As we continue celebrating 10 years of the New York State Grown & Certified program, we’ve been reminiscing on the early days of the program. As part of that, we are proud to highlight Amos Zittel and Sons Farm, the very first farm to join the New York State Grown & Certified program.
The family-owned, fifth generation Zittel farm consists of a 400-acre vegetable farm and a large, 3.5- acre greenhouse operation. The Zittel’s grow wholesale fresh market vegetables— lettuce, cabbage, sweet corn, squash, brussels sprouts and more— as well as approximately three million rooted liners and a finished plant crop in the greenhouses.
The Zittel farm story goes back nearly 130 years, when George Zittel left his father’s dairy farm and bought land in Eden Valley, Western New York to start his own produce farm. The next generation, Amos Zittel, continued the family tradition and created Eden Valley Growers Cooperative, and the generation after that, George and Paul Zittel, started the flower business while continuing to grow the outdoor production. The third generation, Bill, David and Kevin rebuilt the greenhouse business after a devasting snow store in 2014 to the state-of-the-art operation it is currently. They also introduced corn husking and overwrapping to enhance their produce's value. Today, George, Paul, Bill, David, Kevin, fifth generation Evan and Mike Wright all work together, growing the highest quality homegrown fruits, vegetables, and plants, and selling their products to grocers like Wegmans and Tops.
As a NYS Grown & Certified producer, the family is committed to implementing best practices in food safety and environmental sustainability. From using trickle irrigation to integrated pest management, the farm has increased yields and quality while protecting our natural resources and conserving water. In the fields and in the packing house, the Zittel’s adhere to the highest standards for food safety by being certified in the United States Department of Agriculture’s Good Agricultural Practices program.
We thank the Zittel’s and all our New York State Grown & Certified producers for being a part of the program—from those who have been with us from the start to our newest participants. The NYS Grown & Certified program continues to proudly market Amos Zittel & Sons, Eden Valley Growers, and all its participants, on its website, at trade shows, in its marketing campaigns, and so much more.