Small town farmers seek hometown customers

WALTON, NY — There are an increasing number of farmers in the Catskills growing produce, making cheese, spinning wool, or raising grass-fed meats, and all are singing the same tune: local customers. “We hear over and over from farmers that they want to sell as much of their product as possible close to home. We are looking for ways to help them grow their markets customer bases locally,” says Karen Rauter of the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC) which works with many farms to improve environmental stewardship as well as long-term economic viability through watershed protection practices.

On Tuesday, September 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. the WAC is sponsoring a free workshop to instruct farmers in how to establish local customer bases. The workshop will be held at the Soil and Water District Office, 44 West Street in Walton.