Hudson River Valley Farms: The People And The Pride Behind The Produce

You weren't looking for artisanal cheeses. You weren't looking for locally distilled cherry brandy...gladiolas...blueberries. All you knew was that you needed to get off the New York State Thruway. Your destination was less important than your journey. You didn't know you were an "agri-tourist." You'd never heard the word and had certainly never seen it in print. But when you heard Steve Osborn, the owner of Stoutridge Vineyard, use the term, it resonated with you. You realized that it wasn't just the farmer's markets that had attracted you. You found that you liked the people. You liked being under their roofs; you liked their country vocabulary; you liked sharing their world, and you also knew you'd return.And back home you may not have been looking for a book that captured the region and the people and their energy so accurately. You may not have been looking for a photo gallery of a guide book. You may not even have thought of the Hudson River Valley Farms as an actual destination, just places that made you feel good. But now, armed with Joanne Michaels and Rich Pomerantz' book, you now see the Hudson River Valley as a hundred mile long agri-tourism attraction.Visiting the Hudson River Valley Farms through the pages of this wonderful book you will see much more than you would expect see in your next twenty trips on your own. Better still, you'll meet many more of the "people behind the produce," and you will share their entrepreneurial pride. So kick back and read Michaels' comfy prose and enjoy the everyday magic of Pomerantz' photographs. And, as the authors give you ideas for your next trip, enjoy the rich, amber honey, the camembert, and the vase of anemones you brought back from those Hudson River Valley farms on your last trip. And keep leave the book out on a coffee table where your friends can enjoy it too.

Joanne captures the true mission of NY State farmers' markets. There are so many markets now that have popped up, but very few are "true" markets whose purpose is to simultaneously & equally, serve consumers, farmers and their communities in a manner that brings value to each and benefits all. Very well organized book giving a good representation of the farming industry by profiling a cross-section of Hudson Valley farmers. Beautifully written and photographed.

This was a present I bought for one of my grandchildrens. He loves this book. Shipment arrived as scheduled and in excellent condition. Thank you.

Love the service and book so much, I bought two. Great way to learn about our local farmers, many you can visit.

I was given this book by a friend who lives up in central NY. She says she picked it up on her last trip to Tractor Supply on impulse because it is such a pretty book. The photos in this book are so gorgeous it looks like it is about a fictional place. The I Love NY travel guides could take a lesson from this book. If you have a little kid who is into farms, this is a good book to give them. The text might be a little too much for them but the photos are top notch.The most farms are listed for Dutchess and Ulster Counties which makes sense since the eastern part of Dutchess County and a good part of Ulster County are still fairly rural but there are even four farms listed for Westchester County which I would never think of as farmland. These farms accept visitors so there are also directions for getting to the farms if you want to go there, which you probably will after seeing this book.