The Syracuse Downtown Farmers Market will use $41,400 in grant funding from New York Agriculture and Markets to boost its marketing capabilities by sharing stories of local farmers, officials said.
“We really want to make sure that we're providing opportunities not just the market itself, but also to promote our farmers,” said Conor Rockhill, an economic development specialist for Downtown Committee of Syracuse.
The market has as many as 50 vendors, according to the Downtown Committee of Syracuse's website.
Another portion of funding, which was allocated through the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program, will go toward diversifying the produce available at the market by partnering with the Syracuse-Onondaga Food System Alliance and the CNY Regional Market.
“An important goal of the farmers market is making sure that we provide access to locally produced fresh produce, especially for people without access to a car for people who live downtown,” Rockhill said. “We're working with them to make sure when people come to the market, they can get everything that they need for a fresh healthy meal.”
New York Agriculture and Markets awarded $700,000 to 11 organizations and farmers markets statewide. Other farmers markets that were awarded include ones in Broome, Sullivan and St. Lawrence counties; Dunkirk, Lyons, Millerton and Newburgh; the Downtown Buffalo Country Market; and two organizations in New York City.
“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 Ball said in a press release.
The program is designed to support farmers and help them reach customers in a different way, by improving online sales abilities and infrastructure, and extending marketing and outreach, according to a statement from Ball’s office.
The farmers market will open June 13 and operate from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday through Oct. 10 in Clinton Square.