Wow!  As hinted at in an earlier post, Farm Aid is coming to New York City on Sunday, September 9th.  The press conference announcing this years concert took place in Union Square Park, the birthplace of New York City's farmers markets, on a picture perfect spring afternoon with the farmers market flanking invited dignitaries and guests.

Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Patrick Hooker of New York State's Department of Agriculture & Markets, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Council on the Environment and Farm Aid staff and most importantly farmers ushered in a milestone in New York's effort to link upstate farmer's with New York's City's 8 million consumers and a multitude of expected visitors.

There is a tremendous effort in New York State to stimulate the upstate economy and one important constituency of the upstate area is our farmers.  A meeting was recently held by New York State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan 26th District) to help identify ways to increase sales of NYS Agricultural products in the city.  Participants included representatives of the Department of Agriculture & Markets, NYC Department of Education's SchoolFood program, council on the Environment, Children's Defense Fund, the NYC Food Policy Coordinator, nutritionists and food policy experts.  By the end of the meeting it became clear that while Governor Spitzer has invigorated the state with able leaders in critical agencies and initiated important policies, the state still has challenges to overcome in the areas of processing, distribution, infrastructure technology, access for low-income families and associated funding for our family farmers.  Hopefully, Farm Aid will help shed light on these issues and bring in necessary grants to non-profit groups that are managing programs to help resolve some of these issues.

And of course, the question on everyone's minds is why New York?  We're known as the city that never sleeps and the home of that neon spectacle Times Square.  New York State, however, also has a rich agricultural tradition and we want to support it and grow it!  According to the USDA, New York has 36,000 farms and our top five state crops are dairy, greenhouse plants, apples, cattle and hay.  New York is 2nd in the country after Washington state with our apple crop.  We have 327 farmers markets and 127 CSAs (community supported agricultural programs).  There are 428 certified organic farmers (and growing) and 330 different certified organic crops in New York State.  We have 26,955 acres of farm land.  Whew!  And because people like Bob Lewis of the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, Bob Ayers of World Hunger Year and Tom Strumolo of Greenmarket have relentlessly and tirelessly lobbied Farm Aid for our state.

One of the hallmarks of this years concert is Farm Aid's management of the food concessions which will allow for a floodlight on local foods.  Another important distinction is New York City's fantastic public transportation system.  This is probably one of the few venues in the country where you not only should, but could leave your car and it's expensive foreign fuel at home.  Go to the Farm Aid web site and check out all of the transportation options from footbridges to ferries and then go to Ticketmaster starting on Saturday, June 16 and purchase your tickets to one of the most important events that you'll attend this year!