SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Taste NY — the state program that “highlights the quality, diversity, and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced, or processed” in New York state — has been in operation for a decade.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball on Dec. 15 visited the Central New York Welcome Center at Destiny USA in Syracuse for an open-house event marking the milestone.
The open-house event brought together regional agricultural, tourism, and supporting partners to introduce visitors to the New York farmers and producers whose products are available at the Welcome Center. Producers providing samples at the event included Dutch Hill Maple, Rich’s Apiary, Speech Family Candy Shoppe, and Nelson Farms.
“This has really been a great year celebrating our Taste NY program’s 10th anniversary; we’ve traveled to almost every corner of the state and have gotten to highlight some of the very best food, beverages, and specialty items our New York producers have to offer,” Ball said in a news release. “Thanks to the hard work of our welcome center staff, operating partners, and of course, producers, these Taste NY markets are more than a stop along the way, but destinations in their own right. They introduce travelers, visitors, and residents to local farmers and producers. I’m proud of the work we’ve done building the Taste NY program into the success it is today and look forward to another decade of growth.”
The Destiny USA event marked the ninth and final visit in a year-long tour of the regional welcome centers across the state in recognition of the program’s 10-year milestone. The event also highlighted opportunities across the state to shop locally and support New York small businesses during the holiday season, the department said.
Since its launch in 2013, the Taste NY program has “grown significantly,” bringing more than $100 million in economic impact to producers across the state.
The Central New York Welcome Center opened in 2017, and since then, the Taste NY Market at the Welcome Center, operated by Visit Syracuse, has supported more than 50 vendors in bringing over 200 locally made products to market.
More than 16,000 purchases have been made at the Taste NY Market, totaling more than $200,000 in sales of local New York state made products.