Spring is in the air and the seedlings are in their pots.
Check out what GardenShare has going on this spring.

Local Food Guide will be out soon!

Congr atulations to Debbie Thacker who submitted the winning photo in the contest for the cover of the 2016 Local Food Guide.

Look for your copy of the 2016 St. Lawrence County Local Food Guide in early June!  

The Guides are distributed through the mail and in some local newspapers.
CSA Bonus Bucks
CSA Bonus Bucks still available

Have you been thinking about buying a CSA share this year, but feel like you can't quite afford it?

Maybe we can help.

Go here to learn more about CSA Bonus Bucks, see if you are eligible and get an application.

Annual Dinner and Auction

Enjoy a great, locally-sourced dinner and support GardenShare's work to solve hunger.

T uesday, June 14, 2016
5:30 cash bar 6:30 dinner
Jake's on the Water
Hannawa Falls
Go here  f or more information about business sponsorships or how to donate for the auction.
SNAP to be doubled at 
Farmers Markets

GardenShare will be supporting the Farmers Markets in Canton, Gouverneur, Hammond, Massena, and Potsdam this year by providing the equipment and administrative support so the markets can accept SNAP benefits, as well as debit and credit cards.

For families and seniors who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called food stamps), access to and affordability of healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables can be a challenge.  GardenShare is excited to announce that, thanks to a grant from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and a state program, we will be able to offer double value to SNAP recipients at this year's Farmers Markets.  For each $5 purchase via a SNAP EBT card, GardenShare will add an additional $5 worth of produce purchasing power.

One single mother in the Canton area told us: " Being able to use my SNAP benefits at the local Farmers Market allows me more opportunities with more varieties and mainly, more nutrients for the buck.  The interaction with the farmers opens a whole other dimension for my kids.  They witness the communication and questions being answered by the farmers who put so much love and hard work into the food they sell.  As a family, we have a deeper respect and appreciation for what is on our plate."

And it's a plus for the farmers, too.  According to Mike Watkins of Lazy River Farm in Hermon, " As a farmer at Canton's market, I see many faces including families, business people, SLU students, groups of children with daycare providers, and seniors.  Many are recurrent patrons and I have built a great relationship with them over the years.  With the variety of people that attend the market and purchase my vegetables, fruit, berries, etc. a majority of them use SNAP tokens.  If the EBT machine wasn't available to people at the market, I wouldn't have the number of sales I count on.  SNAP brings more people to the market and broadens horizons for both my business and the community who need the SNAP benefit."
Take our short survey

Let us know what you think about GardenShare's work to solve hunger.  Share your ideas and feedback and help us do a better job as we work toward that important mission!

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Interns - A big thank you to the four St. Lawrence University students who interned at GardenShare this spring - Lizz Muller, Taylor Owen, Dan Pollis, and Lanika Sanders.  All four did great work for us this spring on Food Day Youth Summit follow-up, CSA Bonus Bucks, farmers market promotion, and other projects.  We will miss you and wish you well in your next endeavor!

Cabin Fever Trivia Night - Thank you to all of the volunteers, sponsors, donors, and attendees who made Trivia Night such a success.  We exceeded our goal of raising $2,000, with almost $2,700 raised!  Great job, everyone!

Volunteers - Thank you to all the volunteers working hard on the annual dinner, the Fight Hunger 5K, farmers market promotion and assistance and all the other day-to-day tasks that make GardenShare work!  Would you like to volunteer?  Please get in touch!
GardenShare | 315-261-8054 | www.gardenshare.org
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