WALTON, NY - Wondering where you can find local food in the Catskills and New York City watershed? Pick up the 2012-13 Pure Catskills Guide to Farm Fresh Products available at farms, farmers' markets, restaurants, and retailers throughout the region. Over 200 Pure Catskills members throughout Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster Counties are ready to share their local farm and food products. Now in its tenth year, the Pure Catskills buy local campaign delivers its annual Guide to Farm Fresh Products to connect consumers with regional food and farm businesses. From cheese, milk, meats and vegetables, to fiber, soaps and herbal remedies, if it's made in the Catskills, you can probably find it in the Pure Catskills Guide to Farm Fresh Products. Over 45,000 copies of the Guide will be distributed to hundreds of locations across the region throughout July.

 

Linda Smith at Sherman Hill Farmstead, Franklin Photo: ©Andy Ryan

The images in this year's Guide highlight the Catskills dairy, the backbone of the state's agricultural industry for centuries. Featured are value-added dairy producers who specialize in everyday staples like milk, butter and cheese and the more obscure ethnic specialties like kefir, gelato and cajeta. Most farmers highlighted head multi-generational operations; but the value-added aspects of their businesses are relatively new. Adding processing infrastructure to a farm amounts to taking on an entire additional business. To salute their efforts, the Guide features photography of eight Catskill dairy farms, families and their products. Sullivan County-based photographer Andy Ryan visited these eight Pure Catskills members to capture these images on location. His wife, Ky, accompanied him on the shoot, helping out as a photo assistant and cow wrangler when necessary. To view more of Andy's work, visit www.andyryanphotography.com.

Also included in the Guide is a listing of farmers' markets which occur nearly every day of the week; many are now open through the winter season. Member listings also include reference icons to make product identification easier. A series of panels highlight food trends and producer groups including community supported agriculture, pastured livestock and pick-your-own

operations. At the back of the Guide are a calendar of events and list of tourism activities.

Want to see what's even fresher? Visit www.purecatskills.com for the latest events, extended member listings, and additional resources and profiles on Pure Catskills members. And if you can't find a copy, download one from the website.

Pure Catskills buy local campaign is an economic initiative of the Watershed Agricultural Council. For more information, visit www.purecatskills.com and www.nycwatershed.org. The Council partners with private landowners to protect both the rural, land-based economy of the watershed region and drinking water quality of over nine million people. Working with farmers, agribusinesses, forest landowners, forest industry professionals and others, the Council seeks to enhance both business profitability and environmental stewardship. It works with other nonprofits organizations, government agencies and community stakeholders to achieve its purpose. The Council supports the economic viability of agriculture and forestry through the protection of water quality and the promotion of land conservation in the New York City watershed region. The Council is funded by The New York City Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service and other federal and foundation sources. The Watershed Agricultural Council is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

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