Negev Nectars Press Release
For Immediate Release:
NEW BUSINESS BRINGS GOURMET AND ORGANIC FOODS FROM ISRAEL’S NEGEV TO AMERICAN KITCHENS
Negev Nectars Delivers Desert Goods in an Effort to Support Small-Scale Agriculture and Economic Development in the Negev Region
New York (October 15, 2009) – For those eager to support Israel’s environment and its people, Negev Nectars, a new business that launched this week, will be bringing gourmet, sustainably produced foods—the kind that rarely make the trip over the Atlantic—to shareholders in the US. Negev Nectars members will be sent olive oil, jams, chutneys, honey, dried herbs and other unique products in time for Hanukkah, Passover and Rosh Hashanah.
“Working with the farmers who are guided by groundbreaking research from Ben Gurion University has been inspiring,” said Marvin Israelow, Negev Nectars founder and long-time supporter of the University’s desert research. “I believe that one day the desert can be instrumental to Israel’s future if approached with an attention to sustainability.”
A Negev Nectars membership is more than just an investment in Israeli farms employing responsible growing practices; it is also an investment in the future of the country and the region. Farmers such as Doron Akiva, the olive grower, and those at the highly regarded organic kibbutz, Neot Smadar, irrigate their fields and orchards with brackish (salty) well water when the plants can handle it, and employ the most up-to-date water saving technology for desert conditions.
The new venture is centered around the organic extra virgin olive oil, whose successful production in the desert was the impetus for the new business. Phil McGrath, the chef/owner of the Iron Horse Grill in Pleasantville, NY, commented: “Negev Nectars olive oils have a freshness and lightness which make them ideal for a variety of applications in our kitchen. They have a true olive flavor that genuinely reflects the taste of the land and the sun where they are grown.”
The ethos behind Negev Nectars is akin to what’s going on in the sustainable food world in the US. “For those of us not living in California, local organic olive oil is impossible to find,” said Jeffrey Yoskowitz, Director of Operations and Marketing. “Many of our products are specific to the Mediterranean and the desert, and supplement the fresh produce from farmers markets and CSAs [community supported agriculture programs] very nicely.” He added that no matter the distance, you should get to know your farmer.
In support of alternative food distribution centers sprouting in American Jewish communities, a no-shipping rate is available for members who choose to pick up their shares at participating centers, which so far include those in White Plains, the Upper West Side and Forest Hills. More in New York and New Jersey are soon to be added.
It’s easy to register for membership—just go to Negev Nectars’ website (www.NegevNectars.com), which also lists producers’ and farmers’ bios and growing practices, plus lodging and visiting information for the farms. Members are even encouraged to visit the farms when traveling to Israel, providing a unique opportunity to “meet your farmer.”
“We are very excited about this creative new partnership between the US and the Negev,” said Eran Doron, former Tourism Department General Manager for the Ramat Hanegev Regional Council, and Negev resident. To that end, Negev Nectars will re-invest all of its profits into sustainable Israeli desert agriculture, and build a new point of connection between Israel and the US.
About Negev Nectars
Negev Nectars products are sustainable, high quality, kosher and organically certified when possible. 2009-10 Registration closes by December 1st.
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Attn Writers and Editors: If you would like more information about Negev Nectars and its membership details, or would like to schedule an interview with Jeffrey Yoskowitz of Operations and Marketing, please email Jeffrey@NegevNectars.com. For founder Marvin Israelow, please email NegevNectars@gmail.com.
Sign Up For Membership by December 1st
We are gearing up now for our first deliveries for the holiday season and now is the perfect time to sign up for a year full of treats from the desert, for you or as a gift for a family member or a friend.
Just click on Join and and let us know your state of residence, and if you live in the New York or New Jersey area, and would like to pick up the shipments yourself form one of our partner locations, just click on your state and choose pick-up and click on the site of your choice.
Thanks again for your support of small-scale Israeli agriculture.
A Blue Hill Olive Oil Tasting
Choosing which Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil to import wasn’t as simple as one would think. Doron Akiva, our olive grower, grows three olives that are the best suited for his climate: Picual, Barnea and Sourya. Each olive is pressed into an oil and kept separately from one another.
Barnea olives are the bedrock of desert olive oil production. Originating from Sinai, Egypt, the Barnea olive is a desert olive through and through. It not only thrives in the desert, it thrives on brackish (salty) water, and yields more oil per olive than most other olives. It is fitting for Barnea olives to be used to make oil and Barnea olives, while delicate and fruity, are best when blended with other, more robust olive flavors. Enter the Picual and the Sourya olives . . .
Doron blended different oils with varying ratios of each of the oils. He naturally assumed that Americans prefer the blandest oil, an unfair (though admittedly not unfounded) assumption. We assured him that was not the case, so we asked him to send his three favorite blends and we would make our decision.
In order to make our decisions Marvin hosted olive tastings wherever he went, but eventually we sought the best in American cooking today to help us with our decisions, so we went to Stone Barns, the site of one of Dan Barber’s prominent restaurants, Blue Hill.
We brought the three samples to one of the restaurants’ head chefs and his colleague, and together stood in the kitchen tasting and discussing the oils. The chefs wouldn’t hear of eating the oil with bread. They would only use spoons to taste the pure oil flavors. By the end of the tasting the chefs perferred blend #3, 50% Barnea, 30% Sourya and a 20% blend of Barnea and Picual. Not everyone at Negev Nectars was in agreement, and noteworthy chef, Phil McGrath of the Iron Horse Grill in Pleasantville, NY, preferred blend #1 of 50% Barnea and 50% Picual.
We were split among ourselves too, so ultimately we decided to provide our members with both preferred blends. In each shipment there will be one of each, and we invite you to share your personal preference with us.