Infrastructure Work Group

Goals & Objectives

The mission of the Infrastructure Work Group is to foster a culture of networking and collaboration among diverse food system stake holders to build scale appropriate infrastructure that supports a good food system. Building on existing assets, strategies to scale from local to regional and transnational will be explored. Priority areas of focus will include: meat processing efficiencies; transportation/logistics systems; e-systems and data portals; innovations in dairy processing; and export networks and systems.

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Tasks & Initiatives

​Ongoing Tasks

• Support sub-work groups: meat processing; e-commerce and logistics
• Support meat sub-work group’s action plan:
  
  • Understand current /pending projects intended to advance NYS meat processing
    
  • Identify additional opportunities/needs
    
  • Compile preliminary project concept and engage core group project partners
    
• Research existing data systems; identify gaps; innovate solutions
• Research regulatory framework for export channels

Initiatives

• NY Meat Project - appropriate and innovative slaughter/processing
  
  • ​Dairy herd focused; available for “kill and chill"
    
  • Organic and conventional
    
  • Whole animal utilization
    
  • ​Modern, humane, efficient, sustainable
    
• Workforce development with crossover jobs to support multiple roles in food system; pathway to ownership
• Develop regional data collection and evaluation system with standards for Good Food System validation Challenge/Opportunity: This Work Group experiences a challenge in maintaining communication among sub-work groups and the umbrella Work Group and to the other Work Groups. Many opportunities exist to collaborate across the Work Groups and we would benefit from a Work Group

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Challenge/Opportunity

This Work Group experiences a challenge in maintaining communication among sub-work groups and the umbrella Work Group and to the other Work Groups. Many opportunities exist to collaborate across the Work Groups and we would benefit from a Work Group leader who could support the sub-groups and bring unity to the mission. 

Work Group Members

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BRETT BAKER
United Apple Sales

ABBY BENNETT
Coordinator, Project Work Groups

LYNN BLIVEN
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County

PHIL BIANCHI
Headwater Food Hub

MARTIN BROCCOLI
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County

LAURA FOX
Rochester Downtown Dev. Corp.

JIM GALBATO
Brigiotta's Produce

MICHAEL GARDINIER
Farm Fresh First

JILL GOULD
Butter Meat Co. 

CHRIS HARTMAN
Headwater Food Hub

GIOVANNI HOLMQUIST
Empire State Development 

KIMBERLY LAMENDOLA
NY Sustainable Agriculture Working Group

CULLEN NAUMOFF
Farm Fare

LANIKA SANDERS
Work Group Convenor 

PHOEBE SCHREINER
Cadefarms 

GINA WIECZOREK
Produce Peddlers

CATHERINE YOUNG
New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture