Improving Community Health through Food Access and Nutrition

Improving Community Health through Food Access & Nutrition

Education is directed toward improvement of the food system as a whole, from “farm to table” and including analyses of policies affecting the system, food security, and hunger. g y

SPOTLIGHT ON: Farmers' Market Promotion Project

Our local Sullivan County farmers’ markets are often an initial space for new farm and food businesses. The Sullivan Catskills Farmers' Markets campaigns, launched in 2016, continue to collectively organize and promote each individual farmers’ market within Sullivan County. In 2021, the county hosted 11 seasonal and one year-round farmers’ market, along with four mobile market stops in food desert communities. Advertising the markets collectively to both residents and tourists in the Western Catskills has proven to be effective in increasing Farmers Markets' attendance and spending at markets.

Credit: Patricio Robayo, Sullivan County Democrat Community Cupboard customers. Happy customers leaving the market. Dedicated mbile market volunteer at work.

SULLIVAN FRESH MARKETS FARM TO SCHOOL

CCE Sullivan received a grant from NYS Agriculture and Markets to develop a Farm to School program in Livingston Manor and Roscoe school districts. As part of the project, we have worked with the school districts and the Catskills Food Hub to source products from local and NYS farms, provide training to food service employees, and offer educational outreach to the students. We are also working with other County school districts, in partnership with Sullivan Renaissance, to expand this program. As part of the 2021 October Farm to School month, staff have been busy working with school districts to host educational events, such as a Farm to School Day at Sullivan West and the Big Apple Crunch.

Our Sullivan Fresh initiative evolved out of expressed interest to sustain local agriculture and build a stronger food system in Sullivan and surrounding counties. We currently operate 2 farmers' market initiatives in Sullivan County: Sullivan Fresh Market on the Move and the Sullivan Fresh Farmers' Market at Monticello. As part of the program, we work with local farmers to source fresh, healthy produce. The program partners with the Office for the Aging, Sullivan Renaissance, and Garnet Health to offer different incentives, making local produce affordable. We also partner with the Town of Fallsburg, Sullivan County Public Health Services, the g Village of Monticello, and the Community Church of Wurtsboro to set up our weekly stops.

the Town of g y Village of Monticello, and the Community Church of Wurtsbor set up our weekly stops. ers s' he h e o

S Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard ulliv Fresh Community CupboardreshC nity Cupboar

In response to COVID-19, CCE Sullivan and community coalition respIn Sullivan Allies Leading Together (SALT) procured a refrigerated van ullivaSu for door-to-door food distribution and community outreach, now r dofo dubbed the Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard. The Community ubbedu Cupboard has provided enough food and prepared meals to make upbCu more than 400,000 free meals and personal necessities to folks in orem need from all walks of life, across Sullivan County since March 2020. eedne Food is procured from farm and food producers in Sullivan County oodFo and the surrounding region, food pantries, and donors. They are nd tan nutritionally rounded by MyPlate standards and include healthy utrinu recipes and tips for safe food preparation and storage. Currently, we cipre serve almost 500 people, consisting of 150 stops on a weekly basis. ervese