Buffalo Rising Online

May 28th, 12:15pm By Christa Glennie Seychew

Judy Einach knows a lot about food. As an integral part of the team at New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NYSAWG), she works with farmers and other agricultural organizations all over New York, striving toward sustainable farming practices.

As an organization, NYSAWG's mission is to provide sustainable agriculture technique training for farmers with limited resources, to connect local farmers, producers and markets, educate consumers about their food systems, improve the food networks of communities, build a network of informed and empowered farmers, businesses, community organizations and consumers in New York State, achieve food safety by building food secure communities and to inform local, state and national leaders about the many issues that are connected to food systems.

Einach claims we have over 1,300 farms in Erie County. Some are simple, self-sustaining farms, some are large industrial farms, but 1,000 of them are what, in the farming industry, is called a family farm, earning less than $50,000 in profits per year. These farms are struggling to compete in what is now a global marketplace. Some of them support themselves by selling their goods at urban farmers markets once or twice a week during the peak season, while others rely on the income provided by a small stand on their farm with random passers-by as their customer base.

“State policy has neglected this group of farmers for so long that the structures that once supported them are absent,” Einach says. “Years ago the state and the city sanctioned public markets and it was public policy to ensure that people in cities had access to locally grown products. Farmers markets are a tiny piece of restoring that local food system, but they don't work in the sense that the farmers have to have the ability to participate. They have to be prepared to deliver their product and have the ability to staff their stand.

"In our area, the majority of farmers markets aren't open year around, making it all the more challenging. Some have successfully turned to the CSA model, where we as consumers help to share the great risks that the farmer assumes.”

And it's not just about the city. Einach points out that many of our rural communities are as reliant on supermarkets as our urban communities are. Food insecurity is an issue everywhere.

NYSAWG has recently introduced its alliance with an intensive marketing plan called “Buy Fresh Buy Local”. Successfully used in states like California, Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Massachusetts, this organization is comprised of local chapters that develop their own rules and regulations in a way that makes sense for their region. With lush signage, a slick guide to local food producers and a membership driven base, Buy Fresh Buy Local helps growers and markets increase the profile and cache of local produce.

Einach sites a study which shows that converting just 1% of a region's food budget to locally produced goods leads to a 5% increase in income for farmers.

Buy Fresh Buy Local is scheduled to hit NYC's Greenmarkets in the near future, and Einach is hoping that Western New Yorkers will get on board and work toward rolling out the program in our region soon. NYSAWG has lined out the steps that would need to be taken by any Western New York chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local. They include better understanding the local food system through assessment, planning the campaign in a way that is realistic and solid, and developing the funding and budgeting side of the organization. Certainly the work is more complex than the above statement might lead you to believe, but those are the basics.

If you have questions about Buy Fresh Buy Local, there are a few online resources noted below. If you are interested in being part of the WNY chapter of this campaign, on any level, please email Judy Einach.


Buy Fresh Buy Local

NYSAWG

Buy Fresh Buy Local in PA

Buy Fresh Buy Local in CA