2024 Food Justice Fund Grantees

Delaney Farms is a family-owned farm that prides itself in growing food using Good Agriculture Practices, Integrated Pest Management, and Non-GMO crops. PEACE, Inc. is a Community Action Agency working to tackle poverty through mentorship programs and early education.

Throughout their joint project, Delaney Farms and PEACE, Inc. expanded access to fresh produce and created learning opportunities for kids in the PEACE program. Part of the funds from FJF subsidized fresh produce from Delaney Farms, which was delivered to PEACE, Inc. offices and then distributed throughout the city. Additionally, the two organizations collaborated to create the “Farmer for a Day” workshops, wherein 40 Syracuse Middle School Youth gained a greater appreciation of the Central New York Food System by doing hands-on learning at…

Haven Community Garden promotes food security, nutrition education, and access to green spaces on the Northside of Syracuse. They grow an assortment of crops for distribution, teaching and facilitating various wellness workshops, and providing community members with hands-on experiences in the garden.

The Haven Community Garden used the awarded funds to purchase both paper and reusable bags, allowing more community members to take produce home. They collaborated with local activist and artist Marion Rodriguez of What Moves You to acquire reusable bags through her buy-one, give-one model, amplifying the impact of the funding from SOFSA within the community. They will use the remaining funds to purchase food storage solutions and accessible seating in the garden.

Haven Community Garden

RISE operates 3 community gardens on the Northside of Syracuse, a mixed vegetable farm in Lacona, NY, and a meat goat farm in Tully, NY. These gardens/farms provide New Americans with the resources and education required to grow and acquire culturally relevant foods in Central NY. Many of RISE’s clients come to the US with extensive agricultural experience and a desire to maintain their agricultural traditions.

The Food Justice fund has supported an increased focus on food distribution and reshaped RISE’s ability to get food to families in need and pay the farmers. By the beginning of September, RISE had purchased over 2000 pounds of produce, paying farmers over $2000 from the SOFSA fund. The farmer participants have reported a positive effect on…

InterFaith Works affirms the dignity of each person and every faith tradition, builds racial and religious equity, and creates bridges of understanding among all. Since receiving the Food Justice Grant, the Aging Services Coalition at InterFaith Works has incorporated “Age Well: Eat Well Days,” outreach events held in trusted community spaces that connect lower-income older adults with resources and education on nutrition and eating healthy. Community partners include the Food Bank of CNY, the Interreligious Food Consortium, and SNAP Ed at Cornell. One “Age Well: Eat Well Day” featured a live cooking demonstration of a healthy side salad with the lunch served to participants, and incorporated healthy eating “themes” into the thank-you gifts and raffle prizes, including gifting spatulas with a healthy recipe…

Asha Laaya Farm provides Deaf farmers land access to grow culturally relevant foods. Farmers distribute the produce at markets to support themselves and their families. Since receiving the grant funding, Deaf New American Advocacy has been able to bring water from OCWA to their farm, Asha Laaya. This has allowed them to provide irrigation to the farmers’ plots. Cow manure was also used to support the plant’s nutrient requirements, and together, this has significantly increased harvest amounts.

Deaf New American Advocacy Inc

Joe Family Foundation focuses on nutritional support and education to underserved populations. Using Food Justice Funds, they collaborated with the Syracuse City School District and McKinley-Brighton Elementary School to host a food workshop for disabled children and their families. The event attracted over 150 attendees, including children, parents, caregivers, and teachers. The workshop, led by Chef Danielle, focused on educating participants about nutritious food choices and included a hands-on demonstration where parents learned how to prepare salsa using fresh vegetables. Attendees were able to sample the salsa, and each family took home a jar of our “Brainy Boy Salsa,” along with nutrition education materials. The engagement and feedback from parents and children were overwhelmingly positive, making it a successful outreach effort. They will…

FAHNN is a community grassroots organization since 2020, focused on increasing access to healthy foods for residents living in and around the City of Syracuse’s Valley/South Side neighborhoods.

Food Access Health Neighborhoods Now! (FAHNN) hosts a weekly Wednesday Evening Market and Educational Workshop Series, which is supported by the funding. Workshops were often well attended by community members and included presentations by Syracuse Community Health, FoodBank of CNY, Syracuse Urban Food Forest Project, and Creating Healthy Schools and Communities. Funds were also used for market outreach through advertisements, social media, signs, and banners. Funds were also used for a Market Delivery Service and on-site market WiFi.

FAHNN – Syracuse