"Pure Catskills," a branding and buy-local campaign developed to promote agriculture from New York's Catskill Mountain region, continues its strong momentum as growers enter into their late- summer and early-fall crops. Given the current media and public attention being paid to organically grown produce, sustainable agriculture and ecologically healthy farming practices, the timing could not be better for the group.

Last year, the Watershed Agricultural Council, a non-profit organization that promotes agriculture in land-based businesses in Walton, NY, and the Catskill Mountain Foundation in Hunter, NY, an art, education and sustainable living promotional organization, pooled their energies and resources to develop the Pure Catskills collaboration effort. Its goal is to coordinate supplies of fresh produce grown by small, mostly independent farmers to a wide range of distributors, retailers and foodservice operators.

Baldor Specialty Foods, a Bronx, NY-based distributor of specialty foods, was an initial supporter of the program, and it continues to look to growers in the area for some of the high-quality produce it supplies to its customers (Baldor going 'local' over high fuel costs and to preserve quality, Jan. 16, 2006).

Allison Bennett, editorial consultant for Pure Catskills, said that as with dedicated farmers everywhere, it would take more than the major storm that hit Delaware County in late June to hinder the group's momentum. "The organization supports 143 agriculture firms, of which 100 are fruit and vegetable producers in nine Catskill Mountain region counties," said Ms. Bennett. "Many farmers in Delaware County at the far west of the range lost their entire crops in the storm. The town of Walton was completely flooded. [The Federal Emergency Management Agency] is there now conducting recovery efforts, and Senator Hillary Clinton has arranged for extra forage for those who lost the feed they grow for their animals."

As soon as the fields drained, however, growers were replanting. Many of the lost crops were slower-growing products like potatoes, so growers opted to replant faster-growing items like arugula, mesclun mix and other greens. Richard Giles, owner of Lucky Dog Farm in Hamden, NY, lost 40,000 pounds of fingerlings.

"Oddly enough, his Chioggia beets -- the candy-stripped variety -- did extremely well," said Ms. Bennett. "Farmers are now back on track. Mary and Dave Dolan, owners of Flying Rabbit Farm in Otego [NY], grow top-quality organic products that are so highly desired that Baldor picks up its orders by truck. The couple didn't have much time to wallow in their storm sorrows -- they celebrated the birth of their new baby just as the storm passed."

Franca Tantillo, owner of Berried Treasures Farm in Roscoe, NY, normally supplies over 200 cases of Tristar strawberries weekly to the Danny Meyer Hospitality Group, the parent company of several top New York City restaurants including Union Square Caf?, Grammercy Tavern, Tabla, 11 Madison Park and the three restaurants in the newly renovated Museum of Modern Art. The company was forced to reduce deliveries to about 90 cases because of losses caused by the storm.

"We are on the mend now," Ms. Bennett said. "Our growers have many products in abundance today, including broccoli, corn, cauliflower, apples, string beans and much more. Producers in this area also specialize in a full line of gourmet potatoes including Ruby, Crescent, French, Austrian and other fingerling varieties; red; blue; Corolla; and traditional varieties."

James and Cindy Barber of Barber's Farm in Middleburg, NY, are currently experimenting with some specialty French beans that are receiving praise. The family farm also grows corn, potatoes, melons and more, and it is particularly well known for its enormous lettuces. It will celebrate its 100th anniversary in business in September.

"The soil and microclimate of the area [are] well-suited to huge produce," said Ms. Bennett. The red, Romaine and other lettuces the Barbers grow are at least double the size of traditional product."

Proving the power of "Pure Catskills," major chains including Whole Foods Market now look to area growers such as Davenport Farms in Stone Ridge, NY, for supplies of fresh produce. Owner Bruce Davenport is well known for the fruits and vegetables he supplies from July through October each year, depending on the weather.

"The Catskills are well known for their large, high-quality and multi- variety apple crops, which most people think of first when they think about New York produce. But growers in the state produce a nearly unlimited number of crops today. Pumpkins, gourds, decorative products including Indian corn and other fall favorites are as common as apples to these growers," said Ms. Bennett. "Both white and blue Cinderella pumpkins are hot items every year, but there is also a deep burnt-orange color that is very popular. Farmers here love to experiment with unique and unusual produce, and they are recognized for their specialty fall squashes like Delicata and Sweet Dumpling. Prices are very good on these items because they are in abundance."

These growers also follow retailer and foodservice demands, including in the value-added category. Bohringer's Fruit Farms near Middleburg produces both whole and peeled-and-cut Butternut squash for a major Northeast retail grocery chain.

Knowing that people love to visit farms for both the entertainment aspect and to see how the food they eat is grown, Pure Catskills publishes a free annual guide that includes members' names and a map to guide visitors to farms and other interesting venues. It also has a calendar of events, notes of interest for children, a list of restaurant-members, farmstand and store locations, and outdoor activities.