Evaluating the Growth and Impact of the 30% NY Initiative, 2023-24
Cheryl Bilinski, Local Food Systems Specialist, Farm to School Lead
Harvest New York
July 8, 2025

Pathways to Progress: Evaluating the Growth and Impact of the 30% NY Initiative in 2023-24 is a product of Cornell University Farm to School (CU F2S). The report analyzes the procurement data of 73 School Food Authorities (SFAs) that qualified for the 30% New York State Initiative (NY30) based on NY food product (NYFP) purchases made during the 2023-24 school year (SY). The goals of this analysis are to:
- Assess the growth of the NY30 program and measure progress in relation to its legislative intent.
- Evaluate purchasing patterns across various food industry groups, comparing current data with purchases from the 2019-20 SY.
- Identify current barriers to purchasing NYFPs across food industry groups and compare these with the barriers identified in 2019-20.
- Examine strategies and resources that enhance the likelihood that SFAs will be successful in the NY30.
- Identify areas where further research is needed to advance the NY30 program.
Written by Cheryl Bilinski, Local Foods Systems Specialist and Cornell Farm to Institution Program Director, CCE Harvest NY with funding provided by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Evaluating the Growth and Impact of the 30% NY Initiative, 2023-24 (pdf; 3234KB)
Purchases and Payments Made to SFAs, 2018-2024 (pdf; 207KB)
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).Resilient Gardens Conference
September 18 - September 19, 2026
Fri: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sat: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Poughkeepsie, NY
The third Resilient Gardens Conference will focus on culturally relevant gardening skills and community garden management for the unique resource needs of urban gardeners. This two-day event will feature education and practical skills on day one; we'll hear from leaders of diverse stakeholder groups on strategies to overcome these issues in cities and rural communities and connecting resources between Cornell Cooperative Extension and leading community gardens. The second day is optional and will include tours of local gardening projects across Poughkeepsie and Kingston NY. This event is primarily open to Seed to Supper Garden Educators, CCE Educators, Master Gardener Volunteers and Upstate Seed to Supper Program Participants, as well as partner Community Gardens involved with Harvest NY.
