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
Gardening Workshop
July 11, 2026
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Bronx, NY
Join Kingsbridge Heights Community Center and Urban Garden Specialist, Karen Guzman, to learn beginner gardening tips from planting to basic plant ID. We will learn which crops do well together and how to get good yields in raised bed gardens. Urban Agroforestry Summit
July 14, 2026
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
New York, NY
Learn and network with urban agroforestry practitioners, service providers and city government partners on ways to scale agroforestry in NYCJoin the Cornell Small Farms Program and Harvest New York for the first annual NYC Urban Agroforestry Summit. Begin the day by learning from invited speakers who will explore the evolution, current landscape, and future potential of agroforestry within New York City's food systems and urban forestry initiatives.