November eNews

November 2023

Erica Kelso, Canton Farmers Market

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

The chilly weather is beginning to set in, Halloween is over and holiday decorations have appeared in the stores which means the 2023 Farmers Market season has come to a close. We'd like to say a hearty "thank you" to everyone who helped make this season possible. This was the second year of GardenShare performing market management services for Canton, Potsdam, and Gouverneur and we are grateful for the ever bountiful support of the community, our vendors, and our volunteers that helped make this year a success.

Thank you all for an amazing 2023 market season!

GardenShare is excited to announce our will be be holding our virtual Holiday Auction for the third year in a row! As has been the case in years past our focus is on unique, locally made/grown and hand-crafted items, as well as shared experiences - fishing, bird walks, canoe trips, hikes, etc!

The auction will launch on Friday, November 24th, and run until Sunday, December 3rd - the perfect time to help our supporters keep their holiday gift buying local! We hope to beat last year’s amazing total of $4,632! All proceeds support the important work GardenShare does throughout St. Lawrence County.

To contribute to this year’s Holiday Auction, please complete and submit the Donation Submission Form. If you have questions, call the GardenShare office at 315-261-8054. Then mark your calendars and let the bidding begin!

GardenShare & Nature's Storehouse Partner for Gratitude Through Giving Fundraiser

Nature's Storehouse invites customers to once again support GardenShare during the Thanksgiving season. From November 1 to 22, customers will be offered the chance to show their “Gratitude Through Giving” by making a donation to GardenShare at check out. For 2023, Coakley's Home and Hardware and Boyden Brook Body Works will be matching individual's donations.

The annual Thanksgiving fundraiser supports a variety of GardenShare initiatives and their Bonus Buck Program, which offers a cost-sharing arrangement to income eligible St. Lawrence County residents to participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share or to purchase at St. Lawrence County farmers markets.

"Healthy Food is vital to leading a healthy life. We are inspired by the work GardenShare does to help ensure access to healthy food, and we are proud to partner with them in this fundraising effort," said Patti Mason, the general manager of Nature's Storehouse.

GardenShare works to promote a local food system that ensures food security for all St. Lawrence County residents. Learn more about their programs that support "Healthy Food, Healthy Farms, Everybody Eats" at GardenShare.org.

Thanksgiving Meals Available!

Thanksgiving is a time when family and community come together to give thanks. We are very thankful for the many Free Community Meal Programs that will be offering Thanksgiving meals later this month:

Parishville-Hopkinton Centra l School: Senior Grab & Go, Wednesday November 15th, 11am-12pm; call (315) 265-4642 to register; take-out

First Presbyterian Church of Ogdensburg: Turkey Dinner, Saturday, November 18th, 11:30am - 1pm, dine-in

Helping Hands of Potsdam, Hannawa Falls: Thanksgiving Food Baskets, Monday, November 20th and Tuesday, November 21st by appointment; to reserve call 315-268-0633 (9am-1:30pm)/315-262-4136 (1:30pm-6pm), take-out

Massena First Community Meal: Wednesday, November 22nd from 1pm-4pm; pre-order by calling (315) 769-8036; take-out

Canton Free Will Meal: Thanksgiving Dinner, Wednesday, November 22nd, 4pm-5pm; no registration needed, take-out

Gouverneur First Methodist Church: Thanksgiving Meal, Thursday, November 23rd (Thanksgiving Day), 11am - 12pm, take-out

Ogdensburg Knights of Columbus: Thanksgiving Dinner, Thursday, November 23rd (Thanksgiving Day), Dine-In: 12pm-2:30pm, Delivery: Begins at 11am, to register call 315-393-7990

Potsdam Trinity Episcopal Church: Thanksgiving Dinner, Thursday, November 23rd (Thanksgiving Day), 12pm-1:30pm, Sponsored by the Potsdam Presbyterian Church & Potsdam Trinity Episcopal Church, dine-in

How are you using local food in your Thanksgiving meal?

Thanksgiving is very much a harvest season celebration and we want to know how many local food items you are planning to include in your celebration! If you're looking to incorporate more local food, check out our online local food guide for farm stands and stores carrying local food after the farmers market season ends.

How many local food items will be in your Thanksgiving meal?

Thank you for reading GardenShare's eNews and for your unwavering support in providing access to local food. As we enter a season of celebrating diverse cultural holidays with unique and meaningful food dishes, it's essential to remember that not everyone has the privilege to partake in this pleasure. I am profoundly grateful to all the individuals who contribute to making it possible for my family and me to enjoy these special meals. I celebrate each and every one of you who believe in GardenShare.

Carlene Doane, GardenShare Executive Director

Connect with us! | info@gardenshare.org | (315) 261-8054