Hungry Trails

New York State Agricultural and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball tries a sample of maple cream with some pretzel sticks from Parker Family Maple Farm Operations Manager Laura Trudeau during an event at Rulfs Orchard launching six new Cuisine Trails in the North Country. The new network of trails, the North Country Trail, the Adirondack Lakes Trail, the Boquet Valley Trail, the Champlain Valley Trail, Champ’s Trail and the Ausable Valley Trail, feature 83 businesses in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. PR File Photo

Hungr y TrailsTrail explores North Country cuisine

The road to success is paved with food.

Th at was the message that Gov. Andrew Cuomo shared recently while announcing the launch of six new cuisine trails in Essex, Clinton and Franklin counties.

Th e tourism network links 86 local operations including produce, dairy, beef and maple farms along with orchards, restaurants, breweries, wineries, cideries and distilleries.

“Th ese new cuisine trails highlight some of the best food and beverage producers and providers in New York,” Cuomo said in a press release.

“Th ey will help connect upstate farms and businesses with visitors and local markets, boosting the North Country’s economy and supporting growing trends in agritourism.”

Th e trails run from south of Ticonderoga, west to Tupper Lake and north to the Town of Champlain.

Trails included in the network are the North Country Trail, the Adirondack Lakes Trail, the Boquet Valley Trail, the Champlain Valley Trail, Champ’s Trail and the Ausable Valley Trail.

Businesses along the trail are marketed on the Taste NY website, trail maps and at the new Adirondack Welcome Center, where details on the trails are included as part of the new consumer kiosks.

CONSUMER KIOSKS

Ernest Hohmeyer, owner of Lake Clear Lodge and Retreat in Lake Clear, praised the ability of the trail to be a “great connector” and solve the issue of local agricultural destinations being spread far apart across the region.

“Due to our sheer geographic size coupled with the small business nature of our economy, rural regions such as ourselves need to network and forge private public partnerships,” he said.

“The ability to include farms, breweries, and restaurants, which include local foods on their menus, creates a mix that lets you then create a brand, with a diverse set of partners.”

FOOD EXPERIENCES

Reports show that 93 percent of travelers worldwide have sought out and found notable food and beverage experiences while traveling, aside from dining at local restaurants, according to a press release. More than 12.4 million people visited the Adirondacks region last year — over 460,000 visitors more than 2016, and a nearly 20 percent increase since 2011, according to a press release.

Regional tourism generates more than $1.4 billion in direct visitor spending, including $178 million in State and local taxes, and supports more than 21,300 jobs across six counties in the region.

LOCAL INGENUITY

The new cuisine trails were created by the Adirondack Cuisine Trail Association, which includes members of Cornell Cooperative Extension, the North Country Chamber of Commerce, Paul Smith’s College and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism.

“The official approval of these six cuisine trails is a culmination of local ingenuity, the innovation of Cornell Cooperative Extension and the dedication of the Cuomo Administration for the upstate economy,” Jay White, Adirondack Cuisine Trail Association organizer and founder, said.

“Through Gov. Cuomo’s committed staff at the Department of Agriculture and Markets, and the Department of Transportation, farmers and producers have been given a better chance to tell their stories and sell their products.”

LOGICAL ROUTES

The Department of Transportation worked with the cuisine trail groups to develop the most convenient and logical routes for New York food and beverage enthusiasts on the trails, which is expected in turn to help spur sales for local farmers and related agribusinesses.

The department will also work with the organizations to determine appropriate locations for signage, ensuring the cuisine trails are easy to follow. Individual trail organizations coordinate fabrication, installation and maintenance of cuisine trail signs under a DOT permit.

AGRITOURISM

The cuisine trail designation includes a combination of agricultural producers and retailers.

Members are chosen by the organization that applies for cuisine trail designation and must be in relatively close proximity, sell in a cooperative manner and offer a complementary variety of unique or hard-to-find fresh farm and food products.

“It is these sectors of agriculture, along with many others, that have made agritourism what it is today on the Adirondack Coast and what helps to bring those soughtafter, unique experiences to our area,” Alyssa Seneca, Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau assistant director of tourism and marketing, said in a press release.