Council Helps Spread the Word - Eat Local!
Monday, June 3, 2014
By Lisa M. Genier
One thing you may not know about the Adirondack Council is that we advocate for the conservation of agricultural lands in the Adirondack Park. Because of the many environmental benefits of a robust local food system, we support efforts to promote small-scale agriculture in the region. Sustainable production of food and other agricultural products help to benefit and protect ecological and scenic resources.
The Council recognizes that in order to conserve agricultural land, farming needs to be a viable economic activity that attracts new farmers and also be sustainable for long-time family farms. Fortunately, this is happening in some areas of the Park. Over the past several years, Essex County has seen growth in small-scale farming and community supported agriculture (CSAs). Many restaurants and stores are coordinating with farmers and are using locally grown ingredients and marketing their commitment to serving foods “from farm to table” to attract customers. And North Country schools are exploring ways to incorporate local produce into their cafeteria menus.
To help increase awareness, the Council worked with Adirondack Harvest to create a local foods poster to help educate the public in the region about the health, environmental and economic benefits of eating locally grown food. The poster is also being used in schools to draw young people’s attention to the benefits of eating food grown in their backyards. Click here to download and print the banner.
The Council is helping spread the word that people who are committed to eating locally grown food will help achieve community goals of a healthy population, environmental protection and a strong local economy. Eat local!
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Lisa M. Genier joined the Council in 1992 working as its Legislative Associate in the Albany office. During her tenure, she played a role in the creation of the Environmental Protection Fund, which has been used to fund land purchases and environmental programs in the Adirondack Park and around the state. She was also a member of the negotiating teams that worked on re-licensing agreements for several hydroelectric facilities in the Park, which preserved thousands of acres of land, expanded recreational opportunities, and protected other natural resources. Lisa now works part-time as Program Analyst writing action alerts, interacting with members, managing the Council’s website, and serving in a consultative role on legislative and other issues.
Lisa is a member of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Accessibility Advisory Committee that works to make the Forest Preserve and other DEC facilities around the state more accessible for people with disabilities while protecting the natural resources.
Lisa grew up in Mineville in the Adirondacks. She attended the State University of New York at Oneonta and graduated in 1989 summa cum laude with degrees in Political Science and Business Economics. Lisa currently lives in Schenectady with her partner, Val and their four cats and dog.
