Senator Clinton to Host New York Farm Day

Press Release

Senator Clinton to Host New York Farm Day

Local Produce from Across New York to be Showcased in the Nation's Capital

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will host the seventh annual "New York Farm Day" Tuesday, September 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the Senate Russell Caucus Room. Over the past six years Senator Clinton has invited producers of New York's award-winning wines, farm-fresh products, and fresh seafood, as well as leading restaurateurs, to travel to Washington to showcase on a national stage the quality and diversity of New York's agricultural and its importance to the state's economy.

"Farm Day is a unique and important opportunity for us to showcase the best of what New York's farmers and producers have to offer," said Senator Clinton. "Every year we bring New York to Washington and I am thrilled that this has become such a widely anticipated event on the Congressional calendar. New York's farmers and producers are some of the best in the world and this is a great way to spread the word even further about the quality of our produce. New York's educational and research institutions are also world-class, and I am delighted that they will display cutting-edge processes for producing great food and energy. I know we are all looking forward to sampling some of the incredible wine, food and produce from the Empire State."

"Senator Clinton has been a passionate advocate for New York agriculture, including the grape and wine industry," said Jim Trezise, President of the statewide New York Wine & Grape Foundation, which organizes the event. "We applaud Senator Clinton for using New York Farm Day to raise awareness among her colleagues, the media, and others that New York State produces some of the world's best foods and wines, which some of the world's best chefs turn into mouth-watering magic. We are also fortunate to have some of the world's top agricultural research and education institutions like Cornell University and the State University of New York, which are part of this showcase as well."

As a reminder of the Farm Day feast, this week all U.S. Senators and New York Representatives will receive a bottle of premium New York wine with a personal note.

Senator Clinton has been a tireless advocate for agriculture in New York and around the country. Senator Clinton has worked to expand her "Farm to Fork" initiative with new legislation and projects aimed at promoting healthy and local food, supporting food retail outlets in underserved areas and direct-to-consumer marketing, strengthening the Country of Origin law (COOL), and spurring more rural development, including expanded access to broadband.

The following list includes participants in this year's Farm Day.

Albany

Chef Anand "AJ" Jayapal from Miss Sydney's Secret Family Recipes near Albany, will present Miss Sydney's Original Marinade with Chicken Tenders and Squash, and Miss Sydney's Indu's Chutney with pretzels.

Central New York

Ithaca Beer will offer samples of their Apricot Wheat, Nut Brown, Cascazilla, Flower Power IPA, Ten, and White Gold and McCadam Cheese, which was rated America's finest at a national cheese competition in Wisconsin will present Extra Sharp Cheddar (Best American Cheese, and State Fair Grand Champion), Muenster, Pepper Jack, and Horseradish Cheddar.

Mercer's Dairy will offer win ice creams combining New York cream with New York wines. They will also feature their Vanilla Organic Ice Cream. Accompanying Mercer's Ice Creams will be Ice Wines from Casa Larga Vineyards, Hunt Country Vineyards, Sheldrake Point Vineyards, and Mazza Chautauqua Cellars.

Finger Lakes

Regional farmers and chefs involved with "Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty" will display the abundance of fresh produce and specialty items created in upstate New York. Offerings By Chef Debra Whiting of Red Newt Cellars Winery & Bistro, Chef Samantha Izzo of Sheldrake Point Vineyard & Café and Chef Frank Caravita of Fox Run Vineyards & Café. The New York Wine & Culinary, a culinary tourism facility in Canandaigua will offer Maple Apple Turnovers and assorted truffle bites from Renée Suzette's Chocolates.

Executive chef of The Source, Scott Drewno from Penn Yan, NY, will present Spicy Tuna Tartare in Buckwheat sesame-miso with New York Apples, shaved Bonito and Tobiko using products from New York sources

The New York Maple Producers Association will present a broad array of products including maple mustard, maple coated cashews, and maple cream on wheat crackers. Rounding out the sweet table will be Butternut Squash Cookies and Tassleberry Farms Strawberry Butter presented by the Upstate New York Growers & Packers Cooperative.

Participating Finger Lakes wineries include Americana Vineyards Winery, Anthony Road Wine Company, Casa Larga Vineyards, Chateau LaFayette Reneau, Damiani Wine Cellars, Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars, Fox Run Vineyards, Fulkerson Winery, Glenora Wine Cellars, Heron Hill Winery, Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars, Highland Cellars, Hosmer Winery, Hunt Country Vineyards, King Ferry Winery (Treleaven), Lakewood Vineyards, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, Miles Wine Cellars, Pleasant Valley Wine Company, Prejean Winery, Red Newt Cellars, Red Tail Ridge Winery, Sheldrake Point Vineyards, and Wagner Vineyards.

Hudson Valley

The Cornell Cooperative Extension's Hudson Valley Fruit Project, will feature a variety of locally produced fruits and vegetables with Hudson Valley dips, dressings, and local cheeses. The Culinary Institute of America will offer chocolate-covered NYS dried cherries and NYS apple and Concord Grape jellies. Young entrepreneurs from Westchester County who created Cool Beans Dips will feature samples of their all natural Lemon Roasted Garlic, Sweet Onion, and Taco Chili white bean dips. Hudson Valley wines and juices will include Brotherhood, America's Oldest Winery, Clinton Vineyards, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, Rivendell Winery, and Royal Kedem Winery. New York Apple Association will feature Freshly Harvested Gala and Honey Crisp Apples, Fuji Apple Juice, Freshly Pressed Apple Cider, Cranapple Cider, and Raspberry Apple Cider.

Lake Erie

The Lake Erie region, where "Concord is King!", and the Niagara Escarpment will be represented by National Grape Cooperative/Welch Foods, featuring Concord and Niagara Sparkling and Still Grape Juice as well as Welch's Fruit Snacks. Lake Erie wines include Mazza Chautauqua Cellars, Merritt Estate Winery, Niagara Landing Wine Cellars, and The Winery at Marjim Manor will be featured as well.

Long Island

Fresh Oysters and Hard Clams farmed by Long Island's East End Marine Farmers' Association. North Fork Potato Chips will present samplings. Offerings by Chef/Owner Tom Schaudel of Cool Fish Restaurant, Long Island wines from Bedell Cellars, Brooklyn Oenology, Castello di Borghese Vineyard, Corey Creek Vineyards, Lieb Family Cellars, Pindar Vineyards, Shinn Estate Vineyard, and Wölffer Estate.

A centerpiece "Cornucopia" created by Bill Sanok of Cornell Cooperative Extension (retired) on Long Island will include everything from A to Z (apples to zucchini), with a bounty of fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat and seafood illustrating New York's diversity as an agricultural state.

New York City

Rosa Mexicano, a popular Manhattan restaurant that has a Washington presence, will offer Guacamole en Molcajete featuring New York Onions, Tomatoes, and Cilantro.

North Country

Products representing the Adirondacks and Thousands Islands, will include Kraft Philadelphia Ready-to-Eat Key Lime Cheescake filling; Adirondak Beef Company All Natural Beef Jerky; Pierce's Sugar Sigpot Maple Hard Candy; Black Watch Farm All Natural Jelly; Honey Crisp apples from Gunnison's Orchards; and Multigrain Bread from Crown Point Bread Company.

School Participants

Cornell University, a participant in past years, will offer a newly-formulated fruit beverage fortified with protein from skim milk, and will invite participants to suggest names for the new drink. the State University of New York, with 64 campuses statewide, will present five campuses, Alfred State College, SUNY Cobleskill, Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), Monroe County Community College (MCC), and Morrisville State College.

Alfred State College will feature a table-top Hydroponic Production Unit growing organic lettuce, and hand out organic watermelon, sunflower and cucumber seeds for planting.

Cobleskill will offer a SUNY Cobleskill-raised Brown Trout on SUNY Cobleskill-raised Hydroponic Greens with Meadowbrook Farms-produced Buttermilk Vinaigrette served on Schoharie Valley Farms-raised pink radish and cucumber slices. The fish, marinated in Bear Pond Winery Chardonnay, and the vinaigrette will be prepared and served by students in SUNY Cobleskill's Culinary Arts Program. ESF will display shrub willow as an excellent alternative farm crop for the production of bioenergy and biofuels in the Northeast and Midwest, reducing the dependence on fossil fuels, and will give willow cuttings to participants. MCC will present a power point, "Learn a Growing Profession," designed to raise awareness about and support for local agriculture. Morrisville will offer an array of locally produced products from Nelson Farms, an entrepreneurial agri-business created to assist local specialty food processors, farmers, growers, and producers in getting their products to the market place.

Farm Day visitors will also get a glimpse of a 13-segment public television series, "New York Wine & Table", produced by WXXI public broadcasting in Rochester and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. Produced in high definition, the series features New York wineries, farms, seafood operations, restaurants, and other parts of the agricultural community. It will be carried by all New York State public television stations and many in other states as well.

New York Farm Day is sponsored by Constellation Brands, Farm Credit of Western New York, First Pioneer Farm Credit, Long Island Farm Bureau, MasterCraft Glassware, New York Apple Association, New York Farm Bureau, New York State Restaurant Association, the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, Pride of New York (New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets), and Yankee Farm Credit. The event is organized by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation in conjunction with numerous other organizations and individuals who have contributed their time, products and services for the good of New York.

Farming is vital to New York's economy. About 25% of the State's land area, or 7,500,000 acres, is covered by 35,000 farms. New York is among America's major agricultural states, ranking #2 in apples and maple syrup, #3 in dairy, grapes, wine, and corn silage, #4 in pears, and #5 in floriculture. The wine, grape and grape juice industry alone contributes over $3.4 billion annually to the State's economy, and is the fastest growing industry in the agriculture and tourism sectors.

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