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FOOD FUTURE WESTERN NEW YORK
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Seeding Interest in Urban Farms: Meet Allison DeHonney

7/14/2023

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​For many years when Allison DeHonney was talking about policies, it was related to her executive roles at insurance companies. Now when she’s talking about policies, she’s focused on advocating for our local food system, specifically urban farming and ensuring access to fresh, locally grown food for communities in the City of Buffalo.
 
After a long, successful career in corporate America, Allison decided to start a side business in late 2013 called Urban Fruits & Veggies to connect locally grown food with underserved communities, especially in East Buffalo, and make fresh produce as accessible as possible to residents.

The initial plan was just to grow produce on an urban farm and distribute that produce in local neighborhoods.  She had no intention of leaving her day job. However, her business quickly took root and Allison soon realized in addition to focusing on her business full-time, she also needed to create a non-profit, now known as Buffalo Go Green.  ​
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​“I fall more in love with this work every year, as challenging and time consuming as it is, there's nothing that I'd rather be doing. And a lot of that is because of the people. I meet individuals who have no more money left on their EBT card, to local and state politicians and legislators, educators and other business owners and most everyone is so grateful for our products and services,” said Allison.
 
Allison's unique experience of a successful corporate career, turned urban farmer, provided her with a unique perspective as Regional Advisory Council member for the Western New York Regional Food System Initiative. She jumped right in to provide important feedback when the effort launched in January 2021 and was an integral part of the collaborative team that helped develop a comprehensive plan that assessed our regional food system. In addition to serving on the Council, she was an active member of two work groups: Farmers and Producers and Access, Equity and Sovereignty. 

​“Being a part of the Regional Advisory Council was a really great learning experience. It helped grow my network, I connected with folks that I probably would've never met. It was good to learn about the rural farming struggles, the struggles in the meat industry, the struggles in the dairy industry,” said Allison.
 
With the FFWNY plan now complete and funding in place, the New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NYSAWG), an affiliate of Southern Tier West, is responsible for seeing through the report’s recommendations and Allison is excited about the future of the work being implanted, understanding that this is a long-term systems effort.
 
“It's all such good work, and we do it for the betterment of every single one of us, because simply put, we all eat, and are unified by that fact,” said Allison.
 
To learn more and read some of the inspiring stories of other Regional Advisory Council members, visit FoodFutureWNY.org.   
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Where healing the inner child meets healing WNY’s food system: Meet Kristin Heltman-Weiss

6/7/2023

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What does it take to invest in the vitality and longevity of a sustainable, just regional food system?
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The Western New York Regional Food System Initiative study, informed by stakeholders in all areas of the region’s food system, reveals some of the many answers for Western New York: the creation of land succession plans, feasible funding streams for infrastructure, and access to knowledge of sustainable farming practices.
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But as Providence Farm Collective’s Kristin Heltman-Weiss imparts in a conversation with Food Future Western New York, personal reconciliation with and healing from the traumatic effects of the current system goes hand-in-hand with on-the-ground communal action to build a system that is of and for all its stakeholders. ​
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As a young girl growing up in the largely affluent village of East Aurora, Kristin was one of the few in her community experiencing food insecurity. She shares, “In elementary and middle school, I was one of a handful of kids in my community who qualified for [food stamps and] free lunch, but I never got [lunch] because I didn’t want to be judged by the kids I grew up with. I chose to go without eating than to be embarrassed.”
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Fast forward to her 30s, Kristin began to recognize that it was not her responsibility to harbor shame or embarrassment about her experience. Rather, that she was harmed while at the intersection and mercy of several dysfunctional systems—including the food system. “No one should have to feel that way. Because we all need food, and healthy foods should be available to everybody. It should be done with dignity, not shame attached to it.” She shared. 

Even in light of her individual and familial struggles, Kristin recognizes the privileges that she simultaneously held during that time that helped keep her and her family afloat. “I had good access to education. I lived in a walkable community. I started cleaning houses at 11 [in my community] to be able to afford things. So, in many ways, I look back and think, ‘Oh, I was lucky’.” 
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Now, Kristin carries these experiences with her every day as Executive Director of Providence Farm Collective (PFC), where tackling food insecurity is a large part of the organization’s purpose. PFC sprouted from the Somali Bantu Community Farm established in 2017; a grassroots, Black immigrant and refugee-led project whose mission was to increase food security and access to fresh, culturally relevant crops. 

With the Somali Bantu community members welcoming five additional communities on board, Providence Farm
Collective formed two years later and now owns 37 acres of fertile, second-generation farmland in Orchard Park. Their mission of cultivating farmer-led and community-rooted agriculture and food systems to actualize the rights of under-resourced peoples comes with only three requirements:
  • Organize community members through Providence Farm Collective;
  • Address communal food insecurity;
  • Reinvest any profits from community plots directly back into the community it serves. 

​“This system honors that every group comes from different cultural traditions and practices surrounding how they organize, how they share, and how they support one another. And that's not on us to tell them to do it differently.” Kristin says. “The current system operates under the idea that farmers are donating surplus vegetables or foods. And the thing is, no farmer, [especially those facing one or more forms of systemic oppression], can afford to do that.” 
Given her tremendously positive impact on the Western New York food system and early involvement with Food Future Western New York (FFWNY), Kristin will now be serving on the initiative’s Regional Leadership Team.

“Get behind it. This is a really great opportunity to implement some of the actionable items that came out of the [Western New York Regional Food System Initiative] study, rather than just put another study on the shelf.” She says about the work ahead. “Knowing that hundreds of people across the entire region are committed to this, I feel like there is more of an opportunity to move [our local food system] forward than ever. And that, that’s really promising."
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Select quotes have been edited for clarity. 
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Mapping the Future of Niagara Falls' Food System: Meet Tom Lowe

5/1/2023

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If you ask where to find the region’s best shepherd’s pie, Tom Lowe will point you straight toward the kitchen of his childhood home in Niagara County--where his mother serves as executive chef. And if you need someone to point you toward where to buy all the ingredients from vendors local to the City of Niagara Falls, Lowe also happens to be the one in the know.  

Lowe, Project Director of the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan (NFLFAP) at Field & Fork Network, has a love for Niagara Falls and the greater Niagara County region that runs deep. Raised on a two-acre property surrounded by farmland in Northern Niagara County, Lowe grew up surrounded by access to bountiful farm stands and markets. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in English at SUNY Fredonia, he returned to his roots and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Niagara University’s ReNU program. 
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It was during this time that Lowe—a fundraiser for a community garden that supported an under-resourced elementary school in the city—began to ponder his own upbringing and further understand that the area’s food system in its current state is fundamentally flawed.  

​“This made me realize that I had a different experience growing up. I had access, and the kids I worked with didn't know that the tomato that they're using for meat sauce came in from the dirt—not just the corner store.” Lowe shared. ​
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One year after his time with AmeriCorps, Lowe returned to ReNU as a Program Coordinator. He later became the program’s director, which led him to his current work heading up the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan.  ​

According to Field & Fork Network, the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan is the product of a one-year, resident-driven process grounded in the belief that all residents of Niagara Falls should have access to nutritious and affordable food. Further, this plan provides a framework of common goals and actions that serve to bring together residents, schools, community organizations, businesses, and local government in supporting a healthy, strong, and resilient food system. ​
Lowe asserts that identifying policy weaknesses and gaps, as well as recommending change at a local and municipal level, is the most sustainable way to address food system failures and improvements. “Our ultimate goal is to create ownership of the local food system to allow for residents to enter this space of owning their own food system,” he said. 
 
The NFLFAP became the official food plan of Niagara Falls in 2018. “I always joked that there wasn’t a whole lot of competition for that title. But it’s ours, and we’re proud of it.” Lowe noted with a smile. 
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​For his expertise in the Niagara Falls and greater Niagara County food system and his gift of community building, Lowe was asked to participate on the Regional Advisory Council the WNY Regional Food System Initiative, now known as Food Future WNY.

​“I think it’s a great initiative, and the sky’s the limit with what we can accomplish,” Lowe said. “The right people are around the table.”  

At the core of what guides his work both in the NFLFAP and for Food Future WNY is the crucial focus on grassroots representation and leadership by those who are a part of the community it affects—especially those who face systemic exclusion and oppression.  
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He shared, “If [the food system] doesn’t represent the people it’s supposed to serve, it’s going to start prioritizing profits over people. Then, there’s no difference between the current food system and the one we’re working toward.” 

Select quotes have been edited for clarity.  


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Cultivating New Relationships through Food Future WNY: Meet Chris Noble

3/14/2023

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When most of us look at a cheese stick, we simply think of a kid's snack. However, for Chris Noble, a cheese stick tells a very different story about harnessing the power of partnerships and creativity to create a sustainable new product line. 
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photo by Mark Gutman, Batavia Daily News
Chris' cheese story starts with the cows at his multi-generational family business, Noblehurst Farms, in Livingston County, New York. The cows are fed by grain grown on their land. The milk from those cows, and 7 other family-owned farms Noblehurst has partnered with, is then processed in their Creamery, which is powered by an anaerobic digester with the waste from those very cows, to create Craigs Creamery Cheese.
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"There have been a lot of disruptions happening in the food supply chain, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. We have seen grocery chains shift to more private label products but also desire more locally made products. The latter trend inspired a farmer group that Noblehurst is a part of to create our own brand of cheese and start selling it," said Chris Noble. "It was clear that by working together and utilizing the skills and relationships that other people have, we could work better cooperatively on Craigs Creamery using more sustainable practices.
Clearly seeing the powerful impact of that collective effort, Chris accepted an invitation in 2020 to join the Regional Advisory Council (RAC) for Food Future WNY, a 9-county planning effort to strengthen the region's food system to achieve resilience, equity, strong economic performance, and reduced food insecurity. Chris saw this as an opportunity to connect with other leaders in the food system with different life experiences.
"By bringing together different players with different perspectives, we are seeing things differently and our work is blazing new trails. For me, I was able to make important connections with fellow council members such as Alex Wright in Buffalo and Chris Hartman at Headwater in Rochester. I've learned so much about diversity and equity by having producers, buyers, and users of products in the same room for discussions," said Chris. 
"I've learned so much about diversity and equity by having producers, buyers, and users of products in the same room for discussion"            
Chris also took an active role as a member of the Farmers & Producers Working Group created by the RAC. Together, the Working Group discussed what some collective priority areas are that should be addressed. 
"For example, one of the key areas of need in our region is increased capacity for small to medium scale meat processing. Most of the meat that's being generated in the area is being sent out of state for processing. It would be much more efficient for everyone to produce the meat here, have it processed here, and then it can go directly to restaurants, universities, etc.," said Chris.
Chris admits that as a farmer, you can tend to be insular and being a part of the RAC and the Working Group really broadened his horizons. 
"I really hope that some of the ideas and solutions we are coming up with are funded and blossom. We must drive this effort forward in a way that's smart, cost-effective and sustainable for our region's food future," said Chris. 
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Noblehurst Farms photo credit: Kevin Keenan
For more information:
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​This storytelling project was made possible through funding from the WNY Foundation
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Encouraging Collaboration through Food Future WNY: Meet Kimberly LaMendola

3/9/2023

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When you think about all the roles a chef plays in the kitchen, from the prep work and planning to overseeing and executing a vision, you could consider Kimberly LaMendola one of the chefs for Food Future Western New York (FFWNY). Given that some of her earliest memories were in a kitchen cooking with her grandparents, it should come as no surprise that she took on a co-facilitator role in launching the collective work of FFWNY to build the sustainable food system we all aspire to have in our region. 
"I grew up spending time with both sets of grandparents and watched how they harvested their food whether through growing or hunting. They were very resourceful. The meals we shared together around the table meant a lot to me. To this day, I take the time to prepare a meal and sit down to enjoy it," said Kimberly LaMendola, Regional Food Systems Manager at New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NYSAWG).
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Kimberly manages her backyard farm with 12 raised beds that produced over 20 different varieties of veggies last year.
​In 2023, she and her wife are adding a flock of laying hens to their homestead.
Her road to the FFWNY work took a few turns along the way. Originally working in the health and human services field, she felt a calling back to her agricultural roots, specifically understanding all that goes into growing food for a group of people. However, that major didn't exist at the time, so she created her own degree in community and rural development at Empire State College and then earned a certificate from Colorado State in sustainable food systems. She launched her new career in the planning department at the Seneca Nation of Indians and then joined Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board 11 years ago. 
When the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund decided to address the food system challenges, Kimberly's name kept coming up as an important person to talk to about how to lift the effort off the ground.
​"My first thought after an initial conversation was that this is a real and valid demonstration of a regional approach to food systems. Not only was it a validation from philanthropy on the human side, the food production side, the farming side, basically the whole food system, but it was moving the focus together as a region, which has been so difficult for any organization in any sector to do," said Kimberly. 
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The Western New York Regional Food System Initiative, now known as Food Future WNY, launched in January 2021 and Kimberly's first task as co-facilitator was participating in interviews with potential consulting partners for the effort and SCALE, a four-person national team was hired for the collective effort. Over the next 18 months, SCALE engaged more than 70 regional food system leaders in a Regional Advisory Council and five issue-specific Working Groups to create a report that detailed actionable ideas to move the regional food system effort forward.
"Food system work is not linear. When you peel another layer of the onion, there's never a core. The layers are interrelated, intersectional, and connected to more layers. The deeper we get into the work, the more we are learning about the complexities within a system of the stakeholders through their lived experiences." 
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With the comprehensive report now complete and funding in place, the New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NYSAWG), an affiliate of Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board, is charting the course forward to see through the recommendations. To learn more, visit FoodFutureWNY.org. 
For more information:
Food Future WNY
​Fresh Local WNY 
Email
​This storytelling project was made possible through funding from the WNY Foundation
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​A non-profit organization of Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board

For more information about this project and how you can be involved, contact:
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