Cultivating Knowledge Building Networks Catalyzing Collaboration

WHO WE ARE 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, systemic, and regional approach to impact SCNY’s food security. *Collaboration is the name of the game! Everyone has a stake in our regional food system.

STAKEHOLDERS 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.

2015 MEMBERS & SPONSORS Broome-Tioga BOCES Food Service Broome County Council of Churches Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) Chenango County Health Department Cornell Cooperative Extension Broome County Cornell Cooperative Extension Tioga County Delaware Opportunities Inc. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Family Enrichment Network Food Bank of the Southern Tier Hatherleigh Foundation Healthy Lifestyles Coalition (United Way) Peaceful By Nature Farm Rural Health Network of South Central New York Seven Valleys Health Coalition Tioga County Farm Bureau Tioga County Hunger Coalition Tioga Opportunities Tompkins County Food Distribution Network United Health Care United Health Services (UHS) VINES: Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments Susan Adair Diane Albrecht Richard Andrus Connie Barnes Donna Bates Mark Bordeau Christina Boyd Ray Denniston Nancy Eckstrom Matthew Griffin Kathleen Horner Sonia Janiszewski Kevin Millar Ann Moring Jeffrey Piestrak Tony Preus Amy Shapiro Lauren Tonti Rose Zonetti Diane Albrecht Greg Albrecht & Victoria Zeppelin Connie Barnes Susan Beaudoin Elizabeth Bossong Diane Crews Ray Denniston Nancy Eckstrom Jeffrey Piestrak Charles and Mary Place John and Linda Roush Jack Salo Linda Seeger Doris Summerlee Lauren Tonti

HOW WE WORK: Supported by the Rural Health Network of South Central NY Guided by eight person Steering Committee 1 FTE staff person AmeriCorps and VISTA support through the Rural Health Service Corps Monthly meetings, information sharing, and collaborative work plan

Regional Food System Assessment Farm to School & Institution Healthy Food Procurement Summer Food Service Program Assessment & Capacity Building Community Education Regional food policy and advocacy Collaborative Resource Development E-Newsletter & Information Sharing PROJECTS & PROGRAMS "FaHN represents an important nexus in the discussion of local food, agriculture, and community.” -Andrew Flach, Hatherleigh Foundation

4 Themes Quantitative and qualitative data grounded in the context of the food cycle Planning, evaluation, and educational tool Regional Food System Assessment for South Central NY

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 “ Helping to Create Hunger-Free Communities” 2014 FSA Food Security Update

Strengthening SFSP in 2015: Results of the 2014 update initiated a regional assessment of the SFSP Goals to increase capacity and participation Collaborate with local groups throughout the region Focus on Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2015

Collaborative initiatives around the region: CHOW Bus (rural food and summer meal distribution) Binghamton Farm Share, Healthy Food For All Local fruit and vegetable distribution through regional food banks and pantries County-based hunger coalitions and task forces: Broome County Child Hunger Task Force, Chemung Child Hunger Task Force, Cortland County Hunger Coalition, Tompkins County, Tioga County

Lessons Learned: Best Practices for SFSP Around the Region Community engagement: getting the right folks to the table Partnerships are essential – no one organization can do everything well A backbone or facilitator helps to glue everything together Plan year round – promotion, promotion, promotion!

Partners at work:

For Additional Information Erin Summerlee, Coordinator Food and Health Network of South Central NY