NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. (January 17, 2017) — Two regional businesses focused on sustainable farming – The Farm Bridge and Farms2Tables – have joined the Hudson Valley Food & Beverage Alliance, an initiative that brings together businesses and organizations to strengthen the industry as a whole.
The Food & Beverage Alliance offers opportunities for regional food and beverage companies to collaborate and market their products on a national scale. It includes a diverse group of food businesses, farmers, vegetable growers, beverage makers, distributors and other industry organizations.
“The Farm Bridge and Farms2Tables play a major role in the continued growth of the agricultural sector, which is vitally important to our exploding food and beverage industry and the regional economy as a whole,” said Laurence P. Gottlieb, president and CEO of HVEDC. “We are thrilled to have them join the Hudson Valley Food & Beverage Alliance.”
The Farm Bridge, formerly known as Farm to Table Co-packers, is located in Kingston, N.Y., and provides a vital link between farmers and the consumers who wish to support them throughout the region. The company works with more than 50 farms, offering bulk frozen, individually quick frozen and shelf-stable produce. It also provides its co-packing services to food entrepreneurs and farmers who wish to expand their operations in the Hudson Valley.
“We are very excited to join the Food & Beverage Alliance and contribute to the growth of local food and the local economy overall,” said Jim Hyland, Founder and CEO of The Farm Bridge. “The Hudson Valley is an amazing place for us to continue to establish farm-to-table, sustainable food systems, and we consider our membership to be an excellent opportunity to connect with more food and beverage companies throughout the region.”
Farms2Tables, located in Rhinebeck, N.Y., bridges the gap between wholesale buyers and small, local farmers. The organization has developed an easy-to-use F2T mobile app that creates access for the direct sale and purchase of locally sourced, high quality farm products. Farms2Tables takes care of all the order logistics, farm pick-up, delivery, invoicing and automated payment processing. Additionally, the company recently launched a direct-to-consumer service called The F2T Box, which provides consumers with weekly deliveries of seasonal produce, dairy, proteins and pantry items – all from local farms.
“We have developed technology that makes it easier for sustainable growers to reach distributors and consumers, and we are very much looking forward to sharing the F2T app with regional food businesses and organizations,” said Patricia Wind, Co-Founder of Farms2Tables. “The Food & Beverage Alliance is an important group that is helping our industry thrive, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to work with the major players here in the Hudson Valley.”
About the Hudson Valley Food & Beverage Alliance:
The Hudson Valley region boasts the most vibrant and growing base of food & beverage-related businesses in the nation. Alongside many well-known industry names and successful and growing industry players, the Food & Beverage Alliance brings organizations within the food and beverage industries together, helping area businesses forge strong partnerships. The Alliance provides access to economic guidance and marketing resources to businesses throughout the region.
About Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation (HVEDC):
HVEDC is the leading economic development agency for the seven-county region of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties. The public-private partnership markets the region as a prime business location to corporate executives, site selection consultants and real estate brokers. HVEDC helped start the organizational, branding and promotional effort for NY BioHud Valley, Hudson Valley 3D Printing, Hudson Valley EDs & MEDs and the Hudson Valley Food & Beverage Alliance. To learn more, call 845-220-2244 or visit hvedc.com.
