Nominate your favorite farm, store, restaurant, caterer, organizer, business, non-profit organization, individual, or other local food hero for the Victoria A. Simons Locavore Award. The award—which features a cash stipend of $1,500—recognizes outstanding achievement in promoting, enabling, or enlarging local food production/consumption connections within 50 miles of Chatham. The award is presented on Labor Day—the culminating day of the annual Columbia County Fair—and offers a unique opportunity to bring recognition to those who stimulate and facilitate Locavore activities.
Nomination is as simple as a 1-page letter stating why the nominee deserves recognition and describing the scope of activities supporting the nomination. Complete contact information (including cell phone and email address) is required for both the nominator and the nominee. Nominations close July 31. They can be made online or by mail to
Locavore Award Fund
c/o Hudson River Bank & Trust Co. Foundation
P.O. Box 1189
Hudson, NY 12534
Last year’s winners was Amy Cotler of West Stockbridge, MA, author of The Locavore Way, Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food. Winner of the previous year’s inaugural award was Joe Gilbert of The Berry Farm in Chatham, with Brian J. Alberg, Executive Chef of the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA, as runner-up.
The award is a memorial to Vicki Simons, long-time editor of The Independent newspaper, executive director of Columbia County Bounty, and sparkplug for many causes targeting community improvement.
The Nassau cooperative community food cooperative and anna of the hometown foods harvest kitchen deserve community recognition.