What's happening at the Adirondacks Welcome Center...

Thursday, September 22, 2022 - Taste NY Producer Showcase

Click here to download a printable version of the news release.

Attention chefs, restaurant owners, grocers, distributors, and retailers! 

The Taste NY Producer Showcase is an opportunity for New York State producers to connect with potential wholesale buyers and attendees from the Adirondack Region. 

Admission is free. Exhibitors and area businesses are invited to attend two morning workshops to help producers expand their reach in the marketplace.

This business-to-business expo event is intended to help farmers and agricultural producers in the Adirondack region and New York State grow their business and encourage hotels, restaurants, bars, retail locations, and institutions to purchase local products.

Taste NY Producer Showcase 
Date: Thursday, September 22, 2022
Location: SUNY Adirondack, Adirondack Hall, Northwest Bay Conference Center, 640 Bay Road Queensbury, NY 12804
Event Type: B2B Vendor Expo

Event Schedule:

7:30-11am Vendor Registration
8-11am Vendor Networking Breakfast
9-10am Vendor Workshop: What's Unique about Your Farm and How to Sell it to Wholesalers with Kim London, SUNY Adirondack
10-11am Vendor Workshop: Packaging Audit Workshop with Maureen Ballatori, 29 Design Studio and Tom Seymour, Bison Bag
12-4pm B2B Vendor Expo

Exhibitors:

2 Queens
Adirondack Craft Beverage Trail
Adirondack Winery 
Ahsak Skin Care by Kasha
Apothecary Chocolates
The Ardent Homesteader
Argyle Cheese Farmer 
Aro Chili
Birch Boys
Caliva Cookie Co.
Casa Visco
Chip 'n Dipped Chocolatier
Crazy Mike’s Handcrafted Beef Jerky
Crown Maple
HoneyGramz
Hub on the Hill
ImmuneSchein Ginger Elixirs
IQ Juice
Iron Smoke Distillery
Javamelts
Ludwig Coffee
Meadowdale Farm Winery
Nat's Nuts
Perfeito / WINAND PRODUCTS 
Ric Orlando’s BEST Brand
RIND 
Rookie's Gamble Farm
Saint Lawrence Spirits
Saratoga Garlic
Saucy Confections (Winosaurs)
Seedlings Baby Food
SerendipiTea
Silda's Jam
Smoke Shack Jerky
Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery
Squared GF

For more information about the event, contact jennifer@lakegeorgechamber.com or call (518) 487-0045.

Vendors/Producers: Please note that vendor registration has now closed. We may consider additional applicants on a case by case basis up until Monday 9/19. You may use the link below to submit your application. 

Dear Prospective Adirondacks Welcome Center Taste NY Vendor: 

Thank you for your interest in the Taste NY vending market at the Adirondacks Welcome Center, located on I-87 Northbound between Exits 17 and 18, operated locally by Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce, Inc. We are currently accepting vendor applications from New York State producers of food, beverage, and non-food gift items for resale in the market. 

There are over 70 Taste NY stores across the state ranging from wine stores to retail kiosks to full-service markets. Taste NY at the Adirondacks Welcome Center offers a vending market that consists of nine high end vending machines that offer frozen, refrigerated, and non-perishable foods, beverage, and gifts. These state-of-the-art machines accept cash, credit card, and cashless payment options and include technology such as elevators and temperature controls that allow us to feature the types of fresh products you might find at your local farmers market. 

The facility and vending market are open year-round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Customer service staff are available on-site to help visitors navigate the selections from 9am-5pm, 7 days a week. An average of 25,000 cars pass daily and we are confident that your products will be seen and purchased by many. 

Vendors meeting the Taste NY retail guidelines and other criteria set forth in the attached application may be deemed eligible to supply product to the vending market for resale.

Please complete the following application and provide the required insurance documentation in the application. We require an ACORD form proving a Certificate of Liability Insurance with Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce, Inc, 2176 Route 9, Lake George, NY 12845 as the Certificate Holder. Your product will be considered by the market manager for wholesale purchase. Please note that acceptance into the program does not guarantee product placement in the market. 

Vendors represented in the market may be rotated depending on seasonality, product variety, availability, consumer demand, and other factors. To best represent your product, please include promotional materials, business history, samples, etc. with your application. Due to the nature of our vending machines, product packaging and labeling is important. Resources are available to help bring new products to market and assist vendors with vending-friendly packaging. We are able to assist in getting your product retail-ready. 

Complete Submission of Application Includes: Application, Insurance Requirements, Resale Certificate, Proof of License/Permit, Product Description including Wholesale Pricing, Photos of Product and Packaging and/or Sample 

We look forward to working with you to promote the best of our region and New York State! 

Jennifer Hill Kraft 
Taste NY Market Manager 
Adirondacks Welcome Center 
jennifer@lakegeorgechamber.com 
 

Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce, Inc. 
Attn: Taste NY at the Adirondacks Welcome Center
2176 State Rt. 9 | PO Box 272 | Lake George, NY 12845  
www.lakegeorgechamber.com | p. (518) 487-0045 | f. (518) 668-4286

What is Taste NY? 
The Official Eat-Local, Drink-Local Program for New York State 

Taste NY highlights the quality, diversity, and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced, or processed in New York State. Taste NY aims to create new opportunities for producers through events, retail locations, and partnerships. The agricultural industry in New York State continues to grow at an exceptional rate. The state boasts more than seven million acres of farmland, 36,000 farms, and is the second largest producer of apples and maple syrup in the country. Additionally, there has been a 50% growth in the number of craft beverage manufacturers since enactment of the Craft New York Act in 2014, with the highest number of cideries in the country and 400 breweries--the highest number in New York history. We encourage New Yorkers and visitors alike to experience the delicious homegrown goodness of Taste NY and help us continue to grow the state's thriving agricultural industry. Learn more at taste.ny.gov! 

FAQs 

Q) Is there an application fee?
A) No, there is no cost to apply or to participate in the Taste NY market. We purchase product from our vendors at a wholesale rate and resell in our retail vending market. You are not required to buy back unused product. 

Q) I make a great product but I don’t have packaging. Can I still apply?
A) Yes! The market staff and representatives from Cornell Cooperative Extension are available to assist vendors with the application process as well as provide advice regarding packaging and labeling to help bring your products to market. 

Q) How often will I be paid?
A) All Taste NY Market vendors will be paid on NET30 terms based on their invoice date. Market vendors will be paid by mailed check and are responsible for providing the correct payment address and contact information. Alternative payment methods or timeframes will require prior approval. 

Q) Once my application is accepted, will my products be eligible for resale at all Taste NY locations?
A) Once you are accepted into the Taste NY program, your products may be eligible for resale at all Taste NY locations. However, each store is managed independently and approval does not guarantee placement in all locations. If you are interested in selling your products at multiple locations, we are happy to help facilitate communication with the operators of those locations.

The self-drive maple tour is back in 2022! Celebrate Maple Month in March by visiting producers in Washington, Warren, Hamilton, and Essex Counties. There are around 2,000 maple producers in New York State - from large scale operations to backyard businesses. The four businesses included on this route represented the wide variety of maple businesses that you will find across the state and around our region. 

TASTE NY SELF-DRIVE AGRITOURS - PRINTABLE COLORING PAGES

Follow along the routes while on the road or at home with these fun coloring pages designed by Advokate, LLC.

Visit @AdirondacksWelcomeCenter on Instagram from your mobile device. These icons will not appear if viewing Instagram on your computer. Click the book icon to find all of our published guides. Click the 3 stars icon to try out the Taste NY AR Effect which will allow you to take a selfie on a virtual farm road in the ADK! This fun effect was designed by Sidekick Creative.

Upcoming Events

• Find Adirondacks Welcome Center on Facebook for a list of all in-store marketing events including product samplings!
• Taste NY Restaurant Challenge at the Lake George Regional Fall Restaurant Week (September 11-18, 2022)
• Taste NY Producer Showcase  at SUNY Adirondack - Thursday, September 22, 2022
• Taste NY Producer Outreach & Networking Event - Tuesday, October 25, 2022 

Past Events

• Collaborative Cuisine - Taste NY Sponsored Dinner Series at Seasoned (July & August 2022)
• Taste NY Restaurant Challenge at the Lake George Regional Summer Restaurant Week (June 2022)
• Half Bites: Social Media Marketing Virtual Workshop Series (April 2021)
• Virtual Taste NY Producer Showcase (October 2020)
• Adirondack Food and Farms Business Expo (December 2019)
• Collaborative Cuisine - Taste NY Sponsored Dinner Series at Seasoned (September & November 2019)