Farm to Chef Express : Project Underway to Boost Local Farm Sales to NYC Chefs

Project Underway to Boost Local Farm Sales to NYC Chefs

The Farm to Chef Express project will create a direct marketing and distribution link between farmers of Washington, Saratoga, and Rensselaer Counties and New York City chefs. This project (formerly called NYFarms Express) is sponsored by the Agricultural Economic Development Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Washington and Saratoga Counties, through a NYS Department of Ag and Markets grant. The Farm to Chef Express project will benefit not only local farmers by opening new markets for their products, but will keep more food dollars in New York State as chefs buy more New York State products rather than those from large-scale agricultural systems or corporate food service providers.

The Farm to Chef Express project recently hired Marketing Liaison Judith Kleinberg, a fellow agricultural producer from Saratoga County. Kleinberg will coordinate the many responsibilities of facilitating the transactions between farmers and chefs. Plans are underway to establish an internet inventory and ordering site that would allow farmers to display the agriculture products they have available each week for sale and allow the chefs to place their orders online at the website. Farmers will deliver the ordered products for transportation by refrigerated truck to the City chefs. Distribution to NYC is anticipated for some time in June.

All farmers in Washington, Saratoga, and Rensselaer Counties interested in selling to NYC chefs through the project are encouraged to contact Marketing Liaison Judith Kleinberg at 371-5592 and are also encouraged to attend the next farmer meeting on Tuesday, June 1 at 7:00 pm at the Schaghticoke Town Hall on Northline Dive off of State Route 40 south of the Schaghticoke village.

Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities

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