Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** putnam county is nestled above…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** putnam county is nestled above new york city, abundant with idyllic pockets of nature, lakes, and country estates. But with a closer look, the hilly geography physically limits resources to economically and socially vulnerable populations. The region's deeply rooted income inequality was only exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic, with close to one-third of the entire county struggling to cover basic costs (united way alice report 2020).in 2021, cornell cooperative extension putnam county worked with the putnam county food systems coalition to conduct a community food security assessment, which highlighted a need to increase fresh produce for local emergency food providers. Putnam county has a growing network of efps and a well-established community of local farms, but these institutions have for too long been siloed off from one another, with local produce going largely to farmer's markets and restaurants, and efps relying heavily on shelf-stable products to feed those in need. This proposal seeks to break through this system and get fresh, local produce onto food pantry shelves and into emergency food delivery boxes based on input from low-income communities. Through direct community outreach to identify client preferences, facilitating formalized partnerships between local farmers, and establishing additional cold storage sites, cornell cooperative extension of putnam county will build on community efforts to establish an emergency food system that is more resilient, self-sustaining, and provides consumers with fresh, local produce in culturally sensitive and dignified settings.