Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled the New York State Grown & Certified program and launched a $20 million food hub in the Bronx to increase access to locally-grown farm produce, the governor’s office said.
The New York State Grown & Certified program is meant to promote small and mid-size New York farmers who meet safety and environmental sustainability standards, while making it easier for consumers to identify in-state products. The food hub, which will be located in the Hunt’s Point district, will “include a wholesale farmers’ market, a cold storage facility for farmers, a food-processing center and other infrastructure to support local food businesses,” according to the governor’s office.
“New York State agriculture is an essential pillar of our economy, bolstered by the modern market demands for safer and more sustainable food,” Governor Cuomo told the press. “By connecting upstate farmers to new markets with a state-of-the-art food hub and promoting the consumption of healthy and environmentally conscious food, these initiatives will have extraordinary environmental, nutritional and economic benefits for all New Yorkers.”
Roughly 100 fruit and vegetable farmers have already expressed interest in being certified under the program, says the governor’s office. If they follow through, the program will supply them with new labels, and digital marketing and sales materials, geared toward educating consumers and restaurants. Consumer outreach will begin this fall.