February 2025

One Steep At A Time

Image courtesy of the Farm-to-Table Initiative led by Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County

Local Business Supports GardenShare

One Steep At A Time, a regular Farmer's Market vendor and St. Lawrence County producer, has been supporting GardenShare with a percentage of their profits since they started their business nearly four years ago. Patti Mason and Sharon Poole, the owners, chose to support GardenShare because they wholeheartedly believe in the mission and vision of our organization.

They say, "We want our business to support the community that supports us, and we do that by supporting a local non-profit organization that strives to educate our community, connect families with local food systems, and fight for food justice in our area. We knew that by supporting GardenShare, we would be contributing to improving the health and wellness of our community, and that’s the kind of impact we want to have in our world."

In total, One Steep At A Time has donated $2,700 to GardenShare! We are so thankful for their continued support and encouragement. Local businesses like this are the backbone of our community. By supporting them, you are keeping your hard-earned dollars local which helps our community as a whole.

You can find more information about them at www.onesteeptea.com.

Welcome Sean Despaw, GardenShare's Newest Board Member!

Upon graduating Norwood-Norfolk Central School in 2007, I attended Plattsburgh State University to study Marketing. I was also a two sport athlete during my time there playing Baseball and Rugby. After finishing my time at Plattsburgh State University I spent the next two years in NYC before ending back up in Plattsburgh to work as a Senior Sales and Training Manager for a telesales company. In 2015 I moved back to St. Lawrence County where I took a position as a Branch Manager at Keybank. In 2017 I made the transition to Community Bank and in 2020 I found my new forever home as the Community Bank V.P Branch Manager in Canton, NY. During my time in Canton I’ve looked to become a part of the community in as many ways as possible. I was a board member for the Canton Chamber, before it eventually became part of the St. Lawrence County Chamber, to which I am now a Canton Ambassador. I am also a member of the Canton Rotary. Beyond the many local events I’ve attended and assisted with over the past several years, I also actively look to make philanthropic donations both personally and as representation for Community Bank. I’m excited to join the Gardenshare Board and I look forward to continuing to promote a local food system that ensures food security for all St. Lawrence County residents.

A Note from GardenShare's New Community Engagement Coordinator

Hello all,

My name is Jackie Card and I have recently begun working at GardenShare in Community Engagement. I am a lifelong New Yorker that came to St. Lawrence County to attend SUNY Potsdam, but never left. I love the beauty of our area and the amazing access we have to great outdoor activities (like hiking and kayaking, two of my favorites) but also the deep sense of community felt throughout the region. I also love gardening and have learned so much through my adult life about the benefits of eating locally grown food. It not only provides better nutrition, but also a sense of pride in what you accomplished (if grown in your backyard) or in who you're supporting (if purchased locally).

Through my involvement with other nonprofits as well as my work with a locally owned service company, my appreciation has grown for how important supporting our local economy is. While it may sound cliche, when people choose to shop locally they really are supporting their friends and neighbors. Helping to convey that message to others has become very important to me.

Working at GardenShare and being able to help community members find access to the abundance of good, healthy food that surrounds them is an exciting challenge that I am thoroughly enjoying so far. As the seasons change, I look forward to meeting more of the GardenShare community and learning how I can help expand GardenShare's impact.

Thank you,

Jackie Card

jackie@gardenshare.org

Get in the Guide!

Applications for the 2025-26 Local Food Guide are now available! GardenShare's 2025-26 Local Food Guide is open to all farmers, restaurants, and retail locations that showcase locally produced food in St. Lawrence County.

This year we will be printing 18,000 copies through North Country This Week. 6,500+ of those printed will be mailed directly to food lovers throughout the county. Copies will also be distributed at local hospitals, restaurants, schools, human services agencies, local businesses, and more!

Physical forms are being mailed out but if you prefer an online version, you can find fillable PDF forms at gardenshare.org/get-in-the-guide/.

Interested in listing or putting an ad in the guide? Email us at jackie@gardenshare.org or call (315) 261-8054.

Free Movie Screening

A free screening of The Need To Grow will be held on February 7th at the Canton United Methodist Church at 7pm.

For more information, scan the QR Code in the image or visit https://www.wastenotperma.org

February 16-22, 2025 is National CSA Week!

It's time to celebrate our local farmers that offer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs! These inventive programs are a great way to ensure that you'll be getting a great variety of fresh produce while also supporting a local farmer. Not sure about the details of how a CSA works? Click on the video below to learn more! If you'd like more information about CSAs available in St Lawrence County, click here for GardenShare's CSA directory!

As GardenShare prepares to open applications for our Bonus Bucks program, we are asking our community members to join in supporting Fresh and Local For All: Help Us Share The Harvest. This fundraising campaign directly supports GardenShare's work to connect income-eligible families with delicious, healthy local foods. Bonus Bucks is a cost-sharing program that benefits participating families, but also our local farmer to create connections within our community that may not exist otherwise. If you are interested in learning more about Bonus Bucks and its impact on participants, please contact Erin at farmersmarkets@gardenshare.org.

Mark your calendars! We are excited to announce that the 2025 Food Justice Summit will take place on February 27, 2025, at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY. Building on the success of previous years, the summit will once again bring together change-makers and leaders from across the food system to network, share innovative solutions, and tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing our region. For more information or to purchase a ticket to attend, please click here.

Thank you for receiving and reading our newsletter! We appreciate your time and dedication to supporting GardenShare and our local food system.

Interested in volunteering with GardenShare?

More information is available here.

Connect with us! | info@gardenshare.org | 315. 261.8054