Archive: Business & Technology

Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming has been named the winner of the 2019 Community Food Funders (CFF) Champions Award! This prestigious award - given to one organization annually - was created to recognize leaders empowering food system change in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.

Seven funders in the Community Food Funders network, plus the 2018 winner Brooklyn-based East New York Farms, comprised the selection committee. Groundswell Center was chosen in recognition of their efforts to train the next generation of sustainable farmers, targeting these programs to marginalized communities, providing business and technical assistance to help farmers flourish, and doing so with a social justice and equity framework. Put together the organization's efforts represent the triple bottom line approach to food systems change. And done with a shoestring budget!

Groundswell Center runs an incubator farm that prioritizes support of underserved aspiring farmers who want to launch a business; is collaboratively working to address land access inequalities; offers hands-on workshops led by sustainable farmers & social justice activists that integrate practical and regenerative farming techniques; provides farm business training & 1-1 consultation in business development, financial planning & access to state and Federal resources; and regularly hosts food justice discussion groups and other events across the Finger Lakes Region.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to receive this award. It is incredibly humbling to be recognized for our efforts, especially following in the footsteps of previous awardees to whom we have always looked for guidance and inspiration. The timing for this recognition is perfect because Groundswell is at a major turning point. We are celebrating our 10th birthday this year and will be launching a major capital campaign in September which will double the impact of our programs. We are so grateful for this opportunity and look forward to what it brings.", says Elizabeth Gabriel, Groundswell Director.

The award will be presented at the Community Food Funders Annual Gathering, on June 12th 2019 at the Project Farmhouse in New York City. As part of the evening, attendees will hear from Elizabeth Gabriel and Alexas Esposito of Groundswell Center, meet the inaugural Seeding Power fellows, and enjoy a keynote presentation given by Dr. Monica White. Dr. White is the author of Freedom Farmers, a new book about the resurgence of food justice/sovereignty movements in urban spaces.

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