New director takes the helm

Meet Becky Allen, our new Executive Director! She met our founder, Phil Harnden, this morning and he left with this squash (pretty cool, right?) Besides being a gardener, Becky is an avid angler and an animal-lover. She comes to GardenShare with an extensive background in social work and public health, and is extremely excited to build food security and food system resilience as director of our organization. 

Come by our office, or meet her at the Growing Community Social!
Gloria to receive Growing Community Award November 1

We are delighted to present this year's award to our own Gloria McAdam, retired executive director of GardenShare. We hope you will join us for a free meal and celebration of community, local food, and anti-hunger work on Thursday, November 1 at SUNY Potsdam's Thatcher Hall. This year, we present the annual Growing Community Social in partnership with the WISER Center at SUNY Potsdam. Contact Deborah at (315) 261-5413 or dchaselauther@cphospital.org with any questions. 
Please RSVP before Thursday, October 25 by following this  link.

4:30 PM | Cash bar in Thatcher and tours of the WISER Center, 205 Stowell Hall.
6:30 PM | Light meal served upstairs in Thatcher along with GardenShare program
Congress has let the Farm Bill expire. What now?
The 2014 Farm Bill has expired. What will happen to programs critical to small agriculture, community food systems, and food security?
  • SNAP (food stamps), which receives mandatory funding, will continue as it is without funding cuts and work requirements proposed by the House. 
  • Small programs that support local food systems and sustainable land use can only continue until January 1. These include:
    • FINI, which funds our incentive program that allows SNAP customers to increase their purchasing power at farmers markets,
    • Support for farmers undergoing organic certification,
    • Farmers market promotion,
    • Funding for regional local food system partnerships,
    • and much more.
What you can do:  Tell your members of Congress it is essential to negotiate a new Farm Bill when they return to Washington after the midterms, and NOT wait until the new year!
Guest speakers available   
Do you have an event in the coming year where you would like someone from GardenShare to speak? We believe in spreading the word about hunger issues and how they directly impact our local community. We have a lot of knowledge and we are happy to share it with others! 

Reach out to us at (315) 261-8054, or email us at office@gardenshare.org. Let's work together to solve the problem of hunger in St. Lawrence County!
Farmers will get free professional photos via this partnership
M&M Eggs' Matt Martin shows off a hen.

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) is offering a chance for growers listed in the GardenShare 2018 Local Food Guide receive free professional photos of their farms and/or products. Each farmer will have full digital access to their photos to use in on-farm marketing efforts. In addition, these images will help CCE, GardenShare, and the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce promote our region's direct-market local agriculture. This offer is open now through spring 2019, first-come, first-serve.

For more information or to sign up for your photo shoot, contact CCE's Local Foods Team: Flip Filippi or Makenzie Farmer at 315-379-9192 or mpf65@cornell.edu.
Over $12,000 raised at Fight Hunger 5K
150 GardenShare supporters took action by running, walking, and fundraising at the Fight Hunger 5K -- the culmination of our September Hunger Action Campaign. Thank you ALL for raising awareness of hunger!

Congratulations to the committee, staff, and volunteers on pulling off a smooth-running and very successful event. All in all, we exceeded our goals, and we have a lot to be proud of. Thank you all.

Congratulations to Arianna Whittaker, who raised a total of $275 to win the top individual fundraiser prize.  The top fundraising team was Stauffer Farms; they raised $1,000.
Our business sponsors were an important part of our success, so one more shout out to them!

Presenting Sponsors:
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield,  North Country Savings Bank,  St. Lawrence Health System,  Stauffer Farms,  Brookfield Renewable
Partnership Sponsors: 
Hyde-Stone Mechanical Contractor Inc.,  S&L Electiric,  SeaComm Federal Credit Union,  Casella Waste,  St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union,  Frazer Computing, 
Pat Collins Real Estate
Friend Sponsors:
Barking Dog Saloon,  Bicknell Building Supply,  Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Foundation,  Community Bank N.A.,  Gray & Gray and Associates,  LeBerge & Curtis Inc.,  Pinto, Mucenski, Hooper, Van House & Co.,  Key Bank,  Raquette River Pub,  Robideau's Mahogany Ridge Bar & Grill,  Sandstone Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, P.C., 
Woodchop Shop

If you were meaning to make a donation but never quite got around to it, there is still time - go 
here! 
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
GardenShare | 315-261-8054 | www.gardenshare.org
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