the contact form below or email info@greenbronxmachine.org