When we think about food access, it’s often in pieces—emergency food programs on one side, school lunch initiatives on another, and local farmers markets somewhere else. But what happens when we begin to envision our food system in more interconnected ways?
At Cornell Cooperative Extension, we’re seeing a shift in how communities are beginning to piece the puzzle together, recognizing that health, agriculture, and food access are deeply interconnected. Across the Mohawk Valley and beyond, that shift is gaining momentum.
From Emergency Feeding to Long-Term Solutions
For decades, emergency food relief has played a vital role in addressing hunger. Programs like food pantries and backpack initiatives meet immediate needs—but what happens next?
The same supply chains that feed emergency programs could also support schools, hospitals, and other institutions. The difference often lies in how these programs are organized and understood. When fresh, local food is at the center, the benefits extend far beyond hunger relief. We see improvements in health, stronger local economies, and more resilient communities.
CCE educators and regional partners are helping communities think bigger—supporting opportunities for local purchasing and supply chain collaboration that reflect community needs and values.
AFSN: Connecting the Dots for Regional Resilience
A leading voice in this work is Josh Stephani, Director for the Adirondack Food System Network (AFSN) — a collaborative regional food council working to better understand system-wide challenges and create long-term solutions. AFSN is composed of organizations, farmers, institutions, and advocates who are focused on building a resilient, regional food system that can withstand disruption and support equitable access to healthy food.
In an interview for this piece, Stephani highlighted how communities can move beyond short-term emergency responses and tap into local infrastructure and creativity to strengthen food systems year-round:
“There are different ways than just emergency feeding that our local governments can allocate money to local entities… as an opportunity for local purchasing,” said Stephani. “I see this as a significant step in the right direction at the regional level—but also providing meaningful opportunities at the local level, as these programs support local procurement.”
AFSN serves as a model of collaborative planning—bringing together diverse voices to identify gaps, coordinate efforts, and shift the conversation from food scarcity to food system sustainability.
Community-Based Initiatives in Action
One powerful example of this shift is the Veggie Van initiative—a mobile market that delivers fresh produce to neighborhoods with limited access to healthy food. It’s more than just a mobile farmers market; it’s a model for sustainable, community-led food access.
By opening new markets, initiatives like this help reduce financial risk for small farms and provide healthier options for consumers. They also chip away at the long-standing issue of food deserts in rural and urban areas alike.
The impact is quiet but persistent. Each mile driven by the Veggie Van program or each bag packed at a local pantry represents a step toward an integrated food system that values both consumers and producers.
The Opportunity of a Regional Food Hub
Now imagine taking this model to the next level. A regional food hub could connect local growers to larger institutional buyers—schools, hospitals, senior centers—and create consistent markets for fresh, local food.
Institutional purchasing is a game-changer. It provides reliable demand, stabilizes farm income, and ensures healthier meals for our most vulnerable populations. For farmers and producers, it means reduced market uncertainty, increased revenue predictability, and the ability to plan ahead with confidence. These partnerships don’t just feed people—they invest in them.
The benefits stretch far beyond the plate: more jobs in agriculture and food processing, fewer diet-related diseases, and stronger regional economies rooted in sustainable practices.
Building Infrastructure for Resilient Systems
While many tools already exist to strengthen local food systems, the key lies in how communities choose to use them. Creative coordination across sectors—healthcare, education, agriculture, and municipal leadership—can transform food access from a crisis response into a proactive resilience strategy.
Networks like AFSN exemplify this strategy by bringing local entities into shared conversations, aligning goals, and scaling solutions regionally. Stephani emphasized that this type of cross-sectoral planning not only addresses gaps in access but builds systems that can adapt and grow over time.
What You Can Do: A Community Call to Action
Building a sustainable food system isn’t just the job of nonprofits or agencies. It’s a community-wide effort. Whether you’re a consumer, a farmer, a school board member, or a town official—you have a role to play.
Here are a few ways to get involved:
It’s easy to think of food systems work as something that only matters during a crisis. But true resilience comes from planning ahead—designing systems that prevent hunger before it starts and investing in the long-term health of our communities.
A Vision for the Mohawk Valley and Beyond
Imagine a Mohawk Valley where every family has access to affordable, nutritious, locally grown food. Where farms thrive. Where schools serve meals grown just down the road. Where emergency feeding is just one part of a much larger, more resilient network.
That future is possible—and it starts with us.
Want to learn more or get involved? Contact Cornell Cooperative Extension Herkimer County or find your local office, or explore regional initiatives like the Adirondack Food System Network and the Veggie Van to discover how your community is contributing to food system resilience.
Article written by Cameron Burke
Article published June 9, 2025.