Think Globally, Eat Locally
by Sheila Buff

Where does the food in your local supermarket come from? Almost all the items in a typical week's groceries come from far away. In the produce section, for instance, the tomatoes probably come from Florida and Mexico, the lettuce (even the organic kind) from California or Arizona, and the grapes from as far away as Chile. And even though the Hudson Valley still has a number of dairy farms, the milk is likely to come from Wisconsin, Idaho, or California. By the time the produce or milk arrives in the Hudson Valley, it's been in transit for days—sometimes even weeks. The amount of petroleum needed to grow and transport the food from field to supermarket is massive. Such a complex supply system inevitably favors large, industrialized growers at the expense of smaller, more local operations. When local orchards, farms, and dairy farms are forced out of business, the land usually becomes housing. Fertile farmland is lost forever, paved over and converted to suburban sprawl.

In the face of the economic pressure to give up on the land, local farmers in the Hudson Valley have created imaginative new approaches to marketing their products directly to local buyers. By short-circuiting the long-distance supply system, they've found a way to maintain their economic viability while providing local consumers with outstanding fresh food.

The Farmers Market Movement
Farmers markets and local farm stands have been a part of Hudson Valley agriculture for many years, but it's only in the past decade or so that the movement has really taken off. Today, bustling weekly farmers' markets are found all over the area—there are seven in Dutchess County alone. The market in Rhinebeck, for instance, is now open every Sunday from early May through late November. In Beacon, the farmers' market is open year-round. To find a farmers' market near you, check the website of the Regional Farm and Food Project, an organization supporting regional sustainable agriculture, at www.farmandfood.org.

Growers also bring their produce to the many greenmarkets in New York City. In addition, many growers sell to restaurants both in New York City and locally; the restaurants then proudly feature local products on their menus. One local restaurant, Gigi Trattoria in Rhinebeck, has taken this combination to the next step and opened a year-round farmers market at Greig Farm on Pitcher Lane in Red Hook. Plans include growing specialty vegetables on ten acres using organic techniques. Although most large supermarket chains in the area don't carry local products, the Hannaford's stores do buy produce from local farmers. The three Adams Fairacre stores (Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and Newburgh), some IGA stores, and a number of smaller stores and health food stores make a point of carrying locally grown products.

Consumers who shop at farm markets and stores that sell local products have the advantage of knowing exactly where their food is coming from and exactly who is benefiting from their purchases. Money spent on local produce by local buyers goes directly to the farmer, not a chain grocery store or middleman, and returns to the community when the farmer purchases supplies from local stores and hires local workers.

Direct from the Farm
Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is another way to get your fresh fruits and veggies straight from the farm. Participating in CSA helps preserve local farmland and encourages sustainable agriculture—and if you want, you can work on the farm yourself. Before the growing season begins, CSA farmers sell shares in their harvest to members. When the crops come in, members stop by the farm or a designated pick-up point and receive their share of the crop in the form of heaping bags of incredibly fresh and varied produce. On most CSA farms, members can contribute their labor in exchange for a reduced share price. CSA has become so popular that shares in the farms usually sell out very quickly—some farms even have waiting lists. To find a CSA farm near you, go to the website of the Regional Farm and Food Project at www.farmandfood.org.

Local Milk and More
A new milk brand, with a simple label reading Hudson Valley FRESH, began appearing in local food stores in 2002. The milk is the first product of Hudson Valley FRESH, a member-based nonprofit organization created by Dr. Sam Simon, owner of Plankenhorn Farm in Pleasant Valley, and Pat Manning, a former State Assembly member from Fishkill. Hudson Valley FRESH processes and markets premium milk from six Dutchess County dairy farms, with more dairy farmers expected to join as the program grows. The milk is processed at Ronnybrook Farms in Ancramdale and sold at local outlets, including most supermarkets. To find a store near you, check the website at www.hudsonvalleyfresh.com.

While Hudson Valley FRESH milk isn't organic—the use of pesticides and fertilizers on feed crops is allowed—the dairy farmers do not use bovine hormones (BST or BGH) to increase milk production. The milk is very high quality, with a somatic cell count (a measure of the health of the cows) that is well below USDA requirements. Because it's also very fresh—the milk reaches stores about 36 hours after milking, as compared to five days for most milk—it doesn't need to be ultrapasteurized. The price falls about halfway between ordinary milk and organic milk. As Pat Manning, chairman of Hudson Valley FRESH, points out, "It's better to buy a local product and help your neighbor down the road. That's where our success is. Every penny we make goes back to the farmer. They're finally making a living wage from their farm." Manning says the milk has been very popular from the start. In fact, he says the only complaint he gets is that consumers can't find the milk because it's sold out. Today about 12,000 pounds are sold every week (a gallon of milk weight about 8.5 pounds), and plans are to increase that amount to 50,000 pounds or more. Future plans for Hudson Valley FRESH include expanding the network of stores carrying the milk and introducing locally made cheese. As Hudson Valley FRESH grows, the advisory board needs additional volunteers. If you'd like to help, contact Lee Fraitag, Advisory Board Chair, at (845) 471-6115.

Organic or Not?
In 2002 the US Department of Agriculture adopted new rules defining organic food products. While the new rules are useful for setting a minimum standard—organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products must come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones, for instance—getting certification based on the rules requires more paperwork and expense than many small-scale farmers can afford. Some have chosen to follow different certification routes instead. In the Hudson Valley, a number of farms are certified by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY — for more information and a list of participating farms, visit www.nofany.org.) Others participate in the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) program, which began in 2002 as an unofficial alternative to the USDA certification. (For more information and a list of participating farms, visit www.naturallygrown.org.) Many area farmers find the certification process so cumbersome that they simply don't bother with it, even though they follow organic or sustainable methods. When in doubt, ask—another advantage of buying your food directly from the person who grows it.