HAMILTON – CNY Bounty (formerly Chenango Madison Bounty) invites the community to celebrate the launch of its new website www.cnybounty.com from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Colgate Inn. Mingle with local producers, customers, community representatives, and sample a variety of local delectables prepared by Chef Kris Angle. The event is free and open to the public.

In 2006, Morrisville State College Professor, Kim Mills, came up with an idea to launch a statewide online farmers’ market. He worked with his e-commerce students to design the model site and then tested the site with a group of “pilot” producers. Though at first the producers were skeptical, by the end of the testing period Mills and his students had won them over. He presented his initial findings in a grant proposal to the New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI) and received funding to continue his pilot testing and further develop the website. Mills started working on the website in January of 2007. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get producers engaged in the project. Looking for project collaborators, with advice from the NYFVI staff, Mills connected with the Bounty Executive Advisory Committee in the fall of 2008. “Without guidance and support from the wonderful people at the NYFVI, this project would never have gotten off the ground,” Mills said.