PTRCCE101 - Food Systems

Course Description

In today's world, the food system is a complex and dynamic network that touches every aspect of our lives. From the soil where crops grow to the choices we make as consumers, the food system is woven from countless threads of expertise and effort. Food systems work draws upon multiple academic disciplines, including agricultural production, business management, community development, urban/rural planning, nutrition, environmental sustainability, and sociology. Recognizing these interconnections in the food system is crucial for anyone seeking to effect positive change, whether in terms of sustainability, health, or community resilience.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) system has always relied on collaboration to bring research from Cornell University to the communities of New York State. While there are many faculty members and Extension educators conducting food systems work, these disparate efforts have not been unified or integrated with state and federal Cooperative Extension goals and outcomes. Both the faculty and Extension educators, along with their food systems efforts, have remained largely disconnected from one another and the Extension system as a whole. 

To mitigate this disparity, this course will provide foundational knowledge in all areas of the food system in New York State as well as a shared context for discussions and the opportunity for potential collaboration. By taking this course, you will delve deeper into specific areas of the food system, including farm labor and workforce development, land access, support for value-added processing, and farm-to-school efforts — just to name a few. You will foster your peer network and develop confidence for participating in stakeholder discussions, enabling you to craft grant applications that better reflect the needs and opportunities in the communities with which you work. 

Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to interact with your colleagues and benefit from the knowledge of others during a live virtual session hosted by your facilitator each week.

Benefits to the Learner

• Outline the New York State food system from both historic and current perspectives
• Access tools to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the New York State food system
• Explore CCE's programmatic approaches to food systems work
• Explain CCE's role in food policy at state and local levels
• Articulate the challenges and opportunities within labor and workforce development
• Understand CCE's role in supporting and connecting value-added producers to the resources available across the system and the state
• Discover how CCE’s current programming impacts public health
• Effectively support urban agriculture efforts in your community
• Effectively support farm-to-school efforts in your community
• Effectively support both landowners and land seekers in keeping farmland in production in New York State