Cultivating New Relationships through Food Future WNY: Meet Chris Noble

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. 

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.

"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. 

Noblehurst Farms photo credit: Kevin Keenan

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​This storytelling project was made possible through funding from the WNY Foundation