NORWICH – The dairy products were a vibrant white, the bread felt and smelled freshly baked, the veggies had that fresh from the ground and cold storage solidness to them and the beef had a red vibrancy to it. And it all came from Chenango and surrounding County farmers (and bakers.) Our farmers, our neighbors, people whose life work adds to the quality of life we all enjoy. The open space they create, the taxes they pay, the concern they have for the land, their livestock and the streams that pass through their farms. Like all of us they have their challenges and some are better equipped to deal with protecting their and our precious resources but it was clear from the first “Chenango Bounty: Farmers Market at Your Door” delivery that these farmers took great pride in the products they produced. Over $1,000 sold: dairy products from Evans Farmhouse, produce from Norwich Meadows and Lamb Quarters Farm, all from Chenango County; beef from Maple Avenue Farm, Madison County; and baked goods from Ithaca Bakery, Tompkins County. These were the sources of goodness from our region. And of that $1,037 of food sold $800 went into the pockets of the farmers from that first delivery.