"Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." These words, penned in the late 00's by the food writer Michael Pollan, have become something of a manifesto among today's health-conscious eaters. It sounds like a simple program, but even "Eat food" (as in whole, real food) can be hard to manage when our supermarkets are glutted with processed, food-like substances. What's a true-food seeker to do?
Enter the Hudson Valley Harvest (HVH), our resident ally in local food. Founded by a farmer and three enterprising friends, HVH works with more than 50 farmers to bring their fresh produce and products to restaurants, supermarkets, and health food stores throughout the Tri-State area. In other words, they're helping us to eat the way we ought to: simple, local, farm-to-table, ethical, sustainable. All that good stuff.
Founded in 2011, HVH is gaining force. Last year, the organization tripled the amount of local food that it distributes - thanks in part to the bustling Hudson Valley agricultural scene, and to the public's growing demand for good, clean food on our tables. To accommodate its growth, HVH recently moved to a new, 10,000-square-foot facility in Kingston's Tech City. (The move was made possible in part by a CFA funding grant awarded in 2012, and Gov. Cuomo’s commitment to agriculture in the Hudson Valley.)
At Tech City, the expanding Hudson Valley Food Hub is breathing life into what was the old IBM facility. Staying in tune with the facility's tech roots, HVH has looked to information systems and software to give the organization a competitive edge.
Call it an agri-tech boom, right here in the Hudson Valley. Bon appétit.
