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Resources

We hope this information will give you a starting point for resources related to food systems planning and policy in Buffalo and Erie County. This list is not an exhaustive list of resources, and additional resources may be added from time to time.

I want to learn about

Food related resources

Please use the dropdown below to sort the resources according to your interest.

The organization’s name in the first column is linked to the website. An additional website might be listed at the bottom of the description column.

Title Description Categories
A Healthier You Recipe Book

Developed by the Healthy Community Store Initiative (funded by Cornell Cooperative Extension), this recipe book was created to help introduce community members to healthful recipes that can be made using ingredients found in a Healthy Corner store!

yes Education
yes Health
Amherst NY Office of Refuse Control

A list of times and days you can drop off compost material in Amherst, NY.

yes Economic Development
Buffalo State’s Small Business Development Center

Looking to start a business? Go to Buffalo State's Small Business Development Center page for seminars, classes, training; information on minority and women-owned business enterprises; and much more.

yes Economic Development
CCE Erie SNAP-Ed

Learn about classes offered, recipes, nutrition education, and obesity prevention programs available locally.

yes Education
yes Health
Community-Based Gleaning

A gleaning how-to guide prepared by Salvation Farms.

yes Education
yes Environment and Climate Change
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County

One of our associated organizations that offers cooking videos and other information about healthful foods.

yes Health
Cornell Cooperative Extension: Food is Medicine

Cornell Cooperative Extension has a Fruit and Veggie Prescription Program. Participation of health care facilities in this program means increased healthy food access for their patients, as those who are eligible receive vouchers for discounted fruits and vegetables.

yes Health
Double Up Food Bucks

Double Your Snap/EBT Dollars

yes Economic Development
yes Education
yes Food Access
Emergency Eats Cookbook

A compilation of low-cost, easy to make recipes submitted by community members for use during weather emergencies.

yes Education
yes Food Access
Erie County Breastfeeding Friendly Designation

Learn about Erie County's efforts to promote infant and child nutrition through the creation of its Breastfeeding Friendly Designation.

yes Education
Erie County Business Assistance Directory

Developed by the Erie County Clerk's office, the directory is intended to assist businesspeople by providing a comprehensive guide to the local business and governmental landscape. The Directory will reduce the time needed to get information to start and operate a business here. More information here.

yes Economic Development
Erie County Climate Action

Learn more about Erie County's efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and address our changing climate. For example, the Erie County Low-Income Program for Sustainable Energy (ECLIPSE) will address these impacts for Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) eligible families.

yes Education
yes Environment and Climate Change
Erie County COVID-19 Information
Erie County Farmland Protection Plan

Learn about Erie County's efforts to protect local farmland and promote sustainable growth.

yes Agriculture
Erie County Health Permit Applications

While there are many different applications listed, some local businesses may need access to permit applications for Food Service Establishments, Temporary Food Service Establishments, and other food business permits. For more questions on which permit application is right for you, please call Erie County Department of Environmental Health at 716-961-6800.

yes Economic Development
Erie County Office of Agriculture

Access more resources to learn about Erie County's participation in efforts to preserve and protect our local farmland.

yes Agriculture
yes Education
Erie Grown

Get more information about locally grown foods, where they are, and how to win prizes for visiting these locations.

yes Agriculture
yes Economic Development
yes Food Access
Erie Grown Passport

Get more information about locally grown foods, where they are, and how to win prizes for visiting these locations.

yes Agriculture
yes Economic Development
yes Food Access
Erie Grown Recipes

Review these recipes for some ideas on how to use locally-grown produce!

yes Education
yes Food Access
Essentials of Food Safety for Farmworkers Video Series

A video series teaching Food Safety to farmworkers, hosted by Cornell. Cooperative Extension of Erie County.

yes Economic Development
yes Education
Farm to Institution

Guide to help institutions adopt policies promoting purchase of local, healthy foods.

yes Food Access
Feedmore NY Mobile Farm Market

Request Feedmore's Mobile Farm market come to your site to provide fresh produce to your community.

yes Agriculture
yes Education
yes Food Access
FeedMore WNY Pantry Locator

Locate food pantries and soup kitchens.

yes Food Access
FindHelp

Find resources such as food, jobs, and housing. It’s searchable by zip code to connect people to their local resources.

yes Food Access
Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law: Guidance for New York State Businesses

Outlines best practices and resources for designated food scraps generators (DFSGs) to use when developing their organics management programs and maintaining compliance under the law.

yes Economic Development
yes Education
Food Insecurity Toolkit

An educational booklet for physicians and health care organizations to learn more about food insecurity.

yes Food Access
Food Preservation Resources

Cornell Cooperative Extension provides resources for reducing food waste, including recommendations for methods of home-preservation. Learn more about reducing food waste with the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

yes Education
yes Environment and Climate Change
Food Scrap Recyclers

A list of food scrap recycling facilities sorted by region.

yes Environment and Climate Change
GBUG Pledge

A pledge to grow food sustainably with health in mind. Find out more at the Greater Buffalo Urban Grower's Facebook page.

yes Education
yes Food Access
GO Buffalo Niagara Employer Programs

If you own a business and are interested in getting a free bike rack, learning more about offering employees discounted metro passes, and more programs that promote walking/biking/public transit, click on the link to learn more.

yes Economic Development
Good Agricultural Practices

Cornell Cooperative Extension provides information on the steps taken in produce packing areas to reduce microbial contamination.

yes Education
yes Environment and Climate Change
Greater Buffalo Urban Growers

Learn from members of GBUG the best practices for starting and maintaining an urban garden!

yes Agriculture
yes Education
Growing Food Connections

The overarching goal of this partnership is to enhance community food security while ensuring sustainable and economically viable agriculture and food production. This requires building the capacity of local governments to remove public policy barriers and deploy innovative public policy tools. 

yes Education
Guides to Policy 

Where to find information about food and agriculture regulations locally, regionally, and nationally.

yes Education
Healthy Community Store Initiative

An initiative hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County. Find healthy corner stores near you, access a recipe book that uses only items that are able to be purchased at these corner stores, and more!

yes Food Access
How you can help New Yorkers consume less sodium

Ways for health providers and community organizations to get involved in increasing the health of our residents through decreasing the intake of sodium.

yes Education
yes Health
Hunger Solutions New York

Get connected with food, nutrition education, and other resources to improve healthy food access.

yes Food Access
Massachusetts Avenue Project

Located on the West Side of Buffalo, Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) is a non-profit urban farm located on Buffalo's West Side. Visit their website to rent space in their farmhouse, find jobs for youth, find a guide to urban agriculture, learn what to do with food scraps, rent space in their kitchen and find recipes, locate their mobile food truck, or support their efforts.

yes Agriculture
yes Education
yes Food Access
Materials/Recycling Sites

Find places that will take the things you need to get rid of! Can sort by category to find those only relevant to your needs.

yes Environment and Climate Change
Models for Success

A set of case studies examining gleaning efforts across the United States.

yes Environment and Climate Change
New York Chamber of Commerce Directory

The directory lists all Chambers of Commerce in New York State (searchable by city), who can be contacted for questions and resources to help run their business. They can provide support in the development of projects within the county, perform analyses, and provide information for public bodies.

yes Economic Development
New York State WIC Program Vendor Selection and Enrollment

Learn how to become a WIC vendor (i.e., accept WIC at your business), find out about WIC approved foods, locating WIC stores, minimum stock requirements, and how eWIC works.

yes Economic Development
NYS Agriculture and Markets Home Processor Exemption

Learn more about the process for obtaining a home processor exemption, including a list of foods that are able to be processed and sold for retail in your own home rather than in a commercial kitchen.

yes Economic Development
yes Education
NYS Department of Environment Conservation

Information on the new Food Waste Law, composting locations.

yes Education
yes Environment and Climate Change
Providence Farm Collective

Learn about Providence Farm Collective and their work to support underserved farmers, educate youth, and provide employment opportunities.

yes Economic Development
yes Education
yes Food Access
ReFED Food Waste Report (2016)

A report addressing food waste across the United States.

yes Environment and Climate Change
Seeding Resilience

Learn about Seeding Resilience's work in mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on food availability and resources, as well as their food systems work from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

yes Food Access
Shop 716

An initiative from the Amherst Chamber of Commerce helps connect consumers to local retailers, restaurants, and attractions in Erie County. You can find places to shop, buy gift cards as gifts that can be used at hundreds of local merchants, and sign up to participate as a merchant in Shop 716.

yes Economic Development
Taste NY Market at the WNY Welcome Center on Grand Island

Be a vendor or shopper!

yes Agriculture
yes Economic Development
yes Food Access
The Broadway Market

Located on the East Side of Buffalo, the Broadway Market functions as a small business incubator, hosting food service and other retailers to help their business grow. They offer a shared kitchen for food preparation, as well as individual spaces for food and other vendors. They often host events featuring local producers as well.

yes Economic Development
yes Food Access
The Seeding Resilience Initiative Food Resource Map

Locate food distribution in your area. Often, these resources are low cost or free.

yes Food Access
Urban Agriculture Guide

Learn about Buffalo's urban agricultural landscape and ways to support our urban farmers.

yes Agriculture
USDA Gleaning Toolkit

Learn how to glean with USDA guidance!

yes Environment and Climate Change
Veggie Van

A mobile farmers market located in Niagara County providing locally sourced food to their communities.

yes Agriculture
yes Economic Development
yes Food Access
WEDI

Located on the West Side of Buffalo, WEDI provides programming, education, and much more to residents. Their resources can help people open businesses, find microloans, and much more. They even created the West Side Bazaar --a small business incubator where people can utilize a shared space for retail or food preparation and get started with their business.

yes Economic Development
WeRadiate

(MBE) - Provides workshops, technical assistance, and data technology to improve soil health for farms, towns & municipalities, and agricultural facilities across WNY.

yes Environment and Climate Change
West Side Bazaar 

Located on the West Side of Buffalo, the West Side Bazaar is a small business incubator where people can utilize a shared space for retail or food preparation and get started with their business. They offer individual spaces for food and other vendors, and host events featuring local producers.

yes Economic Development
WNY Food Policy Organizations 

Associated organizations that may be of interest to those with stakes in the food system.

yes Education
WNY Regional Food System Initiative

Request and Offer Resources for Food System's members in WNY, or navigate the site and get involved with their work.

WNY Sustainable Business Roundtable

Learn more about how to integrate sustainability into your business to help your business, your staff, and the bottom line.

yes Environment and Climate Change