Discover local recipes, flavors and meet members of the beef community in New York
A hundred miles north of New York City in Grahamsville, New York sits Thunder View Farms, a 1,500 acre farm owned by the Coombe Family. To help protect the watershed that supplies nine million New York City residents with drinking water, the Coombe family implemented various water protecting and conservation techniques. These include installing a gravity flow system to deliver clean water to their pastures. To supplement their electrical needs, the Coombe family built a wind turbine and installed solar panels. These systems provide enough electricity to operate the farm shop and their freezer beef business. For their dedication to protecting natural resources, Thunder View Farms was awarded the prestigious Environmental Stewardship Award (ESAP).
"I'm really proud of what we've done to protect our farm. It's amazing because our blood, sweat and tears are in all this, and to know it's preserved is just heartwarming." - Ric Coombe, Thunder View Farms
SK Herefords in Medina, New York is owned by Philip and Dawn Keppler, and David Schubel, a 5th generation farmer. Caring for cattle and the environment is an important part of SK Herefords. The farm has worked closely with agencies on projects to improve the land, water and wildlife habitat. By improving the grazing management plans, the farm has helped protect ground nesting songbirds and monarch butterflies while also keeping the soil nutrient rich. SK Herefords was awarded the prestigious Environmental Stewardship Award (ESAP) in 2020.
EZ Acres in Homer, New York is owned and operated by brothers Mike and Pete McMahon. Together they manage more than 2,500 acres of the sixth-generation family-owned farm that raises dairy and beef cattle. The McMahons are dedicated to protecting the three watersheds their farm impacts by monitoring soil and water samples, stabilizing streambanks by planting willow shrubs and effectively managing fertilizer. EZ Acres also carries the conservation message to the public through farm tours and meetings with civic groups, schools, universities, and churches. For their dedication to protecting natural resources, EZ Acres was awarded the prestigious Environmental Stewardship Award (ESAP).
Beef New York Strip Steak gets the Greek treatment paired with lemon, feta and mushrooms.
About 20% of land (7 million acres) in New York is dedicated to farmland. These farms are top producers of items like milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, apples, wine and grapes.