CORTLAND FOOD PROJECT RESCUE AND WASTE PREVENTION PROGRAM

About

In January 2019, in collaboration with Cortland Food Project, SVHC approached the City of Cortland with a request to allow SVHC to author a grant application enabling the City to apply for funding through the NYSDEC Municipal Food Scraps Reduction, Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling program. In May 2019 the City of Cortland was awarded 36 months of funding through the program and subcontracted with SVHC to execute the project, which will run through Spring 2022. SVHC works closely with the grant’s Project Director, Bruce Adams, who is the Superintendent of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Department and other members of the CFP and Hunger Coalition Subcommittee to execute the project. Subsequently, in June 2019, SVHC was awarded a grant through the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York (HFWCNY) to meet the cash match requirements of NYSDEC grant.

Our Goals

1. Develop and implement a public education campaign increasing awareness of methods to reduce the volume of food scraps entering the municipal waste stream, whether residential food scraps or excess wholesome foods from grocery stores, farms, restaurants, or other institutions.

2. Design and implement food recovery/rescue program for Cortland to reduce the volume of wholesome, edible food entering the municipal waste stream and diverting it to the food insecure.

3. Once implemented, expand the new food recovery program to include processing donated “past prime” produce into value-added products (e.g., salsa, pesto, etc) to then divert to food insecure individuals and/or utilize for program sustainability funding.

Funded and Sponsored By

Funding for this project is (partly) provided by the Environmental Protection Fund as administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, and the City of Cortland.