THE CATSKILLS ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS
We had originally planned to cover several topics in this newsletter including a wrap up of our Slow Food Fair on September 17 that benefited our local Slow Foods group Slow Food UpDeRiVa as well as Catskill Mountain Keeper, a local not-for-profit dedicated to preserving our treasured environment. We also wanted to share with you the 5 new store front projects that our construction team is working on in downtown Liberty. We will cover all of these topics and more in our next newsletter.
But, this month we would like to address just one topic: Despite what you may be hearing on the news or reading in the papers, all your favorite Catskills businesses are open for business.
Its true - Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee left their marks here, and lots of folks (especially farmers) will be dealing with their effects for some time. Fortunately, Sullivan County escaped the worst these storms had to offer, and most, if not all, of your favorite businesses are open and need your support - now perhaps more than ever before. With 18 days of rain in both August and September and more than 12" of rain in both of these months, what traditionally have been good months for local businesses have been exceptionally challenging.
Even when the weather is perfect, operating a business in our rural region can be challenging. In fact, even before the hurricane, economic conditions claimed two of Catskill Harvest's long-time local business partners - Beach Lake Bread in Honesdale, PA, and Main Street Café in Narrowsburg, NY. These are stark reminders that we all need to continue to "put our neighbors first." If you have a favorite local business, whether it is a shop, restaurant, farm market, bakery, service provider, or anyone else - now is the time to support them.
This Monday is Columbus Day. For many of us, that means a nice long weekend - and for the first time in more than a month, the weather forecast is outstanding: lots of sun and warm Fall days. The leaves are just starting to turn, and festivals and farm markets abound. Everywhere you look there are decorations for Fall - not to mention mums, pumpkins, fresh produce and more.
With this said, get out and enjoy the season and stop by your favorite places; your local businesses would love to see you.
Will Foster
Catskill Harvest
