Field & Fork Network is excited to announce their management of the Niagara Falls City Market, a dynamic community hub for locals and visitors. The market will officially open on June 1st, 2023, and will be located at 19th Street & Pine Avenue in downtown Niagara Falls, NY.
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In an effort to make the local food system a more equitable place for all, Niagara Falls’ central and year-round market is finally going to begin accepting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), also known as food stamps or EBT. Healthy Food Healthy People of Niagara Falls along with the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area and Create a Healthier Niagara Falls Collaborative, have partnered with the Niagara Falls City Market to make it happen. In order to ensure the successful implementation and use of the benefit program, we are looking for a Community Outreach and Market EBT Coordinator. This person will not only manage the enrollment and acceptance of SNAP customers at the market, but is also a critical touchpoint in partnering with community members to get the word out about the availability of the program at City Market.
The ideal candidate should have a passion for social and community justice, be personable and approachable, and flexible as this is a temporary and part-time role. For more information and to submit an application please read the description here.
If you have any questions, reach out to Tom Lowe, Project Director, at Tlowe@fieldandforknetwork.com.
Healthy Food Healthy People of Niagara Falls partnered with local consultant Buffalo Moose Group to work with community leaders, throughout 2020-2021, to create a strategic roadmap to move the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan forward.
“We understand and embrace the value of difference, making use of each individual or organization’s strengths, and that much is gained through collaboration,” said Cynnie Gaasch of Buffalo Moose Group. “We understand that many organizations have suffered from a lack of investment from those in positions of power. Together, we help clients to move into strength and gain the support they deserve.”
Since 2009, when the Niagara Falls residents began its investigation into quality of life, health, and safety, the need to improve health outcomes for residents had become clear. Thanks to the work of the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan, channels to support improved health have now been identified, and this roadmap for the development of a new and sustainable organization dedicated to improving food access is taking shape for the benefit of all Niagara Falls residents. The Niagara Falls Food Action Roadmap calls for the work to be a relevant celebration and opportunity – of strength rather than poverty.
Residents of Niagara Falls, New York, are mobilizing to create a robust and healthy community through the vital source of food. Today there is an opportunity to secure the strength of our community, allowing food to be the catalyst for growth it is, but not just for healthy bodies. The potential for food to have a positive impact on economic development, community, good health, learning, growth, and great conversation is there. This roadmap is focused on activating the talents and resources of our region to create that change around food in Niagara Falls.
There will be opportunities for small-business development, entrepreneurship, neighbors helping neighbors, increased equity around how food resources are distributed, balance through food justice, and a healthy community that begins to restore residents’ trust.
We’d like to thank all of our partners for guiding this process, starting with Project Director Tom Lowe, from Field & Fork Network, and the steering committee, who met monthly, made up of: Brian Archie – Create a Healthier Niagara Falls, Lisa French – Field & Fork Network, Lisa Neff – American Heart Association, Lynne Neveu – Planned Parenthood of Western and Central NY, Jeanette Koncikowski – Grassroots Gardens of WNY, Jen Regan – Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, and Rob Sozanski – USA Niagara Empire State Development.
To read more about the strategic roadmap please read the narrative found here.
Refresh your memory of the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan here.
Niagara Falls, NY – Field & Fork Network announced today that it has been awarded a $50,000 grant, from General Motors, to propel workforce development and training programming related to the local food system of Niagara Falls. The grant will immediately focus on a planning and piloting phase to provide a better understanding of the needs and interests of local food systems’ employers and potential employees. The project will be nurtured by Healthy Food Healthy People, a work group that is focused on increasing food access by strengthening the local food system.
According to the American Community Survey (2015), the City of Niagara Falls had 18,601 jobs available for a population of 48,896; that is one job for every 2.6 people. One-third of the available jobs pays less than $15,000 per year. The lack of jobs and lack of a living wage presents great challenges for residents in Niagara Falls to provide their families with financial stability and access to healthy meals. Healthy Food Healthy People, a work group established out of the Create A Healthier Niagara Falls Collaborative and in partnership with Field & Fork Network, hope to encourage residents to understand the value of, be able to, and choose to eat healthy foods.
When asked about their support for the program, Hal Garling, program officer for GM Corporate Giving, said “General Motors supports the communities where we have operations and with nearby facilities in Western New York and Canada, we are supporting the Field & Fork Network in equipping individuals with essential skills to gain secure employment in a competitive economy while positively impacting the local food system.”
Healthy Food Healthy People, started in 2013, and is comprised of over 35 community organizations and residents who have developed the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan to affect policy from the street up to government levels. The plan is strategically broken down into four key frameworks – agriculture, economic development, education, and healthy neighborhoods – each with several actionable and resident-driven objectives.
“The Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan has been a resident-guided process and is a resident-driven approach to strengthening the local food system,” said Tom Lowe, project director of the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan. “The workforce program, funded by General Motors, will be no different and will be informed by residents and other community stakeholders.”
Healthy Food Healthy People is currently working with Buffalo Moose Group, a local consultant group, to finalize an overarching strategy for moving forward. This process includes resident surveys and focus groups to direct the focus of the implementation process which will result in a strategy road map for the work group. Residents of Niagara Falls are encouraged to get involved now by lending their insights. Participants will be rewarded for their service by being entered into a sweepstakes drawing for one of 12 gift cards valued at $50-$250. The drawing ends February 15th, with winners to be announced on the 19th. To take the survey and read the full Niagara Falls Food Action Plan, please visit http://bit.ly/PRsurvey2021.
