Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Economy Food And Agriculture topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cornell Cooperative Extension says Taste NY retail outlet bought about $286,000 from Columbia County producers
Summary
At a Columbia County Board of Supervisors meeting, Lisa Galena of Cornell Cooperative Extension reported that Extension’s Taste NY/Grown in New York retail outlet bought roughly $286,000 in wholesale product from regional producers in 2024 and described the program as a low‑risk market entry for small makers.
Lisa Galena, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension, told the Columbia County Board of Supervisors that a Taste NY/Grown in New York retail outlet Extension operates in Greene County purchased approximately $286,000 in wholesale product from producers in Columbia County in 2024, a figure she described as “about 90% accurate” while staff complete final numbers.
Galena said the program is run in partnership with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and Empire State Development and is intended to help producers test products at retail before scaling. “We buy your product whether it sells or not,” Galena said, describing the store’s practice of buying wholesale from producers rather than taking items on consignment; she added that Extension then provides sales feedback to producers on issues such as sugar content or package preference.
The presentation outlined how the retail outlet mixes familiar brands with new products to introduce producers to travelers and other customers. Examples Galena listed included locally produced maple syrup, jarred jams (BFK), baked goods (Our Daily Bread), a local chocolatier, a field salt product and fermented items from Hawthorne Bound Foods. She also said Extension runs tasting events and educational displays to pair products and train staff on product stories and handling.
Galena told supervisors that the outlet’s gross sales to benefit New York agriculture totaled about $1 million in each of the last two years, but that Cornell Cooperative Extension itself operates the store using grant funding and does not retain those sales receipts. She said grant support to operate the store has been shrinking and the store team is focusing on more shelf‑stable grab‑and‑go items and improving efficiency.
Galena left printed applications and product samples for supervisors and asked them to refer potential vendors to Extension for assistance with product development, co‑packers and distribution connections.
Ending: Galena closed by encouraging local elected officials to tell constituents this is a market entry option for small producers and by noting Extension’s broader educational services on agriculture, food security and related topics.
