Discover

The Finger Lakes region has a national reputation for both its cost effective health care system as well as its innovative and growing food and farming economy.

Yet the health, food and agricultural sectors continue to work in isolation from one another, even as evidence mounts that the way we farm and the food we eat is interwoven with our health on multiple levels.

Despite the agricultural abundance of the Finger Lakes region, many residents in our region experience food insecurity and diet-related problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and poor mental health.

Collaborate

In April 2017, we convened the Food, Farms and Health Symposium to examine the roots of this problem and to begin a conversation about barriers to accessing healthy food.

In October of 2017, we dedicated ourselves to an on-going exploration of the disconnect between our region’s agricultural abundance and the high rates of diet-related health issues in many of our communities.

Together with our partners at S2ay Rural Health Network, Foodlink and a select committee of experts we are addressing these questions:

* What foods do different communities have access to? How do they access it?

* What food is grown and produced in our region? Does it provide the healthy food our communities need? Could it?

Take action

Our exploration of the connection between food access and health is based on equal parts big data, community surveys and personal stories.

Please contribute to this work by taking our survey.

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Contact Us

If you have questions or comments, or would like more information, contact us.