ONEIDA CO., N.Y. — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County (CCEOC) is extremely pleased to announce the second year of funding for the Bridging the Upstate-Downstate Divide – Incorporating Mohawk Valley Small Farms into the Metro NYC Marketplace Program. This program focuses on creating market opportunities in New York City for Mohawk Valley Farmers. Several recent programs funded by New York State, such as Nourish NY and Farm to School, have given small farmers unprecedented opportunities to connect with the larger statewide food system.
The funding, secured by Assembly Member Marianne Buttenschon, District 119, for the second year in a row, has given CCEOC the opportunity to focus time and resources on identifying market opportunities in New York City and begin to pull together transportation, logistics, distribution, and delivery networks so that small farmers in the Mohawk Valley can realize the same potential to sell into the New York City marketplace as much larger agricultural businesses.
It was difficult for Assembly Member Buttenschon to secure the funding for a second year. She fought for the agricultural community in the Mohawk Valley to continue providing them with the opportunity to realize new sales and markets. Per Assembly Member Buttenschon, “The Bridging the Upstate-Downstate Divide program is a win-win for New York State, helping Mohawk Valley farmers expand their markets while providing fresh, healthy food to downstate residents. Securing funding for the second year of this program was one of my top priorities in Albany, and I fought tooth and nail to ensure funding was included in the 2022-23 state budget. I’ll continue working with my Assembly colleagues and local farmers to provide further support and opportunities for this backbone industry.”
CCEOC and its staff have had many successes during the project’s first year, including connecting with all the major food banks in New York City, the NYC Procurement Department, transportation and logistics companies, distributors, and end users. The permanent extension of Nourish NY and funding of $50 million in the 2022-2023 budget has provided significant opportunities for Upstate New York farmers to participate in reducing food insecurity in Queens and other parts of the five boroughs.
For more information on this program, please contact Myron Thurston III, Food Supply Chain Marketing Specialist at CCEOC at 315-430-7504 or Myron.thurston@cornell.edu
–Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County