NORWICH – Young adults from Onondaga and Madison counties made a trip to Norwich last week in order to learn how the purchase of locally grown and produced foods can impact both the economy and the environment.

“It’s amazing how much we take for granted about our food system,” said Sheila Marshman, the Morrisville State College professor who organized the outing. The experience was part of a six-week Summer Youth Employment Program focused on renewable energy offered through college’s Renewable Energy Training Center with support from Madison County Employment & Training, CNY Works and the Near West Side Initiative.

The program’s 23 participants are all young adults aged 18 to 24. 16 hail from Madison County, with the remaining eight coming from Syracuse’s Near West Side.

On July 22, the group traveled to Chenango County where they made stops at both the Norwich Farmer’s Market and Evan’s Farmhouse Organic Creamery on a quest to learn more about where food comes, as well as the benefits of buying it directly from the people who grow or produce it. They were accompanied by Rebecca Hargrave, who serves as the Community Horticulture and Natural Resources Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County.