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Dr. Sam Simon, President (Board
of Directors) Hudson Valley Fresh Plankenhorn Farm Dr. Sam Simon knows (and loves) cows. He also loves the open land that comes with having family farms in a community. Growing up on a 200 acre dairy family farm in Middletown, NY, Sam has always had farming in his blood. After retiring from a successful 22 year practice as an orthopedic surgeon in Poughkeepsie, NY, Sam returned to the land, purchasing the 150-acre Plankenhorn family dairy farm in the heart of Hudson Valley. Back to farming full-time, Sam saw the challenges that family farmers face every day, and in 2004 he decided to do something about it. He and former Assemblyman Patrick Manning founded Hudson Valley Fresh, a non-profit dedicated to sustainable agriculture. With Hudson Valley Fresh, he’s made it his mission to save family farms by making sure the farmers earn a living wage, thereby keeping money in the local economy and saving agricultural open space, all while selling the freshest, highest quality milk to the local community. Sam stays in this business because, as he says, “someone needs to be an advocate for these family dairy farmers. Many coops treat milk as just a commodity but we take a lot of pride in our product and deserve recognition for that. All milk is not created equal.” Lee Fraitag, Chairman, Advisory Board (Board of Directors) Hudson Valley Fresh Lee Fraitag is Hudson Valley born and bred, beginning his career at IBM, then retiring early to study at the Culinary Institute of America, mastering many culinary techniques which he utilizes today at The Willows, the bed & breakfast which he owns with his wife Lisa. Located in a restored 1765 Colonial farmhouse, it is the second oldest house in Pleasant Valley, New York. Lee’s cooking talent has led to an appearance on the Food Network’s "The Ultimate," where he whipped up a raised apple pancake with Tyler Florence. At the B&B, Lee cooks with as many local foods as possible and originally approached Hudson Valley Fresh to use their milk for his cheese. With Lee’s commitment to local foods and sustainable agriculture, it’s no surprise that he joined the advisory board and soon became Chairman. Today he serves as a liaison with local government, chefs, food producers and others committed to food and land preservation. Lee also manages the Hudson Valley Fresh website. He can usually be found in his kitchen making homemade cheese, jams from local berries or even churning butter with Hudson Valley Fresh’s heavy cream. Jerry Simonetty, Chairman (Board of Directors) Hudson Valley Fresh Jerry Simonetty might have been born in New York City, but he spent most of his summers and after school hours instead working on a 100-acre dairy farm in Wappingers Falls in Hudson Valley, helping his dad out by milking cows and planting crops. As a young man, Jerry relinquished the farm life to go into the business world, but after a successful 30-year career in sales and marketing at IBM, he wanted to get back to the land and spend time with his family. So in 2001, Jerry purchased some acreage in Red Hook, New York and Sim-Kno Farm was born. Now he drives a tractor and tends to his herd of registered Holsteins. A strong believer in promoting local products, Jerry has a big banner tied to the side of their barn: “Think Global – Buy Local.” Jerry’s belief in the value of local farm products makes him a natural fit for the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors at Hudson Valley Fresh, where he puts his strategy and marketing skills to work. His main goal was and continues to be to laying the ground work for a fiscally-viable and sustainable business and to ensure a future for the dairy farmers in Hudson Valley. Jerry says, “My dad was a big advocate of farming and protecting the land. And he instilled that in me, to be shepherds of the land, to keep it protected by keeping it economically viable -- ensuring that farmers have a living wage. I’m proud of the HVF mission of doing just that.”
Mark W. Manning, Treasurer (Board of Directors)
Patrick Manning,
Chairman Emeritus
Pat Manning has been
involved with open space preservation and
sustainable agriculture through two decades. He
attended the Maxwell School of Citizenship at
Syracuse University and graduated from Vassar
College with an A.B. in Political Science. Pat
earned his Master's Degree in Public Administration
at Marist College in 2002 and has taught for
Marist’s Graduate School of Management.
Pat is on the board and is Chairman Emeritus of
Hudson Valley Fresh, which heads the campaign to
brand and give identity and legislative support to
one of New York State’s most fragile industries –
the family farm. On Martha’s Vineyard, Pat is a
former executive board member of the FARM Institute
on Martha’s Vineyard, and works with the Island
Grown Initiative, both established with the
objective of re-connecting the community with local
agriculture. Pat speaks extensively on land
preservation and sustainable agriculture issues. Pat
is himself a farmer and owner of the Hudson
Valley Fiber Farm and Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm,
the first “Fiber CSAs” in the country. He will
be writing a book on his experiences with
sustainable agriculture and regional food systems
that will be published by Chelsea Green Publishing. |
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