New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball kicked off Hunger Action Month Friday, highlighting the success of the State’s Food Access Expansion Program. Earlier this summer, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $10 million in Food Access Expansion Grants to support nine projects across New York, aimed at increasing access to affordable, fresh food in underserved communities while expanding markets for local farmers.
Commissioner Ball visited the Broome County Council of Churches in the Southern Tier to see progress on a project funded in part through the program. The organization received $1,553,688 to renovate an existing building with a new commercial kitchen and purchase a customized Mobile Market Bus. The new kitchen is designed to produce SNAP-eligible prepared meals for sale at the Greater Good Grocery and through the Mobile Market Bus, using products from local farms, including NYS Grown & Certified items.
During the visit, guests toured the facility and sampled small bites made with New York chicken, eggs, and ground beef, prepared by the Council’s executive chef.
Other projects funded through the Food Access Expansion Grant Program include:
- Adirondack North Country Association (North Country) – $468,576: Building a new processing kitchen and retail store in St. Lawrence County to expand permanent farmstand operations and support local farms.
- Buffalo Go Green Inc. (Western New York) – $809,932: Renovating a market, commercial kitchen, and juicery on Buffalo’s Eastside to expand mobile market operations.
- City of Schenectady (Capital Region) – $2,100,000: Opening a cooperative food store downtown with renovations to an existing building, in partnership with Electric City Community Grocery and others.
- Foodlink Inc. (Finger Lakes) – $291,420: Expanding the Curbside Market program in Monroe County with a commercial warehouse and new market vehicle.
- Research Foundation for SUNY (Western New York) – $265,973: Expanding infrastructure for the UB Veggie Van mobile market, including a new vehicle and additional cold and dry storage.
- Riseboro Community Partnership Inc. (New York City) – $2,134,720: Partnering with the Central Brooklyn Food Coop to lease retail space, fund co-op fit-out, and source food from New York farms.
- Syracuse Economic Development Corporation (Central New York) – $1,719,000: Renovating and reopening Valley Plaza Grocery Store on Syracuse’s Southside, providing fresh food and grocery delivery for seniors.
- Tri Corner Food Equity, Education & Distribution (Mid-Hudson) – $656,690: Purchasing and renovating a building for the new Fair Food Grocery Store, including a commercial kitchen, café, and retail space.
Hunger Action Month, observed each September, aims to raise awareness of food insecurity and encourage New Yorkers to take part in the fight against hunger.
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