Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy thanksgiving, everyone.

Please remember all the farmers who have worked so hard so you can have that wonderful food on your tables.

Also, here is a message from the state Agriculture Commissioner, Richard Ball:

“The Thanksgiving holiday is a special time for my family as I’m sure it is for all of you and your families. Today, when we gather around the table with loved ones and reflect on what we are grateful for, it is my hope that we, as New Yorkers, also pause to celebrate the vibrant agricultural community in our state, the local foods that will be before us, and recognize the hard work and contributions of our farmers and farmworkers.

  

With nearly 36,000 farms in New York, agriculture is at the heart of the state’s economy.  Our farmers are a proud part of the one percent of the population that feeds the remaining 99 percent.  

Just last year, New York’s nearly 5,000 dairy farms and 618,000 cows produced more than 14.1 billion pounds of milk, and over 1,600 vineyards and 400 wineries produced over 200 million bottles of wine.  

New York’s farmers are top producers of a wide variety of agricultural products in the country -- from squash, corn and apples to maple and farm based beverages to horticulture and nursery products — all the great things that we incorporate into our holiday gatherings and that bring families together.

So, tomorrow, and throughout this holiday season, I encourage everyone to give thanks for the bounty of crops New York’s growers produce for our state and for our strong agribusiness community that together works to bring healthy, high-quality foods and beverages to New Yorkers in every corner of the state.”