Let's Talk About the Environment and Sustainability Efforts this April!

It’s April… farmers are slowly getting in their fields and orchards, seeds are being started, buds are pushing out, Earth Day is approaching, so let’s talk about the environment and sustainability!  

• Buying local…Why does it matter? Less travel of goods means less impact on our environment. It helps support our local economy and helps maintain diversity of crops, land use and animals. Better food transparency means better food safety, and buying local uses less packaging. Lots of advantages beyond freshness and flavor.

• Produce Share - You can enjoy our local bounty by signing up for our Produce Share - 20 weekly pick-ups of fresh fruits and vegetables. We’ll include recipes and food preserving ideas along the way. Here's the link for more details and ordering options.

• NYS Staples - Check out new products on our pantry shelves from Headwater Foods. They are canning NYS grown tomatoes and beans. Quick and easy for healthy meals, supporting our NY growers.

• Start your own seeds and gardens.  We have a beautiful assortment of heirloom, non-GMO and open-pollinated (pollination by natural means like wind, insects and birds) flower, vegetable and herb Hudson Valley Seeds. They use organic and sustainable seed saving practices to preserve diversity of the varieties. Plus, we’ll have vegetable and herbs plants available to purchase in May. Check out the April Gardening Guide from Hudson Valley Seeds!

• Minimizing waste. We support our other local businesses who are mindful of minimizing waste.  Moriarty Meats has a nose to tail philosophy at their butcher shop and are now making a Heritage Blend Tallow Soap - full of skin healing nutrients.

• Working together. For 15 years my father has picked up biweekly loads of spent barley mash from Flying Bison Brewery to feed our beef cattle at Blackman Homestead Farm. It’s a great source of protein for the animals, and helps the brewery decrease their disposal costs. Many other local farms have aligned with breweries to do the same thing.

• Utilization. Our chefs and bakers are great utilizers of our local produce, freezing fruits for the off season, using extra and “not so pretty” produce in our soups, entrees and prepared foods.  Plus, we donate extra meats, produce and breads to amazing local organizations like Big Big Table and Buffalo Community Fridges.

• Finally… Earth Day is April 22! Keep an eye out for our Earth Cookies available on Easter Monday through the end of April. We’ll donate a portion of sales to Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, whose mission is to protect the health and viability of our Great Lakes and local waterways.