Guest Column
By Senator Joseph Griffo
(Rome, NY – Nov. 2014) New York has spent a great effort on promoting purchases of locally made food and drinks. You can buy fresh produce, sample a unique wine variety or get maple syrup just out of the tap, but only if you know where to go.
Allow me to be your guide.
First: The Pride of New York website – prideofny.com – offers an extensive database of more than 400 farms, agritourism destinations and other food businesses in my district.
If you’re in Lewis County, you can plan a day around the maple industry. Stop into the American Maple Museum in Croghan, or any of the maple farms: Swiss’er Sweet Maple in Castorland; Dale Moser & Sons in Beaver Falls; R&R Sweets in Port Leyden; or Golden Maple Shanty in Lowville.
In St. Lawrence County, you can go apple picking at Kaneb Orchards in Massena or the Parishville Center Orchard in Potsdam; pick up flowers for a loved one at the Three B Tree Nursery in Norfolk, or stock up on meat at Windy Point Angus in Potsdam or Kilcoyne Farms in Brasher Falls.
How about those looking for beer or spirits in Oneida County? You’ve got the FX Matt Brewing Company, Adirondack Distilling Company and Nail Creek Pub & Brewery in Utica or Creative Shepherd Farm in Ava.
How about produce? The Oneida County Winter Public Market in Utica and the Westmoreland Winter Farmers’ Market are both open this month. Looking to travel? There’s winter farmers markets in Illion, Cazenovia, Hamilton, Morrisville and Poolville.
You can find additional information about fresh foods and hearty local spirits at Pride of New York’s sister site, Taste NY: taste.ny.gov