Albany gets a “Taste” of Chenango
ALBANY – Legislators from across New York got a chance to sample all that the state’s agricultural producers have to offer on Monday night, including some of Chenango County’s finest creamery products.
The occasion was the Taste of New York, an annual reception hosted by the New York Farm Bureau as part of the organization’s annual lobby days in Albany. This year, Chenango County was represented by Evans Farmhouse Organic Creamery, a family-owned and operated USDA certified organic creamery located in Norwich.
“We like to be represented here,” said Chenango County Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers, who assisted the Evans family with their display.
Evans Farmhouse Organic Creamery is a success story for local agriculture, said Vickers. The business was started in 1998 by Sue and Dave Evans, when the couple applied for and received a pasteurizer through the Small Dairy Project.
“We had a year to think how we’d proceed,” said Sue Evans. “It was sort of a trial.” They started small, using milk from their own 50-cow farm, which had belonged to Dave’s grandfather, as well as two neighboring farms. Within a few years, they had added additional equipment and outgrown their original creamery. They now get milk from a total of six area farms, four of which are certified organic by the USDA.
Their product line, which started with a few offerings, has grown to over 100 SKUs, which include a variety of organic yogurt, milk, cheese, butter and eggs. They also produce private label products for Siggi’s Skyr, an Icelandic style non-fat yogurt, and Dahlicious Lassi, a traditional Indian yogurt drink.
“In less than 8 years, [the family] built a million dollar business,” said Vickers. Last year, they had $1.4 million in sales.
Despite their growth, the Evans’ have stayed true to their roots.
“It is sort of a family thing,” said Evans. The family’s four children (Nathan, Jonna, Megan and Julia), three of whom accompanied their mother to Albany, are all involved in the operation of the farm and the creamery.
According to Evans, they are committed to supporting local farms and local business. Evans Farmhouse works cooperatively with other local companies, including Northern Lites in Morris which produces healthy cookies and snacks. In fact, it was samples of Northern Lites Ice Cream Sandwiches that Evans chose to distribute at the reception.
“She uses our ingredients from our creamery,” Evans explained. The small sandwiches included ice cream made from Evans Farmhouse Organic whole milk and cream, surrounded by a healthy, yet tasty flax seed chocolate cookie.
The family, along with CCFB Intern Emily Hermanovitch of Greene, handed out samples to the farm bureau members, legislators and political staffers attending the event. They were a huge hit.
Chenango County and Evans Farmhouse were in good company at the Taste of New York reception, which has a bit of a reputation with legislators. With the wide variety of New York State wines and foods on offer, it is on of the most popular events of the year, according to Assemblyman Cliff Crouch.
Crouch, a ranking member on the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee, said one of the benefits of the event is that it is a good opportunity for downstate legislators to see a wide spectrum of products grown and produced across the state.
One of those downstate legislators, Senator Brian Foley, concurred.
“That’s the great thing about this,” said Foley, who represents Long Island’s third district. “You get to see the diversity of products.”
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker has a strong connection with the Farm Bureau, having served as the organization’s Director of Public Policy before being named to his current position in 2007.
He applauded the Farm Bureau members who had taken “time off their farms to talk about what they do.” Too often, he explained, lobbying is just one suit after another but the New York Farm Bureau lobby days, and the Taste of New York reception in particular, are unique in that they “combine the lobbying with the products.”
“[This event] puts New York agriculture on the map,” said Hooker. Hopefully, the addition of Evans Farmhouse Organic Creamery will help put Chenango County’s agriculture industry on the map as well.
The occasion was the Taste of New York, an annual reception hosted by the New York Farm Bureau as part of the organization’s annual lobby days in Albany. This year, Chenango County was represented by Evans Farmhouse Organic Creamery, a family-owned and operated USDA certified organic creamery located in Norwich.
“We like to be represented here,” said Chenango County Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers, who assisted the Evans family with their display.
Evans Farmhouse Organic Creamery is a success story for local agriculture, said Vickers. The business was started in 1998 by Sue and Dave Evans, when the couple applied for and received a pasteurizer through the Small Dairy Project.
“We had a year to think how we’d proceed,” said Sue Evans. “It was sort of a trial.” They started small, using milk from their own 50-cow farm, which had belonged to Dave’s grandfather, as well as two neighboring farms. Within a few years, they had added additional equipment and outgrown their original creamery. They now get milk from a total of six area farms, four of which are certified organic by the USDA.
Their product line, which started with a few offerings, has grown to over 100 SKUs, which include a variety of organic yogurt, milk, cheese, butter and eggs. They also produce private label products for Siggi’s Skyr, an Icelandic style non-fat yogurt, and Dahlicious Lassi, a traditional Indian yogurt drink.
“In less than 8 years, [the family] built a million dollar business,” said Vickers. Last year, they had $1.4 million in sales.
Despite their growth, the Evans’ have stayed true to their roots.
“It is sort of a family thing,” said Evans. The family’s four children (Nathan, Jonna, Megan and Julia), three of whom accompanied their mother to Albany, are all involved in the operation of the farm and the creamery.
According to Evans, they are committed to supporting local farms and local business. Evans Farmhouse works cooperatively with other local companies, including Northern Lites in Morris which produces healthy cookies and snacks. In fact, it was samples of Northern Lites Ice Cream Sandwiches that Evans chose to distribute at the reception.
“She uses our ingredients from our creamery,” Evans explained. The small sandwiches included ice cream made from Evans Farmhouse Organic whole milk and cream, surrounded by a healthy, yet tasty flax seed chocolate cookie.
The family, along with CCFB Intern Emily Hermanovitch of Greene, handed out samples to the farm bureau members, legislators and political staffers attending the event. They were a huge hit.
Chenango County and Evans Farmhouse were in good company at the Taste of New York reception, which has a bit of a reputation with legislators. With the wide variety of New York State wines and foods on offer, it is on of the most popular events of the year, according to Assemblyman Cliff Crouch.
Crouch, a ranking member on the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee, said one of the benefits of the event is that it is a good opportunity for downstate legislators to see a wide spectrum of products grown and produced across the state.
One of those downstate legislators, Senator Brian Foley, concurred.
“That’s the great thing about this,” said Foley, who represents Long Island’s third district. “You get to see the diversity of products.”
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker has a strong connection with the Farm Bureau, having served as the organization’s Director of Public Policy before being named to his current position in 2007.
He applauded the Farm Bureau members who had taken “time off their farms to talk about what they do.” Too often, he explained, lobbying is just one suit after another but the New York Farm Bureau lobby days, and the Taste of New York reception in particular, are unique in that they “combine the lobbying with the products.”
“[This event] puts New York agriculture on the map,” said Hooker. Hopefully, the addition of Evans Farmhouse Organic Creamery will help put Chenango County’s agriculture industry on the map as well.
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