Local Agency Awarded $35,000 in Grant Funding
BELMONT, NEW YORK – For over a century, Cornell Cooperative
Extension has put knowledge to work in pursuit of economic vitality, ecological
sustainability and social well-being. Now, with the help of grant funding and
the hard work of Laura Hunsberger (Executive Director), and Cassandra Bull
(Farm to School Coordinator), Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County
can embark on a new and exciting project. The extension office has plans to
create a public commercial kitchen facility that they call The FLAVOR (The
Food, Local Assistance, Value, & Opportunity Resource) Kitchen.
These funds will be utilized to improve and upgrade Cornell
Cooperative Extension’s kitchen facilities in order to receive a 20-C license
and become a safe, certified Commercial Kitchen that hosts nutritional and
cooking classes for many families in the Southern Tier. This kitchen will also
be available for farmers and other entrepreneurs, who can rent the space for
processing food products that they can then sell retail. Design and
construction of the FLAVOR Kitchen will take place over the course of this
year.
Cornell Cooperative Extension was awarded $15,000 from the
Western New York Foundation, $10,000 from the United Way of Allegany County,
$10,000 from the Garman Family Foundation through the Community Foundation of
Greater Buffalo, and $600 from the Allegany County Area Foundation. "This
project would not have been possible without the generous funding from these
wonderful philanthropic organizations. I am so grateful that they see the value
in our work, and I know that this project will help us continue to deliver
diverse and dynamic programs and foster more collaboration within the
county", states Hunsberger.
The mission of the FLAVOR Kitchen is to increase the knowledge
of healthy food, consumer processing options, and good health programs. This
project will increase access to commercial kitchen facilities for residents and
community organizations, increase food security, and increase knowledge of
nutrition and healthy food preparation. In the long term, this will lead to
higher consumer awareness, improved health and well-being, and a greater sense
of community connectedness.
The FLAVOR Kitchen Project is one of many programs offered
by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County. They put knowledge to work
in pursuit of economic vitality, ecological sustainability and social
well-being. Cornell Cooperative Extension offices bring local experience and
research based solutions together, helping New York State families and
communities thrive in our rapidly changing world. For more information, call
585-268-7644 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/allegany. Cornell
University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment
opportunities.
