By Katelyn Walley-Stoll

CLYMER – Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is proud to support Chautauqua County’s hidden gem for wholesale purchases of locally grown produce, the Chautauqua Produce Auction.

The Chautauqua Produce Auction is located in Clymer at 7844 Route 474 and happens every Tuesday and Friday throughout the season, typically May through October, starting at 10 a.m. The auction has been in existence since 2003, and offers fresh fruits and vegetables, plants, flowers, and other items that are sourced from local growers, primarily from Chautauqua County. They follow a strict food safety plan that is certified yearly and includes a traceability policy for all fruits and vegetables sold at the auction. You can learn more about the auction, and view the latest market prices, at www.chautauquaproduceauction.com. To set up a meeting with the market manager or to arrange a buyer or a delivery, contact Nancy Westerberg at 499-6391 or nwesterberg@stny.rr.com.

The Produce Auction operates like a typical auction, but there are many people around to help a new buyer establish an account and learn about the bidding process. The Auction even has buyers available if an interested party is not able to make it to the auction. There is adequate parking space and loading docks available as well. The Auction is a great option for wholesale buyers, but is also an affordable source of produce for individuals and consumers to purchase in bulk for canning or preserving, or for splitting up amongst a group.

“Many of our local residents and institutional food buyers don’t even know that the Auction even exists,” says Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County. “The Auction works with an incredibly dedicated group of growers to produce and provide safe, wholesome produce at wholesale prices. This is a great opportunity for institutions, restaurants, and other food service providers to increase their use of locally grown foods in an economical way.” Walley-Stoll provides technical support to the Auction’s leadership and growers. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County also assists with production related topics through the Cornell Vegetable Program’s team of specialists.

Chautauqua County is home to over 1,500 farms, and more than 100 are selling their products directly to consumers, through farm stores, roadside stands, the Chautauqua Produce Auction, and farmers markets. For a complete listing of Chautauqua County farm stands and farmers markets, or to learn more about the Produce Auction, please visit Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Local Food Guide, “Chautauqua Grown” online at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/cg.

Support to the Chautauqua Produce Auction is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 664-9502 or visit www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.