Building a More Food-Secure Schenectady County
Access to nourishing food is a fundamental human right. Everyone in Schenectady County should be able to access the food they need to live a healthy life. Yet for too many residents, cost, transportation, location, awareness and other barriers continue to make that difficult.
The 2026 Schenectady County Food Action Plan represents the Food Council’s vision for what food access should look like across our county, and a path for making that vision a reality. Built from local data, community voices and lessons learned since the County’s first Food Action Plan in 2017, the plan focuses on removing barriers, strengthening and better connecting existing resources, elevating residents in decision-making, and building deeper collaboration across Schenectady County.
The work doesn’t begin with this plan, and it can’t be accomplished by any one organization. Schenectady County already has residents, farmers, food providers, nonprofits, businesses and institutions working every day to strengthen our local food system. We also have resources that residents may not know about or may struggle to access. Part of the work ahead is making those connections stronger and ensuring people know what is available to them.
Digital Appendix
Schenectady EATS Survey
- • Methodology
- • Limitations
- • Future Plans
- • Schenectady EATS Survey Questions
- • Master Data
Why the Plan Evolved
Since Schenectady County’s first Food Action Plan was adopted in 2017, the local food landscape has changed significantly. The COVID-19 pandemic, rising food costs, supply chain disruptions, changes to SNAP benefits and evolving community needs created new challenges and deepened existing ones.
At the same time, nine years of local experience provided a clearer understanding of what was working, where progress had stalled and where stronger coordination and accountability were needed. The 2026 Food Action Plan builds on the foundation of the original plan while responding to today’s realities with new data, broader community input and a greater emphasis on systems-level change.
What We Learned
To better understand food access across Schenectady County, the Food Council surveyed residents about where they get food, how they get there, and the barriers that shape their choices.
Conducted from May through September 2025, the survey received 943 responses from residents across the county.
Goals & Strategies
The Food Action Plan turns what we learned from the data into strategies for creating a more equitable, accessible and resilient local food system.
The Rotterdam Community Center demonstrates how trusted community spaces can integrate nourishment, education, wellness, and connection.
The Farm to Family Wheels program offers a practical solution to food affordability and accessibility challenges.
The Schenectady Greenmarket Food Box Program connects local farms with households seeking affordable produce.
How to Get Involved
The Food Action Plan gives us a shared direction for this work. Food security is a collective responsibility, and this plan is an invitation to be part of it—whether you’re a resident, community organization, business, funder, institution or local leader.
