Taste NY Market at Todd Hill Offers an Abundance of Agricultural Products for Travelers This Holiday Season

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today highlighted the abundance of seasonal products now available at the Taste NY Market at Todd Hill, located on the Taconic State Parkway in the Town of LaGrange. The market provides a unique Taste NY experience for travelers on the Parkway featuring a variety of New York State foods, beverages and agricultural products for sale, many of them arriving just in time for the holiday season.  As many as 50 New York agricultural producers sell their products at the Market at any given time. 

“Nothing hits the spot during the holidays more than fresh food or beverage products made right here in New York State,” said Commissioner Ball.  “The Taste NY Market at Todd Hill, which is perfectly situated between upstate and downstate New York, is an opportunity for people traveling on the Taconic State Parkway to buy products on-the-go for the entire family to enjoy.”

For the holiday season, the store is bustling with motorists and vendor deliveries alike.  Arriving daily are fresh cheeses from Coach Farm, The Amazing Real Live Food Company, Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, Five Spoke Creamery, and Sprout Creek Farm.  To accompany your cheese board, choose from many varieties of Saratoga Crackers, Eleanor's Best Jam drizzles including Quince or Liberty Orchards Concord Grape Jelly or Apple Butter.  The meat section is stocked with fresh hams from Full Moon Farm (Gardiner, NY), round cuts of 100% organic beef from Sawkill Farm, (Red Hook, NY), as well as bone-in, leg of lamb (Point-of-View Farm, Bangall, NY).  Also just in are miniature sausages for delicious quick bites (Jacuturie, Ancramdale, NY).  To round out a celebratory feast, pick up some freshly made eggnog from Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy, as well as fine potions from which to craft a delicious cocktail, including Dutch's Spirit Bitters (in three flavors) or The Hudson Standard's Shrub.

Handmade, on-the-farm gift items include beeswax candles (Hummingbird Ranch, Staatsburg, NY), knitted woolen mittens, scarves, hats, ornaments and felted cat toys (Dashing Star Farm, Millerton, NY), along with scented goat milk Soaps (Wil-Hi Farm, Tivoli, NY).  Chocolates handspun using local ingredients whenever possible are available from Lagusta's Luscious in New Paltz, NY.  Hand-woven baskets are also available, as well as fine porcelain from local potter Davistudio, to elegantly adorn your holiday table.  Staff at Todd Hill are even available to help consumers wrap their holiday gifts.

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Dutchess County operates and manages the Taste NY Market at Todd Hill.  The State Department of Agriculture and Markets provides oversight to CCE on the operation and also works with them on promotion of the facility.

There are currently ten Taste NY stores across the state generating revenue for agricultural producers.  They are located on the New York State Thruway (New Baltimore and Chittenango Service Areas), the Taconic State Parkway (Taste NY Market at Todd Hill), the Empire State Plaza Concourse in Albany, airports (LaGuardia, JFK, MacArthur), and train stations (Grand Central Terminal).  In addition, the Taste NY Marketplace is open during the 12-day Great New York State Fair.  Another Taste NY store is also open during events at Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.