The South Bronx has more health problems than any other part of New York, according to studies by the city health department. Many, like diabetes and obesity, are connected to diet. Mr. Derryck thought a community supported agriculture program rooted in the actual community could help.

In a traditional C.S.A. plan, people pay farmers at the beginning of a season for weekly deliveries of whatever grows on the farm. Last year, 18,000 New Yorkers participated in 80 such plans, according to the advocacy group Just Food. It’s a model that doesn’t translate well to poor neighborhoods, where handing over, say, $500 at one time with the promise that someone will send you a box of flowers, herbs and vegetables you probably don’t want isn’t a popular notion.

So he decided to turn the model on its head, giving plan members a say in what is grown, and, with the help of nonprofit groups, making it less expensive as well.

“Most people I talked with say, ‘Can I get enough food to feed my family,’ ” Mr. Derryck said. “They don’t want parsnips and thyme. They want 10 pounds of potatoes.”

Image Dennis Derryck sorting herbs. Credit... Marcus Yam/The New York Times

He cajoled almost every person he has ever served with on a nonprofit board, raising $562,000. He also got a $300,000 bank loan. He bought the farm in February 2009, then went shopping for a farm manager, a tractor and a refrigerated truck for delivery in the Bronx. Once he pays off investors and the loan, which might take five years or more, he intends to pass shares in the farm to the members of the plan.

Mr. Derryck’s farm won’t be producing until August. And even then, it can’t grow enough to fill the boxes. So a small group of Schoharie County farmers have signed on, agreeing to offer vegetables and fruit at a discount to help Mr. Derryck make budget. Mr. Derryck thinks the plan can eventually generate $1.2 million a year for Schoharie County farmers, and expand its roster of supporters to include foster-care families and day care centers.