CISA’s 9th Annual Farm Products Guide Highlights Local Farm Bounty

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Mark Lattanzi, Campaign Director
413-665-7100, mark@buylocalfood.com.
Office hours: M-Thurs. 8:30-5:30; Friday 8:30-12:30.

(Pioneer Valley, MA) Summer is nearly upon us and with it comes the bountiful harvest of Pioneer Valley farms. Sweet and fragrant strawberries. Plump, juicy tomatoes. Tender sweet corn. Velvety peaches and crisp apples. Cool and creamy milk, ice cream and cheese — and so much more! Find out where to get these and hundreds of other Valley delights this summer with CISA’s free 9th Annual Farm Products Guide, which is being released the week of June 13. CISA is printing 250,000 copies of the 24-page Guide — its largest ever — for distribution through local newspapers, Chambers of Commerce, Visitor Information Centers, farms, farm stands, restaurants and grocery stores (see list below).

“The Farm Products Guide is the region’s comprehensive directory of Local Hero farms, farmers markets, restaurants and grocery stores that grow, use or sell local farm products,” says Mark Lattanzi, Guide coordinator. “We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such agricultural bounty. Local farmers grow and produce traditional favorites — asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes and sweet corn — and offer new products like raw milk, locally harvested and milled flooring and high quality fleece and yarn for local knitters and weavers. Area grocery stores carry many locally grown products and local chefs create exciting cuisine with locally grown food.”

New features for 2005

• Expanded information on Local Hero restaurants and retailers. Learn about what locally grown products they use or sell.


• A new Local Hero Horticulture section. Find nurseries and garden design professionals who are committed to using locally grown horticulture products.

Online database makes finding farm products easy

CISA has taken the information printed in the Guide and created an online, searchable database to make locating an orchard or sugarhouse quick and easy. “Consumers looking for honey, compost, or any other local farm product can visit www.buylocalfood.com and enter the product into our search form,” says Lattanzi. “They’ll get a list of all the farms that carry it, along with an address, phone number and other information contained in the Guide.”

Distribution schedule

Nearly 200,000 copies of the Guide will be distributed through local newspapers all week:

Monday June 13                        The Town Reminder (Chicopee/Granby area)

Tuesday June 14                       The Recorder (Franklin County)

Wednesday June 15                   The Republican (Hampden County edition only)

Friday June 17                           Daily Hampshire Gazette, Towne Crier (Greenfield), Gazette
                                              Direct (mailed in Hampshire County), Amherst Bulletin

Residents may also request a free copy by calling CISA at 413-665-7100.

CISA is a non-profit community organization working to preserve and further farming in the Pioneer Valley. CISA works to strengthen the relationship between farmers and consumers and build a local, secure food system through its ‘Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown’ campaign. For more information about CISA and its programs, call 413-665-7100 or visit www.buylocalfood.com.