Pioneer Alley

Pioneer Alley. Welcome to Cooperstown. , Bountiful Lands, "The [hop] crop was perhaps never larger in this county. …We congratulate our Farmers on their good fortune." - The Freeman's Journal, November 5, 1852, Farmers have come to Cooperstown for centuries to process, sell and transport crops grown in the surrounding countryside. In the late 1800s, this region cultivated most of the nation's hops, a plant used to flavor beer. Farmers have also excelled in dairy production, including making butter and cheese, and today milk and other dairy goods dominate local agricultural sales., Area farms are now reviving practices and products of the past, focusing on grass-fed meats or organic produce, as well as regional crops like maple syrup. The farmers' market offers locally sourced foods and crafts and is a year-round favorite., (photo captions:), ·From founder William Cooper, who promoted maple sugar as an alternative to sugar cane in the 1700s, to the women who traveled to the region each fall to pick hops in the 1800s, people have come to Cooperstown for agricultural pursuits., ·Anheuser-Busch delivery wagon in front of 167 Main Street, ·Cooperstown shops offered local as well as imported and convenience goods. While hops from the region flavored Anheuser-Busch beer, fruit dealer John Levants sold more exotic bananas and peanuts from his Main Street stand., ·Delivering milk, international Milk Products Company Cheese, Milk and Ice Cream Factory, Upper Main and Grove Streets