The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning’s Office of Agriculture has been recognized by the Western New York Section of the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association with a 2026 Implementation Award, in recognition of the Office’s innovative approach to integrating agriculture into land use planning, strengthening local food systems, and protecting farmland across Erie County.
Established by County Executive Mark Poloncarz in 2020, the Office of Agriculture has become a model for how local governments can align planning policy with agricultural sustainability and economic development. “Erie County farms and agribusinesses inject about $200 million annually into the County’s economic output, so to say that they are a key sector of our economy is an understatement,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “We needed an entity that would lead the County’s efforts to promote agriculture-related economic development and farmland protection, and the Office of Agriculture has done just that with the Erie Grown website and Passport. Congratulations on this well-deserved award.”
The award acknowledges several forward-thinking Office of Agriculture initiatives that contributed to this recognition, including:
- Agricultural and Municipal Planning Grant Programs that have supported dozens of municipalities in updating comprehensive plans and zoning to incorporate agriculture and food system priorities.
- Farm-friendly zoning analyses, developed as part of the County’s 2025 Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan update, that provide actionable guidance to protect working lands and support farm viability.
- The Erie Grown website and the Erie Grown Passport promote the purchase of local and regional farm products and encourage all county residents to buy local from the more than 150 local farms that have registered to participate.
- Disaster relief funding, totaling over $2 million, has helped farms recover from extreme weather events, strengthening their long-term viability.
- Policy initiatives, such as the Countywide sky lantern ban, to proactively protect agricultural infrastructure and livestock.
“I’m particularly proud that the Office of Agriculture has also actively supported countywide food policy efforts to provide fresh local farm produce to county residents without access to healthy foods. I’m very proud of what this Office as accomplished in the past five years!” said Deputy Erie County Executive Lisa M. Chimera.
Erie County Agriculture & Farmland Protection Board Chair Brett Kreher added, “The Office of Agriculture has been a tremendous advocate for farmers and growers in the County. Their leadership on the recently updated Agriculture & Farmland Protection Plan, managing the Ag District Program, and promoting the protection of critical farm soils from development has had positive results”.
“Erie Grown is our initiative to promote locally grown and in-season produce as well as maple syrup, honey, Christmas Trees, and agrotourism activities. We hope to better connect consumers to farmers, farm markets, and local foods by linking available goods with those who would like to buy them,” said Sarah Gatti, Principal Planner with the Office of Agriculture.
For more information:
On the Office of Agriculture, visit https://www3.erie.gov/agriculture/
On the Erie Grown Passport program, visit https://www3.erie.gov/eriegrown/
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