Essex County Agriculture

(Local Essex County Agriculture Logos Collage)

If you missed the great article in the Valley News, “Essex County agricultural community reflects on past year, offers 2015 wish list” by Pete DeMola, then you may want to go read it. It is a very thorough and comprehensive look at the agricultural community in our county, and it explores the growing movement (from wholesale to CSA models and more), local successes, and the (similar) desires of various individuals/farms that are needed to continue to succeed.

“While each producer has myriad needs, common strands include the creation of a regional food hub, increased legislative measures to protect and nurture the sizzling farm-to-table industry and increased communication and educational efforts that will allow the local community to climb aboard.” (Denpubs)

Learn about canning in the Grange Community Kitchen! And soon a new processing facility will open in Essex to increase local farmers’ processing capabilities.

As stated in the quotation, one of those common desires was for a local food hub to help producers process/preserve their food. The commercial kitchen in the Whallonsburg Grange has been a great help for beginners and smaller-scale operations, and thankfully the news of a new processing facility in Essex, NY that will provide for a wider range of and larger-scale producers is in the works. Learn more about that operation here: Local Food Processing Space to Open in Essex.

Working on promotion and educational efforts for the region is Adirondack Harvest, “an agency that connects local producers with customers and helps them brand and market their products” (Denpubs). And while legislative measures are desired to protect the growing localvore industry, there is also a desire for less regulation in some areas that are stifling the advancement of these small farms.

Several of the local operations mentioned in the article and/or interviewed are: Full and By Farm; Reber Rock Farm; DaCy Meadow Farm; Harvest Hill Farm; Lewis Family Farm; Ben Wever Farm; Boquet River Jelly Mill; Mace Chasm Farm; North Country Creamery; and AuSable Brewery Co.

Read the full article here: “Essex County agricultural community reflects on past year, offers 2015 wish list.”

Local Food Processing Space to Open in Essex (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Improving Soil and Water Conservation (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Split Rock Wildway: A Critical Wildlife Corridor (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Fundraiser to Save Boquet Schoolhouse (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Essex Night Out: Bowling Party (essexny.us)

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