Going green encompasses many small and large acts, each contributing to saving our planet. Each of us can contribute to "going green" by buying from local farms and Farmers Markets. Local farms and Farmers Markets are abundant in Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley.

Visit your local farm in Dutchess County. Visit the Rhinebeck Farmers Market offering an amazing selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other wonderful products. Select delicious produce at one of the markets at a Dutchess County farm; or pick-your-own fruits and vegetables at one of the farms in Poughkeepsie, NY, Red Hook, NY, Tivoli, NY, also selling their produce at the farm's roadside stand or their own market on the farm.

Local farms sell a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including New York apples, berries, pumpkins, and more; many of which you can pick yourself. In addition to this Pick-Your-Own produce, many local farms have many acres of delicious fresh vegetables for you to pick yourself, or buy already picked at the farm's market.

Select farms to visit at local farms in Dutchess County and go apple, berry, or even pumpkin picking in Dutchess. Farmer's markets and Pick-Your-Own farms abound throughout Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley. There are farm markets for all seasons offering many wonderful items including homegrown seasonal fruits & produce such as apples, peaches, apricots, nectarines, pears, plums, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes & corn.

Children enjoy activities at your local pick-your-own farm such as picking raspberries, blueberries, apples, and pumpkins for Halloween. Many pick-your-own farms offer additional healthy outdoor activities for the kids including: hayrides, a corn maze, and best of all is picking your own fruit to take home and enjoy.

Several farms are organic and more of your local farms are going organic. Among the many organic farms offering healthy produce are organic farms for vegetables, organic meats including red meat and poultry, eggs, and more.

Several pick-your-own farms have beautiful views and offer kids a wonderful time outdoors selecting their own food. Pick-you-own farms are great fun for children and kids of all ages enjoy being on a farm where they can pick their own food.

Additional benefits of buying local include environmental benefits of going green. Going green encompasses many small and large acts; each contributing to saving our planet. Each of us can contribute to "going green" by buying from local farms and Farmers Markets. There are many Farmers Markets in the Hudson River Valley. To find your local market or list of Farmers Markets in the Hudson River Valley, press Local Harvest and enter your zip-code or your city. A list of Local Farmers Markets, including address and hours of operations for your local farm is displayed.

Buy Local Movement
The "buy local" movement is quickly taking us beyond the promise of environmental responsibility that the organic movement delivered, and awakening us to the importance of community, variety, humane treatment of farm animals, and social and environmental responsibility in regard to our food economy.

Local Farmers Markets
Farmers Markets are one of the oldest forms of direct marketing by small farmers. From the traditional "Mercados" in the Peruvian Andes to the unique street markets in Asia, growers all over the world gather weekly to sell their produce directly to the public. In the last decade they have become a favorite marketing method for many farmers throughout the United States, and a weekly ritual for many shoppers.

In a Farmers Market, a group of farmers sell their products once or twice a week at a designated public place like a park or parking lot. Some Farmers Markets have live entertainment. Shopping at a Farmers Market is a great way to meet local farmers and get fresh, flavorful produce. Many farms set-up farm markets at their own farm. In addition to fresh picked fruits and vegetables, the market often sells fresh made jams, chutneys, honey, muffins, and hot cider to go with the just-made donuts. YUM.

Farmers Markets provide a means for local producers of agricultural products to sell those products directly to the consumer. Many communities throughout New York State view Farmers Markets as a positive avenue for supporting local agriculture, providing a source of fresh fruits and vegetables to the residents of their community, and as a means of drawing people into their community aiding in the economic redevelopment of an area.

The Farmers’ Market Federation of New York is a statewide not-for-profit organization designed to both promote and provide support services for the Farmers Markets within New York State. The Federation was formed through the collective efforts of market managers throughout the state, Cooperative Extension, and the Department of Agriculture & Markets, and was initially funded by a Federal State Marketing Improvement Grant in early 1998.

Large scale chemical agriculture continues to poison our soil and our water, and weaken our communities. Buying directly from a family farm can help put a stop to this unfortunate trend. By purchasing organic produce from your local farmer, you are working to maintain a healthy environment, a vibrant community, and a strong and sustainable local economy for you and for your family.

The freshest, healthiest, most flavorful organic food is food that is grown locally. Organically grown food is free from exposure to harmful chemicals; but that is only one small part of the importance of organic products. A larger part of Organic Agriculture involves the health of the soil and of the ecosystems in which crops and livestock are raised. Organic Agriculture is born from the idea that a healthy environment significantly benefits crops and the health of those consuming them. In addition, organic practices are also viable in the long term, since they are efficient in their use of resources. Unlike large scale "chemical agriculture", Organic Agriculture does not damage the environment and our local community.

Throughout the Hudson Valley local farms and farmer's markets abound. Visit a local farmer's market in Albany, Rensselaer, Greene County, Columbia County, Ulster, Dutchess, and the Lower-Hudson counties including Orange County, Putnam County, Westchester and Rockland counties. Experience the colorful abundance of nutritious, high quality locally grown foods, the aroma of fresh produce and the friendly banter of farmers and customers, neighbors and families. A visit to a Farmers Market is an adventure, one that can be experienced every week in your own community. Don't forget to bring the children. Children love visiting their local farmer's market. Farmer's Markets are a great way to experience buying the food you eat and a wonderful lesson in supporting your own community and the environment.

Both economic and health factors have resulted in the growth of Farmers Markets across the country. Not only is a whole new generation of farmers seeking retail outlets which will increase their profitability and viability thus preserving agriculture for themselves and future generations, but also, consumers are discovering that Farmers Markets are a fun, reasonably priced, alternative to supermarkets. At Farmers Markets they have direct access to fresh, healthy local foods and to the farmers who are producing the foods. The experience inevitably includes developing relationships and friendships with the farmers and gaining an understanding and appreciation of where their food comes from and how it is produced.

Use the Local Harvest website on the Farmers Markets & Local Farms page to find Farmers Markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other delicious treats.