Thanks to the Cares Act Grant from MTEC that we received through the Long Island Food Council, we were able to complete work on our HACCP Plans for our Production Department. This happened during the height of the COVID pandemic and receiving the grant helped us immensely since most income had stopped during this time. Had we not received the grant, we had not been able to complete the plans which we need to become USDA certified.
We are grateful to have been a grant recipient and for the opportunity that the Long Island Food Council provided us.
With much appreciation.

Jessy Nahmias, Jessy's Patries

The LIFC welcomed me with open arms and I am proud to be a member of this dynamic group that helps develop Long Island’s small food business. I am so grateful for the free product photo session LIFC provided when my business was first getting off the ground. It enabled my brand to launch my website with professional-looking products. I’m looking forward to utilizing LIFC’s future programs, events, and resources to help propel my small food business to the next level!

Jack, Rugged Jack's

VeeTee has been a member of the Long Island Food Council for several years. Our team values the interaction and staying connected to the local network that supports Long Island’s food community. The Council has a diverse membership, which leads to productive conversations containing a variety of perspectives from all factions of the food industry. Whether you’re a start-up food company, a larger established company, or someone who supports the industry in one form or another, we highly recommend joining the Council and participating in the meetings. In addition to the monthly meetings, the Council facilitates educational seminars often led by local experts and or state representatives. From a resource and knowledge standpoint, you’d be hard-pressed to find the Council’s “think tank” all in one place.

Rick Mignella, Vee Tee

Long Island Food Council has been a vital resource to us as we developed Eat MUD. Over the years, as our business continues to grow, the advice, support and resources have evolved. From idea / concept stage to street fairs and pop up shows, all the way to where we are now with product in 20 states in major retailers such as Wegmans, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, and Big Y. We are forever grateful for Michael Tucker and the Long Island Food Council for their support.

Sam Friedman • Chief Executive Officer, Eat MUD

I am the owner of Sweet Soul Bakery, a plant based, vegan, gluten-free bakery located in St. James, NY. In 2018, I became a member of the Long Island Food Council. Since that time, I have made countless connections with fellow business owners and professionals. I have received thousands of dollars in grants to aid in the growth of my business that I would never have known about had it not been for LIFC. Unlike many professional networking groups, there is no pressure to participant in any way that you don’t want to. The meeting are both social and educational. The organization has been an invaluable resource while I have grown my business. Lastly, the people who run the organization Michael and Elise Tucker, as well as, Dolores Oesterle are amazingly supportive and eager to help. If you are in the food industry in any capacity, I highly recommend that you check LIFC.

Michael Strahl, Sweet Soul Bakery

Michael, I wanted to take a moment to extend a huge and heartfelt thanks to you and the LIFC team. Steiner’s has incredible momentum going into Quarter 4. LIFC is responsible for a good portion of it. You and the team have created something very special. Clearly the market had a huge gap. Congrats on all of your success. Once again thank you.

Jennifer Pool, Steiner's Coffee Cake

I highly recommend the Long Island food Council. What a terrific group of people, who have helped me both personally and professionally. Their meetings are informative and have yielded both new clients and business connections. If you haven’t had a chance to go to a meeting, make it a priority, as it will help your business.

Ira Spector, Price Paper

Deborah and I really appreciate having your consult to help guide us to having our facility fully operational. It has been a struggle to date as we both were novices in the manufacturing space and probably made some bad decisions on the way to the place we are at now. We feel pretty good about our final preparation on our way to achieving our 90-day conditional approval to start manufacturing our products. We appreciate the role that The Long Island Food Council plays for businesses like ours. You are a great resource to have.

Tony Bowen, Jamaica Choice Foods