Q&A
Discussion on processing facilities for urban and local agriculture
1:15:53
·
127 sec
Council Member Brewer inquires about updates on processing facilities for urban and local agriculture, emphasizing their importance for selling produce to schools and other institutions. Qiana Mickie responds with information on their office's efforts to address this need.
- Brewer highlights the importance of processing facilities for enabling urban and local agriculture to sell to schools and institutions like Rikers Island
- Mickie explains that while she can't speak to other agencies' work on infrastructure, her office is gathering information on the needs of urban agriculture stakeholders
- The discussion touches on the efforts of nonprofits and for-profit businesses in communities to build processing opportunities
- Mickie emphasizes the importance of scaling facilities to meet the needs of small businesses and the ongoing work to inform infrastructure development
Gale A. Brewer
1:15:53
And then, on the other issue is processing facilities.
1:15:56
Yes.
1:15:56
You know, so I just we've we've talked about this in the past.
1:15:59
Can you update us if there's any, indication of because without processing, then some of the urban agriculture, not to mention the, you know, Ulster County agriculture, is not gonna be able to be, sold to the least to the schools or Rikers Island and so on.
1:16:17
But I just was wanting to get a update on processing facilities.
1:16:21
There is a funny story, which is I want this lettuce processing machine.
1:16:25
I've been trying to get it for 20 years.
1:16:27
I get nothing.
1:16:28
And so the state commissioner gave me a little tiny one for my kitchen.
1:16:31
That wasn't very helpful.
1:16:33
So I'm wondering if we're getting anywhere on processing facilities.
Qiana Mickie
1:16:37
So, again, I don't wanna speak to other agencies and their work around infrastructure, but with the Office of Urban Agriculture in conjunction with, our other offices like food policy, can continue to inform what is the need of green, food and value chain infrastructure for processing.
1:16:56
What I can say is, oftentimes, I hear from urban ag stakeholders.
1:17:00
They've been doing great work in their nonprofits and for profit businesses in their community around trying to build processing opportunities.
1:17:08
But, again, the in terms of facilities, I can't speak to larger agencies around their facility needs, but what we're continuing to do as an office of urban ag is identify the needs of our stakeholders to help inform those conversations.
1:17:22
So what those, when that infrastructure comes, it's relevant to the stakeholders that we need.
1:17:28
So if we're thinking about infrastructure within our city, but to support small businesses, rule and otherwise, that those facilities need to be scaled to those small, businesses.
1:17:38
And those are the partners we're continuing to build in our MWBE work, our city's training program with food operators and distributors.
1:17:47
So, we're getting a lot of great relevant information that we're happy to share that can inform infrastructure at the, you know, from the city up.
1:17:54
Okay.
1:17:55
Thank you very much.
1:17:56
Thank you, council member.
Amanda FarÃas
1:17:59
Thank you folks so much.
1:18:00
I have I'm gonna go back to some of the questions I have for the Office of Urban Agriculture.
