Growing New York State'S Local Farm, Food And Beverage Producers In 2017

GROWING NEW YORK STATE’SLOCAL FARM, FOOD ANDBEVERAGE PRODUCERSIN 2017

SUCCESSStorySOUTHERN TIERLetter from the CommissionerThousandIslands SeawaySUCCESSDear Friends,Taste NY, the official eat-local, drink-local program forNew York State, is continuing to grow at an unprecedentedrate since its launch by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in2013. Now entering its sixth year, Taste NY has morethan tripled gross revenue in the past few years, from 4.5 million in 2015 to more than 16 million in 2017.In the past year, Taste NY made products available at13 new locations and participated in exciting events, such as The NorthernTrust (a PGA tournament) and the New York City Marathon.StoriesCentral agaraFinger LakesChautauqua-AlleghenyAs part of Governor Cuomo’s vision to construct a state-of-the-art WelcomeCenter in each region of the state that spotlights the very best of its tourism,business, and agricultural assets, Taste NY now offers local products at theSouthern Tier, Mohawk Valley, New York City, and Central New York WelcomeCenters, in addition to the Long Island Welcome Center, which opened in 2016.Central New YorkTodd HillCatskillsSouthern TierWelcome CenterHudson ValleyMarketsTaste NY Markets boast the largest variety of New Yorkmade food and beverage products, ranging from freshsandwiches and salads to sauces, gift items and more.Taste NY Markets are found in transportation hubsthroughout the state, both inside regional WelcomeCenters and as standalone locations.Cafés/Bars& ConcessionsNew YorkCityLocated within NY State Parks, tourism destinations, andentertainment and sports venues, Taste NY branded cafés,bars, and other concessions offer all New York food andbeverage options for visitors. These can include locally roastedcoffee, sandwiches, salads, baked goods, cheese, cookiesand other snacks, as well as beer, wine, spirits, and cider.Product DisplaysLong IslandLong IslandWelcome CenterTaste NY product displays are often found in travel and tourism hubs, such asservice areas along the NYS Thruway. They vary in size and can include shelving,displays, kiosks or vending machines. They offer a variety of products rangingfrom maple syrup, pancake mix, and coffee to yogurts, cheese, and juice.Taste NY also kicked off the state’s inaugural Taste NY Craft Beverage Weekin New York City, hosted the Taste NY Craft Beer Challenge with celebrity andprofessional judges, and held two food and beverage competitions at the GreatNew York State Fair--the Taste NY Food Truck Competition and its first-everCraft Beer Competition.WELCOME CENTERFormerly the Broome Gateway Travel andTourism Center, the Southern Tier WelcomeCenter has been transformed into a new spacethat includes a large Taste NY Market and regionallyunique elements from the greater Southern Tier,including an antique carousel horse.“I’m selling three times as many sandwiches nowcompared to when it was the Broome GatewayInformation Center! Beautiful packaging andquality New York ingredients help to create suchan amazing product! Thank you.”Jo Cline, Cline’s CateringBinghamton, NY“Because you sampled our products andeducated our customers at the Southern TierWelcome Center we have three new accounts!!Local business owners fell in love with our productat Taste NY and decided to put it on their shelves!”Andri Goncarovs and Dorothy Poppleton,Finger Lakes HarvestGeneva, NYThe agricultural industry in New York State continues to grow at an exceptionalrate. The state boasts more than seven million acres of farmland and is thesecond largest producer of apples, snap beans and maple syrup in the country.Additionally, we have seen a 50% growth in the number of craft beveragemanufacturers since enactment of the Craft New York Act in 2014, with NewYork ranking first in the country for number of cideries.We have a lot to celebrate when it comes to New York agriculture. Taste NY,through the Department of Agriculture and Markets, is proud to promote thevery best homegrown products the Empire State has to offer and showcaseNew York’s food and beverage producers.Sincerely,Richard A. BallCommissionerRob Carpenter, Administrative Director“With over 600 farm operations still growing today, agriculture remainsan essential component of Long Island’s economy. Residents supportour farmers by buying products made from local producers andTaste NY supports that effort throughout New York State.”

SUCCESSStoryTESTIMONIALCENTRAL#4NEW YORKWELCOME CENTERThe Central New York Welcome Center, locatedinside Destiny USA shopping mall in Syracuse,features a Taste NY Market with locally made foodand gifts such as artisanal jams, gourmet hot chocolate mix, flavored culinary salts, and cutting boardsmade from New York State wood.“Central New York is rich in history, culture,agriculture and so much more. This WelcomeCenter showcases all that this area has to offerand encourages visitors to explore and experienceour spectacular region.”Tracey BurkeyVisit Syracuse, VP of EngagementLONG ISLANDWELCOME CENTERTaste NY at WELCOME CENTERS HTaste N at STATE PARKS HAt the end of 2017, Taste NY operated five successfullocations in the state’s regional Welcome Centers. TheLong Island Welcome Center, which opened in 2016,celebrated its first anniversary with more than 700,000in total sales. The Central New York, MohawkValley, and Southern Tier Welcome Centers openedthis year, bringing even more local products to regionsacross the state.Taste NY expanded its offerings at State Parks in 2017,including Sunken Meadow State Park, Bear MountainState Park, and Olana State Historic Site. After asuccessful first-year partnership,Taste NY is now offeredat ten parks or historic sites throughout the state.Each Welcome Center is a state partnership, featuringtourism elements from I LOVE NEW YORK and foodand beverages offered through Taste NY. Visitors canuse special kiosks inside to learn more about the regionand plan their adventures to must-see sites, state parks,breweries, wineries, and more.Taste NYat CONCESSIONS HTaste NY, building on several years of successful partnerships with sports and entertainment venues, openednew concessions at Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena,the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and LakeviewAmphitheater, in addition to activations at the BarclaysCenter, Jones Beach State Park, and many more. TasteNY also partnered with the PGA Tour for the third year tocreate the Taste NY Marketplace at the Northern Trusttournament in August, which sold iconic New York Cityfood and beverages sourced from New York State farms.Eduardo EstrellaSUCCESSStoryPermanent Locations/Partnerships Opened in 2017“The Taste NY Café is nothing short of amazing!It has allowed us, Sweet Sam’s Baking Company,a bakery from the Bronx, to showcase our New Yorkpride all throughout the Empire State.”In their second season, the locations at Niagara Fallsand Jones Beach State Parks continue to grow, servingand selling ready-to-eat food such as sandwiches andsalads, as well as craft beverages and gift items such asmaple syrup and honey.Taste NYat TRANSPORTATION HUBS HAfter a successful partnership with Amtrak in 2016,Taste NY continued to increase offerings at majortransportation hubs, including food and beveragecarts at Penn Station and a Taste NY Café atPembroke Travel Plaza, located west of Rochesteron the NYS Thruway.Officially opened in October 2016, the LongIsland Welcome Center celebrated its firstanniversary this past year with more than 700,000 in sales of New York made foodand beverages. This location sells everythingfrom ready-to-eat food and beverages to meat,cheese, baked goods, flour, pasta, and more.“The Long Island Taste NY Market has beena very positive influence on our sales of NorthFork Potato Chips. We struggle greatly duringthe winter months and to have anothercustomer where sales are high has impactedour business on the positive side of the ledger.We also have had positive feedback fromcustomers who have purchased the chips atthe Welcome Center.”Carol and Martin Cider, North Fork Potato ChipsCutchogue, NYThe Taste NY Market at Grand Central Terminal, firstopened in October 2014, grossed more than 1 millionfor the third year in a row. The Grand Central Marketsells craft beverages, food, coffee, and curated giftbaskets with all New York products.Sean Sawyer , President“Frederic Church took great pride in his farm at Olana andwe are thrilled to continue his farm-to-table legacy here byproviding our visitors with the rich variety of locally sourcedfood and beverage options offered through Taste NY.”

SUCCESSFOOD, BEVERAGES& FARMS IN 2017StoryTASTE NY MARKETatTODD HILLimpressionsThe Taste NY Market at Todd Hill celebratedits third anniversary and continues to grow,surpassing 1 million in sales for thesecond year in a row. Vendors who sell tothe market, which is located along thehistoric Taconic State Parkway in the HudsonValley, are typically smaller businesses thatcredit the store with their year-round growth.“The Taste New York location at ToddHill has been a consistently good revenuestream for us. We are very pleased with theexposure and support we’ve received fromTodd Hill for our cheeses.”Cold Spring, NYoverof NY craft beverage manufacturersare farm-based, meaning they usefresh, locally grown NYS ingredientsin sales of NYfood & beveragesthe number ofcideriesin New York hasincreasedin U.S. for number of cider producersin U.S. for number of craft distillersin U.S. for number of wineries and breweriessince 2014REVENUEBUDGET3.4 m 135in 2017 alone,new manufacturinglicenses were issued for craft beveragesPaul Leone, Executive Directorat the GreatNew York State Fair,nearly 200New York food and beveragecompanies sell their productsevery yearfarms2017The Coffee Pantrymore thanin NY StateCooperstown Cheese CompanyMilford, NY“The throughput at the Taste NY outletsallows us to grow our wholesale andmanufacturing division, stabilize ourplatform in an emerging market, and providejobs in the local community.”inState Parksalone“New York is quickly becoming one of the top craftbeer producing states in the entire country. Promotionthrough events like the first-ever Taste NY Craft BeverageWeek is just one more way to get our products in thehands of a public that is demanding more and morelocally made beer, cider, wine and spirits.”The numberof distilleriesin New Yorkhas increasedmore than1000%since 2010Helen Thomas, Executive Director16.1 mparticipated inNorthern Trust Tournament& NYC Marathon“Due to the mild weather, our members havealready been making plenty of syrup for thetastings and goodies to eat that you will findat our sugarhouses. I’ve been personally tastetesting and I can report it is delicious –the best ever!”