Louie Lanza, a New York City chef and restauranteur for 25 years, and Joni Lanza, a former Broadway dancer and Kentucky farm girl, purchased the land that would become Lanza Farms in Garrison, New York, to fulfill their dreams to live off the land as their great grandparents did. Their hopes were to raise their children to value a strong daily work ethic. They found out shortly after moving to their wooded, mountainous property that they had landed themselves in the middle of an old-growth sugarbush stand. The “homesteading adventure” quickly transformed into a gourmet maple product business, allowing them to combine and creatively apply their 25 years of professional chef experience and seven generations of farming experience. Their syrup is used in NYC restaurants and is locally sold at the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market as well as straight off the farm or through their blog. Gift baskets may also be purchased for holiday and corporate events. Specialty items include a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel matured maple syrup, a ginger infused maple syrup, Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Maple Red Wine Vinegar infused with homegrown dried peppers, a chai tea infused maple syrup, and of course the oldies but goodies, maple soft sugar candy, maple cream, and mapled nuts. Joni and Louie look forward to creating more high-quality, small-batch, farmstead food products while utilizing sustainable and organic agricultural methods. In the near future, they plan to also offer organically produced, free-range chicken eggs, goats' milk products, and organic tomatoes. Check the blog for updates!
