YOUR PATH TO LOCAL FOOD

NORTH STAR FOOD HUB

get involved!

    Are you a producer of fruits, vegetables, meats, or value-added items? Are you located in Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, or Lewis County? If so, and you would like to know more about North Star Food Hub and ways to contribute, please contact Neil Miller at 315-560-1580, or Neil@northstarfoodhub.com!

about

The North Star Food Hub is a regional initiative that serves farmers in Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, and St. Lawrence counties.

The Food Hub works in collaboration with the respective Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations and New York State Agriculture and Markets to help local producers expand their production and become more competitive in the marketplace.

In 2015, Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension educators in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Lewis, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence Counties, performed an analysis of opportunities for food hub development in Northern New York. Their report, found here, helped spark this project.

This hub is off and running, guided by a Steering Committee comprised of local producers and stakeholders who provide guidance and recommendations on development, implementation, and operational aspects of the Food Hub. The project is currently funded through a NYS grant, administered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.

Field Goods LLC, based out of Athens, NY has been retained to provide staffing and assist local producers in the four-county region to expand existing markets and find new markets for produce, value-added products and meats. Field Goods has significant experience working in other areas of the state buying and selling local farm products. You can view their website at www.field-goods.com to learn more about them.

MISSION

Design and implement a producer-owned and professionally managed food hub to enable NNY producers to simultaneously expand production while developing new market opportunities for a wide variety of local producers.

SUPPORTING OUR FARMERS

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OUR collaborators

Founded by Donna Williams, the mission of Field Goods is to deliver farm-fresh agricultural and value-added products to consumers. Operating as a subscription service, Field Goods allows customers to create an account, select a pick-up site, and receive fresh food weekly in whichever sized bag they choose.

North Star Food Hub is very excited to have the opportunity for Field Goods to source products from our producers here in Central and Northern New York for their bags.

For more information, visit: https://www.field-goods.com/

For those perhaps unfamiliar with the organization, the Commissaries are stores, similar to supermarkets, that are operated by the United States Defense Commissary Agency.

Their main focus is to provide military service members and their families with familiar food products wherever they are stationed, both abroad and at home. Beginning in the spring of 2017, North Star Food Hub began supplying the Fort Drum Commissary with local produce and value-added foods. Not long after, the North Star Food Hub expanded into other Commissaries throughout the Northeast. Now, soldiers and their families are able to choose from products such as produce, beef jerky, vinaigrettes, and honey, all sourced from North Country farmers.

Cornell Cooperative Extension provides technical assistance and education to producers and many local food activities, such as the North Star Food Hub.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County administers public funding for North Star Food Hub and offers agriculture-based education programs and technical assistance for local growers. Topics range from obtaining GAP’s certification, accessing the NYS Grown and Certified program, navigating the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Produce Safety Alliance – Grower Training Workshops, and marketing local foods. For a list of upcoming agriculture programs being offered, please click here.

For more information, visit: http://ccejefferson.org/local-foods

Or, contact Cathy Moore, CCE Jefferson Agriculture Program Leader at 315-788-8450, email cmm17@cornell.edu

Meet our producers

Black River Valley Natural
Lyons Falls, NY
ZOAR ASPARAGUS FARMS
RODMAN, NY
Martin's farm stand
Potsdam, NY
TUG HILL ARTISAN ROASTERS
CASTORLAND, NY
Contact

Neil@northstarfoodhub.com

200 Howk Street

Watertown, NY 13601

+1 (315) 560 1580

Have a question? We would love to hear from you!

Funding for North Star Food Hub is supported by the New York State Senate, granted by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and administered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.

© Copyright North Star Food Hub