30% NY Initiative: Opportunities, Barriers, and Pathways to Success
Cheryl Bilinski, Local Food Systems Specialist, Farm to School Lead
Harvest New York
The 30% NY Initiative: Opportunities, Barriers, and Pathways to Success report is a product of Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY and Cornell Cooperative Extension Allegany County. The report analyzes procurement data from 53 of the 57 school food authorities (SFAs) that qualified for the 30% NY Initiative during the 2019-20 school year. In addition to analyzing procurement data, we surveyed successful SFAs to understand how they altered their diversions and use of entitlement funds in preparation for the 2019-20 school year and barriers to purchasing local food, by commodity group. A combined analysis of the 30% procurement data and the survey results shed light on procurement trends, varying pathways, best practices, and strategic approaches to successfully achieving the 30% NY Initiative.
30% NY Initiative: Opportunities, Barriers, and Pathways to Success (pdf; 36476KB)
Upcoming Events
Urban Farming from the Ground Up
August 10, 2026
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Bronx, NY
Join CCE Harvest NY Specialist Karen Guzman to turn a community center into an urban farm! This is an open volunteer event.Rochester Soil Health Day
September 1, 2026
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Rochester, NY
Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY, New York State Soil Health, and Foodlink for interactive activities focused on soil health and an opportunity to get your garden soil screened for lead (reservation required).IPM Field Day for Urban Growers
September 10, 2026
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Buffalo, NY
Join us for a hands-on field day exploring integrated pest management and season extension tools for urban growing spaces and the opportunity to build community with local growers!This event will focus on best practices for using row covers and rat mitigation. Check out our CCE demonstration trial using insect exclusion netting to manage swede midge, an invasive fly that causes damage to brassica crops. Explore how to identify rat activity, reduce attractants, and strengthen site management. Hear from local growers on how they manage pests with a focus on organic management and how they extend the season on their farms and gardens.