Dec 03, 2014 — In the last month of the year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will make good on one of the farm-related promises from his 2014 agenda.

The state will convene a summit of agricultural, food, and distribution leaders to brainstorm ways to sell more upstate produce in New York City this Thursday in Manhattan.

From C.S.A.s and farmers markets to artisanal cheeses, craft beers, and heritage breed vegetables, the idea to get locally produced food onto New Yorkers’ plates has been hot for some time now. Locally grown produce however, remains a small percentage of the overall food sales in the state.

Although New York has a massive opportunity to access the consumer base of 8.5 million people who live in New York City, and the millions more in the New York City metro area, there are substantial barriers that keep New York-made food from penetrating New York City’s menus, grocery coolers, and wholesale markets.

Officials have sent out invitations for the "Upstate-Downstate Farm to Table Agriculture Summit" to be held tomorrow at the City University of New York in Manhattan. Governor Cuomo promised to hold such a gathering in his State of the State speech in January. The meeting is modeled on two successful Yogurt Summits and a Beer, Wine, and Spirits Summit, which have stimulated sales and markets in New York.

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A spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture and Markets said the summit’s goal is to identify obstacles and find opportunities to sell more upstate produce in New York City.

The spokesman said Governor Cuomo will not attend the summit; Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy will be there in his place.