What keeps local farming strong? It’s the support of the entire community expressed in tangible and intangible ways. We each have a role to play in strengthening the agricultural fabric of the Rondout Valley. Buying locally-grown food for the family table – and getting to know our local growers and what it takes to grow the food we eat – are so important.

There are things we can all do, both small- and larger-scale to benefit our farms and community-at-large:

• Attend RVGA forums and public meetings to hear from farmers and others about the challenges facing existing family farms and the future of agriculture
• Support our Farm-to-School program and efforts to bring fresh local produce into our schools
• Provide for the food insecure
• Preserve irreplaceable agricultural open space for future generations
• Buy from local farmers at farmers markets and farm stands
• Purchase CSA shares
• Pre-order and shop online – many of our members offer those options
• Financially support RVGA and farmers through our fundraisers

Grants and donations are key to helping us fund and expand our initiatives, give farmer grants, and continue our work to promote local agriculture and food security in our communities.

Our bi-weekly Farmscape newsletters, Facebook, and Instagram all highlight local farming, events, important agricultural news, and updates on our various initiatives.

We are so grateful for the generous support for our Farm-to-Community programs. Local business sponsors, nonprofits, and volunteers help us share our message about the importance of local food and farming to an ever-widening circle.

While our regular event programming was paused during 2020, we had a Harvest Wine Dinner Basket take-out in October and similar events planned for 2021. We look forward to resuming our meetings, film screenings, and other gatherings – we’ll keep you posted!