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State awards grants to farmers’ market organizations

The Downtown Committee of Syracuse was one of the recent recipients of Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program money for the Downtown Syracuse Farmers’ Market, pictured here in June 2019. (ADAM ROMBEL/ CNYBJ FILE PHOTO)

The state Farmers’ Market resiliency Grant Program has awarded $700,000 to 11 farmers’ market organizations across the state, including groups in St. Lawrence, Broome, and Onondaga counties, with funding included in the 2023 fiscal-year enacted state budget. “One of the biggest lessons that we learned from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic was the importance […]

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“One of the biggest lessons that we learned from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic was the importance of having a strong, flexible, and streamlined local food-supply chain, and one of the greatest tools we have for getting farm-fresh food directly into our communities are farmers’ markets,” New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said in a March 6 news release announcing the grants. “The Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program provides farmers’ markets with funding that will help them reach more consumers in new, innovative ways, build greater bonds between farmers and their customers, and get more local New York foods onto tables across the state.”

Organizations will use the money to strengthen their markets and make local food more available to consumers by establishing online sales, improving infrastructure, and expanding marketing and outreach efforts.

In St. Lawrence County, Gardenshare, Inc. received funding to consolidate seven markets in the county. CCE Broome County will create a shared online platform for all markets in the county. The Downtown Committee of Syracuse also received funding for the Downtown Syracuse Farmers’ Market.

New York state has more than 400 farmers’ markets, 250 farm stands, and 10 mobile markets the provide outlets for agricultural producers to get their products to consumers.

The state’s Food Supply Working Group released a report in 2022 outlining recommendations for how to improve the resiliency and self-reliance of the state’s food system. The state also established a working group, Improving Urban and Rural Consumer Access to Locally Produced Healthy Foods, to connect the state’s upstate and downstate regions regarding food procurement and distribution.

Jornal Staff