On Sunday people will have the opportunity to visit 32 farms, cideries or breweries between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. in an inaugural Farm to Table tour spanning both Montgomery and Fulton counties that has the intent of growing community support for local agricultural markets.
The event is the brainchild of Rebecca Ferry of Dreamroad Jerseys Farm Store in Johnstown and Erica Gogis, the CEO and owner of the Plaid Farm Store in Amsterdam.
The two women opened their stores right around the same time about a year ago and ever since have talked to each other about how things are going with operations. Over time they developed the idea to bring more farms together in a way that allowed them to showcase what products they have and what work they do on their farms, Ferry said.
“It’s kind of a reverse farmers market,” Ferry said about the event. “Generally farmers market the farmers would come to you and you get to decide what you want, this is the public going to the farms.”
People would use a map located at https://farmtotabletour.org/ to find participating locations. At those locations would be education components and the products of the farm.
Ferry bought the land from her parents with her sister in 2016. They supply dairy to Cabot Cheese and also have beef products.
On Sunday they’ll show people some of the work they do at the farm and have samples for people to taste.
Breweries and cideries will also be listed on the map for people to visit.
“To really show what’s going on agricultural wise in these counties,” Ferry said.
At the Plaid Farm Store has features various cuts of USDA-certified meat from Bittersweet Farms, chicken from Hokie Holler Farmstead, milk from Dygert Farms Creamery, baked goods from the Mad Batter Cookiez, bread from Udderly Sweet and maple products from Cave Country Maple Boilers said owner Erika Gogis, who is also a herdswoman at Creek Acres Farms. The farm also has seasonal produce.
Gogis said she’ll have some different breeds of baby calves on hand Sunday for people to see.
Other farms participating in the event include Hu-Hill Farm in Fort Plain and Korona Farm & Produce in Broadalbin.
Hu-Hill Farm has been in Julia Hudyncia-Davis’ family since 1961 and produces organic dairy which they sell to Organic Valley. They also have meat, eggs, seasonal produce, syrup and honey, Hudyncia-Davis said.
She said they opened the store in 2009.
“We believe in good wholesome food,” she said, noting she wants people to understand the value of their food.
She will have some food samples and a few baby animals for people to see on Sunday.
“I really hope that people can gain from the farms all over the counties,” she said. “The backbone really of our nation is the farm.”
Chris Korona, owner of Korona Farm said the tour will enable him to show people it’s not just “going out and throwing some seeds in the ground.”
Korona said his grandfather first bought the land for their farm in 1965. In May 2021 the family sold off the last of its cows for dairy and transitioned into a farm that produces vegetables, beef, pork and chicken. It is those items that he stocks in the farm store they have, which started as a little stand selling corn about 25 years ago, he said.
He said the tour is a great idea because it gets fresh foods into people’s hands.
“The knowledge of knowing where your food comes from is important,” he said.
Ferry said the hope is to have the tour next year and look at including more locations.
Those who participate in the tour can fill out the back of a brochure at the end of their experience and that will enter them into a raffle for a basket of items from some of the participating locations, Gogis said.
The brochures are found at each location.
People can check out more about the participating locations at the Farm to Table Tour Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FultonMontgomeryFarmtoTableTour.
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Categories: Fulton Montgomery Schoharie, News
https://dailygazette.com/2022/07/29/inaugural-farm-to-table-tour-sunday-in-montgomery-fulton-counties-sunday/
