The Latest from the Cornell Local Foods Movement

Cornell Cooperative Extension hosted its annual Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Systems In-service Conference on Nov. 13-15. The conference scheduled included four sessions in the Agricultural Community and Economic Development track organized by the Cornell Local & Regional Food Systems (LRFS) Initiative.

Over the course of the four sessions, presenters: highlighted farm to school initiatives in NYS and engaged in the audience in identifying challenges and opportunities that Cornell could help address through research and extension; discussed lessons learned in piloting a new framework for advancing community food systems development; shared research exploring how food hubs evaluate their social, economic, and environmental impacts; and explored a range of legal issues involved in farming and food systems as well as resources available to farmers to help them successfully navigate these issues.  All of the sessions had the two-fold purpose of informing efforts to support and strengthen food systems and providing opportunities for participants to learn from one another.

For more information about topics covered in each session, please see presentation PowerPoints (when used) and resources at the LRFS website.