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New York Ag News Headlines
Farmed Long Island Shellfish Now in Grown and Certified Program
New York Ag Connection - 01/22/2018

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced that oyster growers from Long Island have now joined the New York State Grown & Certified program. To celebrate this, the Department is partnering with restaurants from New York City for an oyster tasting promotion, which will spotlight the growing industry and promote the Grown & Certified program's food safety and environmental standards.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, "We are excited to roll out another agricultural commodity as part of the New York State Grown & Certified program. We welcome these growers to the program and are pleased to promote farmed Long Island shellfish, products that are grown and harvested with care towards both food safety and the environment."

Now through the end of January, Oceana and Docks Oyster Bar in Manhattan and Petite Crevette and Jolie Cantina in Brooklyn will feature oysters farmed and grown by New York State Grown & Certified Long Island producers. The restaurants are identifying these oysters with the NYS Grown & Certified seal on their menu and displaying a window cling on their doors announcing their participation in the tastings and the certification program.

"Building on the Governor's recent announcements and commitments to restoring shellfishing to Long Island, the New York State Grown & Certified program will create jobs for local baymen and in turn protect the environment," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. "Nurturing these natural resources helps preserve the quality and cleanliness of our waters and provides a sustainable, historically relevant coastal industry."

Stewart Rosen, Docks Oyster Bar owner, said, "Docks Oyster Bar is proud to support the New York State Grown & Certified program and the addition of Long Island shellfish with this exciting promotion. Local and sustainable sourcing has been part of the fabric of Docks for more than thirty years. We have direct relationships with some of Long Island's premier oyster growers including Fishers Island, Blue Island and Peeko to name a few. Docks' guests love the pristine freshness and delicious salinity unique to Long Island oysters."

Bill Telepan, Oceana Restaurant executive chef, said, "I feel strongly about the New York State Grown & Certified program because we should all be supporting local purveyors. At the restaurant, we receive oysters daily, and since the Long Island oysters are local, they come to us at their freshest. I also believe that New York State oysters--with their clean, briny flavor--are some of the best eating oysters around!"

New York State Grown & Certified promotes New York's agricultural producers and growers who adhere to food safety and environmental sustainability standards. For oysters, participants must be New York State producers and maintain an environmental permit issued from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The oyster permitting process ensures producers growing, harvesting, handling and storing oysters are appropriately trained, and that they have developed and implemented the appropriate food safety plans and controls.

In addition, the producers must be growing the oysters on land leased by the state, county or a municipality for the purposes of shellfish production. Oyster growing, in general, contributes to water quality, and lands devoted to their production provide many public benefits.


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