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Local food leaders and nonprofits urge Tompkins County to invest as federal programs face cuts
Summary
Local food producers, pantry operators and service organizations told the Tompkins County Legislature the county should plan for greater local investment and coordination after recent federal program changes reduced food supplies and funding.
Don Barber, chair of the Tompkins County Food Policy Council and member of Tompkins Food Future, opened public comments at the June 3 Tompkins County Legislature meeting by framing food as a basic necessity and warning of growing vulnerability in food supply and distribution.
“The current disruption to our food system will require more resources to respond,” Barber said, noting the county-supported food system plan the legislature accepted in February 2022 and the county funds that helped launch a shared kitchen, training and a food-scraps drop-off program.
Sarah Paradiso, a local food access worker and member of the Food Policy Council, told legislators food pantries are seeing “unprecedented demand” and that pantries are part of many households’ survival…
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