Suffolk County has created a new website for all the local producers of fruit, wine, fish, and beer. ChooseLI lists in-season produce and fish and also a map of nearby farm stands and breweries. Rob Carpenter, director of the Long Island Farm Bureau, says the site was built using donated staff time from Suffolk County.
“There’s nothing like a fresh picked strawberry or a local ear of corn picked that morning.”
The site’s goal is to encourage shoppers to buy local products. Country Executive Steve Bellone says that if residents diverted just 10 percent of their weekly grocery budget to local producers, it would add $19 million to the local economy and create nearly 1,000 jobs.
So far the site has 144 farm stands, 31 fish markets, 60 vineyards, 33 breweries, 3 distilleries, and 2 cidereries.
