February 2020

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"Honey, bee mine!" Lime Hollow Honey, Image courtesy of the Farm-to-Table Initiative led by Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County.

Rolling out a New Mission Statement

You may have seen it in the papers, but GardenShare has a new mission statement! After months of meetings, discussions, and fine-tuning between the board, staff, and community stakeholders, we are happy to reveal the new mission:

GardenShare promotes a local food system that ensures food security for all St. Lawrence County residents.  We do this by:  Connecting consumers and producers  Supporting equitable distribution of food resources Removing barriers to access Including stakeholders in decision making Providing food justice education and advocacy Engaging with community partners

While the heart of the mission has remained relatively unchanged, the new mission will provide a necessary shift in focus away from problem solving and towards solution building.

GardenShare X Cinema10 GardenShare and Cinema10 are teaming up to present a screening of The Biggest Little Farm , dir. John Chester on Monday, February 24 at 7:15 pm in Potsdam’s Roxy Theater . The Biggest Little Farm chronicles the eight-year quest of John and Molly Chester as they trade city living for 200 acres of barren farmland and a dream to harvest in harmony with nature. Featuring breathtaking cinematography, captivating animals, and an urgent message to heed Mother Nature’s call, THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM provides us all a vital blueprint for better living and a healthier planet.  There will be opportunities for questions and discussion with a panel of local farmers following the film, featuring:  Kassandra Barton, 8 O’Clock Ranch Cathy Fuller, Fuller’s Farm Dan Kent, Kent Family Growers Bob Zufall, Zufall Farm  Admission to the film is $5.50 for general admission, $4.50 for students.

Let's Get Quizzical, Quizzical!

Calling all trivia lovers and aficionados! GardenShare’s Annual Cabin Fever Trivia Night is happening Saturday, March 7 at 7:00 pm at the Potsdam Elks Lodge . Enjoy a cash bar and snacks provided by Big Spoon Kitchen. Cost to participate is $25/person or $12.50/student.  Put together your best four person team to compete for a good cause! Prizes for first and second place, best team name, and best team uniform.  Register by March 4 at gardenshare.org. Thank you to our Sponsors: St. Lawrence Health System, Big Spoon Kitchen, Frazer Computing, Stewart’s Shops, and Stauffer Farms.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available! For a donation of $100 or more, you may send a team of four to compete. You'll be thanked on our website, in our e-newsletter, and in press. OR, in-kind donations are also appreciated for prizes.  If you are interested in sponsoring, email  info@gardenshare.org , or call us at 315-261-8054

Last year's "Best Team Uniform" winners: The Lumber Zach's! Credit: Rebecca Allen

Get in the Guide

It’s that time of year again! Are you a local grower? Does your restaurant or store feature local products? If so, it’s time to reserve your listing in St. Lawrence County’s guide to farm stands, u-picks, farmers markets, restaurants, and other outlets offering locally grown food.  The Local Food Guide is St. Lawrence County’s premier resource for all things local food. 10,000 paper copies are distributed throughout the county. 5,000 of which are distributed through North County This Week. Direct mailings reach more than 1,500 local food lovers. A product index in addition to the alphabetical listings to help customers find exactly what they’re looking for. The Farmers Market Customer’s Guide explains programs to purchase from local vendors. New GardenShare website (launching soon) will include expanded search features, maps, and photos. To reserve a spot in the Guide, respond to the letter you received or, if you haven’t received a letter, complete the appropriate listing form from our website and get it back to us by Thursday, February 27, 2020.

Interested in advertising your business in the guide? Check out our website for more information.  We’re also still looking for artists to design our cover! Send artwork to info@gardenshare.org .

Black History Month Book Recommendation

Farming While Black by Leah Penniman celebrates sustainability and fights for food and environmental justice

Leah Penniman is the co-founder of Soul Fire Farm , "a Black/Indigenous/People of Color-centered community farm committed to ending racism and injustice in the food system." The author, farmer, and activist has created a comprehensive "how-to" guide for small-scale farming with a focus on liberation and justice. This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the food system and food justice, that's why we're recommending it to you all! We suggest you give it a read before April 3 , when Lean Penniman will be featured as the keynote speaker at the North Country Sustainability Day and Green Living Fair, hosted at St. Lawrence University! Learn more about the book here.

Credit: Leah Penniman and Chelsea Green Publishing

Regional Youth Science Fair will be Held at SUNY Potsdam

Registration is now open for the Terra Northeast Regional Science and Engineering Fair on Saturday, March 28. The fair is open to all students grades 5-12 and will be held at SUNY Potsdam in the Knowles Conference Center. You might even win a prize!  Learn more and register on the Terra Science and Engineering Fair Website.  https://tnrsef.stemwizard.com/public_site/home/tnrsef

Credit: TERRA Northeast Regional Science and Engineering Fair

More Upcoming Food Justice Events

Local Food Winter Social Monday, Feb 10, 2020. 5pm - 7:30pm First Presbyterian Church | 42 Elm Street, Potsdam, NY Are you a local food producer, entrepreneur or food system advocate?  CCE's Local Food Advisory Committee is hosting this free event to share our food system activities, envision future programming and allow others to communicate about their efforts. The social is free and open to all. Learn more here. Credit: Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County

Credit: North Country Food Justice Working Group Third Annual Food Summit Thursday, Feb 27, 2020. 9am - 5pm The Wild Center | 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, NY Registration is open for the 3rd Annual Food Summit brought to you by the North Country Food Justice Working Group. 2020's Summit theme is Food and Poverty, featuring keynote speaker Austin Frerick. Cost for admission is $15 for students, $20 for individuals, and $50 for 2 organization or business tickets Learn more here.