The inaugural Taste NY #SandwichShowdown kicks off this Friday, March 1. This student-led friendly competition challenged two Taste NY locations in the region to design a sandwich that highlights New York agriculture. Developed in collaboration with SUNY Cobleskill ag students as part of their agricultural business “Retail Practicum” course, the competition tasked staff at the Taste NY Market at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center and the Carriage House Café and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill to each develop a sandwich using more than 50% local New York State ingredients that could be sold at the locations. Students developed a plan for marketing the sandwiches, selecting a winner, and creating buzz around these exciting Mohawk Valley offerings.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Not only does this Sandwich Showdown spotlight all that’s great about our Taste NY program and the fresh, local products that are its hallmark; but the competition also highlights the fantastic agricultural education opportunities that we have here in New York, with SUNY Cobleskill students designing the program and helping to bring these delicious foods to more New Yorkers and visitors alike. I encourage everyone to stop by the Taste NY Market at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center and the Carriage House Café and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill to try these delicious creations and cast a vote for your favorite!”

Visitors to each Taste NY location will have the opportunity to sample both sandwiches and vote for their favorite on two dates in March: Friday, March 1 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center; and Tuesday, March 12 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Carriage House Café and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill. The sandwich with the most votes after the sampling events will be added to the menu at both locations for a limited time. Welcome Center staff and SUNY students will be present at the events to talk up their creations and promote the local products that were used.

Featuring several products local to the Mohawk Valley region and the greater state of New York, the two competing sandwiches are named the “General Herkimer Veggie,” created by Taste NY at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center, and “The Carriage House,” created by the Carriage House Café and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill. The ingredients of each sandwich are listed below:

The General Herkimer Veggie

• Heidelberg (Frankfort, NY) Italian bread
• Lively Run Dairy (Interlaken, NY) chèvre
• Remembrance Farm (Trumansburg, NY) beets
• Romaine lettuce
• Beefsteak tomato
• Red onion
• Whole in the Wall (Binghamton, NY) basil pesto

The Carriage House

• Heidelberg (Frankfort, NY) French peasant bread
• Cabot New York extra sharp cheddar (Chateaugay, NY)
• SUNY Cobleskill (Cobleskill, NY) grown arugula using Hudson Valley Seed Company (Accord, NY) seeds
• SUNY Cobleskill (Cobleskill, NY) grown beefsteak tomato
• Yo Pitts! Foods (New York, NY) smoked maple mustard

The Sandwich Showdown was created in collaboration with SUNY Cobleskill marketing students as part of their coursework for their agricultural business management Retail Practicum course, taught by Professor JoAnne Cloughly. Since the semester began in January, the students have worked to develop a social media and marketing promotion plan to showcase the two sandwich options; develop a schedule of sampling; and create buzz around voting for the favorite of the two sandwiches. 

JoAnne Cloughly, Professor of Agricultural Business Management at SUNY Cobleskill, said, “We're thrilled to take part of this competition to come up with a regional Taste NY sandwich. Featuring our campus-grown arugula and tomatoes, this creation captures the essence of our region's flavors. Crafting this featured regional sandwich isn't just a competition for us; it's a celebration of our campus community and the students involved in the creating it.”

David Valik, Taste NY Market Manager at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center, said, “The sandwich our team has created is named General Herkimer as a nod to the historical figure from Herkimer County where Heidelberg Baking Co. produces their delicious bread. With ingredients from Herkimer, Interlaken, Trumansburg, and Binghamton, this new sandwich highlights products not only from the local region but all of New York State.”

About Taste NY

Taste NY highlights the quality, diversity, and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced, or processed in New York State. Taste NY aims to create new opportunities for producers through events, retail locations, and partnerships, such as at The Great New York State Fair in Syracuse and the PGA Tournament in Rochester. Over more than 10 years, Taste NY has supported nearly 2,000 food and beverage producers participating in the program through retail outlets, events, and sponsorships. In 2022, 311 new producers were onboarded to the program through New York's Welcome Centers. Taste NY's food and beverage businesses also support the state's farmers by using New York grown and produced ingredients in their products.