Onondaga County Agriculture Council Kicks Off Fifth Year of “Buy Local. Buy Onondaga Grown.” Campaign
Announces Date of Fourth Annual ONFarm Fest
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon, II and the Onondaga County Agriculture Council today launched year five of the “Buy Local. Buy Onondaga Grown” campaign to encourage the community to purchase food products grown in Onondaga County.
A kickoff event was held at Tre-G Farms, LLC in Pompey and allowed those in attendance to enjoy a taste of locally grown and produced foods. County Executive McMahon, Agriculture Council Co- Chairs – County Legislature Chairman David Knapp and farmer Harvey Skeele, and Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County David Skeval, spoke about the many benefits of seeking out locally grown products.
The “Buy Local. Buy Onondaga Grown.” campaign, which seeks to educate the public on the importance of farming and farmland to our community, runs now through October. During the campaign, the community will learn about the size and scope of Onondaga County’s agricultural industries such as produce, dairy, meat, maple and honey products, and more. They will also learn the value of farmland and the importance of preserving it for generations to come. The community is also encouraged to select Onondaga Grown items by looking for the Onondaga Grown logo at local grocers, convenience stores, farm stands, farmers markets, and restaurants.
County Executive Ryan McMahon said, “Onondaga County is fortunate to have such a tremendous agricultural industry that contributes greatly to our county’s economy, health, beauty, and character.” McMahon continued, “Please join me in buying locally grown products to support the more than 600 farms that operate here in Onondaga County.”
“The Agriculture Council is proud to continue the Onondaga Grown campaign to help raise awareness about local agriculture and the variety and quality of the products grown here,” said Harvey Skeele, Onondaga County farmer and Agriculture Council Co-Chair.
David Knapp, Onondaga County Legislature Chairman and Agriculture Council Co-Chair said, “We are excited to announce that the fourth annual ON Farm Fest day-on-the-farm event will be held on September 21st. There will be 11 farms participating again this year and we hope to break last year’s attendance record of more than 8,000 visitors. Please keep checking our website and Facebook page for more details as they become available and plan to spend a day on the farm!”
All local retailers who offer agricultural products grown in Onondaga County are invited to participate in the Onondaga Grown campaign by requesting a free media kit containing posters, window clings for entryways, and sheets of stickers for Onondaga Grown products. This gives consumers an easy way to identify and purchase Onondaga Grown products. In addition to seasonal TV and radio messaging, there are three other ways the public can interact and engage with the campaign and discover where to purchase Onondaga Grown products:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OnondagaGrown
Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/OnondagaGrown
Website: https://www.Onondagagrown.com