Let's Help Local Food Systems Come Out Stronger

I hope that you and your family are well and safe during this incredibly difficult time.

My name is Kristin Kimball, I am an author and co-owner of a 1,100-acre sustainable, diversified farm in the Adirondack Champlain Valley.

It’s clear that people are more eager now than ever to have access to safe, sustainable, and healthy sources of local food. There has been a surge in retail demand for local food, so much so that we are working round the clock to meet the increased demand safely or to re-strategize to minimize losses from restaurant sales and events.

Spring is a critical time on the farm, for planning and setting ourselves up for a season of success. Laying irrigation, sowing seeds, planning for livestock.

It is also when the earth seems to come back to life.

When so much feels like it is out of control, it is reassuring to know some things will always ring true here. If we sow seeds, we will have food to share. If we take care of our land, we will have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. This is why, on Earth Day, we must support a strong food system that slows climate change and preserves our Adirondack Park.

To continue to grow a strong and just local food system, we must use this as an opportunity to set ourselves up to collectively come out of this crisis stronger. Where farmers can earn a living wage, neighbors have access to the food grown in their communities, and we steward the lands, waters and wildlife that make the Adirondacks unique. The Adirondack Council and the Essex Farm Institute have just awarded 10 grants totaling $32,000 to regional farms and food producers working to sustainably grow and produce food in the Adirondacks.

Now, Racey, Director of the Adirondack Council’s Essex Farm Institute program, is working with farms and local food distributors like our friends at the Hub on the Hill to strategize how this growth opportunity can create more efficient and cost-effective systems that support farmers during the crisis and building back better in the recovery.

I understand that there is financial uncertainty in addition to the health crisis. If your budget allows, please consider making a donation at this critical time to help us support a strong sustainable local food system in the Adirondacks.

Thank you for your dedication to Adirondack communities. Stay safe and healthy.

Donate now.

Kristin Kimball
Founding Chair, Essex Farm Institute
Co-Owner, Essex Farm

About Essex Farm Institute

The mission of the Essex Farm Institute (EFI) is to support, promote and train farmers to build resilient, diversified farms that are economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally beneficial.

EFI is a voice and a resource for farms in the Adirondacks of New York State. We act as an advocate, representing the policy interests of local farmers and educating our policymakers about the realities of farming in the Adirondacks. EFI is also a convener, bringing together diverse partners and their knowledge to encourage actions that: improve farms’ ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change, create links between local food and local population health, and strengthen the economic viability of regional farms for many years to come.