Locavore Challenge
July 4, 2019
No Comments
July 22 – 28, 2019 The Challenge: To ONLY eat food that has been grown within a 100-mile radius of your home. This includes breakfast,
Farmacy
The Farmacy is a partnership between AdkAction and Keeseville Pharmacy, which serves as a model for bringing healthy local food to rural communities. The second Farmacy location will be announced in May, 2019!
Making it easy to find, buy, and eat local.
The Farmacy is a project that began in 2017 to increase food access in Keeseville, where there are high levels of food insecurity. In 2013, Mac’s Market in Keeseville closed down. As a result of this closure, residents were left with the choice to drive to Peru or Plattsburgh for groceries or buy processed foods from one of many convenience and dollar stores in the community. The Farmacy is a unique non-profit/for-profit partnership between AdkAction and the Keeseville Pharmacy that was formed with the mission of increasing accessibility of local, healthy food to all residents of Keeseville. While some rural communities, such as Keeseville, cannot sustain a traditional year-round grocery store, this business model provides another option whereby an existing business incorporates a farm grocery section into its storefront. This allows access to groceries without incurring the operating costs of opening and operating a new store.
The goal of this business model is to reduce the risk of food insecurity by providing healthy grocery options, as well as the tools and education to properly prepare and consume them. To increase awareness and education around using local foods, the Farmacy has hosted community cooking classes, onsite tasting events, weekly recipes, and incentive programs to remove obstacles to healthy cooking with local ingredients. Dan Bosley, the owner of the Keeseville Pharmacy, has adopted the slogan “Good Health Starts at the Table”, with that belief that food is a tool for good health. The Keeseville “Farmacy” also accepts SNAP benefits, and will be accepting WIC benefits soon. In 2019, AdkAction will replicate this mixed use business model to another location within Essex County, as well as continue to expand on the existing “Farmacy” in Keeseville.
Our Impact
1
Number of local farmers selling products in the Farmacy
1
Number of different products offered
1
cooking class participants
$ worth of free food incentives distributed
Take our Locavore Challenge!
Related News and Events
Blog
AdkAction Awarded Generous Acts Program Grant to support Farmacy Project
May 1, 2019
AdkAction has been awarded a grant from Adirondack Foundation’s Generous Acts Program to remove barriers that prevent low-income residents from eating healthy, local food.
Blog
AdkAction’s 2018 Colgate Fellow
August 6, 2018
Over the summer of 2018, AdkAction welcomed Colgate University Fellow, Colleen Donlan, on an internship experience funded by Colgate. Colleen worked primarily on the Farmacy Project.
Blog
Farmacy Project to Expand: New Equipment, Additional Site, Cooking Classes Planned for 2019
December 30, 2018
KEESEVILLE — A small farm store located inside Keeseville Pharmacy is about to get a major boost, thanks to an Innovation Grant from Adirondack Health
Donate directly to this project
Help us support farmers while creating conditions for healthier communities.
Explore Other Projects
Adirondack Pollinator Project
Promoting the health of pollinators, critical to our food and ecosystems, by empowering people to take individual and collective action to help pollinators thrive.
Reducing Road Salt
Road Salt pollution is threatening Adirondack waters. Studies now show that Adirondack lakes and streams near roads are contaminated and drinking water wells are becoming contaminated at an alarming rate.
Saranac Lake Whitewater Project
Reviving the Saranac Lake River Walk area is a critical component of community revitalization in Saranac Lake. We are working to bring back the Whitewater Park to create education and recreation opportunities.