Sylvester Manor Educational Farm has joined a campaign that promotes local harvest dining called Choose LI: Local & Independent.
The Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning is working with local partners, like Sylvester Manor and Peconic Land Trust. Their goal: to get 10 percent of households to spend 10 percent of their weekly food budget on locally-harvested or -produced goods.
Countywide, that translates into $19 million spent on locally-produced foods, organizers say. The full economic impact? About 1,000 jobs and $33 million in economic activity during the local growing season.
$17.60 per week
The average food expenditure by household in New York State is $176 per week, the campaign says using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For this reason, the county is encouraging shoppers to spend at least $17.60 per week on locally-sourced items. These include fruits, vegetables, seafood and other local value-added goods like pies and pickles.
Sylvester Manor announced in its August newsletter that it has enrolled as a partner in the program. It encourages its members to also “Take the Pledge” at chooseli.org.
Choose LI
The program’s vision: “inspire the community to choose goods from local and independent farmers and fishermen to preserve our heritage industries and cultivate a vibrant, diverse and robust economy.”
Choose LI provides lists of locally harvested fruits, herbs, vegetables, fish and other seafood available from June through November. Much of it can be found right here on Shelter Island.
Here’s a harvest chart from the state with what’s in season from A to Z by month. Lastly, here’s a link to a recipe website, EatSmartNYLI, with ideas of how to prepare locally-produced favorites.
