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January 2008
Walton, N.Y. - Pure Catskills Farm to Market Manager Challey Comer of the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC) has accepted a voluntary position on the Governing Board of the Food Systems Network of New York City (FSNYC). Comer coordinates the regional Buy Local branding campaign, Pure Catskills, and its 150 farmer-strong membership based in and around five NYC watershed counties, plus Otsego County. Comer joins 19 others on the New York City-based board which is well represented by various agencies including Larry Beckhardt of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (WAC’s primary funder), Bob Lewis of NYS Ag & Markets, and Tom Strumolo of Greenmarket (Council on the Environment of New York City). Comer brings with her a passion for hands-on farming and community sustainable agriculture (CSAs), as well as an expertise in engineering and sustainable farming practices.
As a FSNYC board member, Comer hopes to unite the watershed’s regional farmers and producers with the larger metropolitan consumer market. “By serving on the FSNYC board, I hope to make connections on behalf of my membership base. New York City is hungry for the farm products that our region produces. It’s a positive synergy -- connecting the upstate farmer and producer with a downstate consumer. Together, we can provide quality nutrition through better tasting, locally grown foods. Good food is no longer a matter of choice. All people deserve access to high-quality, safe food sources, and the Catskill region is the most immediate, and logical place for city dwellers to derive their food locally. I hope my contribution to the Food Systems Network will help facilitate the delivery of worthy Catskill-region products to this highly receptive audience.”
The FSNYC mission is to promote food systems that support improved nutrition and public health, increase access for all to safe and wholesome food, and strengthen and expand the regional farm and food economy. That mission coincides neatly with that of the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC). The WAC’s larger goal incorporates improving economic viability of farms and forests in the region while protecting water quality in the New York City watershed region. The Pure Catskills branding campaign is a six-county, economic initiative of the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC). Pure Catskills serves its members by providing educational opportunities designed to enhance farm-business profits, building networking connections to other producers, and increasing visibility among potential consumers through a regional branding campaign. Pure Catskills also fosters a sister initiative under the same name, which promotes Catskill-based wood products and agro-forestry businesses. For more information on the Pure Catskills Buy Local campaign and it members, visit www.BuyPureCatskills.com.
A few of FSNYC’s recent projects include influencing public policy regarding food sources in New York State and creating farmers markets in underserved, at-risk communities across the five boroughs. Founded in 2004, FSNYC activities focus on collaboration, education, and advocacy. For more information on Food Systems Network, log on to their web site at www.foodsystemsnyc.org.
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