ROOM AT THE TABLE - Intersight - University at Buffalo

Eating is an agricultural act, writes noted author Wendell
Berry, yet few recognize it as such. Too often the food that sustains
people is consumed with little thought to its origins or means of
delivery to the family kitchen or restaurant table. Food is delivered
to our table via a complex food system. A food system is a network
of activities, actors, and resources that enables the production,
processing, wholesaling, distribution, consumption, and disposal
of food. Thriving food systems ensure food security, agricultural
vitality, and economic vitality in communities. County governments
can do much to strengthen foods systems through innovative policies
and plans.
This report is a plan for strengthening Erie County’s food
system. The report was prepared by graduate students in Urban and
Regional Planning at the University at Buffalo for the Department
of Erie County Department of Environment and Planning. The
Department of Environment and Planning is in the process of
preparing a new farmland preservation plan ­ this report is intended
to inform their effort.
The plan contains an assessment of Erie County’s food
system, the challenges and opportunities it offers to Erie County
Plan Goals
1. Ensure economically viable and sustainable agriculture in
Erie County
2. Promote access to local food in the county
3. Ensure lasting food security in the county
4. Promote overall health and wellness of Erie County
residents
5. Educate the general public about the Erie County food
system
6
Executive Summary
farmers, residents, and businesses, and recommends action for
strengthening the county’s food system.
Erie County is home to 919,040 residents, a majority of
whom live in urban areas. While the median household income in
Erie County ($46,609) grew 22 % from 2000 to 2010, more people
are living in poverty. Only about a quarter of adults in Erie County
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Compared to the state of New York, rates of adult obesity (26.9%)
and adult diabetes (9.8%) are higher among county residents (Ch. 1).
Despite being an urban county, Erie County is home to
about 1,200 farms that cover about 150,000 acres (19%) of county
lands. Despite their presence, under current land use conditions, Erie
County farms do not produce enough food to meet the needs of Erie
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grown hay, soybeans, and corn while only 9% is used for production
of fruits and vegetables. Moreover, a majority of the county’s prime
soils are currently not used to grow food (Ch. 2). If the county’s selfreliance
in food were to be measured as a proportion of the amount
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the amount of food that could be produced on county farmland, Erie
County would be only about 10% self­reliant (Ch. 7).
Once produce and livestock leaves the farms, food processors
add value by creating food products. Erie County has a rich legacy
of food processing dating back to the 1800s as a hub in the wheat
industry. Recent data shows that the county has 91 food processing
businesses, but that the industry is experiencing a decline. Efforts
to connect Erie County food processors directly to local farmers
are a win­win strategy for economic development and agricultural
development in the county (Ch. 3).