Erie Grown passport contest picks a homegrown winner

Town of Evans resident visits 11 Erie County farms & agricultural businesses, wins prizes

The Erie County Office of Agriculture announced the winner of the Erie Grown passport contest, Catie Dillemuth of the Town of Evans, who received a Taste NY gift basket for visiting the most local producers and farms this season.

Created in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County, the Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District, Taste NY, and New York State Grown and Certified, the Erie Grown passport contest promotes the purchase of local farm products listed on the Erie Grown website by offering participants a chance to win a prize.

“By supporting local agriculture, we are strengthening Erie County’s economy, keeping dollars here and keeping fresh local produce on our tables,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said. “I encourage everyone to keep buying local as much as possible through the holiday season for turkeys, Christmas trees and wreaths, or other local produce and continue supporting our agricultural businesses.”

The Erie County Office of Agriculture, part of the county’s Department of Environment and Planning, was created to address the loss of farmland, improve the viability of farming, and assist rural municipalities with planning or agriculture. The office works closely with the agricultural community to preserve agricultural lands and strengthen the agricultural economy through a number of programs including Erie Grown, the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, and the Agricultural District Program, among others.

Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension Diane Held said, “Despite the challenges faced this year, our farms have implemented safety measures and have been pleased to welcome customers and see great interest in visiting local operations to purchase products. The passport project has helped encourage visits to our many great agricultural and agritourism businesses. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Erie County and the Erie County Soil & Water Conservation District on the passport initiative and look forward to seeing the effort expand in the future.”

Second- and third-place winners won a $20 gift card to use at the Erie County farm of their choice along with a quart of maple syrup donated by the Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry. Erie County residents will have another opportunity to participate in the contest in 2021.

For more information on the Department of Environment and Planning, visit https://www2.erie.gov/environment/.