FOOD AND HEALTH NETWORK OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW YORK Cultivating - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

FOOD AND HEALTH NETWORK OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW YORK

Cultivating Knowledge Creating Networks Catalyzing Collaboration

A coalition of organizations and individuals aiming to create food-secure communities and improve the quality of life in SCNY by supporting practices, projects, and policies leading to increased use of nutritious, locally produced foods An interdisciplinary, systematic, and regional approach to impact SCNY’s food security.

WHO WE ARE

 Diverse stakeholders in 8 NY Counties:

• Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga,

and Tompkins.  Organizational, business, and individual members and sponsors  Partners represent the agricultural, food security, nutrition and public health, environmental health/sustainability, planning/economic development, business, educational, and community sectors.

STAKEHOLDERS

ORGANIZATION/BUSINESS  Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition  Broome County Council of Churches  Broome County Health Department  Broome Tioga BOCES Food Service  Center For Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship  Chenango County Health Department  Chenango Health Network  Cornell Cooperative Extension Broome County  Davidson Fox & Company  Finger Lakes Fresh Food Hub & Challenge Workforce Solutions  Food Bank of the Southern Tier  Hatherleigh Foundation  Healthy Lifestyles Coalition (United Way)  NBT Bank  Rural Health Network of SCNY  Seven Valley’s Health Coalition  Tioga County Farm Bureau  Tioga County Hunger Coalition  Tioga Opportunities Inc.  Tompkins County Food Distribution Network  TouchPoint Support Services at Lourdes Hospital  United Health Services  VINES: Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments INDIVIDUAL  Susan Adair  Diane Albrecht  Richard Andrus  Karen Bayer  Mark Bordeau  Beth Bossong  Ray Denniston  Nancy Eckstrom  Matthew Griffin  Pamela Guth  Sonia Janiszewski  Sarah Manchester  Glenda Neff  Susan Paredez  Jeffrey Piestrak  Charles Place  Tony Preus  Jack Salo  Linda Seeger  Natalie Thompson  Lauren Tonti  Jennifer Wilkins  Shawn Yetter  Victoria Zeppelin

2014 FAHN MEMBERS AND SPONSORS

WHY AND HOW

ECONOMIC VITALITY HEALTHY PEOPLE FARM TO CONSUMER HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS

 Regional Food System Assessment  Farm to School  Healthy Food Procurement  Community Garden Inventory  Educational Meetings  Monthly Newsletter and Social Media

PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

"FaHN represents an important nexus in the discussion

• f local food, agriculture, and community.”
• Andrew Flach, Hatherleigh Foundation

 Develop and provide support for a statewide food system network that will provide resources and networking opportunities for existing regional and community food policy councils and that would also support development of new FPCs.  Implement state funding to support regional and community food networks and FPCs

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS: SUPPORTING REGIONAL NETWORKS AND FOOD POLICY COUNCILS

FOOD SECURITY

 4 Themes  Quantitative and qualitative data grounded in the context of the food cycle  Planning, evaluation, and educational tool

REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM ASSESSMENT

 Focus on food security and progress since 2012  Highlight of findings:

• More eligible recipients benefiting from Food Stamps
• Increased sales at farmers’ markets with EBT
• More CSAs providing shares to low income residents
• More ground venison donated to food banks
• More fresh produce distributed by food banks to hunger

relief agencies

2014 FOOD SYSTEM ASSESSMENT UPDATE: FOOD SECURITY PROGRESS

 1 in 5 children are food insecure  “Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation”: 4 out of 5 youth from low income families are missing out on free summer meals with the Summer Food Service Program.

CHALLENGES TO FOOD SECURITY

 Increase SNAP participation by:

• Increasing outreach and education to vulnerable populations

with low participation.

• Creating linkages between Medicaid and SNAP databases to

conduct “in-reach” with Medicaid recipients currently not receiving SNAP.

 Increase access to Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) by:

• Changing the eligibility threshold for a community to

host an open meal site

• Eliminating the congregate requirement that children

eat meals on- site

POLICY & ACTION OPPORTUNITIES

Featuring the “Sustaining Farm to School in NYS” pilot project

FARM TO SCHOOL/INSTITUTION

 USDA Implementation Grant administered by NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, 2012-2014  Purpose: Increase local food procurement in school cafeterias through producer partnerships, food safety, and nutrition promotion  Primary Partners: Broome-Tioga BOCES Food Service and School Districts, Food and Health Network SCNY, Broome County Cornell Cooperative Extension

PROJECT SUMMARY

 Relationship-building with producers, food hubs, and distributors  Education along the value chain, including food safety training  Incentivizing through the geographic preference bid

LOCAL PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES

 13,000 pounds local food procured  3 Producers: Benton Berries (Penn Yan, Yates Cty.), Reisinger’s Apple Country (Watkins Glen, Schuyler Cty.), and Main St. Farms (Homer, Cortland Cty.)  5 School Districts: Binghamton City, Johnson City, Owego-Appalachin, Union-Endicott, and Whitney Point

SUCCESSES

 Enhancing market readiness (ability to serve large-volume, wholesale markets) of NYS producers by:

• Expanding state support for market readiness trainings and for food

safety initiatives, including funding and educational support for producers undergoing food safety training and GAP certification.

 Support increased access to local food year-round by:

• Developing monetary incentives for purchasing local food: Support the

New York School Nutrition Association’s proposed pilot project that includes up to 20 cents in additional state reimbursement for districts that purchase a certain % of NY grown fruits, vegetables or proteins

• Mandating funding for the NYS Farm to School program administered

through NYSDAM, including a Full-Time administrative position

• Supporting training through the State Education Department for Food

Service Directors that will address Farm to School, school gardens and proper procurement practices (first training to be held summer 2015).

POLICY OPPORTUNITIES

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON FOOD POLICY

 Supporting regional/community food networks and policy councils, by developing and providing support for a statewide food system network that will provide resources and networking opportunities for existing regional and community food policy councils and that would also support development of new FPCs.  Supporting food access for low-income families, especially children, by linking SNAP and Medicaid databases and conducting SNAP “in reach”; and advocating for improvements to the federal Summer Food Service Program.  Supporting local food procurement in institutions, especially schools, by advocating for expansion of state support for market readiness trainings and for food safety initiatives, including funding and educational support for producers undergoing food safety training and GAP certification.

The Food and Health Network thanks you for this opportunity to share our ideas and

• experience. We are grateful for your

attention and openness. CONTACT INFO: http://foodandhealthnetwork.org/ rhsc-rf@rhnscny.org