Mohawk Valley Farm & Agribusiness Network

MVFAN (Mohawk Valley Food Action Network) was a group convened  in 2010 by Cornell Cooperative Extension Oneida County, Rust2Green Utica, the Resource Center for Independent Living, and the City of Utica. It was also made possible with the support of a USDA Hunger Free Communities grant and the United Way of the Valley and Greater Utica Area.  The group focused on helping strengthen the local food system, and advocating for economic development efforts that increase food system business opportunities for local food industries to produce value added products.  By being an advocate for economic development efforts that focus on these value-added business opportunities, MVFAN wanted to help create agriculture jobs, and increase access to healthy foods for all residents. 

The work of MVFAN was based on the premise that the food system - farmers, processors, distributors, retailers, restaurants, emergency food programs, consumers, as well as the businesses and agencies that support them -- comprises a network that has uniquely important and interrelated impacts on the health of our environment, our economy, and individuals.  A resilient local food system is the foundation to position agriculture of all kinds and sizes as a job creating economic engine.  

From these beginnings, our conversation turned to the farmer and the agribusiness owner and how the partnership started in Schoharie County could continue the original vision of the food action network, with a different lens.  We want to use our agricultural ecosystem to generate more economic activity.