One of the key players in addressing current food production and reassessing the food system is The Cornell Cooperative Extension. The extension, through the land grant, is aimed to extend resources from Cornell University to be applied to local production in the CNY region. According to their mission,

“Cornell Cooperative Extension puts knowledge to work in pursuit of economic vitality, ecological sustainability and social well-being. We bring local experience and research based solutions together, helping New York State families and communities thrive in our rapidly changing world.​ “

Through education and research, those at the CCE advise a variety of different producers basically as a consultant on how to operate farms more sustainably and economically viable. The members of the Syracuse office help maintain the Southwest Community Garden and attend regular meetings with SyracuseGrows, a nonprofit organization geared toward supporting food justice and community development through community gardening and urban agriculture. We interviewed Erin Hull, agricultural educator of the CCE, on her take of the current production scene. She works primarily with rural producers  and gave insight on her experiences throughout. One of the quotes that spoke out most was:

“The largest change I’ve seen is the population as a whole being more aware of where their food comes from, with a large push to either buy locally or grow their own.”

-Erin Hull