Growing Hope Cayuga

04/15/2026

We're excited to announce our first Youth Growing Project grant for Booker T. Washington Community Center to expand its Community Garden! This project provides youth with early hands-on learning experiences to help foster lasting healthy eating habits and self-sufficiency. Through the garden, BTW staff and volunteers engage children in learning how to grow their own food. Youth will learn cultivation, preservation, and basic food preparation skills they can apply across households and generations.

Thanks to the Cayuga County Youth Bureau for supporting our mission to accelerate an end to hunger and malnutrition around the world and here at home through positive youth development and collective action.

03/18/2026

The Citizen featured us front page today!

03/18/2026

03/14/2026

Thank you to all who attended!

A local nonprofit held its annual Food Systems Career Day on Thursday.

02/20/2026

Registration is open for Food Systems Career Day! This event brings together youth grades 8 to 12, educators and community leaders to explore the wide range of careers here in Cayuga County and the region that power today’s food systems. Register https://forms.gle/FebrfGxfJk6rJd9c7 and learn more: https://growinghopecayuga.org/careerday2026/

Event Timing: Thursday March 12, 2026 (8:30 am to 2 pm) Event Address: Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES, 1879 West Genesee Street Road, Auburn NY Contact us at (315) 730-9543 or [email protected]

02/19/2026

"Join the next generation of agricultural, environmental science and policy leaders. Help improve the health of the community, nature, animals, and the planet." Sound interesting? Check out the new SUNY site to explore a wide range of degree programs and scholarships to support career pathways in agriculture and food systems. It's great to see this partnership launch between SUNY and FFA. We couldn't agree more - the future of New York agriculture is strong, and career opportunities diverse and growing. https://www.suny.edu/agriculture

The State University of New York is promoting its agriculture programs through a partnership with the New York State FFA.

11/12/2025

Thank you to New Hope Mills for the generous donation of 4 cases of complete pancake mix to the pantry! Thank you to Growing Hope Cayuga for orchestrating, and Doug Young of Spruce Haven Farm & Research Center for the delivery! We are grateful for your support and partnership in our efforts to fight food insecurity. Acts of kindness like yours make a real difference and remind us how much good can come from local businesses who care about their neighbors.

05/01/2025

Have a great idea to help end hunger in your community or around the world? Growing Hope Cayuga is seeking proposals for youth growing projects to address local and global hunger. Awards will be capped at $5,000. The first round of applications will be reviewed on or around May 16, 2025. To access our 2025 Youth Growing Project guidelines and application, visit us online at growinghopecayuga.org/projects.

03/14/2025

🌱 Now Hiring at Grisamore Farms! 🌿

Do you love working outside? Or being around plants? Grisamore Farms is looking for hardworking individuals to join our team! A farm worker and cashier positions are available.

If you enjoy fresh air, hands-on work, and being part of a small family farm, this could be the perfect opportunity for you!

03/12/2025

Food Systems Career Day was an inaugural success! We were thrilled to see the turnout of students from multiple area schools. Sustainability and conservation were overarching themes of the day. Producing the highest quality nutrition with the lowest environmental impact. And protecting the land and water resources we're blessed with here in the Finger Lakes. Students explored a range of career opportunities across Cayuga County’s diversified food industry, ranked #1 in New York for agricultural product sales and #1 in milk sales from cows. Cayuga Milk Ingredients presented an update on Project Falcon and the 150 new jobs being created in Cayuga County at their new consumer products plant. Two dozen speakers shared insights and information with students. Presenter videos are coming soon! Thanks to the educators who attended with their students, speakers who shared their expertise and backgrounds, vendors who promoted internships, apprenticeships and job opportunities, and sponsors who made the day possible. Special thanks to the amazing teams at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES and New York Agriculture in the Classroom for logistical support, BOCES culinary arts students for preparing a delicious lunch, and Spruce Haven Farm for donating the beef. Visit our website to learn more about Growing Hope Cayuga, our connection to Growing Hope Globally, and our commitment to advancing lasting solutions to hunger locally and globally through positive youth development and collective action. www.growinghopecayuga.org