Food Banks and FarmersFoodlink

Mitch Gruber, Food Access Programs Manager

mgruber@foodlinkny.org

• Mission: To provide hunger relief, eliminate the root causes of hunger, improve health, and promote economic development.

• 450 member agencies in 10 counties in the Genesee Valley Finger Lakes area.

Foodlink

Service Area and Agriculture

• Apples (Wayne Co)• Cabbage,Potato, Onion (Muck soil)• Grapes (Finger Lakes wine) • Dairy (“yogurt empire”)

• Genesee Valley leads NYS in agricultural production• $4.7 Billion piece of the economy• Approx. 7 million acres of farmland

Source: NY State Agriculture and Markets, 2010

• Leveraging existing assets and resources• Consumer driven• Package of programs and services

Led by cooperative purchasing, with a focus on produce.

Food Bank to Food Hub

• Fulfillment center and “excess capacity”

• Relationship building: Farmer’s Market Festival of Food NY Farm Bureau CCE

Foodlink and Farmers Background

• Farmers like working with Foodlink: Trucks pick up Buy large volume Purchase seconds

regardless of shape and size

Pay on time Mission driven (this

does matter!)

Foodlink and FarmersOperations

• We build good relationships by being good customers.

• Symbiotic relationship ensues: Seconds and field runs Donations and gleaning

(maybe) Value Added Processing

Foodlink and FarmersRelationships

• Available to all agencies• Farm Stands• Curbside Market• Healthy Corner Store

Initiative• Continuation of

Fulfillment Center

Local Produce Initiatives

• Quality control• Finding the right

producers and products (saying “no”)

• Keeping inventory• Training staff and

agencies to work with produce

Challenges

Positive Outcomes

• Public Health• Economic Multiplier• Community Building• Food Bank Food Hub Food Resource Center