Creating and supporting new market opportunities helps farmers both generate a profit and keep their land for agricultural use. Our state institutions annually feed millions of New Yorkers, with the potential to provide healthy, local farm-fresh food to cafeterias statewide. That’s a lot of food.
Farm to Institution New York State (FINYS) is an initiative led by American Farmland Trust to dramatically expand the volume of food grown on local farms and served in institutions across New York, such as schools, colleges, hospitals, and senior centers.
Learn MoreWe envision a world where regional food systems are abundant, equitable, and sustainable, with every New Yorker having access to locally grown nourishing food and providing New York farmers with strengthened economic security through institutional markets
The FINYS Local Food Learning Center supports institutions seeking to expand local food purchases, as well as farmers and producers preparing to sell their products to institutions. The FINYS Resource Center houses relevant farm to institution information, including FINYS’ New York Grown Food Guides on procuring, preparing, and serving the top agricultural products in the state.
The New York Farm to School Institute is a 9-month professional development opportunity for school food service staff, educators, administrators, community partners, and farmers to develop and refine their Farm to School programs, and to help bring more New York grown food into the cafeteria and classroom.
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Public policy campaigns advocate for agencies and institutions receiving public funds for food purchases to buy New York-grown food and to expand public funding available to institutions for purchasing those foods. Learn more about our New York Grown Food for New York Kids coalition and policy priorities.
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Transparency and documentation of changes in the local food economy are important to farm to institutional success. We publish reports and share stories that highlight the impacts of local food purchasing.
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New York Regional Program Coordinator
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Join our newsletter!American Farmland Trust is grateful for the support of FINYS from the NoVo Foundation, Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation, New York State Health Foundation, Henry P. Kendall Foundation, National Center for Appropriate Technologies, The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, J.M. Kaplan Fund, Tatiana Kaletsch, and other members of American Farmland Trust.
Photo credits: Nancy J. Parisi, Robert Cooper, and Josh Baldo
