CNY Bounty has roots planted in Chenango County
NORWICH – Though it may have offices in Madison County now, a business that sells and delivers farm fresh products directly to homes has its roots firmly planted in Chenango County.
Central New York Bounty (formerly Chenango Bounty) is what’s known as the biggest success story of the Chenango County Planning & Economic Development Committee, according to its membership. Each year, the government committee has up to $90,000 to disperse to non-profits and local municipalities for engineering and viability studies.
In 2008, Planning authorized $25,000 to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County for a study of whether such a delivery service of local produce could become a viable project. Since then, the service has continued to grow and expand, reaching more than $320,000 in sales to date over the past year and returning $245,000 back to the region’s producers, 50 percent of which comes directly to Chenango’s farmers.
“Chenango County gets more for a dollar here (with this program) than from anywhere else that I know of,” said Planning’s Vice Chairman Ross Iannello recently during a budget presentation of the Extension’s Ag Development Council.
The program is in its 125th week, has orders that average well over 100 per week and employs 12 part-time workers. Orders are packed for delivery from at facility located at Sunrise Family Farms in Greene.
“Many Chenango County farmers and producers continue to actively sell into CNY Bounty,” said Commerce Chenango Economic Development Specialist Jennifer Tavares, who also chairs the Ag Development Council.
Tavares said a new idea to create identification logo stickers and offer them at no charge to Chenango’s producers is making its way through the council. The stickers would indicate that the produce for sale was grown or made exclusively in the Land of the Bullthistle.
In-kind contributions totaling nearly $18,000 helped to jump start the project. Time was donated by membership of the council and project chairman Bob Huot; the Central New York Resource Conservation and Development; the Center for Agriculture Research and Entrepreneurship; the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County.
To learn more about CNY Bounty and the Ag Development Council, go to its newly launched website at www.ccadc.com.
In other Ag Development Council news, $2,800 in microgrants were awarded to agribusinesses in 2009, and there are plans to grant $2,500 again this year. The grants were used to create brochures, signage, packaging and other marketing materials. Those in receipt of funds were: Sunflower Hill Organic Farm of Guilford; Wild West Elk Ranch of West Edmeston; Surf N Turf Farm of South Otselic; Holler Farm of Oxford; By the Barn Farm and Nursery of West Edmeston; Goat Lady Soap Co. of Columbus ; Zone 4 Farm of Columbus; Lamb’s Quarters Organic Farm of Plymouth; and the Oxford Farmers’ Market.
A final $5,000 grant was awarded to Evans Farmhouse/Sunrise Family Farms of Norwich and Greene to close out an expansion project of its cheese-making operations. Plans for next year include initiating a program that would enable a Chenango County farm (or farms) to grow experimental oil seed crops.
Three new members joined the council over the past year: Ed Coates of NBT Bank; Reed Baker of Baker’s Maple Products and Stacie Edick of Cornell Cooperative Extension Chenango County.
Iannello, who is town supervisor for New Berlin and not a member of any political party, made a motion to increase the council’s budget for next year, particularly for secretarial support. “I’d hate to see you short yourself in case some other projects come up,” he said. Iannello made a motion to approve $2,500 for 2011. Committee Chairman David Law, R-Norwich, seconded it.
“The position is needed. We need someone supporting the ag businesses out there,” said Tavares.
Over the past three years, Planning’s “seed money,” as it’s called, has been given out in the following increments: $30,000 in 2009; $62,000 in 2008, and $72,000 in 2007 ($50,000 of which went to Chase Memorial Nursing Home of New Berlin for an engineering study).
Central New York Bounty (formerly Chenango Bounty) is what’s known as the biggest success story of the Chenango County Planning & Economic Development Committee, according to its membership. Each year, the government committee has up to $90,000 to disperse to non-profits and local municipalities for engineering and viability studies.
In 2008, Planning authorized $25,000 to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County for a study of whether such a delivery service of local produce could become a viable project. Since then, the service has continued to grow and expand, reaching more than $320,000 in sales to date over the past year and returning $245,000 back to the region’s producers, 50 percent of which comes directly to Chenango’s farmers.
“Chenango County gets more for a dollar here (with this program) than from anywhere else that I know of,” said Planning’s Vice Chairman Ross Iannello recently during a budget presentation of the Extension’s Ag Development Council.
The program is in its 125th week, has orders that average well over 100 per week and employs 12 part-time workers. Orders are packed for delivery from at facility located at Sunrise Family Farms in Greene.
“Many Chenango County farmers and producers continue to actively sell into CNY Bounty,” said Commerce Chenango Economic Development Specialist Jennifer Tavares, who also chairs the Ag Development Council.
Tavares said a new idea to create identification logo stickers and offer them at no charge to Chenango’s producers is making its way through the council. The stickers would indicate that the produce for sale was grown or made exclusively in the Land of the Bullthistle.
In-kind contributions totaling nearly $18,000 helped to jump start the project. Time was donated by membership of the council and project chairman Bob Huot; the Central New York Resource Conservation and Development; the Center for Agriculture Research and Entrepreneurship; the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County.
To learn more about CNY Bounty and the Ag Development Council, go to its newly launched website at www.ccadc.com.
In other Ag Development Council news, $2,800 in microgrants were awarded to agribusinesses in 2009, and there are plans to grant $2,500 again this year. The grants were used to create brochures, signage, packaging and other marketing materials. Those in receipt of funds were: Sunflower Hill Organic Farm of Guilford; Wild West Elk Ranch of West Edmeston; Surf N Turf Farm of South Otselic; Holler Farm of Oxford; By the Barn Farm and Nursery of West Edmeston; Goat Lady Soap Co. of Columbus ; Zone 4 Farm of Columbus; Lamb’s Quarters Organic Farm of Plymouth; and the Oxford Farmers’ Market.
A final $5,000 grant was awarded to Evans Farmhouse/Sunrise Family Farms of Norwich and Greene to close out an expansion project of its cheese-making operations. Plans for next year include initiating a program that would enable a Chenango County farm (or farms) to grow experimental oil seed crops.
Three new members joined the council over the past year: Ed Coates of NBT Bank; Reed Baker of Baker’s Maple Products and Stacie Edick of Cornell Cooperative Extension Chenango County.
Iannello, who is town supervisor for New Berlin and not a member of any political party, made a motion to increase the council’s budget for next year, particularly for secretarial support. “I’d hate to see you short yourself in case some other projects come up,” he said. Iannello made a motion to approve $2,500 for 2011. Committee Chairman David Law, R-Norwich, seconded it.
“The position is needed. We need someone supporting the ag businesses out there,” said Tavares.
Over the past three years, Planning’s “seed money,” as it’s called, has been given out in the following increments: $30,000 in 2009; $62,000 in 2008, and $72,000 in 2007 ($50,000 of which went to Chase Memorial Nursing Home of New Berlin for an engineering study).
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