February 2026 Local Growers Meeting
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“Local area” is defined as Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties
Key Takeaways
1.Convenience is a key barrier for both consumers and producers and affects different aspects of behavior, though a lack of convenient locations for distribution/pick up is common to both.
Consumer convenience-related barriers
Location and limited access geographically to local/fresh food
Limited year-round food options
Limited staple selections
Delivery options
Cooking at home is not convenient for many people
Producer convenience-related barriers
Distance to markets due to geography
Access to more conveniently located food hubs that would increase reach
2. Education for consumers across multiple domains is needed to:
Increase foundational knowledge about food: where it comes from, how it is produced, who controls food productions, food-industrial complex, benefits of eating real food
Increase awareness of the benefits of supporting local food producers and building a local/regional food economy
The story of local food and the people behind it
Build confidence in skills that support selecting and using local fresh foods (e.g., how to select and use seasonal foods, how to prepare foods in the home (e.g., equipment, skills), how to stock a pantry with staples, etc.
Where and how to find local food sources
3. Education for producers across multiple domains is needed to:
Increase access to producer “experts” to support newer producers or those who want to expand into other areas
Improve understanding of how to navigate local, state, and federal agencies and systems that are involved in food regulation, policy, licensing, etc.
Information “hubs”
4. Identify potential partners to support educational collaboration or dissemination, for example:
Wyoming County HealthCare Association
Dietrich Theater
Local libraries
Penn State Extension
Food pantries and food-focused groups
Donna LaBar and similar health/nutritional counselors
Food-focused events and seasonal “gateways”
5. Identify potential resources that support consumer access, for example:
Azure Standard
Weston Price Foundation
PASA
Slow Food
Food Dignity
6. Identify potential resources that support producer needs, for example:
Cooperative groups that share production, processing, storage and distribution facilities or equipment
Licensed kitchens or facilities that can be used for processing food
Groups that provide or facilitate grants that support growing, processing, or distributing local food
Advocacy groups for small/local farmers/food producers
Financial information and support
Marketing information and support
Regulatory, licensing, and legal information and support
Action Items
Develop a local resource guide for both consumers and producers
Food hubs, food producers, farm markets, CSAs
Equipment and facilities that support production (e.g., licensed kitchens, co-ops, etc.)
Groups that are food/access focused (e.g., Food Dignity)
Develop educational programs that can be offered to consumers throughout the market season
2/28/26 Growers Meeting AGENDA:
This is a convening of local Pennsylvania farmers and food growers in Wyoming, Bradford, and Susquehanna counties to identify needs and opportunities within our regional food system.
Our goal is to help support a thriving regional food system here in Northeastern PA in order to grow markets, increase grower wages, and improve food access.
Meeting Agenda: We’ll focus our discussion to help identify….
The most important and successful aspects of our current food system
The challenges within our current food system that are a top priority to address
New resources, or changes to existing resources, that are needed locally
Opportunities for farmer and grower collaboration this growing season
Date, Time, and Agenda for next meeting
When: 10am - 11am on Saturday, February 28th 2026
Where: Tunkhannock Public Library, 220 W Tioga St, Tunkhannock, PA 18657
Core Premise:
Farmers and growers deserve to earn a thriving wage
Thriving wages are possible in a thriving community food system that is designed to meet the needs of growers and consumers
Fellow growers are our collaborators, not our competitors
Together we can cultivate and advocate for more efficient systems for Growing, Processing, Preparing, Retailing, Distributing, and Waste Management (the pillars of a community food system).
A regional food system is made up of all the local people, places, and processes involved in growing, making, and moving local food.*
*definition inspired by The Michigan University State Extension’s GOOD FOOD CHARTER:https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/what_is_a_community_food_system.