30% NY Initiative Eligible Product Database

Cheryl Bilinski, Local Food Systems Specialist, Farm to School Lead
Harvest New York

June 18, 2020
30% NY Initiative Eligible Product Database

NY 30% Initiative Eligible Product Database

The 30% NY Initiative Eligible Product Database is a collection of products that, at a minimum, are made using at least 51% raw NY agricultural ingredients by weight or volume. The database was initially created to help K-12 schools identify products that qualify for the 30% NY Initiative, and has since expanded so that products can now be coded for compliance with the 30% NY Initiative, Executive Order 32, and NY Food for NY Families. For inclusion in the database products must contain at least 51% NY ingredients by weight or volume. Farm sources must be provided for whole, unprocessed produce. Processed and minimally processed products must either be NY Grown & Certified or have a Product Formulation Statement (which we can help you to establish). The database is maintained by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm to Institution Team.

If you are interested in having your qualifying NY products listed in the database, please complete this form. Our team will reach out to you to gather additional information, such as case size and distributors; confirm NY origin; and determine with which programs your products are compliant.

Watch a tutorial of how to navigate the database here. 

Please email farm2institution@cornell.edu with any questions.




30% NY Eligible Product Database Guide (pdf; 613KB)
  • Take a peek at this PDF to learn a bit about the database at large and certain features within Airtable



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Upcoming Events

2025 Agroforestry Field Day Series -- Agroforestry Implementation and Management

October 23, 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Highland, NY

Interested in incorporating agroforestry practices into your farm? Join us for a series of workshops co-hosted by CCE Ulster, Orange, and Harvest NY with Mastwood Farms, Black Creek Farm and Nursery and Scenic Hudson. 

On October 23, we'll return to Erik Schellenberg's farm, Black Creek Farm and Nursery, for a Fall tour of their agroforestry plantings. Erik will talk about harvesting and managing plantings while we see some seasonal crops and installations of different ages and types. There will be time for questions and discussion as we wrap up the series. covered.

Soil Health 101 for Community Gardens -- A Bilingual Workshop

October 24, 2025
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Staten Island, NY

Join Urban Agriculture Specialists, Karen Guzman and Yolanda Gonzalez, as they discuss the importance of soil health and testing your soil as you prepare for the incoming growing season. They will go into strategies for best practices when it comes to soil health management and highlight the current soil testing program through NYSDAM and CCE. This workshop will be in both Spanish and English.

Biochar 101 for Community Gardens (Upper Manhattan)

October 25, 2025
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Upper Manhattan, NY

Join Karen Guzman and Dr. Rebecca Nelson of Cornell University, Bill Hilgendorf of White Feather Farm, and the NYRP Urban Ag team for a deep dive into biochar as a tool for waste management, carbon storage, and soil health in a community garden context. During this hands-on workshop, participants will have the chance to make biochar using garden waste and learn about best practices when applying it to a garden bed. Workshop attendees will all receive a small amount of biochar to take back to their garden.

Space is limited. Pre-registration required.

Announcements

New Produce Auctions in NYS!

With the opening of the new Augusta Produce Auction on August 19th, New York State now has 11 produce auctions! See the new map of produce auction locations across the state and contact information.

New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series

Cornell Cooperative Extension has partnered with dozens of urban farms across New York State to demonstrate and evaluate sustainable pest management strategies. Together with farmers, we found success using control methods that prevent or reduce crop losses through exclusion strategies, crop timing, host resistance, the introduction of beneficial organisms, and more. Regardless of management strategy used, common requirements for success include a knowledge of the pest and disease complex, preventative deployment and commitment to the process. The New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series includes case studies highlighting pest management techniques that New York urban farms have found valuable.