Northern New York will once again be well represented at this year’s annual New York Farm Day on Capitol Hill.

A large local contingent plans to attend Wednesday’s 11th annual event, which was started by then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to showcase New York state agricultural products.

“The best way to prove the value of our products is to encourage people to taste and experience the quality of the foods grown and processed on farms and across Northern New York,” said Bernadette Logozar, Northern New York regional foods specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Franklin County, in a statement.

“New York Farm Day also provides the opportunity to tell our federal and state leaders that Northern New York farms add more than $595 million in product market value and $52 million-plus in farm employee payroll to the regional economy,” added Michele E. Ledoux, executive director at the Lewis County Extension office, in the statement.

Other north country representatives planning to make the trip Wednesday include Jefferson County Extension Executive Director Kevin Jordan, Lewis County Extension Board President Sheila Buckingham, Mercer’s Dairy Marketing Director Roxaina Hurlburt and Essex County Extension Executive Director Anita Deming.

Among the featured north country products will be maple cream and syrup, baguette bread made with locally grown organic wheat to be served with hand-blended olive oil dipping spices, freekah mix made from immature spelt and organic emmer, ancient grains, honeycrisp apples, lamb sticks and both traditional and wine ice cream from Mercer’s in Boonville.

The event, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., is expected to draw around 700 federal officials, guests, area restaurant operators and media, according to a released statement.

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