Organic Hudson Valley - Organic in New York

New York City is in "organic fever". But where do all the fresh and, above all, delicious products actually come from? A question to which we find several answers in the Hudson Valley.

It's Monday and my husband and I have been walking through New York City for a few days now: there is so much to see, so much to marvel at, so much to discover - even though it's not our first time in this impressive, fascinating and not least captivating metropolis on the east coast of the USA. This city, whose skyline is characterized by skyscrapers, not only never sleeps, but is also constantly changing - including environmentally: in addition to Central Park and other green spaces, the High Line, a former elevated railway line in the west of Manhattan that has been converted into a park, attracts numerous visitors. The city is also promoting car and bike sharing, tree planting programs and "Zone Green", a green building initiative. Last but not least, the selection of organic products is constantly growing.

For some time now, organic has been on everyone's lips in the truest sense of the word, because despite all preconceptions, there are more and more people in the USA who want to eat healthily and are concerned about where the food they consume comes from, whether it comes from organically controlled agriculture and has therefore been grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers and sewage sludge and has not been genetically modified. The latter is a major problem in the USA in particular, as the United States is the world's largest producer of genetically modified plants.

From this perspective, it is actually wonderful that organic is "in fashion" in the USA. Incidentally, although organic farming plays a minor role compared to Europe, the USA at least passed legal production standards for organic production in 2002. In addition to smaller grocery stores and larger organic supermarkets, numerous cafés and restaurants have also committed themselves to the organic trend. On the menus we very often read gluten-free or whole wheat, veggie or vegan and other terms that make it clear that New Yorkers care about a healthy lifestyle and diet. Just as pleasing is the fact that the number of organic farmers and regional producers who focus on organic production is increasing and that they can sometimes even offer their products several times a week at one of New York City's 54 (!) farmers' markets.

The majority of the now more than 230 farmers come from the Hudson Valley and a glance at the travel guide makes it clear: this would definitely be a nice day trip. We ended up making four days of it, as the Hudson Valley is not only home to numerous (organic) farmers, but is also absolutely worth a trip in terms of the scenery. But the valley is also large and so we ultimately decide on Ulster County, a county located around 90 minutes north of New York City. And our first destination is Woodstock: where the hippie generation held a musical rendezvous in August 1969, we still encounter "Peace & Music", hippies (or their descendants) and, above all, organic producers: At the Woodstock Farm Festival, farmers - including some young farmers who want to make the world a little bit better through their organic commitment - offer vegetables and fruit, fresh bread and pastries, pickled vegetables, homemade jams and fruit compotes, maple syrup (another specialty of this region) as well as a wide variety of herbs and old or rare seeds every Wednesday afternoon (May to October). It goes without saying that everything is produced with love and displayed or stacked accordingly - and makes our mouths water even more. Fortunately, we can satisfy our hunger with falafel, various salads and other organic delicacies, while the Woodstock Farm Festival, including live music, goes on until dusk.

Now the "organic fever" has finally gripped us: We want to get to know the people behind the market stalls. So the next day we set off in search of them and it doesn't take long before we see a sign on the side of the road inviting us to turn off: "Boice's Farm & Garden Stand" in Saugerties, a little east of Woodstock, right on the Hudson River. From May to December, they sell hay, flowers, seeds and even gardening supplies, summer fruits and vegetables during the hot months and pumpkins in the fall. Just before Christmas, wreaths and flower arrangements are offered, which are called kissing balls here, in reference to the custom of kissing under mistletoe. "We don't have an organic certificate because it's extremely expensive," explains Mary Ellen, who helps her brother Jim run the 32-hectare farm. "Nevertheless, we would never spray, if only because we don't want to eat it ourselves. The people who buy from us know that." And biting into one of the deliciously fragrant red strawberries convinces us too.

A few kilometers further on, we see a sign saying "Grey Mouse Farm" and we turn off again. Kathy Kreda is sitting on the veranda - as if she had been expecting us, but she is busy putting together the market stalls for the coming week. About 30 years ago, Kathy had enough of Manhattan and decided to live in the country, like many other residents of the Hudson Valley. Together with her now 85-year-old mother, she took over the farm, which dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. It was clear from the start that she wanted to devote herself to organic farming: "But that meant that we had to leave the land fallow for seven years - that's the rules. During this time, we planted vegetables and fruit for ourselves, but we weren't allowed to sell anything," recalls Kathy, who still doesn't sell cucumbers, apples, peaches or blueberries, but only what she makes from them: pickles, chutneys, apple slaw (a spread), jams and not forgetting marinated garlic, a specialty of Grey Mouse Farm. Some of the recipes for these so-called value-added products come from her grandmother.

It's not easy with organic farming - especially when there are weather-related crop failures: "Then the small organic farms are at a disadvantage, as there is only state support in very few cases," says Kathy, for whom it's not just about (financial) returns anyway, but about people (re)starting to grow their own fruit and vegetables or at least planting a small herb garden on the windowsill in the kitchen.

As we say goodbye, Kathy gives us the tip to visit the Farmers Market in Saugerties on Saturday morning and ask for Barry Benepe. It is thanks to him that there has been such a boom in organic markets in New York City.

Of course, we don't need to be told twice, so on the last day of our trip we meet the "forefather" of greenmarkets. Barry Benepe is a "real New Yorker": as the son of a linen importer, he grew up near Gramercy Park (Gramercy: neighborhood in Manhattan - roughly from 14th Street to 23rd Street and from 1st Avenue to Park Avenue South). Although the now 85-year-old pursued a career as an architect, his true passion was the Greenmarkets Program. His aim was to combine the economic needs of Hudson Valley farmers with New Yorkers' desire for fresh fruit and vegetables. In the summer of 1976, the first farmers' markets opened, including the one at Union Square Park (17th Street, corner of Broadway) - perhaps the best known of all. Benepe looked after the markets in the city for almost 30 years before asking himself the question: Why don't we actually do this where all the produce comes from? And so it was that a good twelve years ago, one of the first farmers' markets was set up in Saugerties - and Barry Benepe was again instrumental in bringing it about.

Not everything sold there is 100% organic, but that's not the point, Barry explains to us as we talk to him in the middle of the market: "We mainly have small farmers here in the Hudson Valley and pesticides and other toxins, as well as some fertilizers, are far too expensive for them anyway. The farmers therefore offer almost organic or, as we call it, 'naturally grown' products." Apart from that, Benepe believes that people should eat seasonally and regionally anyway - from farm to fork, so to speak. There is another reason for this, by the way: if you care about the farmers and businesses in your own region, you should buy their products. Barry Benepe sums it up even more clearly: "No Farms. No Food."