ADDRESSING FOOD SYSTEM NEEDS IN PUTNAM COUNTY NY

The major project goal is to increase fresh, local, and culturally relevant produce for food insecure individuals in Putnam County, New York, through strengthened food system partnerships and cold storage investments. To reach this major goal, we've outlined four distinct goals and their corresponding objectives:Goal #1: Increase fresh produce for food insecure individuals. The distinct objectives for meeting this goal are:1. Increase pounds of fresh produce on shelves in food banks by 10% available for food insecure individuals2. Increase fresh produce delivered by food delivery services, such as United Way, by 25%3. 600 new participants served by EFPs/delivery services4. Secure six farms and six EFPs to work collaboratively and grow produce directly for EFPs meeting their needsGoal #2: Increase local produce for food insecure individuals. The distinct objective for meeting this goal is:10% increase in the amount of money EFPs are spending directly at local farms as opposed to food bank/wholesale food distributors.Goal #3: Increase culturally relevant produce for food-insecure individuals. The distinct objective for meeting this goal is:1. Increase pounds of culturally relevant produce on shelves in food banks by 25%Goal #4: Streamline distribution and delivery of locally grown foods. The distinct objective for meeting this goal is:1. Provide 100 food delivery trips per year (beginning year 2-4) offering produce for food-insecure individuals