As a lifelong New Yorker, I would love to support local New York businesses, especially family-run businesses that support our community. I particularly would love to be able to buy produce that is grown here in New York and delivered locally.
The New York State Grown & Certified label is a voluntary program for state farmers that helps us find those businesses that are here in our own state, providing produce grown in New York from farms that conserve natural resources and use farm-safe practices. We will be able to find NYS G&C labels at stores and green markets by spring, and I recently had the opportunity to visit Satur Farm, one of our Long Island farms that is part of the new initiative.
Buy local
Satur Farm is a New York Grown and Certified partner farm in Cutchogue that invited some bloggers out to learn first hand how a local farm is making it possible for us New York residents to enjoy delicious kale, lettuce, and other vegetables grown in state. I know many of you are interested in supporting your local communities, and understand the benefits and impact of food that is locally grown.
Fresher, healthier, and more socially and environmentally conscious. We have a common goal, so it was wonderful to visit Satur Farm, and they were warmly hospitable hosts. We enjoyed a lovely lunch courtesy of Chef Eberhard using produce grown on Satur Farm:
Paulette and Eberhard hosted our tour of their farm land, sharing not only what they grow, but ways they are acting in stewardship with the land to provide us with quality offerings that are grown in an environmentally friendly way- including using heating tubes underneath new sprouts rather than heating up entire green houses, and efficiently treating their crops to prevent overuse of chemicals so there is no runoff in our waters. It was a pleasure to see the behind-the-scenes action at a New York Grown and Certified farm, thanks to our hosts at Satur Farm.
Buy in season
Creating meal plans based on produce that is in season is a great way to make the most of local produce, as well as a fun way to mix up the usual family menu. Buying in season ensures food is freshest and available locally, and now that the New York State Grown & Certified program is certifying the quality of the food from their farms, we can have even more confidence in choosing to look for the label and support our own community.
The best food is real food, and the healthiest food is grown locally under strict standards, and sold locally.
In New York, many fruits and vegetables are available, such as apples, peaches, grapes, cherries, pears, strawberries, arugula, asparagus, leafy greens, squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, green peas, onions, and much more. We have so much to offer right here!
Onions, Potatoes, Beans, Brocolli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Garlic & Herbs, Kale, and Mustard Greens are in season now for your autumn and winter recipes ♥︎ Think hearty soups.
Apples and pears are in season now for wonderful baked desserts and pies!
On Satur Farm, arugula and kale are two of their specialties, and they also offer fennel, butterhead lettuce, spinach, red amaranth, basil, chard, and much more (learn about Satur Farm here). Satur Farm produce is available now in Whole Foods as well as being featured in ingredients in the recipes of many fine Manhattan restaurants.
Look for the label
The New York State Grown & Certified label means the produce is from a New York state farm that was inspected for safe food handling and environmental stewardship, and their products meet the highest quality standards. Farms and farmers must currently be certified for Good Agricultural Practices and participate in Agriculture Environmental Management in order to be included.
New York State Grown & Certified is the first state program in the nation to combine modern food safety standards with environmental stewardship to achieve a premium level of certification.
Thanks to this program, it will be easier for shoppers to find the best in local, responsibly grown food that is safely handled and grown, and by certifying food at this level, New York is providing consumers with an assurance of quality in how and where the food is grown and produced while promoting New York State producers.
You can look for the NYS G&C label at stores and green markets starting in spring 2017, and Satur Farm produce is already found at Whole Foods. Find out more about the New York State Grown and Certified program here, and connect on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Empire State Development. The opinions and text are all mine.