ROOM AT THE TABLE - Intersight - University at Buffalo

and oil seed crushers, were constructed. Located north of Buffalo, the City
of Niagara Falls had access to cheap electrical power, which contributed to
the creation of electric grain elevators in the 1890s and the introduction of
-+0,#(0#1(F"%+(B+"!'$$,#-E(0$(H'336 11
The region and its food processing sector continued to thrive until
other advances in transportation began to render this infrastructure in Buffalo
obsolete. In 1932, the opening of the Welland Canal in nearby Ontario
Canada, posed a direct threat to Buffalo’s dominance as a food shipment
hub, as its route could accommodate grain boats and provide a direct route
past Buffalo. In 1959, with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, a shared
American­Canadian waterway project which created a series of locks,
canals, and waterways between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean,
effectively eliminated the Erie Canal as a commonly­used shipping route for
grain and food products. 12 The resulting loss of industry was a direct cause
of decline in population and jobs in the area. The waterfront is still scattered
with several grain elevators, serving as a reminder of the strength of this
industry in Western New York.
Today, food processing in Erie County occurs at varying scales:
at homes of residents, in small­scale businesses, as well in large­scale
industries—such as a General Mills cereal manufacturing plant—a remnant
of Erie County’s historic food processing legacy.
A. Current State of Commercial Food Processing
United States Environmental Protection Agency describes
commercial food processing as “the commercial manufacturing that begins
with raw animal and vegetable materials and transforms them into edible
food products such as dairy, meat, vegetable, bakery, grain and cereals.”
Food processing businesses convert raw materials into edible food products
sold by grocers, wholesalers, restaurants, and institutional food services. 13
Food processing industries include a variety of occupations. Some of
the occupations include: bakers, slaughterers, meat packers, butchers,
34
Figure 3.1 – Food Processors in Erie County
(Map: Authors
Data Source: Reference USA)