Local Infrastructure for Local Agriculture, Inc. (LILA) is a not-for-profit organization created to strengthen the structural foundations of agriculture in the Hudson Valley. LILA was launched as an affiliate of GLYNWOOD in 2010, with the goal of accelerating the development of local infrastructure that supports local agriculture and provide producers with efficient access to the information they need to reach emerging markets that seek high-quality regional agricultural products.
There are many capable farmers in the region growing nutritious food with sustainable practices, but often those growers and their communities need resources and information, as well as working models of new infrastructure, to help them move from producing raw agricultural commodities to creating value-added products.
For example, livestock growers need harvesting facilities; fiber producers need processing facilities to wash and spin their yarns; and fruit growers need flash freezing to keep their berries fresh throughout the months of winter.
Infrastructure operated at a scale that serves smaller, regional farmers has all but vanished over the last several decades. Small Hudson Valley farms are being rejuvenated at a rapid pace, and consumers are increasingly aware that buying local is beneficial to the community, the environment, and their health. But the costly "mechanics" of value addition facilities, upon which growers must depend, have not been restored at the same rate.
To meet this critical need, LILA will provide working models as well as information on the financial structures, such as the capital acquisition, necessary to build and operate small scale infrastructure. LILA helps communities understand the importance of agriculture to local economies and educates stakeholders in the steps required to implement appropriately scaled technologies.
LILA's programs support sustainable development and promote a sustainable environment on the regional level while providing models that may be replicated in other regions.
LILA is an affiliate of Glynwood, a nonprofit based in Cold Spring, NY, which has as its mission helping communities save farming in the Northeast. LILA is supported by philanthropists, local government, and federal grants, as well as by individuals who participate in its training and education programs. This public-private partnership reflects the broad support of those to whom small-scale agriculture and vibrant, local communities matter most.
