HUBBARDSVILLE, MADISON CO. -- Madison County farmers are coming together to market their home-grown goods and show the community they can feed their families with food right from their backyard.
Hundreds got a taste of food that was fresh off the farm Sunday night at the “Fresh Gala” in Hubbardsville.
Courtney Savage says she can taste the difference. "The food has a very unique and delicious flavor. I love it. It tastes much better than the food I get in the grocery store.”
"The beef came from like a mile up the road. We tried about everything, the salad, the cheese, the lamb, the ham,” said Matthew Critz.
The Endless Trails Farm in Madison County hosted the “Fresh Gala”. Everything from the vegetables, to the cupcakes, to the salad, is made from ingredients grown right in Madison County. Sunday’s event kicks off Buy Local Week.
"We're just trying to help farmers here with marketing, processing, distribution as a way to create jobs,” said Becca Jablonski, Agriculture Economic Development Specialist for Madison County.
Agriculture is Upstate New York's number one industry and is vital to groing business in rural areas. That means eating home-grown food is not only healthy for your family, but it keeps the local economy healthy too.
"The money that is spent in Madison County, stays in Madison County,” said David Williams, co-owner of Endless Trails Farm, which is a certified organic farm which raises grass-fed cows.
"You're supporting local families and local farms and I think that's paramount and really what's been lost in the global economy,” said Eric Mcdade.
This is just the start to Buy Local Week. It wraps up on Saturday, with open farm day, allowing people to take tours of Madison County farms.
