About Adirondack Harvest Membership
Adirondack Harvest is a community organization that formed in 2001 out of concern for the loss and abandonment of farmland in the Adirondacks. We work to increase opportunities for profitable, sustainable production and sale of high-quality food and agricultural products, and to expand consumer access to locally produced healthy food. Our members span across northeastern New York State, from Saratoga to Plattsburgh, and Watertown to Utica.
Adirondack Harvest works to support the visionary, hardworking, artistic community that strives to grow more than food, but a strong community and environment full of meaning and beauty. The community members that brought life to Adirondack Harvest sought to bring businesses and community members of all backgrounds and trades together in a unified effort to share the gifts of Adirondack agriculture.
How We Operate
We have a regional reach with members in nearly all Adirondack-region counties. Membership is divided into “chapters” that meet and can designate how its budget is spent locally. Your dues are divided between your local chapter and the regional Adirondack Harvest program. When you join Adirondack Harvest, you are assigned to one of the five chapters listed below based on the county of your business.
1. Essex
2. Clinton
3. Franklin
4. Western (St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, and portions of Oneida counties)
5. Southern (Saratoga, Warren, Washington, Hamilton, and portions of Fulton and Herkimer counties)
Adirondack Harvest is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County and is funded in part by your membership dues, private donations, county funding, and state and federal grants.
Adirondack Harvest Membership Benefits
- -*New* Take advantage of our free one-on-one marketing support! Want to increase sales, reach a new audience, or simply better educate the community about what you do? We can help you develop a realistic marketing strategy, troubleshoot technical problems, and answer marketing questions you may have for your business. Up to 3 hours of one-on-one support available to Adirondack Harvest members in 2024. Visit adirondackharvest.com/marketing-support
- -Have your business listed on the largest and most complete online database of local farms and producers in the Adirondack region utilized over 25,000 times a year.
- -Be a part of Adirondack Harvest promotional efforts, including press outreach, digital marketing, social media, email campaigns, and printed guides distributed to hundreds of venues across the region; all reaching an estimated 1 million people a year.
- -Gain access to Adirondack Harvest branding to promote your goods and services. Members can receive signs, stickers, banners, postcards, and other promotional items with the Adirondack Harvest logo for your use.
- -Become eligible for funding opportunities such as educational workshop, travel or photography reimbursement.
- -Stay in the loop with members-only communications, events, and networking opportunities.
- -Be a part of this diverse group of neighbors committed to the future success of farmland and communities in the Adirondack region!
Who Should Join
Farms and food producers. Businesses that offer locally sourced agricultural or forestry products or experiences. Community members and friends that want to support the local agriculture movement in the Adirondack region.
Membership Requirements
The goal of Adirondack Harvest is to increase opportunities for profitable, sustainable production and sale of high-quality food and agricultural products, and to expand consumer choices for locally produced healthy food.
Our network is made up of members that produce or offer locally sourced agricultural or forestry products or experiences. This includes farms, retail locations, restaurants, markets, agritourism businesses and value-added food producers.
The Adirondack Harvest Team is here to help you strive for 100% local ingredients sourcing! Many businesses are surprised to find how many local products are available, year-round! For restaurants and businesses, be in touch for support in exploring more ways to support the local economy and collaborate to strengthen our local food system through your purchasing dollars. Members must regularly use at least five local products or 15% of total offerings must be local. A commitment to purchasing and promoting locally grown food and products should be a lived value or principle of the business.
Please note that these requirements will be reviewed annually, and may update at any time.
Member Requirements by Sector:
- Farms: Must grow or raise the majority of products sold.
- Value-Added Food Producers (incl wineries, breweries and distilleries): 15% of total ingredient purchases must be local. As much food offered as possible should be sourced locally.
- Retail locations: Must sell at least five (5) local products or 15% of total offerings must be local. Local is defined as foods grown within a 250-mile radius of the business location.
- Restaurants: Must use at least five (5) local products in their food preparation and highlight them as best as possible on their menu on a regular basis. OR 15% of annual food purchases must be from local farms. Local is defined as foods grown within a 250-mile radius of the business location.
- Agritourism Businesses: Must offer an agricultural experience, utilize 5 local products or 15% of annual food/product purchases must be from local farms.
Membership Levels
Annual Business Membership
For any business that produces, creates, or sells food, flowers, fiber, and forestry products harvested in the Adirondack region.
Annual Wholesale Database Listing Add-On
This membership is intended for Adirondack Harvest members who sell their products wholesale. These businesses will be listed in the Adirondack Harvest online wholesale database to promote your goods specifically to wholesale buyers. This database includes additional search filters specifically of interest to wholesale buyers, making it easier for co-ops, restaurants, schools, and more to source local food. You can also support this program with a donation without being listed in the database.
Annual Cuisine Trail Membership Add-On
The goal of the Adirondack Cuisine Trails is to promote local-food businesses in the Adirondacks. By joining, your business will be a part of Adirondack Harvest’s collective outreach efforts to grow awareness of local food, farms, and agriculture in the Adirondacks. To join, your business must be pre-approved and meet the requirements of the trails. Please visit our Cuisine Trails page here for more info.
Annual Friend of Adirondack Harvest Membership
For individuals who want to show support for our work promoting local food and agricultural products in the region. Members have unique opportunities to volunteer with Adirondack Harvest and are listed on our website. Donate any amount to become a “Friend.”
Adirondack Harvest Program Committee Meetings
Adirondack Harvest Members are welcome to join our quarterly program committee meetings where we provide updates on our programming and gather feedback from our members. Click the links below to register for the virtual meetings:
If you have any questions, please contact info@adirondackharvest.com or call (518) 962-4810 ext 404.
