How to Throw Your Own Farm to Table Dinner Party
You Can Taste The Difference of Farm Fresh
“Much of the Finger Lakes region still shows its rural roots. Dairy farms, small villages, and stunning 19th-century architecture dot the landscape. Today the region thrives on its viticulture. . . . and restaurants are honing their menus to focus on the region’s fresh bounty in produce, dairy, meat, and wine.” — Fodors
When you visit a destination it’s sometimes difficult to discern exactly what “farm-to-table” means, as the term seems open to interpretation and, as a result can be a bit ambiguous, meaning a few different things, depending upon whom you ask.
For some, farm-to-table means everything in the meal is sourced locally. While a number of the restaurants and eateries in the region make a point to source locally, that doesn’t always mean every ingredient is local.
Some establishments, like the Park Inn have created their own farm to provide the fresh ingredients used in their creative and delicious meals. Chefs from others, like The Cellar, regularly visit local farm markets to procure ingredients. While others still, like Butcher’s Son, don’t just source meats from local farms, but are themselves a location where you can, in turn, procure local meats for your own meals at home.
All that to say, you will find a variety of locally-sourced, farm-to-table food options throughout Steuben County
Of course, one of the perks of visiting an agricultural destination is that it gives locals and visitors the chance to source their own local ingredients to use back home.
At over 400,000 acres, Steuben County has the most farming acreage of any county in New York State. That has been true for a long, long time. In an effort to support local agriculture and to connect visitors directly with the places where their food comes from, Steuben has joined forces with four neighboring counties to form Finger Lakes Farm Country promoting over 200 agricultural businesses and experiences.
What does that mean for you?
In addition to offering you a chance to get a close-up glimpse into farm life and various ways for you to engage with an assortment of farm animals, it also means you have a chance to create your own farm-to-table meals with everything from fresh produce and dairy products to locally-sourced meats and seasonal u-pick fruits.
“We have these farmers who care about the quality and the sustainability of their practices.” — Linh Phillips, Travel + Leisure
Farm Markets and Farm Stands
One of the best ways to get fresh, local, in-season ingredients is by visiting a farm market. Many of the communities throughout Steuben have their own weekly markets during the summer and fall seasons, like the popular Thursday market in Corning’s Riverfront Park where you can find an abundance of veggies, cheeses, as well as locally-made honey and maple products.
Other locations also offer farm market opportunities, like the wonderful evening Farm Market at Point of the Bluff Vineyards which also incorporates live music and wine tasting into the experience.
Smaller farm stands, often located directly on working farms, are generally open during the summer and fall seasons and are found scattered throughout the region, often on rural country roads and byways offering scenic drives and farm-fresh produce. From beans to berries, sweet corn to cucumbers, from peppers and apples to a variety of leafy greens. Some stands are also accessible during the winter months if you call ahead. It’s always advised to check the respective farm websites for that information.
Larger farm stands like Dave’s Produce and FitzPatricks Farm Market are often one-stop shops where you can obtain a number of locally-sourced items.
Dairy and Cheese
Back in the 1800s, it seemed like you could find a cheese producer or two in just about every town throughout Steuben County. The numbers have dwindled over time, though dairy farming is still a big part of the local AG scene. Smaller cheese makers like Heavenly Sunset and Stewarts Family Farm offer small batches of delicious handcrafted cheese.
And farms like Stewarts also have other items which they produce like seasonal vegetables, fresh fruits, maple syrup and other maple products, goat cheese and milk, and more.
A wholesale and retail cheese manufacturer for 40 years, Golden Age Cheese is located in the small town of Woodhull which, itself, has a long history of cheesemaking dating back to the 1800s. Specializing in 100% natural cheese (naturally aged, naturally flavored, naturally smoked), Golden Age makes everything from muenster, Swiss, and Fresh Mozzarella to specialty cheddars, and aged cheddars (they even have one cheddar old enough to vote, their 18-year aged Old School).
Meats
Out in Avoca you’ll find Hemlock Ridge Farm, a certified organic dairy farm with its own small farm shop offering an assortment of farm-raised, certified organic chicken, ground beef, and steaks. They also have certified organic brown eggs, as well as maple syrup and sundry baking ingredients.
While in Savona, you can take seasonal tours of Mud Creek Bison Ranch in your car and learn about these massive creature as you observe them grazing, lazing, or roaming the fields. Then visit this sustainable bison farm’s shop for a variety of bison meat products including bison snack sticks, bison jerky and more.
Small family farms like Bluebird Trail Farm offer different selections of pork, chicken, and turkey. While just down the road Happy Chicky Farm’s number one priority is to raise happy and healthy birds. They have over 100 geese, ducks, guinea fowl, and bantam chickens, but they do also raise chickens for their meat and eggs.
The Butcher’s Son is a modern take on the classic butcher shop intended to provide the Corning area with locally-sourced meats of the highest quality with care, while building connections between local farmers and customers.
A second generation butcher with a culinary degree from ICE Culinary Institute in Manhattan, owner Cameron Matthews combines his passion for culinary excellence and the world of sustainable butchery offering you a unique place to learn about and purchase an array of local meats.
U-Pick Freshness
Is there anything fresher than the fruit you pick right from the plant?
With blueberry patches like Blueberry Hill Farm, strawberry fields like Schulties Strawberries, and orchards like Crooked Line Farm & Orchard, you can take advantage of going directly to the source to select exactly which luscious fruits and berries you want by picking them yourself.
“Boasting a vibrant community of independent farmers raising livestock, operating dairies and growing an array of fruits, grains and vegetables, New York’s Finger Lakes can be proud that eating local has been the norm long before it was trendy. Farm stands dot every stretch of road, offering everything from pick-your-own blueberries to artisanal charcuterie and cheese. It’s a wonderful place to hunt for epicurean treasures and truly embrace the farm-to-table experience.” —Anna Lee C. Iijima, Wine Enthusiast
Please Note: Farming isn’t just a livelihood, it’s a lifestyle. When you visit these small family-owned farms you’re often stepping foot into the heart of people’s lives. Please be respectful and also remember that these are working farms, so be aware of your surroundings to ensure a safe experience for you, other guests of the farm, and the farmers.
Thank you for supporting our local farms!
How to Throw Your Own Farm to Table Dinner Party
You Can Taste The Difference of Farm Fresh
“Much of the Finger Lakes region still shows its rural roots. Dairy farms, small villages, and stunning 19th-century architecture dot the landscape. Today the region thrives on its viticulture. . . . and restaurants are honing their menus to focus on the region’s fresh bounty in produce, dairy, meat, and wine.” — Fodors
When you visit a destination it’s sometimes difficult to discern exactly what “farm-to-table” means, as the term seems open to interpretation and, as a result can be a bit ambiguous, meaning a few different things, depending upon whom you ask.
For some, farm-to-table means everything in the meal is sourced locally. While a number of the restaurants and eateries in the region make a point to source locally, that doesn’t always mean every ingredient is local.
Some establishments, like the Park Inn have created their own farm to provide the fresh ingredients used in their creative and delicious meals. Chefs from others, like The Cellar, regularly visit local farm markets to procure ingredients. While others still, like Butcher’s Son, don’t just source meats from local farms, but are themselves a location where you can, in turn, procure local meats for your own meals at home.
All that to say, you will find a variety of locally-sourced, farm-to-table food options throughout Steuben County
Of course, one of the perks of visiting an agricultural destination is that it gives locals and visitors the chance to source their own local ingredients to use back home.
At over 400,000 acres, Steuben County has the most farming acreage of any county in New York State. That has been true for a long, long time. In an effort to support local agriculture and to connect visitors directly with the places where their food comes from, Steuben has joined forces with four neighboring counties to form Finger Lakes Farm Country promoting over 200 agricultural businesses and experiences.
What does that mean for you?
In addition to offering you a chance to get a close-up glimpse into farm life and various ways for you to engage with an assortment of farm animals, it also means you have a chance to create your own farm-to-table meals with everything from fresh produce and dairy products to locally-sourced meats and seasonal u-pick fruits.
“We have these farmers who care about the quality and the sustainability of their practices.” — Linh Phillips, Travel + Leisure
Farm Markets and Farm Stands
One of the best ways to get fresh, local, in-season ingredients is by visiting a farm market. Many of the communities throughout Steuben have their own weekly markets during the summer and fall seasons, like the popular Thursday market in Corning’s Riverfront Park where you can find an abundance of veggies, cheeses, as well as locally-made honey and maple products.
Other locations also offer farm market opportunities, like the wonderful evening Farm Market at Point of the Bluff Vineyards which also incorporates live music and wine tasting into the experience.
Smaller farm stands, often located directly on working farms, are generally open during the summer and fall seasons and are found scattered throughout the region, often on rural country roads and byways offering scenic drives and farm-fresh produce. From beans to berries, sweet corn to cucumbers, from peppers and apples to a variety of leafy greens. Some stands are also accessible during the winter months if you call ahead. It’s always advised to check the respective farm websites for that information.
Larger farm stands like Dave’s Produce and FitzPatricks Farm Market are often one-stop shops where you can obtain a number of locally-sourced items.
Dairy and Cheese
Back in the 1800s, it seemed like you could find a cheese producer or two in just about every town throughout Steuben County. The numbers have dwindled over time, though dairy farming is still a big part of the local AG scene. Smaller cheese makers like Heavenly Sunset and Stewarts Family Farm offer small batches of delicious handcrafted cheese.
And farms like Stewarts also have other items which they produce like seasonal vegetables, fresh fruits, maple syrup and other maple products, goat cheese and milk, and more.
A wholesale and retail cheese manufacturer for 40 years, Golden Age Cheese is located in the small town of Woodhull which, itself, has a long history of cheesemaking dating back to the 1800s. Specializing in 100% natural cheese (naturally aged, naturally flavored, naturally smoked), Golden Age makes everything from muenster, Swiss, and Fresh Mozzarella to specialty cheddars, and aged cheddars (they even have one cheddar old enough to vote, their 18-year aged Old School).
Meats
Out in Avoca you’ll find Hemlock Ridge Farm, a certified organic dairy farm with its own small farm shop offering an assortment of farm-raised, certified organic chicken, ground beef, and steaks. They also have certified organic brown eggs, as well as maple syrup and sundry baking ingredients.
While in Savona, you can take seasonal tours of Mud Creek Bison Ranch in your car and learn about these massive creature as you observe them grazing, lazing, or roaming the fields. Then visit this sustainable bison farm’s shop for a variety of bison meat products including bison snack sticks, bison jerky and more.
Small family farms like Bluebird Trail Farm offer different selections of pork, chicken, and turkey. While just down the road Happy Chicky Farm’s number one priority is to raise happy and healthy birds. They have over 100 geese, ducks, guinea fowl, and bantam chickens, but they do also raise chickens for their meat and eggs.
The Butcher’s Son is a modern take on the classic butcher shop intended to provide the Corning area with locally-sourced meats of the highest quality with care, while building connections between local farmers and customers.
A second generation butcher with a culinary degree from ICE Culinary Institute in Manhattan, owner Cameron Matthews combines his passion for culinary excellence and the world of sustainable butchery offering you a unique place to learn about and purchase an array of local meats.
U-Pick Freshness
Is there anything fresher than the fruit you pick right from the plant?
With blueberry patches like Blueberry Hill Farm, strawberry fields like Schulties Strawberries, and orchards like Crooked Line Farm & Orchard, you can take advantage of going directly to the source to select exactly which luscious fruits and berries you want by picking them yourself.
“Boasting a vibrant community of independent farmers raising livestock, operating dairies and growing an array of fruits, grains and vegetables, New York’s Finger Lakes can be proud that eating local has been the norm long before it was trendy. Farm stands dot every stretch of road, offering everything from pick-your-own blueberries to artisanal charcuterie and cheese. It’s a wonderful place to hunt for epicurean treasures and truly embrace the farm-to-table experience.” —Anna Lee C. Iijima, Wine Enthusiast
Please Note: Farming isn’t just a livelihood, it’s a lifestyle. When you visit these small family-owned farms you’re often stepping foot into the heart of people’s lives. Please be respectful and also remember that these are working farms, so be aware of your surroundings to ensure a safe experience for you, other guests of the farm, and the farmers.
Thank you for supporting our local farms!
