Good Dirt Takes Inspiration from Hudson Valley Farmers

Check out this story http://www.ediblebrooklyn.com/2016/good-dirt-bam-national-young-farmers-coalition/ at this link.

Ag Commissioner Hosts Taste NY Culinary Tour

From the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

The state’s Taste NY Culinary Tour in the Hudson Valley was conducted Monday by Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball.

The tour provided more than 30 leading restaurateurs and chefs from the Hudson Valley, New York City, Western New York, Central New York and Capital Regions a first-hand look at the quality and diversity of New York agriculture in the region.  

 

Following two successful Taste NY Culinary Tours in the Finger Lakes and on Long Island in August, Monday’s tour included visits to three farms and processors across Dutchess and Ulster counties. As a result of the three tours, nearly 100 chefs and restaurant owners from across the state have been introduced to some of New York state’s best agricultural food and beverage producers.

 

The Culinary Tours were organized following the Governor’s Farm to Table Upstate-Downstate Summit in an effort to connect restaurateurs with regional producers and growers, and highlight the many opportunities for the sourcing of local foods.

 

The Hudson Valley region is known for its strengths in the agricultural industry — its rich soils, abundant water supply and proximity to metropolitan markets.Dutchess County agriculture comprises over 170,000 acres, one third of its total acreage), producing $44.8 million in market value products, a large part of the county’s $438 million tourism industry.  

Agriculture is also the county’s third largest employer. 

Ulster County also has a long agricultural history and is home to a diverse array of agricultural enterprises including fruit and vegetable production as well as dairy and egg.

 

The three stops on the Hudson Valley Culinary Tour included Hepworth Farms in Milton, Ulster County (vegetables), Bad Seed Cider in Highland, Ulster County (cider), and Hudson Valley Fresh in Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County (dairy farm). 

 

Hepworth Farms is a seventh generation family farm that produces more than 400 varieties of vegetables using organic practices on its 250 acres of farmland. Produce is sold to restaurants, processors and at farmers’ markets, and the farm works with several local distributors to sell its vegetables in the wholesale marketplace. 

While at Hepworth Farms, participants had the opportunity to tour the packinghouse and get a firsthand look at operations. 

 

Participants also visited Bad Seed Cider in Highland, which makes its cider with 100 percent fresh pressed apples, some of which are grown at neighboring Wilklow Orchards. Manhattan Beer sells the cider wholesale throughout the Hudson Valley and New York City area.   

 

At Stormfield Swiss in Wappingers Falls, one of the dairy farms in the Hudson Valley Fresh cooperative, participants toured the farm, learned about the dairy cooperative enterprise, and sampled various dairy products. Hudson Valley Fresh produces whole, skim, low-fat and chocolate milk along with half and half, heavy cream, yogurt, ice cream mix and sour cream. Milk is locally sourced, processed and distributed to local businesses.

 

“We feel it is important to provide these tours so that the consumer has the opportunity to see firsthand where their product comes from. They also see the care that goes into a product which they use every day," said Jennifer DeForest, owner of Stormfield Swiss, one of nine farms producing Hudson Valley Fresh milk.

Amy Hepworth, owner of Hepworth Farms, said, “Anytime anyone in the food industry knows more about agriculture as it pertains to their food and food supply, the better. It’s very important for chefs and others to understand agriculture first hand and this is what this opportunity presents.Chefs influence people," said Amy Hepworth, owner of Hepworth Farms.

The Taste NY Culinary Tour concluded with a tour of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. A reception to kick off Hudson Valley Restaurant Week capped off the evening with more than 300 guests.  

Helping Farming Thrive in the Hudson Valley

Check out this story http://foodtank.com/news/2015/08/helping-farming-thrive-in-the-hudson-valley from Foodtank.com

Angry Orchard Breaks Ground on Expansion

Angry Orchard Cider Co. officially broke ground on construction of its new cidery, tasting room and hard cider research-and-development center, at its 60-acre apple orchard in the village of Walden, Orange County. 

State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball joined Angry Orchard and local and community leaders in raising a glass in celebration of the new facility.

“New York state has an abundance and variety of both apples and ingenuity, and with the Mid-Hudson’s cluster of wineries, breweries, and cideries, I can think of no better place for Angry Orchard to grow,” said Empire State Development President, Chief Executive and Commissioner Howard Zemsky.

First launched in 2012, Angry Orchard is the number-one selling hard cider in the US, where cider consumption has nearly quintupled since 2010.

Event Coming Up Oct. 9 in the Hudson Valley

From American Farmland Trust:

An announcement concerning the new Hudson Valley Farmlink Network is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Oct. 9 at the Wright Family Farm, 329 Kings Highway, Warwick, Orange County.

The Hudson Valley Farmlink Network is a new partnership dedicated to connecting farmers and owners of agricultural land and strengthening opportunities for agriculture and land conservation in the Hudson Valley.  

The network offers new resources for senior farmers, next generation farmers and non-farming owners of agricultural land – and features the new Hudson Valley Farmland Finder website, which will help connect farmers looking for land and landowners seeking to sell or lease their land for farming. 

Attending the Oct. 9 event will be farmers, local, state and federal officials such as Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, land conservation and agricultural organization representatives such as James Delaunes of the Orange County Land Trust and David Haight, state director of American Farmland Trust.

More information about the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network can be found atwww.hudsonvalleyfarmlandfinder.org 

The Hudson Valley Farmlink Network is funded thanks to the generous support of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The network is coordinated by American Farmland Trust and includes the following partners:

·         Agricultural Stewardship Association

·         Catskills FarmLink

·         Columbia Land Conservancy

·         Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County

·         Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County

·         Dutchess Land Conservancy

·         Glynwood

·         GrowNYC

·         Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York

·         NY FarmLink

·         Orange County Land Trust

·         Saratoga PLAN

·         Stone Barns Center

·         Westchester Land Trust

Glowing Reports for Hudson River Region Wines

From Jim Trezise at the New York Wine and Grape Foundation:

The Hudson River Region has been in the news a lot lately, with a glowing Wall St. Journal piece about Hillrock Estate; Hudson-Chatham Winery's appearance on the Food Network's Farmhouse Rules show; a feature on Aaron Burr Cidery in Town & Country magazine; a huge feature on the Shawangunk Wine Trail in edible Hudson Valley magazine; and Whiskey Advocate magazine's mention of Ralph Erenzo (Tuthilltown Spirits) as one of the 10 most influential people in the spirits business.

In addition, the "Fall in Love With Hudson Valley Wine" campaign featured more than 100 events attracting more than 16,000 people, concluding with the Pride of New York Harvest Fest in Albany.

World's Fruit Growers Flock to Hudson Valley

Fruit growers from around the world come to the Hudson Valley to see how things are done.

Go to http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20130217/NEWS01/302170059 this link to read the story from The Poughkeepsie Journal.