Supermarkets and Convenience Stores Building Momentum Behind Pride of New York Program

A growing number of supermarkets and convenience stores are joining the Pride of New York Program, and featuring Pride products and signage in their stores.

“With the campaign driving consumers to look for products with the Pride logo, retailers are gaining increased sales and profits by featuring Pride products and display elements in their stores,” reports State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers.

“Pride of New York now has more than 1,000 members utilizing the logo and promoting their locally grown and processed products,” said Rudgers. “There are a lot of quality products on store shelves already boasting the Pride of New York emblem and I am encouraging retailers to take advantage of this program and the success it has already achieved by featuring Pride of New York through in-store displays and signage.

The recognition and attention this campaign will bring to retailers and Pride of New York products will not only increase sales, but help support the regional and State economy.”

Stores that join the Pride Program receive signage kits, provided by the Pride of New York Program. Kits include display signs, shelf talkers, static cling door signage and more. Member stores can use the Pride emblem in their own marketing programs and signage. In addition, support for co-op advertising is also available.

For additional information, please contact Sue Santamarina at (518) 457-7229 or sue.santamarina@agmkt.state.ny.us

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Manhattan Dishes Up the Pride

CulinArt, the largest privately held on-site dining company on the East Coast, recently hosted the Society for Foodservice Management Critical Issues Conference in Manhattan.

Attended by nearly 300 food service professionals, CulinArt’s director of culinary development, Roger Beaulieu, created a tasting of New York produce and products for the reception, based on increased interest in local and seasonal produce and products.

Teaming up with the Pride of New York Program, Mr. Beaulieu coordinated a New York menu that included Long Island Blue Point oysters, Hudson Valley shad roe, New York wines and much more.

“CulinArt has been promoting seasonality in everything from café menus to office catering and special events for some time,” said President Tom Eich. “Supporting local producers is a natural progression for us, and we are looking to make this an initiative in the markets we serve.”

Pride of New York members who took part in this event that overlooked Broadway in mid-town Manhattan include:

The Acme Smoked Fish Corp., Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Chocolate & Cocoa Co. (Kings County); Brewery Ommegang (Otsego County); MAR-K LTD Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing Sauces (Erie County); Red Jacket Orchards (Ontario County); McCadam Cheese (Franklin County); Mushroom Varieties (Rensselaer County); and Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards (Schuyler County). Other New York participants were Channing Daughters Winery; and Macari Vineyards.

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Long Island Fishermen Land Big Catch

Commissioner Rudgers joined representa-tives from the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association (LICFA) to kick-off its new campaign, “Pride of New York Seafood.”

The LICFA received a $50,000 promotional grant from the Department last year to promote locally landed seafood with the Pride of New York Program.

“Long Island’s history and culture are closely linked to its fishing industry. In fact, the first coastal settlers of New York called Long Island the ‘Island of Shells’ due to the vast numbers of clam, oyster and other shells deposited on its shores,” the Commissioner said. “Recognizing the significant contributions made by Long Island’s seafood industry and embarking on an exciting new partnership allows seafood lovers to identify the quality and history of Long Island’s proud catch.”

The goals of the Pride of New York seafood campaign are to inform the public on the benefits and importance of eating locally landed seafood, create a partnership between commercial fishermen and restaurants, and ultimately, help create a stronger consumer awareness of the freshness and packed-at-sea quality standards of New York seafood.

Bonnie Brady, Executive Director of LICFA, described the Pride of New York seafood campaign as a win-win for all. “It’s good for the fish, good for the fishermen, and ultimately the consumer. It will allow consumers to choose a quality product that’s conservation-minded and will also help to promote fishing communities on Long Island.”

In order to reach its goals, the campaign will enlist the participation of East End restaurants, retail seafood shops and wholesale fish markets. The campaign will also utilize the artwork of renowned folk-artist, Nicholas Wilton, coupled with the Pride of New York logo and the campaign’s slogan, “North, South, East and West…New York’s Fishermen Catch the Best!” on all promotional materials. The campaign will feature posters, brochures and stickers for retailers, and table tent inserts and posters for restaurants.

For more information on the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, contact Bonnie Brady at (516) 527-3099 or greenfluke@worldnet.att.net

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Did you know…

• New York fishermen landed 41.3 million pounds of fish and shellfish with a dockside value of $59.6 million in 2000.

• A recent New York Sea Grant study estimated that New York’s commercial fishing industry contributed a total of $149.6 million to the State’s economy and directly employed approximately 10,500 New Yorkers.

• New York’s seafood industry in total contributes approximately $8 billion to the State’s economy annually, which includes receipts from commercial fishing, wholesale operations including the Fulton Fish Market, processors, fish markets and restaurants.

• Most of New York’s commercial fishing activity occurs in the coastal and ocean waters that surround Long Island.

• New York’s top catch is finfish, such as flounder, tuna, cod, fluke and scup, among others. Finfish account for 17.5 million pounds or about 43 percent of the State’s total catch.

• Squid accounts for 29 percent of the State’s total catch with 12.2 million pounds caught.

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New York Celebrates Dairy Month

New York State proudly celebrates June as National Dairy Month. With more than 7,000 dairy farms producing over 12.2 billion pounds of milk annually, New York is the nation’s third largest dairy state.

“Dairy Month is a great time to celebrate all that our family dairy farms provide,” Commissioner Rudgers said. “From fresh wholesome products that nourish our bodies to the jobs and revenue generated for our communities to the productive landscapes decorating our countryside, dairy farms are essential to maintaining the quality of life here in New York State.”

On June 15, Pride of New York members joined First Deputy Commissioner Ruth Moore and New York State legislators in Albany’s Legislative Office Building for Dairy Day, and celebrated with dairy industry representatives, dairy princesses and lots of dairy product samples.

Pride members who participated in the Albany Dairy Day celebration are:

Broome County
• Crowley Foods

Erie County
• Upstate Farms

Franklin County
• McCadam Cheese

Genesee County
• Yancey’s Fancy

Madison County
• H.P. Hood

Nassau County
• Friendship Dairies

Onondaga County
• American Dairy Association • Byrne Dairy

Rensselaer County
• Garelick Farms

Schenectady County
• F. Cappiello Dairy Products

Steuben County
• Kraft Foods

Wayne County
• Heluva Good, LLC

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Member News

200 Years of ‘Fruit, Fun and Memories’

Congratulations to Bob Brown at Brown’s Berry Patch in Waterport (Orleans County), celebrating the farm’s 200th anniversary of growing “Fruit, Fun and Memories.”

Commissioner Rudgers visited Brown’s on July 26 to note the milestone anniversary. A family farm since 1804, Brown’s is also established as a great agri-tourism location with a farm market, country gift shop, deli, bakery, ice cream shop, playground, u-pick operation and festivals.

Nelson Farms Opens Country Store

Nelson Farms, Morrisville State College’s small-scale food processing plant located at the former Nelson Inn on Route 20 in Nelson (Madison County), has a new retail store with an old-fashioned general store atmosphere.

The goal of the store, said Nelson Far ms’ Director Dave Evans, is to feature 200 New York State Products from members of the Pride of New York Program. Plans also include food tastings, product inclusion on the Nelson Farms website, and the creation of Pride of New York Gift Baskets.

Established in 2003, the facility serves individuals who have commercial food ideas, recipes or products, but lack sufficient capital, access to or knowledge of health regulations. Nelson Farms provides anyone interested with the unique opportunity to explore, develop, produce, distribute and market value-added food products.

Everyone who uses Nelson Farms is a Pride of New York member. For more information, contact Dave Evans at evansdl@morrisville.edu.

The Pride of Carmine’s Kitchen

On May 12, Commissioner Rudgers participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony honoring the grand opening of Carmine’s Kitchen in Latham (Albany County), owned by Albany chef Carmine Sprio. Carmine’s Kitchen is Sprio’s latest venture, featuring restaurant quality food with the convenience of take out.

Carmine’s Kitchen is a member of the Pride of New York Program and will be featuring a host of New York products, ranging from wines to spices to dairy products and fresh produce.

Most popular for his cooking show, “Carmine’s Table” and his restaurant “Carmine’s” on Central Avenue in Albany, Sprio’s new facility will also offer gift baskets, retail items, and catering services.

Byrne Dairy’s Star Shines

It’s with great pride that we congratulate Byrne Dairy of Syracuse (Onondaga County) for receiving the 2004 Dairy of the Year Award from AllStar Dairy Association.

AllStar gives the award to the company that has set itself apart in areas of product quality, service, advertising, innovation and community service.

Byrne Dairy’s fluid plant also won an award for “Exceeding Industry Standards.”

AllStar Dairy Association is a member-owned corporation based in Lexington, KY, with membership representing 258 plants in 43 states.

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Friends of the National Arboretum Celebrate the State of New York

Every year, the Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) host a Clam Bake at the Arboretum in Washington, DC, and honors a different state. This year, the great state of New York was honored on June 16, 2004.

State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers, State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Erin Crotty and State Parks Commissioner Bernadette Castro served as the Honorary Chairs of the event and Commissioner Rudgers highlighted the growth and popularity of the Pride Program in his remarks to the enthusiastic audience.

The Pride of New York program arranged to have centerpieces at each table provided by Kurt Weiss Greenhouses, Inc., of Long Island. Each attendee received a Pride of New York gift bag containing: maple syrup (Woodview Sugarbush, Albany County), flower and vegetable seeds (Page Seed Company, Greene County); and dried apples and cherries (Singer Farms, Niagara County).

The event also featured a cocktail tasting of Pride of New York wines, as well as Pride wines with dinner. Participating wineries included Brotherhood Winery (Orange County); Bully Hill Vineyards (Steuden County); Fox Run Vineyards, Glenora Wine Cellars and Hunt Country Vineyards (Yates County); Martha Clara Vineyards (Suffolk County) and Swedish Hill Vineyards (Seneca County), and were coordinated by the New York Wine and Grape Foundation.

The event is very well attended by Members of Congress, senior Executive Branch leaders and the Washington D.C. government and business community.

FONA is a private non-profit 501 © (3) organization that is dedicated to enhancing support for the U.S. National Arboretum’s horticultural research and educational programs and other activities.

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MEDIA TIPS

You and Your Press Release

Question: We send press releases to the media all the time, but they’re seldom used. Why?

Answer: There could be a number of factors at play. So, here’s a checklist to keep handy the next time you’re writing a press release.

• Make sure that your press release contains the essential element any editor looks for first - news.

• Use what journalists call the “inverted pyramid” style when writing - the most important information at the beginning and the least important towards the end (again, from a news standpoint).

• Double check to make sure the press release contains all necessary information: Who, what, where, when and why.

• Keep the writing simple and factual. Avoid adjectives and the urge to take a fling at creative writing.

• Make sure it is going to the correct person in a news organization. If you’re not sure, call the media outlet and ask. Remember, most media organizations get hundreds of press releases a day.

• Know when deadline times are. If you’re not sure, ask.

• Be sure to include a phone number where someone can be reached during the day to answer any questions the media might have.

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Your Favorite Recipe - Served with Pride

It’s the pride of your dinner table. Or, a lunchtime favorite. Maybe, you wow everyone at breakfast with your favorite recipe.

The Pride of New York is seeking recipes from members to post on our website so that everyone might have a chance to enjoy members’ favorite dishes cooked with New York products.

We hope you’ll take a minute to share a recipe (or two) with us. Please send them in writing to: Recipes, Pride of New York, 10B Airline Drive, Albany, NY 12235 or via e-mail to info@prideofny.com

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News from NY FARMS!

Adapted from the June 18, 2004 Newsletter

By MARTHA GOODSELL

NY Farms! has long been a supporter of the Pride of New York Program and will continue to support the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets on this front.

Pride provides brand name recognition to New York State in a national and international marketplace. Yes, in this respect, it is for the “Big Boys”; but it is primarily designed to help the small farmer, processor and retailer as well. Where else can one go to find a comprehensive listing of New York products?

Having a listing with the Pride of New York is an opportunity too good to pass up, regardless of the size of your farm or business. If you are not a member of a state organization representing what you grow, raise or produce, you’re likely to be missing out on important news affecting your business.

I understand that some farmers have reservations about the Pride of New York Program because there are listings of more than just farms.

Consider this…

In addition to promoting New York agricultural products, the Pride of New York encourages those processors who use New York products. In many cases, the New York growing season is short. But the New York sales season can last all year. Sales of New York products help support New York businesses that, in turn, keep New Yorkers working. And when New Yorkers work, they have money to spend - hopefully on New York products! This is why being able to identify a New York product is so critical.

I encourage all farmers, growers, processors and retailers to become a Pride member. Of course we’d love for you to become a member of NY Farms! as well. Please send your inquiries to nyfarms@baldcom.net or NY Farms! 125 Williams Road, Candor, NY 13643 or by calling (607) 659-3710.

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Proud to “Support Central New York”

When Pride of New York members in Central New York heard about an opportunity to promote their products, they requested the Pride Program to join them in the effort.

In the true cooperative spirit that is the guiding principle of the Program, Pride of New York partnered with members to become a sponsor in “Support Central New York,” an initiative of three television stations WSTM (NBC 3), WSTQ (UPN 6) and WSPX (PAX 56) in Syracuse (Onondaga County).

The campaign, which continues through early September, calls attention to the wide array of products produced in the Central New York Area. The campaign’s theme to consumers, “Put Your Money Where Your Neighbor Works,” will stress the importance of supporting local suppliers by purchasing their products.

In addition to Pride of New York advertising, “Support Central New York” will have several promotions that will reinforce the importance of supporting local vendors. These include:

• Special displays at Green Hills market in Syracuse, featuring Pride of New York members including: Heluva Good (Wayne County) as well as Onondaga County members Beak & Skiff Apples, Byrne Dairy, Dinosaur Bar-B-Q, Fuhgeddaboudit Family Brands, Gianelli Sausage, Plainville Turkey, and Terrell’s Potato Chips.

• A special promotion with the New York State Fair.

• And, announcements during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece that will be carried by WSTM.

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NYS Museum “Taste of New York” Participants

Albany County
•Sweets & Treats •Woodview Sugarbush

Columbia County
•Hudson Valley Homestead

Franklin County
•McCadam Cheese

Madison County
•Nelson Farms at Morrisville State College

Orange County
•Brotherhood Winery

Otsego County
•Brewery Ommegang •MacFarms, Inc. (e-MOO)

Saratoga County
•Saratoga Salsa, Co.

Schenectady County
•Cappiello Dairy

Schoharie County
•The Carrot Barn at Schoharie Valley Farms

Seneca County
•Wagner Vineyards

Steuben County
•Heron Hill Winery

Washington County
•Wild Thymes Farms, Inc.

The Woodstock exhibit was made possible by Baum Image Group, Inc. of Valley Cottage (Rockland County) with support from the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which owns the original Woodstock Festival site in Bethel.

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35th Anniversary of Woodstock Museum Exhibit Opening Features Pride Members at “Taste of New York”

The New York State Museum in Albany called upon Pride of New York members when it was organizing the opening celebration for the new exhibit marking the 35th anniversary of Woodstock which took place in 1969 at Yasgur's Farm in Bethel (Sullivan County).

The exhibit, Spirit of the Woodstock Generation: The Photographs of Elliott Landy, continues through Sept. 6 at the Museum. Mr. Landry was an official photographer at the concert. His photos, album covers, and intimate portraits of artists - including Bob Dylan, The Band, Janis Joplin, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison - are unparalleled. The exhibition is augmented by dozens of objects from the Museum’s collections, from local collectors and from key personalities of the Woodstock festival.

The opening “A Taste of New York” reception on June 22 featured foods and beverages from around the State and included a performance by Woodstock artist,Melanie. Over 1,000 people attended.

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Letters from Our Members:

Dear Pride of New York:

“A Taste of New York” held at the New York State Museum on June 22, 2004, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival was very interesting and well attended. We feel that it did help promote New York State and agricultural products and the “Pride of New York” Program. There was a wide variety of interest shown in not only our maple products but also the products of the other vendors that attended.

Thank you very much for providing them with our contact information. We are hopeful that new customer contacts were obtained as a result of this event.

Sincerely,
Barbara & Maynard Potter
Woodview Sugarbush

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