Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of St. Lawrence County held its first-ever Harvest Tour Saturday, September 14. This event drew over 500 attendees enjoying visits to a dozen open agricultural producers across the county. On the morning of the 14th, dark clouds were looming, but the wind didn’t stop participants of all ages from enjoying this local food celebration.

The Harvest Tour was a success in great part due to the dedicated producers who welcomed visitors to their sites. CCE would like to thank 8 O’clock Ranch, Canton Apples, Deep Root Mushroom Farm, Deer River Cranberries, Kaneb Orchards, Kent Family Growers, Martin’s Farmstand, Northern Limits Farm, Squeak Creek Apiaries, Trudeau Family Farm, Yoder Farm Produce, & Zufall Dairy Farm. Daniel Kent of Kent Family Growers shared, “The enthusiastic attendees came out in numbers far exceeding our expectations. It was a very fun event that we hope will become an annual part of the community calendar.”

With 1,100 raffle entries, congratulations to the lucky winners: Anna Jean MacDougall and Oscar Wilkerson! There were 20+ local businesses that donated items for 2 brimming Harvest Baskets, with contents valued at $300 apiece. Thank you for the generous donations from 1844 House, ADK Fragrance & Flavor Farm, Anastasia’s Bakery, Big Spoon Kitchen, Canton Apples, CCE’s Sugar Shack, Dairy Farmers of America, Deep Root Mushroom Farm, Finen Maple Products, Five Elements Living, GardenShare, Kent Family Growers, littleGrasse Foodworks, Martin’s Farmstand, Nature’s Storehouse, New York Farm Bureau, Northrop’s Hilltop Nursery & Landscaping, Potsdam Food Co-Op, Rustic Creations, SLC Chamber of Commerce, Squeak Creak Apiaries and TAUNY.

And last, but certainly not least, thank you to the dedicated volunteers staffing all the welcome stations and the visitors who braved the weather to learn more about our county’s food system.

The participating producers are elements in a vast network of St. Lawrence County agriculture. The CCE Local Food Team is developing an online food map to better connect consumers with our rich offerings in the region. This map will complement GardenShare’s Food Guide and is set to be released in 2020.

It is a pleasure to live in such a vibrant community.

M. Flip Filippi, Local Food Program leader

Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County