Sheep at 8 O'clock Ranch, De Kalb Junction, NY.

Image courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County.

Meet our new Farmers Market Manager!

Erica Kelso from Ogdensburg, NY is joining the GardenShare team as the new Farmers Market Manager and Bookkeeper! Learn a bit more about her here:

Why I do what I do (at GardenShare): I believe that many of our community issues must be addressed at the lowest level of Maslow’s hierarchy. Food equity and equality is the backbone of everything else. By supporting our community at the bottom of the pyramid, all of the things near and dear to my heart at the higher levels will have a better opportunity to fall into place. 

Hobbies: I love art and nature! Often in my free time,

I am throwing pottery, writing poetry, painting, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing/skiing, or just sitting at the beach.

Something about you that few people know: One day, I hope that my main residence is a bus. I will travel and work where the world needs me most and I can live a life of little attachment to non-material items and enjoy what our natural world has to offer us.

What could I find in your refrigerator right now?: Caramel Oatmilk Coffee Creamer, Kombucha, Eggs, Cheesesticks, and Granny Smith Apples

Farmers Market Applications are open!

Are you a food producer interested in becoming a vendor at the Canton, Gouverneur, and/or Potsdam Farmers Markets? Be sure to grab a market packet! Information including applications for membership, non-profits, and day vendors, as well as the market rules and regulations, will be included. 

If you have questions, reach out to farmersmarkets@gardenshare.org. We're excited to have a great season with you!

I hope you are as excited as we are that the growing season is just around the corner. As we prepare for the next season, I wanted to provide a quick update on what we were able to achieve in 2022 thanks to the generosity of our community:

• Reached 163 neighbors through Bonus Bucks to increase their access to locally grown food and generated an additional $24,740 for local farmers.
• Facilitated $52,074 for the Farmers Market token program that includes SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, and credit/debit which were used by customers and received by farmers market vendors.
• Supported 53 vendors, 44 volunteers, and 3 communities with shared farmers market management services
• Educated our community about Hunger Action Month in September 2022 with Fight Hunger Fair and 5K and honored Phil Harnden, GardenShare’s founder, with the 2022 Growing Community Award.
• Provided a centralized location for local food resources – online food guide, food waste recovery, and food access programs.

In 2023, we are stepping up our efforts to ensure that Farmers Markets in St. Lawrence County have the support they need to assist growers as well as shoppers. Today, I ask that you consider a gift to GardenShare to help us advance our mission to promote a local

food system that ensures food security for all St. Lawrence County residents. While we have achieved so much together, there is more we hope to accomplish.

Carlene Doane, Executive Director

Local Food System Questionnaire

With the cost of food on the rise and benefit programs such as SNAP Emergency Allotment concluded, accessing healthy food can become increasingly difficult. Thankfully, GardenShare has created a directory of community meals, food pantries, and programs to help you and your family access food. Click here to find a printable list of SLC Food Access Programs.

Thanks to Stewart’s Shops Holiday Match Grant, GardenShare’s Bonus Bucks program can reach even more local families in need. The Stewart’s Holiday Match Grant has now allocated nearly $36 million since the program’s inception in 1986.

Bonus Bucks is a cost-sharing program for income-eligible St. Lawrence County residents. The program assists participants in purchasing either a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share or items at any of the five St. Lawrence County farmers markets.

3 Benefits of Supporting Your

Local Tree Nursery

Check out St. Lawrence Nursery co-owner Allyssa Hardiman's blog post on Adirondack Harvest as she shares why you might consider buying locally-grown tree saplings this spring.