Within a third-day's drive of New York City (see map), hundreds of independent farmers and producers are now adopting a regional approach, considering not only the fragility and impermanence of the environment that surrounds us, but its capacity to produce excellence unique to its place. This newest generation of food artisans--spurred by commitment rather than necessity--have begun to initiate the practices that lead to just such excellence.
Regional thinking implies sustainability in its deepest sense. In sustainable production, resources and fertility are created rather than depleted, while biological diversity is fostered rather than diminished. And any food from the wild--especially the seas and oceans, whose bounty we are rapidly depleting--is harvested with an ethic that recognizes the relatedness between all species, and ensures their ongoing viability.
As urban residents, we already play our part to preserve the rural open space that agriculture in our region needs if it is to prosper. New Amsterdam Market will be a forum specifically designed to serve the producers, vendors, and consumers partaking in this re-emerging, regional food system.
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