BUFFALO, N.Y. — COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the economy, including those who make a living on the family farm.
Now, the Erie County Office of Agriculture has come up with a way to help out local farmers. It's unveiled the 'Erie Grown' passport. The passport is designed to promote the purchase of local and regional farm products. Products available can be found on the Erie Grown website, created earlier this year to showcase locally-produced goods.
“It’s now more important than ever to support our agricultural sector and one of the most effective ways to do that is to purchase local farm products. Buying local fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, honey and flowers not only supports our farmers, farm workers, and their families but also strengthens our economy,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of this Erie Grown Passport to guide you to familiar farms and farm-related businesses and also help you plan to explore some growers you may never have visited before. We are all in this together, and together we can support our agricultural community.”
The farming sector has been hard hit by the pandemic as a result of supply and demand chain disruptions as well as the loss of institutional and restaurant business.
The Erie Grown passport hopes to encourage the purchase of locally grown products by offering participants the chance to win a prize for visiting local vendors. If you're interested, you can print your own passport or participate online.
