Submitted Photo From left are Bailey Jordan, Andy Putnam (Director, Sales and Strategy), Robert Patterson (President), Richard Ball, Olga Padilla-Zakour, Dena DeJoe (Secretary). Bailey Jordan works for Olde Chautauqua Farms, which is a member of the Westfield Maid co-op. The others work for Westfield Maid.

A Portland grape cooperative was one of two grand prize winners in a recent statewide competition.

Westfield Maid Cooperative won the Best New Concord Grape Beverage and a prize of $20,000, along with a package of support from Cornell valued at $8,000, at the inaugural New York Concord Grape Innovation Awards. The event was held in December in Geneva.

The co-op won for its “Good n’ Grapey” juice pouch, a four-ounce, shelf-stable product designed for use in school cafeterias.

The products were judged on five criteria: market readiness, innovative approach, economic impact on the Concord grape industry, potential for expanded utilization of Concord grapes and percentage of Concord grape in the product.

“The associated prize money and free consulting services will propel us toward rapid launch of our new Concord grape beverage product for New York State farm to school markets,” said Andy Putnam, director of sales and strategy for Westfield Maid Cooperative. “We see our innovative new product as a strategic opportunity to reintroduce New York State schoolchildren to the authentic taste profile, aromas, and health benefits afforded by high-quality, 100% Concord grape juice, and to sustain the viability of local Concord grape farms within the beautiful Lake Erie Concord grape belt region.”

The Grape Innovation Awards came from an idea at the 2018 statewide Concord Grape Summit, held at the Grape Discovery Center in Westfield.

The awards competition was funded by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. There were 12 competitors.

The other grand prize winner was Stil-Bene of Geneva as Best New Concord Grape-Based Product, for a digestive dietary health supplement.

“When you get local and state stakeholders in the room to identify solutions, it bears fruit and yields positive results,” said Catharine Young, executive director of the Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech, former New York State Senator and competition judge. “It has been gratifying to develop policy as a former state lawmaker that sprang from the 2018 Summit when growers, processors, agribusiness experts, economic developers, and local and state officials gathered in Chautauqua County to find ways to boost the Concord grape industry. Now that policy has been put into action through the Concord grape innovation business competition, and it has been special to take a leading role through Cornell to ensure the event’s success.”