Supporting and expanding local markets can positively impact farm profitability and create jobs through production, processing and retailing. According to the 2007 Empire State Poll by the Cornell University Survey Research Institute, 78.5% of the New York State residents age 18 and older surveyed buy local foods and 37.4% said they go out of their way to buy local food. Tapping into this market can benefit farmers and consumers directly, but as well, a more localized food economy provides more choice in the marketplace, maintains a working landscape, and reduces the vulnerability of a highly centralized food supply.

The North Country Regional Foods Initiative was started by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties and the Economic Development Administration University Center at Cornell’s Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI) to understand and document how local food businesses and activities benefit the northern NY region and identify strategies for enhancing those benefits.

On this website you will find resources  developed to support the goals of this initiative, including:  research based publications about NC local foods, links to on-line tools designed to connect producers and consumers, a calendar of local food events, and links to ongoing local foods work in the North Country.