Chemung County Veggie Van
- Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, July 29, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, August 5, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, September 2, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesdays (Lowery Family Farms):
o 10am – 12pm: Chemung County Fairgrounds, 170 Fairview Rd, Gate 3, Horseheads, NY 14845
o 1pm – 3pm: Meals on Wheels, 409 William St., Elmira, NY 14901
o 4pm – 6pm: Southside Community Center, 215 Partridge St., Elmira, NY 14904
Fresh Produce Delivered to You New Farm to Community/Worksite Initiative Expands Access to Fresh Produce in the Southern Finger Lakes Region
(Bath, NY) – The SNAP-Ed Southern Finger Lakes Region is excited to announce the launch of the Farm to Community/Farm to Worksite initiative, aimed at increasing access to fresh, local produce for underserved communities within the Southern Finger Lakes region. This initiative features two key programs, the Veggie Van Program and the Food Box Program, designed to bring nutritious fruits and vegetables directly to those who need them most.
In the Southern Finger Lakes Region, almost 10% of residents report being food insecure and 35% of adults report consuming less than one fruit or vegetable daily. The SNAP-Ed Farm to Community/Farm to Worksite initiative is designed to improve nutrition and food security by connecting consumers with fresh, locally sourced produce. Through partnerships with local farms and community organizations, this initiative fosters a sustainable food system that benefits both growers and consumers.
One of the key components of the SNAP-Ed Farm to Community/Farm to Worksite initiative is the Veggie Van. The Veggie Van operates as a mobile market that travels throughout the region, making stops at various community sites to provide fresh, locally sourced produce. The program is designed to overcome barriers to healthy food access by bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to convenient locations where community members can easily purchase them. The Veggie Van is open to EVERYONE and accepts cash, check, credit/debit, EBT/SNAP Benefits, Farmers’ Market Coupons (both Seniors and WIC), and Double Up Food Bucks.
Additionally, community members can be referred by local community partners to attend a 6-week nutrition education series hosted by SNAP-Ed Nutritionists. The series will provide information on the MyPlate, making healthy choices, healthy eating on a budget, physical activity, and more. Each class will also feature a food demonstration to provide tips for cooking skills as well as allow participants to sample recipes prepared with different fruits and vegetables. At the end of each week, participants will receive $20 vouchers to spend on fresh produce at the Veggie Van.
The second key component of the SNAP-Ed Farm to Community/Farm to Worksite initiative is the Food Box Program. The Food Box Program offers pre-packed boxes filled with fresh, seasonal produce for free or a discounted rate to participants who participate in a similar 6-week nutrition education series hosted by SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educators. The produce boxes will be delivered to participants each week at the end of each nutrition education workshop.
These programs specifically target areas with limited access to grocery stores and fresh food options, ensuring that individuals and families can enjoy healthy meals without the burden of transportation challenges or high costs. By reducing transportation barriers and making healthy food more accessible, the Veggie Van and the Food Box Program enhance community well-being and supports local farmers.
“This Farm to Community/Worksite initiative represents a significant step in addressing food insecurity and improving overall nutrition in our communities,” said Justine Patterson, SNAP-Ed Project Director. “By working directly with local farms and coordinating accessible Veggie Van sites and food box deliveries, we can ensure that fresh, nutritious food is available to everyone, regardless of income or location.”
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County coordinated the Veggie Van in Steuben County for the last three years. In 2022, the Veggie Van made three stops a week for 9 weeks and served approximately 400 people. In 2023, the Veggie Van Program expanded to seven stops a week for 12 weeks and served approximately 2,400 people. The numbers continued to grow in 2024 with 7 stops for 12 weeks, serving approximately 4,000 people!
Not only has the Veggie Van continued to increase in community reach, it also expanded into Chemung County with three stops for 12 weeks in 2024, reaching approximately 200 people in its first year!
SNAP-Ed of the Southern Finger Lakes Region is excited to launch the Steuben County Veggie Van for its fourth year, as well as the Chemung County Veggie Van in its second year. Additionally, the Veggie Van is expanding into Yates County for the first time, where they will make three stops each week. "The continued success of the Veggie Van has been made possible due to the continued support from our local farmers, community partners, and CCE teams," said Katie Weigle, Assessment and Evaluation Nutritionist for SNAP-Ed Southern Finger Lakes. "We're excited to see the Veggie Van continue to grow and reach even more communities, providing fresh, local produce to those who need it most."
The schedule for the 2025 Veggie Van season for all three counties is listed below:
Steuben County Veggie Van Schedule (July 7 – October 22):
Mondays (Habee Farms):
o 9am – 11am: Prattsburgh Park, 8 N Main St, Prattsburgh, NY 14873
o 1pm – 3pm: Lakeview Apartments, 105 Geneva Street, Bath, NY 14810
Tuesdays (Bluebird Trail Farms):
o 9am – 11am: Corning Senior Center, 1 Park Lane, Corning, NY 14830
o 1pm – 3pm: Addison Place Apartments, 43 William Street, Addison, NY 14801
Wednesdays (Lowery Family Farms):
o 930am – 1130am: Hornell Center Street Pavilion, 17 Center Street, Hornell, NY 14843
o 1230pm – 230pm: Canisteo Manor, 11 Fifth Street, Canisteo, NY 14823
o 4pm – 6pm: Guthrie Corning Centerway, 130 Center Way, Corning, NY 14830
Chemung County Veggie Van Schedule (July 7 – September 23):
Tuesdays (Lowery Family Farms):
o 10am – 12pm: Chemung County Fairgrounds, 170 Fairview Rd, Gate 3, Horseheads, NY 14845
o 1pm – 3pm: Meals on Wheels, 409 William St., Elmira, NY 14901
o 4pm – 6pm: Southside Community Center, 215 Partridge St., Elmira, NY 14904
Yates County Veggie Van Schedule (July 7 – September 24):
Mondays (Windy Acres Farm):
o 10am – 1pm: St Mark’s Terrace, 36 Millard St, Dundee, NY 14873
o 2pm – 5pm: Vineland Apartments, 100 McKinley Ave, Penn Yan, NY 14527
Thursdays (Windy Acres Farm)
o 10am – 1pm: United Methodist Church, 1162 NY-245, Middlesex NY 14507
o 2pm – 5pm: Rushville Congregational Church, 22 N Main Street, Rushville, NY 14544
In addition to the support of CCE Chemung, CCE Steuben, and CCE Yates, the success of the Veggie Van program has been made possible by the contributions of several farms, community partners, and grantors, including:
Farms: Lowery Family Farms, Spice of Life, Bluebird Trail Farm (new in Steuben), Habee Farms (new in Steuben), and Windy Acres (new in Yates)
Community Partners: Steuben County Office for the Aging, Corning Senior Center, Lakeview Apartments (Bath), Village Square Apartments (Painted Post), Village Manor Apartments (Painted Post), Hornell Center St Pavilion, Avoca Village Park, Woodhull Town Hall, Addison Place Apartments, Prattsburgh Park, Guthrie Corning Centerway, Canisteo Manor, Lincoln Court Apartments (Wayland), Chemung County Fairgrounds, Horseheads First Presbyterian Church, EOP Ernie Davis Community Center, Meals on Wheels, Southside Community Center, St. Mark’s Terrace, Vineland Apartments, United Methodist Church (Middlesex), Rushville Congregational Church
Grantors: Steuben County Office for the Aging, AmeriCorps Seniors, Guthrie, Excellus, Fidelis, Corning Foundation, and Tioga Downs Foundation, William McGowan Foundation
For more information about these programs, to inquire about providing funding for the Veggie Van, or if you are a community partner interested in becoming a referral site for participants in the nutrition education series, please contact Katie Weigle, Assessment and Evaluation Nutritionist, at knw38@cornell.edu or (607) 664-2303.
About Cornell Cooperative Extension & SNAP-Ed New York:
Cornell Cooperative Extension and its partnerships provide programs for Steuben County residents on youth and family development; nutrition, health, and food safety; community and economic vitality; and agricultural sustainability through Cornell-based research. Committed to Steuben County, we design programs to meet local needs to enable people to improve their lives and communities. For more information call Cornell Cooperative Extension Steuben County at (607) 664-2300 or visit our website at PutKnowledgeToWork.org.
SNAP-Ed New York is a federally funded evidence-based program that helps people lead healthier lives. SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education is FREE to all individuals who qualify for and/or receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP-Ed teaches people using or eligible for SNAP about good nutrition, how to make their food dollars stretch further and the importance of being physically active. SNAP-Ed New York provides nutrition education lessons, materials, and sponsors education events and classes in communities across New York State. For more information call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County at (607) 664-2572 or visit the SNAP-Ed NY website at www.snapedny.org.
Locally, SNAP-Ed New York in the Southern Finger Lakes region operates under Cornell Cooperative Extension Steuben County, in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chemung County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County. The SNAP-Ed New York – Southern Finger Lakes region supports residents of Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, and Yates Counties.
Last updated July 7, 2025