Idea for Regional Food Hub to Be Explored Through Pilot Projects

To check out the story, go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/cooperative-extensions-and-farmers-conduct-projects-for-regional-food-hub-20170521 this web site.

Ritchie, Oswego County Farmers Talk about Food Hubs

From state Sen. Patricia Ritchie:

Ritchie

More than 20 Oswego County farmers and agriculture professionals met with state Sen. Patty Ritchie Wednesday for a forum to discuss the establishment of a “food hub” to link Upstate farmers with larger metro markets across New York state.

“Despite a growing demand for local foods, Upstate farmers are still facing challenges when it comes to getting their foods to large metro areas — however, a ‘food hub’ could help connect our farmers with new, larger markets across the state,” said Ritchie, who serves as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

“I’ve had the opportunity to hear from dozens of farmers and agribusiness owners in recent months about how we can make our “food hub” venture a success and I’m looking forward to using this most recent feedback as we continue to work to expand business for our farmers and make fresh foods more accessible to people throughout our state.”

At Wednesday’s meeting in Mexico, Ritchie and other agriculture leaders, including members of the Senator’s Agriculture Advisory Council, discussed how to best utilize more than $1 million in the 2015-2016 state budget to establish food hubs.

These hubs will give farmers and agribusiness owners an opportunity to bring products to a central location where they can then be transported to major cities throughout our state, including New York City.  

This was the third forum hosted by Ritchie to discuss the establishment of ‘food hubs.’ Other forums took place in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties.

Earlier this week, Ritchie unveiled “Planting Seeds,” a new plan to support New York’s agriculture industry by restoring budget cuts and increasing funding for key agriculture programs in the areas of research, education and marketing, providing new tax and regulatory relief for farmers, supporting initiatives that promote food safety and creating new opportunities for veterans, as well as young people in the agriculture industry, among others. 

Ritchie Hosts Meeting About Food Hub

This is from the office of state Sen. Patricia Ritchie, R-Oswegatchie:

State Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Patty Ritchie Monday hosted a meeting of agriculture experts to discuss the establishment of a “food hub” in the region.

The food hub would help better connect farmers with consumers throughout the state who are increasingly looking to eat healthy, locally grown and produced foods.

Made possible through $1 million in the state budget, the planned Upstate New York food hub will give farmers and agribusiness owners an opportunity to bring products to a central location where they then can be transported to major cities throughout the state, including New York City. 

“Whether it’s in a ‘farm to table’ restaurant or at a special section of the grocery store, across our region and state are so many signs that consumers are looking to increase their consumption of foods that are grown or produced locally,” Ritchie said. 

“This meeting is one of the first steps to getting a food hub — which will help our region’s farmers and agribusiness owners more easily get their goods to different parts of our state — off the ground," Ritchie said.

"By giving other parts of New York a taste of Upstate, we’ll not only be helping a greater number of people consume healthy foods, we will also provide an economic boost to our local farmers,” she said.

Monday’s meeting continues Ritchie’s effort to strengthen the connection between farmers and consumers, as well as bolster New York’s agriculture industry.  Last month, Ritchie brought together farmers and agribusiness owners from Oswego and Jefferson counties for a similar meeting in Watertown. 

Sen. Patty Ritchie Brainstorms with Farmers About Food Hubs

State Sen. Patty Ritchie

Go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/ritchie-brainstorms-with-farmers-agriculture-leaders-about-launching-food-hubs--20150910 to read the story.

First Results In from Food Hub Survey in Northern New York

From the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program:

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has posted preliminary results of a survey asking regional consumers, food buyers and farmers about their interest in developing a local food hub.

The goal is to gauge interest by the key players needed to make a local food hub successful. A food hub that efficiently coordinates ordering and delivery of local products can increase sales, while reducing costs for farmers and reducing the number of miles food travels to its destination, said project leader Anita Deming, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture identifies a regional food hub as a business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution and marketing of source-identified food products primarily from local and regional producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand.

A total of 125 farmers, 25 buyers and 254 consumers completed the confidential survey conducted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension associations in Northern New York.

Cornell University Cooperative Enterprise Program Director Roberta Severson with the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management is analyzing the survey data.

Sixty-six percent of the farmers surveyed indicated they sell 75 to 100 percent of their products within the Northern NY region that includes Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties.

Major food marketing areas identified were Canton, Lake Placid, Lowville, Malone, Plattsburgh and Watertown.

Farmers responding to the survey said the types of market channels they used include farmstands, farmers' markets, wholesalers or distributors, Community Supported Agriculture, restaurants, food co-ops or buyers clubs, grocery stores, auctions and institutions.

The types of services producers indicated they were interested in receiving from a food hub include pickup, washing, grading, packing, cooling of products; freezer storage; processing; and handling of sales and marketing so they can focus on food production.

Nearly 100 percent of the farmers reporting more than $100,000 in sales indicated they are full-time farmers, with a high percentage of those farmers indicating they have more than 30 years of  experience in agriculture.

Overall, consumers responding to the survey considered local as food produced in Northern New York or in their home county. The most frequently purchased products were vegetables and fruit.

Nearly 60 percent of the consumers surveyed indicated they purchase local products at least once a month. The largest group of consumers responding to the survey was 50 to 69 year olds; the second largest group was 30 to 39 year olds.

Preliminary results are posted on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org. Data from the food buyers survey that included stores, restaurants, co-packers, and schools will be available later this year.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is a farmer-driven research and technical assistance program serving Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

This survey project also received a USDA Specialty Crops Block Grant administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.