Need help with food? Visit the Food Bank of CNY, or call 211

About

SOFSA is a network of food system stakeholders and a catalyst for change. 

Our mission is to strengthen our food system so that it works for all people in Syracuse and Onondaga County. We bring communities together to foster relationships, develop projects, align resources, and advocate for policies to improve the health of our neighbors and our environment.

In addition to our mission, SOFSA is deeply committed to transformative change and aims to embed these values at every level of our work. Our Equity & Justice Statement articulating these values is a central piece of our council’s bylaws and its day-to-day operations.

This statement was collaboratively developed by SOFSA’s Equity, Inclusion, and Accountability Committee with input from the Advisory Board. The statement is included in SOFSA’s bylaws which were ratified by the membership on October 28, 2023.

SOFSA Annual Reports

SOFSA Advisory Board

Maria Bianchetti

OCRRA

Leah DeRosa

Plum & Mule Community Market

Beth DuBois

University United Methodist Church, Food Center @ 324 University

Amy Grover

Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists, Syracuse Grows

David Knapp

 Onondaga County Legislature,
Onondaga Agriculture Council

Adol Mayen

Syracuse Neighborhood & Business Development

Emilija Postolovska

M. S. Hall & Associates

Caitlin Toomey

Upstate University Hospital

Ethan Tyo

Syracuse University, AlterNative

Curtis Waterman

Onondaga Nation Farm

SOFSA Staff

Maura Ackerman

Tim Bryant

Community Liaison & OFRN Food Waste Recovery Specialist

Camryn Corbett

Special Projects Intern

Avalon Gupta VerWiebe

Equity, Inclusion, & Engagement Coordinator

avalon@syrfoodalliance.org

Laura Jayne

Health Justice & Evaluation Intern

Marguerite Leek

Community-Centered Food Systems Transformation Intern

Sophia May

Urban Agriculture Intern

Kayla Miller

Affinity Group Intern

Deb Orieta

Communications Associate

deb@syrfoodalliance.org

Brittany Taylor

Senior Community Liaison

Rhonda Vesey

Community Liaison

Alexander Warshal

Project Coordinator

alexander@syrfoodalliance.org

Jon Wilson

Mable Wilson

Community Liaison

Partners

PRODUCTION

  • Brady Farm
  • Hudson Egg Farms
  • Jubilee Homes Southwest Community Learning Farm
  • Onondaga Earth Corps
  • Onondaga Nation Farm
  • Refugee and Immigrant Self- Empowerment (RISE) Syracuse
  • Salt City Harvest Farm

MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION

  • Brady Market
  • CNY Regional Market Authority
  • Farm to Fork 101
  • Food Bank of Central New York
  • Salt City Market (Allyn Family Foundation)
  • Syracuse Cooperative Market
  • Syracuse City School District Food & Nutrition Services

GOVERNMENT

  • Onondaga County Agriculture Council
  • Onondaga County Health Department
  • Onondaga County Legislature
  • Onondaga County Soil & Water District
  • Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency

HEALTHCARE & HIGHER ED

  • St. Joseph’s Health
  • SUNY – ESF
  • Syracuse University – Nutrition & Food Studies
  • Syracuse University – Community Geography
  • Upstate Medical University

NONPROFIT

  • American Heart Association
  • CenterState CEO
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Farm Bureau of Onondaga County
  • Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E.
  • Healthcare Education Project
  • HealtheConnections
  • Northeast Organic Farming Association – NY
  • Syracuse Grows
  • Transforming Communities Initiative Syracuse

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER?

Remembering Evan Weissman (1978–2020)

Advocate, Educator, Justice-Seeker

Evan Weissman was a driving force behind the formation of SOFSA and a tireless advocate for building a thriving food system in Onondaga County. Our partnership’s ongoing work to fulfill this vision is just one of the many pieces of the enduring legacy of the life Evan lived and the values he held so deeply. We will be forever grateful for his many contributions to the cause of food justice in Syracuse and well beyond its borders.
Make a gift to SOFSA in Evan’s memory:

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