We challenge YOU. Can you take it?

It's only July, but plans are underway and unfolding for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York Locavore Challenge, a month-long event that encourages participants to support local organic farmers and producers and to get others on board as well. With this year being the fourth challenge, the focus is shifting from an individual experience to a collective state-wide initiative.

The challenge is simple: eat locally, and attend local events and restaurants that support NYS agriculture. Along the way, NOFA-NY provides a checklist of tasks for you to undertake, including shopping at your local farmers market, making homemade ice cream, and contacting your local politician to inspire awareness and action. It's a fantastic way to get to know the land and people around you.

Registration for the Locavore Challenge is free, and you can learn some cool locavore tips on the way, like swapping out sugar for local honey in your favorite desserts, drinking tasty local beer, and growing your own herb gardens. Perhaps, Geneseo, it's also a great way to prep yourself for your fall produce share ;).

If none of that motivates you, maybe some free tote bags will. At Geneseo, I'm hoping that both students and community will participate in the challenge. I will be tabling and getting people to sign up for the LC on Thursday August 29 at the Geneseo Farmers Market. With some tote bags in which to carry your fresh produce.

And if that STILL doesn't help, then I'm not sure. Perhaps you have no soul? Register now and join locavores across NYS in this growing movement!

Food justice and the NOFA-NY Neighborhood Farm Share program

The two words are often tossed around together, but what exactly is food justice?

According to Robert Gottlieb, author of Food Justice, food justice "seeks to ensure that the benefits and risks of where, what, and how food is grown, produced, transported, distributed, accessed and eaten are shared fairly ... represents a transformation of the current food system, including but not limited to eliminating disparities and inequities." The food justice movement recognizes that there is an over-abundance of food in the world that is distributed unequally; no one should be limited access to fresh food because of an inability to pay.

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York has a food justice program that focuses on educating beginning organic farmers and providing organic food to underserved communities. Part of this is the Neighborhood Farm Share program that provides subsidies to residents in the Rochester and Buffalo areas for participation in CSAs through NOFA-NY member farms.


One of those member farms is Native Offerings (southwest from Geneseo, south from Buffalo) who signed up for the Neighborhood Farm Share program this year, and now provides CSA shares to Journey's End Refugee Services, a Buffalo nonprofit that provides refugees with services to help them to become successful, active, and contributing members of the community. By linking together, Native Offerings and Journey's End can provide access to local organic vegetables each week at an affordable cost.

Each week, refugee clients help the farmers of Native Offerings set up the CSA in the organization's classroom. Weighing out bags of spinach and setting up vegetables in their various spots were this week's tasks. 

While the program is very young and in its beginning phases, this is a fine example of building ties and expanding social justice through food and connecting farmers with those in need. Understanding why inequalities and disparities exist is the first step to unraveling inaccessibility. Some organizations/sites below can help you learn more:

- Just Food
- Heifer International
- Sustainable Table
- Oxfam's GROW Campaign
- Growing Food and Justice Initiative