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
Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101 (Flushing, NY)
January 25, 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flushing, NY
Join us at Ridgewood Community Garden for a free, hands-on workshop with CCE Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist Karen Guzman. Participants will learn about basic tree maintenance and pruning techniques. Proper winter care helps trees conserve energy, prevent damage from cold weather, and prepare for growth in the spring. Whole Farm Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Planning (CAMP) Series
January 27 - February 17, 2026
Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Please join Ulster County CCE and CCE Harvest New York for a free four-part webinar and workshop series focused on building climate resilience on your farm. We will cover climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, learn how to access locally relevant historical climate data, and begin a climate adaptation plan or disaster preparedness plan for your farm.By the end of the series, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to identify vulnerabilities in their operations, determine which strategies best address the issue, and secure funding to support project implementation.
Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
The Urban Farmer-to-Farmer Summit (TUFFS) 2026
February 4, 2026
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
New York, NY
Join us for the 6th annual TUFFS! Every winter since 2021, the NYC urban farm community comes together for an afternoon of conversations and show-and-tell, an opportunity to see what other urban farmers have been working on, to ask questions, and to share what went well for you this year (and what didn't). It's also the biggest NYC CRAFT event of the year, a veritable who's-who of the city's urban farm scene, and a great place to connect with the only other people who really understand what it's like to farm in New York City.This year's TUFFS is at Pace University, including a tour of the campus' farm project.