“A lot of our members have always been
interested in eating locally grown foods,” says Travis Hance, interim
general manager at the Co-op, 618 Kensington Road. “It helps support
the economy and our farmers. People are becoming more aware of the
environmental impact of transporting food. They need to become aware of
how their food choices affect the environment and the economy.”
And with an astounding 80 percent of
what we eat imported into New York state, there is plenty of room for
improvement. (I don’t know about you, but aren’t you offended by the
California happy cow commercials? I mean, why purchase milk made 1,500
miles away when Byrne Dairy is just down the street?) “We define local
as anything grown or produced in New York state,” Hance adds. “We have
40 vendors who deliver food to the Co-op. We define regional as
adjacent states plus Quebec and Ontario.”
And if you need to feel part of
something greater than supporting your local economy, visit
www.eatlocalamerica.coop to join the challenge. All that solidarity
will allow you to blog about your experience and share recipes with
your fellow foodies.
{mospagebreak}
Another Web site of note, with a similar
mandate, comes from 52nd District state Sen. Tom Libous (R-Binghamton).
At www.tomlibous.com you’ll find an icon for Buy from the Backyard, the
Republican’s effort to promote the agricultural output from his mostly
rural district. And while the Southern Tier district might be too far
for a Sunday drive to purchase produce (especially since there are
plenty of outlets around Syracuse), Libous’ effort is one local
politicians may want to emulate.
“We kicked it off last September with a
press conference with a number of farmers and producers at a park in
Binghamton. I actually barbecued; I love to cook,” Libous says. “The
chicken, steaks, tomatoes, everything had been produced locally. And we
actually launched the initiative recently with television and radio
ads, and the Web page that links to recipes and locations of farmers’
markets and farm stands in the district.”
Libous, whose grandfather owned a market
and father was a butcher in Binghamton, understands the needs of small
businesses, especially those whose focus is food. “I discovered that if
everybody spends $15 a week on local products, they could generate
something like $40 million annually that stays local. We’re trying to
get that mind-set into people’s heads. Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve
been very conscious of where what I buy is grown. We want the public to
take a second look before they buy and see if it was produced locally.
That helps the economy. It promotes agriculture, which is still the No.
1 industry in upstate New York.”
To help with the Buy from the Backyard
effort, Libous approached Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome,
Tioga and Chenango counties for logistical support. “Whenever I have
started a program—reading, drug abuse prevention—I have linked it with
a local entity for support. It made sense to link Buy from the Backyard
with Cornell; they’re the experts. It’s my role as a local community
leader to seed the garden, so to speak, for experts like Cornell, and
hopefully some of the notoriety that I may have, if that helps promote
the local economy, then great. Cornell has helped us immensely.”
For their part, the Syracuse Real Food Co-op will be promoting locally grown produce
a number of different ways during the monthlong Eat Local America!
campaign. While a date or location have yet to be set, Hance says the
group will be holding an Heirloom Tomato Festival in the next few weeks.
“Our goal is to raise awareness of the
varieties of heirlooms locally available,” he explains. “They taste
better than any other tomato out there and they grow well here. They
are grown for their flavor not their ability to be shipped long
distances.”
For more information about the Co-op, visit www.syracuserealfood.coop or call 472-1385.
For recipes using locally grown produce, click over to our recipe section.
{mospagebreak}
Earth to Clay
In a former bank building at the edge of
Seneca Mall, along Route 57 in Clay, sits a small store with a whole
lot of natural and organic foods inside. Open since July 19, Earth’s
Own natural market carries the usual suspects of pesticide-free foods,
supplements and beverages. The inventory is impressive in such a modest
space.
“We are a breakfast-to-bed organic
store, carrying produce, supplements, dairy, a great range of
groceries, frozen foods, plus the convenience of a to-go café,” says
owner Mario Pirrello. “We have taken the big-store footprint and boxed
it into a little organic space.”
The café carries fair trade organic
coffees, smoothies made with fruit sold at the store, power shakes with
whey, and a good number of gluten-free items. “That’s been a very big
issue over the last 10 years—the wheat-free diet,” notes Pirrello,
originally from downstate but a Liverpool resident for 18 years. “We
try to make it easy for people to ease into the lifestyle. The café
gives you an opportunity to taste something so you’re confident it’s
not just good for you, but it’s good tasting.”
Pirello also chose the location for its
heavy commuter traffic. “Liverpool needed this kind of establishment,”
he notes, “and we do see a great deal of traffic flow. Route 57 is
quite a busy street.” And as far as trying to compete with Wegmans,
that’s the idea, Pirrello says.
“I worked with Wegmans for a lot of years, and they are
the best in the country at what they do. They bring more people into
the organic food category and they attract an educated shopper. But
there are some things they can’t do—organic produce, for example. They
have it, but once it hits the shelf it isn’t organic anymore,” he
contends. “It’s surrounded by items that have been treated with
pesticides, a lot more people touch it. Everything here is organic. I
picked this location because it was fairly near Wegmans, like putting a
Target next to a Wal-Mart; that’s not always a bad thing.”
With a background in selling speciality,
natural and organic foods, Pirrello knows a bit about the topic. “I’ve
been in food my whole life,” he says. “My family owns gourmet
delicatessens down toward New York City; that business is completely
opposite the business I’m in, as you can image.”
Pirrello invites the community to check
out Earth’s Own at their convenience. “People should come in, relax and
look around. Read the labels; ask us questions. See what they like and
let us know if there is anything special we can get them. We are big on
requests. We’re trying to meet the needs of people with speciality
dietary requirements.”
Earth’s Own, 8015 Oswego Road,
Liverpool, is open Mondays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and
Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 715-4402.
Produce section: The range of locally grown vegetables includes potatoes, multicolored heirloom tomatoes, broccoli and leeks, all from Green Rabbit Farm, 3102 Lake Moraine Road, Madison. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO
