Recent News
It’s Your Farm Bill Too!
Friday, August 24th, 2018 Farm Bill Forum from 5:30pm – 7pm Fresh Fridays $3 Dinners available from 5pm – 7pm Location: Southside Community Center, 305 South Plain Street, Ithaca, NY
Northeast Farm to School Institute at the Shelburne Inn, VT
Written by Jessica Barbini: Shelburne Farms is a 1,400 acre area of pastures, woodlands, gardens, and historic buildings fixed along Lake Champlain that seeks to “inspire and cultivate learning for
Christian’s Goodbye Message
~ Reflecting back on the last twenty months I have spent here at FaHN and with the Rural Health Network, I ask myself: how can I begin to express my
VINES Farm Share in Whitney Point
VINES Farm Share, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program based in Binghamton, NY, initially began as the result of a 2012 study performed by the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship
April Spotlight: Sidney Central School District Gardens
In honor of National Garden Month, our April Spotlight are the Sidney Central School District’s Elementary School Gardens. Tom Lewis, our Food Access and Development Coordinator spoke with Josh Gray,
National School Breakfast Week Story
School breakfast fights hunger, improves nutrition, and empowers children to learn. In New York, 747,881 children participate daily in the school breakfast program. Learn more about school breakfast by visiting
Spotlight: DCMO BOCES
In January we announced that FaHN would be expanding our farm to school efforts into Chenango, Delaware, and Otsego Counties. Sidney Central School District was awarded a round three New
January Spotlight: Reflections on the 2017 Community Food Systems Conference
Written by: Tom Lewis UC Davis’ Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program defines a sustainable community food system as “a collaborative network that integrates sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption
December Spotlight: Bohemian Moon
The Food & Health Network hosted our third annual Partner Recognition Event on November 6th at the Bohemian Moon in Norwich, NY. The annual event brings together diverse stakeholders from
FaHN Releases 2017 Year in Review!
The 2017 Food & Health Network Year in Review is officially available online! The report contains updates on our programs and projects from the last year. Read the full Year
NY Thursday Harvest Celebration at Tioga Central School District is a Success!
On September 21st, the Food & Health Network joined many partner organizations and community volunteers to celebrate the launch of the NY Thursday farm to school menu program with a
August Spotlight: Farm to School Team Travels to Shelburne, Vermont
The 2017-2018 Northeast Farm to School Institute kicked off with a retreat at the beautiful Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vermont during the last week of June. The institute is a
July Member Spotlight: Broome-Tioga BOCES Food Service
Tom Lewis, FaHN VISTA, recently visited the Broome-Tioga BOCES Food Service office in Endicott, NY to speak with Ray Denniston, Special Projects Coordinator, and Julie Raway, MPH, RDN, CDN, SNS,
May Member Spotlight: CCE Tioga
Tom Lewis, FaHN VISTA sat down with Margaret Ball, Agriculture Development Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County (CCE Tioga) to learn more about her work and the different
National Garden Month Feature: Ithaca Children’s Garden
Written by Cristina Quinn: The Ithaca Children’s Garden has focused on positive youth development since 1998. As opposed to allotment-style gardens, ICG serves as an educational space and uses hands-on,
April Member Spotlight: Chenango United Way
Written by Elizabeth Monaco, Executive Director of Chenango United Way: In the summers of 2015 and 2016, the Greater Chenango Cares IRT project partnered with military service members to provide
March Member Spotlight: Cooperstown Farmers’ Market
Our March Member Spotlight is the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market located in Cooperstown, NY. The Market is a program of Otsego 2000, a non-profit, “founded in 1981 to protect the environmental,
FaHN Helps to Host MLK Day Poverty Simulation
The Food and Health Network of South Central NY collaborated with the Rural Health Service Corps and Food Bank of the Southern Tier Speakers Bureau to coordinate a successful poverty
Member Spotlight: Chenango County Health Department
Our Member Spotlight for the month of February is the Chenango County Department of Public Health. Tom Lewis, FaHN VISTA, sat down with Christina Arnold, a Health Educator with the
Students Say “Yes” to Kale
Throughout December, FaHN partnered with school districts across Broome and Tioga counties to hold taste tests featuring a fall kale salad made from local ingredients for students to sample during lunch
Farm Sponsor Spotlight: Shared Roots Farm
Our Farm Sponsor Spotlight is Shared Roots Farm in McGraw, NY. Tom Lewis, FaHN VISTA, spoke with Stephanie Roberts, a co-owner of the farm along with Bret Morris, to learn
Reflections from It Takes a Region Conference
FaHN VISTA, Tom Lewis attended the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's (NESAWG) It Takes a Region conference in Hartford, CT on November 11th. Here are his reflections from that day:
FaHN Releases 2016 Year in Review
We released the FaHN 2016 Year in Review at our annual member & sponsor recognition party on Oct. 20th. The report includes updates on many of the projects we've worked on this year, including: The release of our annual
Touring the Milky Way in Delaware County
Who knew the Milky Way was so close? To celebrate National Dairy Month, FaHN AmeriCorps members Maggie and Olivia participated in Catskills Family Creameries’ 4th Annual Milky Way Tour. For
Regional Access is Building a Strong Food Community
Our Food and Health Network sponsor feature this month is Regional Access, based in Ithaca, NY. Asa Redmond, Vice President of Operations, shared information about the company his father started
Lessons Learned at Growing Health: Healthy Foods, Healthy Communities Forum
More than 75 people attended Growing Health. The Food & Health Network co-hosted Growing Health: Healthy Foods, Healthy Communities on April 7 with the Broome County
Food and Farming with the Creekside Cook
From Donalyn Ketchum, Creekside Acres & The Creekside Cook Creekside Acres in Berkshire, Tioga County is owned and operated by Larry & Donalyn Ketchum. Long time gardeners, in 2015, they
Supporting Local Food and Brews at Galaxy Brewing Co.
Mike and Seth Weisel own Galaxy Brewing Company in Binghamton, NY. Mike was a home brewer for nearly 40 years, practicing and experimenting in his spare time. Seth gained an
Increasing Local Food Procurement through Farm to Institution
Maggie Reeger, FaHN VISTA, spoke with Glenda Neff, an individual FaHN Sponsor and co-coordinator of Farm to Institution NYS (FINYS), to learn more about her efforts to increase local food procurement throughout
Action Alert: Support an Increase in Funding for Farm to School in New York State
It's time to urge New York State legislators to support the Farm to School Procurement Incentive in the 2016-2017 NYS Budget Proposals! This week, members of the New York School
Farm Sponsor Spotlight: Moore Family Organic Farm
Our January Farm Sponsor Spotlight is Moore Family Organic Farm in Lansing, NY. Maggie Reeger, FaHN VISTA, spoke with Larry Moore to learn about the farm and its contributions to
Sponsor Spotlight: The Kitchen Store
Our holiday Sponsor Spotlight is The Kitchen Store in Owego. Maggie Reeger, FaHN VISTA, spoke with the owner, Sue Michaels. About the store: The Kitchen Store, owned by Sue Michaels,
FaHN Sponsor Spotlight: Care Manage for All LLC
Our Sponsor Spotlight this month is Care Manage for All LLC. Maggie Reeger, FaHN VISTA, interviewed Kim Evanoski, owner and President of Care Manage for All
Food News: SNAP Incentives Help Rural Communities, and an Economist Studies the Impact of CSA
Here are some recent news stories you might have missed: Altarum Institute: SNAP Incentives: A Win for Rural Communities A new report from the Fair Food Network (FFN) expands on
Farm Sponsor Spotlight: Peaceful by Nature Farm
Our farm spotlight this month is Peaceful by Nature Farm, owned and operated by Karen Hoffman and Jack Salo in Norwich, NY. History of the Farm: Jack and Karen both
Cultivating Food Justice: A Conversation on Closing the Hunger Gap
A few weeks ago, our Coordinator Erin Summerlee attended the 2015 Closing the Hunger Gap Conference in Portland, OR, with two friends from the Food Bank of the Southern Tier:
Escape the High Cost of Illness with Healthy Choices
The healthcare community has an important role to play bridging the connection between food and health. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an organizational sponsor of the Food and Health Network, is working
Local Farm Spotlight: Engelbert Farms
Engelbert Farms, run by Kevin and Lisa Engelbert and their three sons, is a farm sponsor of the Food & Health Network. History of the farm: The Engelbert family began farming
Local Farm Spotlight: Closer to the Heart Farms
Closer to the Heart Farms, run by owner Adrian Biscontini, is a farm sponsor of the Food & Health Network. We met up at the Otsiningo Park Farmers' Market in
Stay Healthy Kids’ Rex and Roxy encourage healthy food choices
Sponsor Spotlight: United Health Services Greater Binghamton children and their parents can learn everything they need to know about making healthy food choices when they sign up for a free
Member Spotlight: Seven Valleys Health Coalition
Seven Valleys Health Coalition, Inc. (SVHC) is a rural health network located in Cortland, NY. SVHC’s mission is to cultivate local solutions and collaborative actions that advance the health and
Why the Tortoise Beat the Hare: On Slow Medicine and its role in contributing to a more Sustainable Regional Food System
Earlier this month, I came across an article written by Dr. Michael Finkelstein in the HuffingtonPost titled, “Slow Medicine is the Medicine of the Future.” Reading the article, I recalled many healthcare
Spotlight on The Healthy Harvest Program: An Interview with Melissa Knowles
September is Hunger Action Month. But what does this truly mean? How do we not only temporarily solve problems of hunger but remedy them completely? How can we work to
NYS Farm to School Highlight: Wood’s Earth Living Classroom
Ithaca City School District Central Kitchen employees with locally grown green beans Wood's Earth (WE) Living Classroom is supporting the farm to school movement
Member Spotlight: Finger Lakes Fresh Food Hub & Challenge Workforce Solutions
Consumers in search of local, artisan tortillas are in luck thanks to a partnership between the new Finger Lakes Fresh Food Hub and Stefan Senders of Wide Awake Bakery. The
NYS Farm to School Highlight: Finger Lakes Farm to Cafeteria
In the world of farm to institution, collaboration is key. Finger Lakes Farm to Cafeteria (FLFTC) is no stranger to building connections, which has helped expand local procurement at the
New York State Farm to School Highlight
In April 2014, the Food and Health Network's Farm to Institution Coordinator had the privilege of sending a representative to the National Farm to School Network's Biennial Farm to Cafeteria
VINES, Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, and United Way of Broome County Partner to Offer Binghamton Farm Share
By Natalie Hughes, Program Assistant, VINES Binghamton Farm Share was launched in 2013 by VINES, Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, and United Way of Broome County to address needs surrounding food insecurity
FaHN Sponsor Spotlight: NBT Bank
At NBT Bank, we remain committed to our community banking philosophy of putting customers first and actively investing in the communities we call home. Throughout our history we have supported
Call for Gardens! 2013 Community Garden and Urban Ag Survey
It's time for the annual Food and Health Network Community Garden and Urban Ag Survey! The survey measures the progress of garden activities in Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga