In the spring 2017 semester, students from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning worked with the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Economic Development and the county’s Growing Food Connections (GFC) Steering Committee to conduct a county-wide food system assessment. The project charge was to understand the capacity of the food system as a lever for economic development in a county with deep agricultural and manufacturing economic roots. The final report made a series of recommendations focused on policy change, specifically related to the formation of an oversight entity (such as a food policy council), human resources dedicated to food systems development, and support for infrastructure such as transportation systems, education opportunities, and additional processing facilities. The recommendations are in review by the GFC committee as of summer 2017.