Things to do, places to eat, shows to see, places to stay in Madison County, NY      

The annual Buy Local Week in Madison County kicks off this Sunday, July 17, at Monanfran Farm in Canastota, owned by Maurice and Amy Kelsey and family.  The event will be held from 2-6 p.m. and will feature local foods and live bluegrass music.

Dinner at the Fresh! Gala will be prepared by Serendipity Catering with foods supplied by over two dozen Madison County farms.  The meal will include a steamship of beef from Sidehill Beef, Meadowood Farm lamb kabobs, Maple Avenue Farms beef sliders, sausage from Drover Hill Farm and Ingallside Meadows Farm, Canaseraga Farm's fried green tomatoes, cheese from Dutch Girl Cheese and Jewett's Cheese house, and much much more.  Wine will be supplied by Owera Vineyards, beer from the Empire Brewing Company, hard cider from the Harvest Moon cidery at Critz Farm, hops lemonade from Foothill Hops Farm, and coffee and tea from Shapna. 

Wagon rides to the dairy barn will offer a first-hand glimpse at the dairy operation and the Kelsey’s prizewinning Holsteins.  A silent auction and raffle will also be included in the festivities.  More than 200 people attended the Fresh! Gala last year. 

Tickets for this year’s Gala can be purchased online at: http://madisoncountyagriculture.com/buylocalweek/?page_id=4 

 Taste of the County will be an ongoing event at 6 participating restaurants (Circa, the Colgate Inn, the Copper Turret, the Hamilton Inn, Ye Olde Landmark Tavern, and the Poolville Country Store) from Monday, July 18, through Saturday, July 23.  Menus are available on our website: www.madisoncountyagriculture.com

Forty farms and three farmers markets will participate in Open Farm Day this year. The farms will open their doors to the CNY community on Saturday, July 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.   Farms will be offering samples, farm tours and rides, as well as animal interaction, and many farms will have farm stores or stands where you can purchase their products.  Passports will be distributed the week of Open Farm Day in the Hi Neighbor, Mid-York Weekly, and Oneida Daily Dispatch newspapers.  Passports will also be available for download at www.madisoncountyagriculture.com/buylocalweek. All details, including maps and addresses, are posted on the website.  And, you can follow Buy Local Week on Facebook and Twitter.

Madison County Agricultural Economic Development (315-684-3001 x 125) is proud to announce this year’s sponsors of Buy Local Week:  Price Chopper Grocery Stores, Cazenovia Equipment, National Grid, Rosamond Gifford Foundation, Gorman Foundation, Central New York Community Foundation, Eastern Carolina-Vail, Farm Credit East, Farm Bureau, Empire Brewing Company, Owera Vineyards, Harvest Moon Cidery at Critz Farm, Shapna Tea & Coffee, Serendipity Catering, Off the Path Media, Madison County Tourism, CNYBounty.com, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County.