Community Food Advocates of NYC

10/01/2026

What happens when New York farmers, food producers, distributors, institutional buyers, and food system partners come together in the same room?

This October, we’re finding out.

Join us in Syracuse for the first-ever New York State Buyer-Supplier Mixer, a two-day gathering designed to strengthen the relationships that move more local, values-aligned food into schools, hospitals, and other public institutions across New York.

📅 October 28–29, 2026
📍 Marriott Syracuse Downtown | Syracuse, NY

Through engaging workshops, panels, roundtable discussions, and a Supplier Expo, participants will have opportunities to:
🍎 Meet farmers, producers, distributors, institutional buyers, & food system partners from across New York
🤝 Build relationships with potential partners
💬 Learn what it takes to build successful relationships between suppliers and institutional buyers
💡 Share practical strategies, resources, and lessons with peers
🌟 Explore new opportunities to strengthen local and values-based food purchasing

Whether you’re already working in institutional markets or looking to build new relationships, come ready to share what you do, learn what others need, and explore what we can build together.
Better food starts with better relationships.

Registration is open!
https://whova.com/web/0BGQAUSOuoMT0VSvKMKBpsX%40PBXlvI1nLpwV-6tECrA%3D/

09/03/2026

Join Community Food Advocates on October 15 for a night of Purpose, Partnership & Power! 🌱

We’re so fortunate to work alongside people who understand that meaningful change is built through deep partnership and collective action—including our 2026 Food Champions, NYC Council Member Amanda Farias and the East Bronx Academy Nutrition Knights, alongside teacher advisor Christine Montera.

From advancing policies like that strengthen our food system to students organizing for a school food culture that is more responsive to their needs and experiences, this year’s honorees really demonstrate what's possible when shared purpose turns into committed action.

Come celebrate with CFA, Youth Food Advocates, and the incredible community of partners, advocates, students, and leaders who make this work possible!

📅 Thursday, October 15 | 6:30–8:30 PM
at The Cornell Club, NYC
🎟️ TICKETS: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/communityfoodadvocates-nyc/event/annualcelebration2026/

08/26/2026

With grocery prices outpacing paychecks and more than half of New York families taking on debt just to put food on the table, NYC needs solutions built to match the scale of the affordability crisis.

In a new op-ed, CFA's Francis Yu makes the case for the transformative potential of the Mamdani administration’s NYC Groceries initiative—and the opportunity to build from this foundation to strengthen food access across the city.

From meaningful savings and good union jobs to growing the network and investing in bodegas, independent grocers, food cooperatives, and local and regional supply chains, we believe NYC Groceries can become part of a stronger food ecosystem for all New Yorkers.

Through the Groceries For All Coalition, we are eager to continue working alongside the Mamdani Administration and partners across the city to help this promising model grow and succeed.

Read our op-ed:

With grocery prices outpacing paychecks, New York City is building supermarkets that guarantee savings, support workers, and strengthen the entire food ecosystem.

08/14/2026

Momentum for continues to grow!

Onondaga County lawmakers are calling on Gov. Hochul to sign the Good Food NY bill, which would give greater leeway to institutions like schools and hospitals to buy locally sourced food.

Big appreciation to our partners at Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance for your leadership and to Legislators Dave Knapp - Onondaga County Legislator, 12th District & Ellen Block for speaking up for the bill and making the case for serving New York-grown food in New York schools and public institutions.

Read the WRVO story:

Onondaga County lawmakers are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the Good Food NY bill, allowing local public institutions like schools to buy New York produce.

08/12/2026

Thrilled to see the Good Food NY resolution passed in the Onondaga County Legislature, bringing the total to 8 jurisdictions with resolutions in support of the Good Food NY bill! Thank you to Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance, Dave Knapp - Onondaga County Legislator, 12th District, and Ellen Block for your leadership on this and working to remove barriers for local producers to engage with their local public institutions. Our public food dollars should be accountable to more than just the cheapest bidder!

06/04/2026

06/04/2026

The Bill (S.7638B / A.8091B) just passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the New York State legislature this week!! This landmark legislation removes one of the largest structural barriers for New York farms to sell to their local public institutions, updating outdated food procurement laws that award contracts to the lowest bidder at the expense of NY farms, jobs, and communities.

Thank you to our long-term legislative champions and prime sponsors, Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, NYS Assemblywoman and Senator Michelle Hinchey, for your commitment to the vision of this bill. To the over 100 organizations who make up our NYS Good Food Purchasing Coalition, and especially the steadfast leadership from our partners at the Good Food Buffalo Coalition—thank you for your dedication, strategy, and partnership. As we well know, policy is an endurance sport, not a sprint—and we couldn’t ask for a better coalition to move this forward these past years. We are thrilled to see this legislation headed back to Governor Kathy Hochul's desk.

At a time when New York farms are facing rising costs, supply chain instability, climate pressures, and the loss of support from federal programs, the Good Food NY Bill opens pathways for local producers to access stable institutional markets in their own communities by enabling public institutions:
• Prioritize purchasing from New York farmers rather than defaulting to the lowest bidder
• Pay up to 10% more for New York products
• Consider factors such as local economic impact, workforce standards, environmental resilience, nutrition, animal welfare, and supply chain resilience in food procurement decisions

This bill reflects many years of collaboration with farmers, labor unions, food system leaders, municipalities, and food policy councils across New York State to ensure it reflects the diverse and nuanced needs of our food system. We invite Governor Hochul to partner with us and strengthen NY's food economy by signing the Good Food NY Bill into law, expanding fair access to local markets for New York State farmers and producers. Because our public dollars should be accountable to our communities, not just the cheapest bidders.

04/14/2026

Big news for food access and affordability in NYC! Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani just announced the first city-owned supermarket location at La Marqueta in East Harlem, launching an initial phase of five stores. A strong, early signal of the administration’s commitment to advance city-owned supermarkets as a core part of the Mayor’s affordability agenda.

Community Food Advocates and our Supermarket Access Coalition partners are playing an instrumental role in close collaboration with key members of the Mamdani administration to ensure the success of this major initiative – offering recommendations, essential analyses, and informing the development of the city-owned model as it quickly goes from concept to reality.

Liz Accles spoke with The New York Times for their feature on the announcement, where she is quoted describing this as a “critical first step” toward a network of city-owned supermarkets. This is exactly the kind of investment needed to meet this moment.

City-owned supermarkets are for everyone. Our team is eager to bring our expertise to this work alongside our incredible coalition partners and city leaders to help realize that vision.