Bassett Healthcare Network and Pathfinder Produce: A Productive Partnership

This past May, Pathfinder Village in Edmeston made headlines when Governor Hochul announced that it would receive $1.8 million from the Regional Economic Development Council to expand its vocational training programs and fresh produce microbusiness, Pathfinder Produce. This investment in the Pathfinder Farmstead Employment Training and Retail Center is exciting news for many in the region, but it was especially sweet for those connected to the program since its inception — including some caregivers and researchers within Bassett Healthcare Network.

"I'm not sure most people know of the Bassett-Pathfinder Produce connection," reflects David Strogatz, PhD, researcher and former Director of Bassett's Center for Rural Community Health.

"In the early 2010s, Bassett Research Institute was piloting strategies for addressing childhood obesity in some of our local small communities. We identified Edmeston a local 'rural food desert' – a community where people didn't have year-round access to fresh fruits and vegetables nearby. Bassett Research Institute invited local businesses and organizations to propose solutions that we could help put into motion."

Pathfinder Village, a nonprofit residential community and service provider for people with intellectual disabilities, submitted a proposal. The Village provides nutritious meals to individuals and staff daily. Village leaders believed that if they increased the quantity of produce in their weekly food orders, they could open a community market that would double as a training ground for program clients expanding their vocational and employment skills.

"We were in a position to serve the public and provide training for people who are eager to work in community-based jobs," explains Lori Grace, Marketing and Grants Administrator at Pathfinder Village. "Bassett Research Institute funds purchased the furniture and small equipment we needed to open as a one-day-a-week market. Our Grand Opening was on March 21, 2013 – World Down Syndrome Day, which is an important observance in the Pathfinder community."

Pathfinder, with help from Bassett Research Institute, private foundations, and other community organizations, has continued to build on the program over the decade since, establishing pop-up markets in other communities and grant-funded delivery programs that bring produce directly to people with limited mobility. Bassett Research Institute has also been spreading the word, sharing ideas and lessons learned from the program with other communities concerned about rural nutrition and health.

"Food insecurity in rural areas so often comes from a lack of infrastructure," says Dr. Strogatz. "Pathfinder Village had the insight to see that they had much of that infrastructure already on hand — regular shipments of food, strong community partnerships, large refrigerators, a physical location where there was a great need, and eager adults  seeking to learn retail skills. They could change a few things about their own operation and bring a huge benefit to their day service participants and the wider community.

"It is gratifying seeing how this small, grant-funded program has blossomed. I have great hopes others will figure out how to replicate this in their communities."

The Pathfinder Produce market in Edmeston is open Thursdays from 11:00am — 5:00pm and on Saturdays from 9:00am — 1:00pm. It also offers pop-up markets in the New York Central Mutual Insurance parking lot on Tuesdays, in Sherburne on Wednesdays, and in West Winfield every other Friday.