Food As Medicine (FAM) Post-Summit Sponsor Update

The Buffalo Center for Health Equity extends its sincere appreciation to the Alliance for a Hunger Free New York, NYS Food as Medicine Coalition, and Food Pantries for the Capital District for hosting the 2026 New York State Food Summit, “Nourishing Communities Together.”  We are grateful for the opportunity to share our work and to engage with partners from across New York who are advancing innovative approaches to improve health through food access.

Since our January presentation to the New York State Food as Medicine Coalition, our work has continued to demonstrate how education, agriculture, and community partnerships can create healthier communities. Recent highlights include the Juneteenth Agriculture Pavilion presentation featuring Tony Hillery of Harlem Grown, the Healthy Options Student Engagement Program led by Aunt Connie's Ed-U-Kitchen—where students from Health Sciences Charter School earned nationally recognized ServSafe® certifications, with several achieving perfect examination scores—and the recent Food Access Dinner which convened healthy food leaders to explore collaborative strategies for strengthening local food systems in an informal dining environment.

As part of these ongoing efforts, we are pleased to continue highlighting the Indoor Food Production Facility as an example of innovative urban agriculture. Utilizing controlled-environment hydroponic growing methods, the facility produces fresh vegetables year-round without soil while minimizing the need for conventional chemical pesticides and herbicides. Produce designated for the Buffalo Center for Health Equity is donated to support local food access initiatives, demonstrating how innovative agricultural technologies can strengthen community food systems while advancing environmental stewardship.

We are grateful for the many organizations, educators, agricultural professionals, healthcare partners, and community leaders whose expertise and collaboration continue to advance food access across our region. Together, we remain committed to building sustainable, equitable, and healthy food systems for all.