Just in Time for Maple Weekend, Popular Program Encourages Consumers to Visit Local Farms, Agricultural Producers
Fill Out a Passport to Win Prizes!
ERIE COUNTY, NY— The Erie County Office of Agriculture today kicked off the 2026 season for the Erie Grown Passport program by announcing 2025’s top Passport participants. Deanne Vitrano of Hamburg visited 24 farms last year and received a gift certificate for Draudt's Farm Market & Greenhouses for her participation. Second place winner Adrianna Merlino of Cheektowaga received a gift basket donated by Taste NY at the WNY Welcome Center, and third-place winner Margaret Mule of Amherst received a half gallon of maple syrup donated by the Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry.
The most visited locations were the Clinton Bailey, East Aurora, and Hamburg Farmers Markets.
Created in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County and the Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District with support from the Erie County Farm Bureau, the Erie Grown Passport program promotes the purchase of local farm products listed on the Erie Grown website by offering participants a chance to win prizes.
“The Erie Grown passport program has been a huge success and has strengthened connections between local growers and residents looking for healthy, nutritious and local-sourced products,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Make a plan this year to visit some local growers and eat healthy!”
Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension Diane Held said, “The Erie Grown Passport continues in its seventh year to highlight our vibrant Erie County farms and agritourism opportunities. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County and Taste NY at the Western New York Welcome Center are happy to collaborate on this effort to boost visitors to the abundance and variety of farms in our local communities.”
Mark Gaston, District Field Manager of the Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District, said, "We are proud to continue supporting our local farmers and are excited to celebrate the seventh year of the Erie Grown Passport promoting Erie County's farms and highlighting the hard work of our farmers."
Erie County Farm Bureau President Daniel Brenner said, "Erie County farmers are responsible in supplying fresh, local products to consumers both within the Erie County and beyond. We’re proud that the Erie Grown program highlights the hard work of our farmers and encourages residents to support local producers. We urge all Erie County residents to take full advantage of the Erie Grown Passport program to discover and purchase locally grown food and farm products."
Erie County residents will have another opportunity to participate in the Erie Grown Passport program beginning on March 21, 2026, just in time for the New York State Maple Producers Association annual Maple Weekend and the Erie County Parks Department’s Maple Fest.
To learn more and participate in the Erie Grown Passport, visit https://www3.erie.gov/eriegrown/
The Erie County Office of Agriculture was created to address the loss of farmland, improve the viability of farming, and assist rural municipalities with planning or agriculture. The Office works closely with the agricultural community to preserve agricultural lands and strengthen our agricultural economy through programs including Erie Grown, the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, and the Agricultural District Program, among others.
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