Pan-roasted Catskill Farm duck breast with rhubarb chutney, toasted corn and green onion on an apple pancake.

Chevre torte with New York grown plums and native Swiss chard.

Orchard fresh apples, apple butter, apple cider, apple wine and applesauce. Venison, beef and other specialty meat products. Cheddar cheese, honey, garlic, buffalo jerky, goat jerky and herbal teas. Fresh grape juice, grape jellies and jams. A dessert table featuring premium ice cream topped with local maple syrup. All from New York State.

And all accompanied by dizzying arrays of exceptionally high quality sweet to dry wines — from the wineries of New York State, of course.

The sumptuous cuisine described above was the featured attraction at the second annual New York Farm Day, a Washington, D.C. event hosted on September 17 by New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the elegant Senate Russell Caucus Room at the crest of Capitol Hill.

The culinary outlay definitely confirmed New York’s status as one of our richest states when it comes to agricultural productivity.

It also demonstrated the remarkable degree of collaboration that can be achieved when groups with shared interests unite to achieve a common objective.

Senator Clinton’s purpose for the gathering was to show Senators, members of Congress, the Administration and the Washington media that New York is indeed a major agricultural state, and that agriculture is an essential piece of the state’s economy.

However, looked at from the agricultural industry’s perspective,the event, which was attended by more than 500 invited guests, demonstrated emphatically how collaboration can help agriculture achieve its goals.

In this situation, the collaborative effort among participants cut across several lines, including:

• commodity producers (fruits, vegetables,dairy, wines, seafood, meats)

• industries (agriculture, wineries,restaurants)

• trade organizations (several trade associations participated)

• regions (from the Great Lakes to Long Island; see map).

By working in cooperation to promote New York agriculture, all of these groups were able to present a more powerful, cohesive voice to Capitol Hill and beyond.

More than a wine tasting

Jim Trezise is president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, the principal organizer of the event.

“Technically, this is a two-hour tasting of New York wines and foods. But it is much more than that. The benefits to New York agriculture last throughout the year. The chief benefit is that, when various groups work together, we all become stronger and create much greater impact, politically and otherwise.”

Trezise noted that a traditional wine tasting has limited appeal. However, promoters can dramatically enhance the appeal of a basically simple event by combining regional wine with locally grown foods plus a creative presentation provided by some of New York City’s finest restaurants.

“By combining all of these resources,”Trezise added, “we offered a unique experience, and took our guests on a delicious journey from farm to table. New York harvests dozens and dozens of edible products that grow on the farm or in the sea, and we showed that we have creative people who can present them to the public in a very impressive manner.”

Participants tout benefits

One of the best ways to measure the success of any event such as this is to evaluate the comments of participants.

Roxaina Hurlburt is marketing director at Mercer’s Dairy, Boonville, N.Y., and a First Pioneer Farm Credit member. Mercer’s is owned by nine dairy farm families who bought the company because they wanted to create a value-added product for their milk. The dairy produces ice cream by following traditional methods.

“The difference between our ice cream and many other brands,”
Hurlburt emphasizes, “is like the difference between eating a packaged chocolate chip cookie and your mother’s chocolate chip cookie.”

Mercer’s participated in the Washington gala for several reasons.

“I wanted to learn if people would be interested in our product, she said, “and, if they liked it, would they buy it?

“The reaction was outstanding. Both Senator Clinton and New York Senator Chuck Schumer each enjoyed several containers and brought samples back to their staffs. One young Navy man thought it was the best he ever tasted. He came back many times to take samples back to others in the building who couldn’t leave their offices. Sardi’s Restaurant of NYC, who were also participants in New York Farm Day, stopped by our booth to ask for samples because they heard people talking about it.”

Networking, said Hurlburt, is another huge benefit.

“I am trying to make contacts with restaurants and food merchandisers who are looking for good, quality ice cream. The more markets that I can build by participating in events like New York Farm Day and exposing us to other markets, the more milk we can use from our own farms. Events such as these give New York farmers and vintners an excellent venue to promote our products and make contacts.”

Restaurant promotes local produce

Debra Whiting is executive chef and catering director at Red Newt Cellars Winery and Bistro, in Hector, N.Y., in the heart of the state’s Finger Lakes Region. Whiting is an unabashed promoter of the region, especially its abundant agricultural heritage.

Whiting said, “I am educating my local community and other areas to make people aware of the enormous amount of produce right here in New York.”

The Red Newt Bistro goes to great lengths to incorporate locally grown food items on its menu, even changing the menu on a seasonal basis to match local harvests.

“We can create exciting, unique dishes with local items that are right in our backyard,” she said, adding, “To gain recognition, a food and wine area such as ours needs to create regionality.That happens by using local products,which is what I am all about.”

Whiting was true to her word in Washington. When explaining the Red Newt spread in the Russell Room she noted, “I selected the torte that I served at New York Farm Day because everything in it was local. I used local chevre cheese from Lively Run Farm, plums from Red Jacket Orchards and Swiss chard was from a local farmer. It’s a real signature appetizer.”

The experiences of Roxaina Hurlburt and Debra Whiting are just two examples from among dozens of favorable impressions of New York Farm Day participants. (Click here for additional comments, "Collaboration Delivers Benefits" story.)

New York Farm Day is not presented without significant expense. Thus it requires the participation of many sponsors to help make it happen.The Farm Credit associations of the Northeast are active sponsors of the event, along with Constellation Brands, the New York Farm Bureau,the New York State Restaurant Association and the Pride of New York program. Participating sponsors and vendors generously donated their products, personnel, time and travel expenses all for the benefit of New York agriculture.

Lessons for all of agriculture

The lessons can be instructive for anyone in the Northeast Farm Credit community who reads this article. Whatever your niche in food and fiber and wherever you live and work, you can work successfully with others to help promote your own enterprise while at the same time touting the benefits of interrelated businesses in your commodity group, industry or region.

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