Area food organizations receive state funding to increase access to local foods

The Broome County Council of Churches and Utica’s Compassion Coalition are two of the 12 food-service organizations that received state funding to help get New York–produced food to underserved communities. The money came through the state’s New York Food for New York Families Program. (Photo credit: New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Facebook profile)

New York State has awarded $7.6 million to 12 food-service organizations across the state, including two Central New York organizations, through the second round of the New York Food for New York Families Program, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.

The program, funded through a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant, provides a boost to New York famers, increases communities’ access to local foods, and helps strengthen the state’s food system, the governor’s office said in a release.

In this round of funding, projects received between $250,000 and $1 million.

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Broome County Council of Churches in the Southern Tier was provided $500,000 and Compassion Coalition in the Mohawk Valley was allocated $725,000.

“Due to economic hardship or where in the county they live, many in our area do not have adequate food access,” Broome County Council of Churches Executive Director Joe Sellepack said. “This project will enable us to purchase food from New York producers, including underrepresented women and minority-owned businesses, and make these foods available to folks in these hard-to-reach areas. We are excited partners and look forward to creating a healthier and more food equitable Broome County.”

In 2022, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets received $49.6 million through the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program to implement the New York Food for New York Families Program with the goals of boosting traditionally disadvantaged farmers, helping producers access new markets, filling gaps in the supply and distribution chain, and increasing access in underserved communities to local food.

In the first distribution round, the department awarded $40.8 million to 102 food organizations across the state including food banks and pantries, schools and universities, farm collectives, medical centers, and nonprofit organizations for projects that purchase New York–grown food products and distribute them to underserved communities.

Traci DeLore